Former England fast bowler now calls town near Aylesbury home after retirement move

John Price has shared his delight at moving to the “attractive” Princes Risborough area, he represented his country 15 times at test match level.

He took an almighty 817 first class wickets and another 192 victims in one day cricket, his new home is at Churchill’s Chiltern Lodge in the Bucks town.

During his peak playing days John was described as a “solidly-built right-arm fast bowler with a distinctive angled approach to the wicket and an exceptionally long run-up”.

His storied career saw him travel with the England team to India and South Africa in the 1960s, he also made several appearances at one of crickets most famous sporting venues, Lords, when lining up for Middlesex.

Now aged 85, John still enjoys the occasional visit to Lord’s to see the England and Middlesex teams in action.

But most weekends, John and a couple of fellow residents will be found watching club cricket on one of many pretty local grounds. “I prefer Test matches to the newer shorter formats,” he says. “We’ve been winning Test matches in tremendous style recently although our limited overs teams are doing less well.”

John recently made the decision to downsize from his five-bedroom

family home, where he’d lived for nearly 50 years, to a more manageable retirement living apartment. Also he and his wife, Margaret, can spend more time with a daughter and family who live nearby.

“I’m enjoying it very much,” he says. “The Chilterns are very much on our doorstep, we’re close to an attractive high street with everything we need and my wife enjoys the social side of living here. We meet up with our new neighbours most afternoons in the Owners’ Lounge or in the garden when the weather’s good.”

John’s impressive sporting career may set him apart from the other residents at Chiltern Lodge, but you wouldn’t know it to meet him. As part of the warm and friendly community he fits in ‘seamlessly’, residents say.

Chiltern Lodge is a collection of one and two bedroom privately-owned retirement apartments.