The 59-year-old lives in a detached Cambridge style home with wife Christina and youngest child, Niamh.
“Given the unexpected shocks we have all had with utility bills, this has been an absolute Godsend!” said Gerard. “We were living in a six-bedroom house in Birkenhead which was so expensive to run, and for which the upkeep was so prohibitive. It was cold and difficult to heat.
“Our new home is so well insulated, it’s brilliant. We hardly ever need to put the heating on – even in the really cold winter we had – and when we do it’s just for an hour or so in the morning when we’re all getting up, and then in the evening, and it stays warm for hours.”
He added: “We were spending a fortune on heating and lighting in our old home, and what we spend now is a fraction of what we were paying.” But it isn’t just for the economic benefits that Gerard and 54-year-old Christina decided to move to the picturesque garden village.
Our designs of both the homes and the development were a huge draw to family. Gerard, whose last role was at Overchurch Junior School in Upton, said: “We’d come to look at Ledsham Garden Village about two years ago and just fell in love with the place, but for one reason or another, jobs, moving… we just didn’t get around to it.
“Then when our two eldest children, Patrick, 28, and Bethan, 25, had moved out leaving just our 16-year-old daughter, and with me about to retire, it seemed the time was right - and we had set our hearts on it.
“The way the village is set out is lovely, you have this beautiful pastoral scene with the village green, and planting and pergolas everywhere. It’s like stepping back in time for all the right reasons. It’s so friendly, and you get this nice vibe, there’s a real community spirit, and it’s that that I just love.”
There’s a real cultural and social mix of people, you get kids playing out, young mums doing yoga on the green, and people walking their dogs. After a busy and stressful 35-year career it’s the perfect place to retire to, and I am just enjoying my garden and the oasis we have here – it’s worth everything.”
Gerard and Christina, who’s headteacher at Riverside Primary in Seacombe, chose a four-bedroom Cambridge property, not least because of its sizeable south-facing garden which is their ‘pride and joy’. “We loved the layout and flow of the house,” said Gerard.
“What impressed us was the Redrow design, how it uses the space so well. The house we were in, which was built in the 1930s, was a huge, rambling house and totally inefficient in its use of space. You walked through the front door and there was a massive hall which was great for the tree at Christmas but, for the rest of the time, a real waste of space – and very draughty.
“With Redrow even the utility room is well thought-out.”
Downstairs in the Cambridge is a spacious front lounge, cloakroom and utility, with a kitchen, dining and family area that stretches across the width of the property and double doors that let the light flood in.
Upstairs there are four good-sized bedrooms, the main with en-suite, and a family bathroom.
“Christina and I have the main bedroom and Niamh has the large bedroom at the rear with a double bed and fitted mirrored wardrobes,” said Gerard.
“Because my wife is still a serving headteacher the smaller back bedroom is her office, and the other front bedroom is a guest room.
“What we love most is the huge kitchen and dining room which, while you can have a sitting area, we have just kept as a kitchen diner. We have a big family and so we hosted everyone for Christmas, and having such a wonderful space means we can have a large dining table and we can shift things around and move things in and out when we want to.
“The patio doors are fantastic too and they bring the garden inside.”
Gerard and Christina live on phase two of the development, known as Oaklands. The care they got from our sales team throughout the purchase and afterwards was excellent, they say, with contact with everyone on site ‘top notch’.
“The personnel management is outstanding,” said Gerard.
There are three and four-bedroom homes currently available, at Oaklands, Hawthorn Court and Sycamore Green, the latest phases of Ledsham Garden Village.
Well-connected with road and rail links to Liverpool, Manchester, Chester and beyond, Ledsham Garden Village is surrounded by great shopping and entertainment opportunities. Cheshire Oaks designer outlet village is close by with stores, a multi-screen cinema, and attractions like Blue Planet Aquarium, and for open air family fun, Eastham Woods is just on the doorstep.
To find out more or to arrange a visit to Ledsham Garden Village or call 0151 3915238
