Sheila and Ernie Waterer say moving into their DAMHA home was “better than winning the lottery.”

And that was even before they started putting their personal own stamp on their bungalow in Hetton-le-Hole!

With our approval, the work they have done on their home includes fitting a new bathroom, complete with walk-in shower, installing a new kitchen and a new fireplace.

The couple say: “Prior to moving here we had a three-bedroom family home, but with our children having grown up and moved out, we wanted to downsize whilst remaining in the area close to our family.

“Moving to our Aged Miners Home was better than winning the lottery and we have enjoyed making our own improvements to the home and putting our own stamp on it.”

Sheila and Ernie, who have four children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild, met each other on a blind date and have now been married for 52 years.

Ernie loves watching sport on TV, so Sheila uses this as an excuse to go and watch her own programmes in their bedroom.

They also enjoy going for trips out on the bus, often going as far afield as Berwick and Redcar.

Ernie is the Residents’ Representative for the area, as well as being a member of our Residents’ Scrutiny Panel.

He goes above and beyond in his Residents’ Representative role, making sure he puts everyone’s bins out each week, and he’s always on hand for a chat and to help out when he can.

He adds: “They call me the Sheriff of the Street; now I just need the badge to go with the title!”