Still loving her council flat - 25 years after moving in

Published: 28 August 2019

Violet Carter just knew she would love living in her council flat. She was right because 25 years have passed since she first opened the front door of the flat in her older persons' housing complex run by the City Council.

As the nation celebrates 100 years of council housing, Exeter City Council talked to Violet, just one of many thousands of people who have enjoyed being a council tenant in Exeter over the last century. 

Violet, who is 94, still keeps herself active and her family are always popping by to make sure she is okay

She wasn't always from Exeter and grew up in Sunderland. She met her husband Nick, who was in the Parachute Regiment, while working in the NAAFI (the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes), feeding the army during World War.

He was taken prisoner at Arnhem and was a prisoner of war for almost seven months.

After the war the couple moved to Dover where Nick came from. He worked at a paper mill and Violet spent some time as a cleaner.

Nick passed away 35 years ago. She had a flat in Kent but moved to Tavistock to be closer to her daughter.

Violet lived in two Guinness Trust properties in Exeter before moving to her current home.

Sadly, she lost her daughter seven years ago but she has two grand-daughters, two great grandchildren and a six-year-old great, great grand-daughter to keep her company.

She said: "As soon as I walked through the door here, I knew I would love it. There is something about the place. I was right. I have loved it."