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| Pat &
Chris |
Pat and Chris moved from their ‘beautiful but draughty family home’ in Birmingham to The Wintles in July 2005.
‘The first time I walked into The Wintles, I thought, ‘how wonderful’,’ says Pat. ‘I thought Bob [Tomlinson] was great for ploughing through all the red tape to create a human way of living.
‘Our friends thought we were making a big mistake, moving to a quiet sleepy village, but we’ve found we see more of family and friends than we did before. Coming here is a wonderful escape for them. Our kids come up and borrow the house when we’re away, too.’
‘The house is a lovely, calm quiet place to live in,’ she says. ‘It’s warm and cosy on frosty mornings, and the air quality is fantastic.’
Pat used to commute to Birmingham twice a week to do her job as an Education Officer, but she now works from home, writing curriculum materials.
Chris runs his business from home, too.
‘We have an open studio at the top of the house,’ says Pat. ‘We had the option to use the space like that rather than have four bedrooms. Chris is a clock-maker, and he has a wonderful workshop up there. It’s a lovely creative space. There are wonderful views of hills and sheep. A visitor once stood in the studio and said, ‘You could never get depressed here.’
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‘Chris finds that working from home is no problem,’ Pat continues. ‘He gets his business by word of mouth, through the walking group and the choir, and the rest over the internet.’
The couple enjoy the sense of community on The Wintles.
‘Because of the arrangement of the houses, there’s a genuine interaction between the neighbours and their visitors. It’s an extended group of family and friends. Having the houses close together is a big advantage. There’s a special, human scale to it, and it makes you feel safe.’
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Pat babysits for parents on The Wintles and looks out for elderly neighbours. ‘We keep an eye out for each other,’ she says. ‘But we don’t live in each other’s pockets - we do have privacy.’
They are also closely involved with the community of Bishop’s Castle.
‘The allotments will be up and running soon, and I’m really looking forward to it,’ enthuses Pat. ‘Everyone is pulling together. We’re involving other local people, and are thinking of encouraging the local schools to use the allotments too. We’re very much part of the town.
‘There is a tremendous amount to do locally if you’re into music or the arts in any way. There are writers’ groups and poetry sessions, and we sing with the Wassailers Choir. The people in Bishop’s Castle are so inclusive and friendly: we’ve never felt like outsiders.
‘People come from the surrounding villages and there’s a great buzz whenever there’s an event going on - the Agricultural Show, the
Michaelmas Fair, Christmas Lights, etc.’
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‘There are wonderful pubs in Bishops Castle too, and great places to eat.’
Another benefit is that The Wintles is just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of town.
Pat says, ‘You don’t have to use the car - Bishop’s Castle has everything you might need. Great local shops, farmers’ markets, new shops opening all the time.’
‘And you can walk out into the stunning countryside - Chris has joined the walking group.’
Pat sums up her feelings about her new home. ‘We have joy in the environment, pleasure in the houses - everyone is trying to do their bit. Our quality of life has improved enormously since we moved here.’
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