THE North of England is a long way from the heat of South America, but Jeanette Hunsdale fell in love with the peace and quiet of her new neighbourhood and the welcoming warmth of her neighbours. As SUSAN GOODSON discovered, she has loved every minute of the years she has spent in the home she shared with husband Thomas

WHEN Thomas Hunsdale came out of the army he and wife Jeanette were keen to settle down for the sake of their childrens' education.

During his time in the forces the couple had moved around the country and also lived abroad, but it was his home town that the family finally returned to.

Jeanette, who is Guyanese, knew Barrow having lived with Thomas’s parents when they first married, but she was still taken by the warmth her family received in the area they moved into.

The house - 57 Newbarns Road, Barrow - is in a popular residential location and is a semi-detached home with good sized family living space. The property consists of a deep set garden front with access to a very pleasant side garden, entrance hall, bay-windowed lounge, kitchen diner and a covered passageway with access to a utility store. Moving to the first floor there are three bedrooms and a family bathroom.

To the back of the property is a lawned garden and off-road parking.

The Hunsdale house is a real family home which has been the scene of many gatherings both inside and out.

Big family dinners in the kitchen diner and barbecues in the garden have been the scenes of much laughter and merriment.

When Jeanette's brother came to visit from his home in New York, US, he loved Barrow and its people. This is something that has always meant a lot to Jeanette, who not only has children here now but grandchildren.

Talking about her home, Jeanette said: “We moved into the house in 1971 and I have loved every minute of it. I loved the house straight away and it is close to where Thomas grew up in Barrow. It is such a quiet part of town and there is never any trouble.

“In the summer I like to sit in the lounge and look out the big bay window because all you can see is green and all the birds coming into the garden.

“Whenever we went away Thomas’s mother would housesit for us and she said that was her favourite thing to do because the view was so nice.”

Even now in winter looking outside there are green hedges and lawns and as the house is set back off the road and elevated it is private and not overlooked.

It is close to schools, supermarkets, the leisure centre and Barrow park.

Having three boys and a girl, the house has always been a busy home but there is plenty of storage space throughout, including a cupboard in the hallway and one in the kitchen, as well as its built-in pantry and the utility room, which also has a toilet. This has always been handy when the children were small and playing outside because it meant they didn’t have to traipse upstairs to the bathroom.

Jeanette said: “The house has so much good social space and the kitchen diner has always been the heart of the home.

“We have had so many people around here, I loved serving up Christmas lunch on a big table and with it being a kitchen/diner you were never on your own while doing the cooking.

"We had the kitchen extended because it was too small when we brought the house, but that is a good thing about the large corner plot it is on - there is still plenty of room to expand the house if the new owners wanted to.”

Upstairs the family bathroom has a bath and shower, while the three bedrooms all have built-in cupboards.

Jeanette added: “Outside at the back is a lawn and then to the left is off-road parking for several vehicles, but if someone wanted they could knock down the wall between that area and the garden and increase the off-road parking part or expand the garden.

“Thomas always loved gardening and had so many plants in it. There is a glass house and garden shed and he always had tomatoes and chilli peppers growing.

“In the past he has had a pond, but that has been filled in now.

“We have had many wonderful barbecues out here.

“The garden gets the sun all day and I like sitting out here in the morning with a cup of tea.”

It is with real regret that Jeanette is selling the house, but very sadly Thomas died in April. The house has too many memories and is just too big for her on her own. She would love another family to have the chance to enjoy the house.

The house - 57 Newbarns Road, Barrow - is on the market with Ross Estate Agencies, reduced to offers in the region of £139,950.

For further details or to arrange a viewing to see the house please call the agent on 01229 825636 or call into the Barrow offices at 16 Cavendish Street.