One of our tenants has moved out of their council home after 50 years to a new life in a residential home – and shared some special memories with us of how proud she was of her home.
Mrs Hegarty had been living with her sister when she found out she was getting a new council flat in the 1960s and not only that, that she would be the first tenant to move into her council block in Friern Barnet.
Sitting with her son Darrell in her new residential home in East Finchley, Mrs Hegerty looks back on the 50 years she lived in Grovefield very fondly: “I am beginning to settle in here. It will take some time as I have been so used to looking after myself all these years! What’s strange is suddenly I don’t have anything to do. It’s certainly a different way of life, but I had to move out as I am almost blind in one eye.”
50 years ago, Mrs Hegarty moved into Grovefield with her late husband who worked for Standard Telephones in New Southgate and 4-year-old twin boys.
“Moving in was a dream we were so pleased to have a home of our own. My children were only 4 years old when we moved in. It was a real community here, the green grocer offered to deliver my shopping to save me having to walk up to New Southgate with a twin buggy. We went to the church in Muswell Hill and the children attended Brunswick School.”
The Hegarty family never missed a day’s rent and their Barnet Homes housing officer (at one point) Evelyn, can attest that the flat was left in such immaculate condition – that not much repairs or maintenance work needed to be done for the next family moving in. This is a success story in itself it means people in housing need can be moved into a home much quicker.
Mrs Hegarty continues: “We never missed our rent apart from the one time we’d left the cash in the rent-book! And we certainly wouldn’t want to leave a property to someone in a condition we wouldn’t live in ourselves. I even left the blinds – I could have done with something for the windows when I moved in. I was the first resident to get my keys and move into the block. I didn’t even know which number I was! There was more of a community then everyone knew each other and would do anything for you. It was a wonderful time and I am so proud of my sons Darrell and Eamon.”
We wish dear Mrs Hegarty all the best in her new home.