Here at Stroll, we love nothing more than interviewing those neighbors who enrich our local neighborhood communities in unique ways. After all, diversity makes the world go ‘round. Culture and customs from near and far are some of the attributes that make Southside Village a more interesting place to live. We love that! With this in mind, we interviewed Charlotte Winney, a transplant from Lancashire, England. She taught us a little bit about how her family adds to the mix.

 

Maybe it’s the traditional English Sunday Roast of turkey and veggies (much like a better version of the American Thanksgiving) that you smell through the open windows as you pass by their house on Boyce Street. They finish meals like this off with delicious English Chocolate, which we now want to try! Right about now, the boys are probably playing Rugby in the yard, and Manchester United is probably beating its opponents on TV. If they’re not home, look for the family at a nearby park or bike trail.

 

Charlotte and her husband Ross are busy raising 3 beautiful children: George (age 6), Hugo (age 4) and Claudia (age 2), along with their little Maltese, Edward (age 13). They have been in their lovely neighborhood home for a few years now, after moving from nearby Lakewood Ranch. Florida was not their first stop in the US after immigrating. They had initially landed in Indiana. While it was quaint and homey there, a vacation to Siesta Key made them change their minds and move to Sarasota. Ross got a job offer as a Sales Manager for Johnson and Johnson, and away they moved! They obviously made the right choice. Ross is still with this company in this role today. The family could not be happier here.

 

Charlotte and Ross originally met back in England one night at a charity ball. Ross had raised 35,000 pounds at the event for children with Neurological Diseases. He had endured 10 Ultra Marathons in 10 months to make this happen! He had a passion for this. He wanted to provide the types of equipment to make life easier for these kids. Charlotte stated: “His passion and drive attracted me to him. His best friend put us in touch not long after. The rest is history!’

 

The family now enjoys exercising together during the week, eating at places like Pacific Rim and The Cottage, shopping at Morton’s Market and Scott’s Corner, and participating in kids sports and activities. George (6) plays the piano, and Claudia (2) attends Stage Door and Miss Jodi’s for dance. They like traveling to Orlando attractions like theme parks. Before kids, mom and dad liked Sorrento, Italy, where they had fallen in love with food. They would like to explore more of America next, by traveling to wine regions in Napa.

 

Charlotte said: “The people are so welcoming here, and we love the schools. Having our kids grow up in paradise is so special. We thank our lucky stars every day that we live here.”

 

Charlotte likes reading Stroll because there is always an opportunity to learn something new about a family or new business. She likes to recognize the local people and companies.

 

She suggests, in closing: “Get out! Meet the neighbors. Introduce yourself on walks and be open to meeting new people. Lots of people are not from here. They also enjoy meeting someone new.”

 

Cheers to Charlotte and the entire Winney Family.