Redrow was founded in 1974 and moved from civil and building contracts to private housebuilding in the early 80s.
Conwy couple Judith, 69, and Wesley Jones, 70, responded to our appeal to locate the longest continuous owners of a Redrow home, having lived in their house in Old Colwyn for 41 years.
Originally from the village, Judith and Wesley were living in nearby Colwyn Bay when a friend told them new properties were being built in their home village at a new development named ‘Willowbook’. Former gas engineer Wesley had attended Colwyn Bay High School with Redrow’s founder Steve Morgan so had no hesitation buying a new home off his old friend.
Judith, a retired mortgage advisor, said: “Wesley and Steve would meet up at Colwyn Bay Station with other football fans and go off to watch their beloved Liverpool FC. So when we heard Steve had gone into housebuilding we were interested to see his progress.
“In 1983, he began building in an area we wanted to move to, so we visited the sales office and show bungalow and fell in love. The first home we wanted was a corner plot, but it was reserved before we had chance, so we chose this one, which turned out to be a good decision because the garden is lovely.
“There were only a few houses up by then. We reserved “plot 38”, next door to Steve’s sister Sue. We kept in touch with Sue for many years and her son Mark still enquires about the family and old neighbours, even though he’s moved to a new area.
“Before she moved in, Sue had opted to have an extension created behind the garage so we decided to do the same, thinking it would be easier to have it added while the house was being built, rather than at a later date.”
The decision to add an extension increased the couple’s original £27,950 purchase price by £2,500, tipping them just over the stamp duty limit of £30,000. This meant they had to pay a 1% tax of just over £300, but they decided the investment was worth it.
Judith remembers the excitement they felt as their home neared completion. She said: “We used to come up and watch it being built. We’d walk up of an evening through fields my mum used to play in as a child, and it was exciting to see it take shape. The day we moved in was fun, we unpacked and walked up to the White Lion for a drink afterwards.”
The three-bedroom detached property, with its lovely garden, became a happy family home. Judith and Wesley went on to have a son, Ian, now 37, and a daughter Nicola, 33, who still live nearby with their families. The house is still as busy as ever with their three granddaughters, aged one, two and three, all visiting often.
Judith added: “After our children were born, we decided we needed a little more space, but we didn’t want to move. When we moved in Wesley had said he was not moving again, and they’d have to carry him out of here in a box to make him! So in about 1993 we decided to convert the garage into a playroom and the loft space into another bedroom. The work cost almost as much as the house had done originally!
“It’s been a happy family home. When we had the children, Mum and Dad moved to a Redrow bungalow round the corner. This was to support us but also because they wanted to come back to the village. They loved it here but sadly Mum passed away at a young age, so we were close by to support Dad in looking after her when she was poorly. Also, as Dad got older, we were nearby to support him. Dad passed away two years ago.”
Judith’s favourite room in her well-loved home is the conservatory where she can enjoy her garden throughout the year. She added: “I love the garden, I wouldn’t call myself a brilliant gardener, even though my dad was one by trade, but we keep it tidy.
“Wes’s favourite room is what used to be the playroom for our children, but now it’s his sports room where he can watch LFC all the time without getting out of his chair!
“We also love the fact we can walk into town or down to the beach. When the town is busy in the summer, we’re well away from the hustle and bustle and close to the quiet of the countryside.”
There are several other longstanding residents who moved in around the same time as Judith and Wesley on the development. Judith said: “We’ve been so lucky with our neighbours. There are still many original buyers living here and those who have moved here in later years have been lovely too, everyone says hello. We’ve enjoyed living here, the way the estate is laid out, the way it was landscaped is lovely, and the homes have stood the test of time. I don’t understand people who want to move every other year, it’s too stressful, but I guess we just chose the right home all those years ago.”
As Redrow’s longest homeowners, Judith and Wesley have been part of Redrow’s 50th anniversary celebrations, appearing in this film to tell their story alongside recent Redrow homebuyers Sam and Niamh Buckley, who live at Ledsham Garden Village, near Little Sutton, Cheshire.
Judith and Wesley were also awarded £500 as their prize for being named Redrow’s longest standing homeowners.
Today, the Redrow brand is part of Barratt Redrow, an exceptional UK housebuilder with a focus on placemaking that is stronger than ever.
To find your ‘forever’ home, like Judith and Wesley did, visit the Redrow website.
