Fuelling the site team
RETIRED DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER AND NHS WORKER, AGNES AYLING IS PLAYING HER PART IN KEEPING ASCENT HOMES’ BUSY SITE TEAM AT WAYSIDE POINT, ELLINGTON, SUSTAINED WITH A REGULAR SUPPLY OF HER TASTY HOME-BAKED CAKES AND SCONES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, HAVING VISITED ASCENT HOMES SITES IN ALNWICK AND BLYTH, AGNES AND HER HUSBAND, DAVY WERE BOTH IMPRESSED BY THE HOUSE BUILDER’S BUILD QUALITY AND INTERNAL FINISH. SO, WHILE LOOKING TO DOWNSIZE FROM THEIR LARGER BUNGALOW, IT WAS NATURAL THAT DAVY, A FORMER ELLINGTON COLLIERY WINDERMAN, WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO WAYSIDE POINT AS THEIR PREFERRED LOCATION.
Since retiring from her job with the NHS, Agnes has volunteered at Ellington Village hall where there is a twice-weekly café and it is here she got into baking – fruit, plain and cherry scones being some of her regular bakes.
Receiving a warm and polite welcome from everyone on the site after they moved in, one particularly cold day, and feeling a bit sorry for lads working outdoors Agnes decided to treat them and baked a couple of batches of scones. Needless to say, they were gratefully received and since then Agnes has continued to treat the team with home-baked goodies when she’s not volunteering in the community.
Davy and Agnes chose to buy the stunning 3-bedroom Dune because they felt it best suited their needs after leaving the bungalow they’d lived in for many years. In recognition of Davy’s former job as a winderman on the site when it was a colliery, they named their home The Winder House.
Speaking about the move to Wayside Point and her love of fuelling the team, Agnes said:
“We have lived in Ellington since 1981 and love the village feel. We were looking to downsize and had just sold our bungalow when work on Wayside Point started. After visiting some of Ascent Homes other sites and seeing how well built the homes were and the extremely high standard of finish, we knew the development was right for us.
“Everyone from the labourers to the sales team are just so friendly. I thought it would be nice to treat them now and again and so had the idea of baking them scones which they all seem to enjoy.”
When Agnes isn’t volunteering and baking she enjoys sewing, while Davy plays golf and they both enjoy going off on holidays.
“We have some lovely residents who have joined us on Wayside Point and Agnes and Davy are amongst the first. We make every effort to make them feel welcome and know that we are on hand should they need us. When Agnes first baked for the team it was a freezing cold day and so the scones were a welcome treat and very thoughtful of her to go out of her way when she didn’t need to.
“As work progresses on site there is a real community feel growing amongst the residents and that’s something we strive to achieve across all of our developments.”
