Tees Life Tees Life issue 2 | Page 37

Red Wynd features (clockwise from right) an extended kitchen, galleried reception and snooker room. like ships in the night during the week.” Unsurprisingly, the stunning gym is one of Gary’s favourite rooms in the house. “I use it just about every day,” he says. “I go straight in there when I get in from work in the evening. I tend to do more weights than I do cardio, while Hayley does it the other way around. We don’t have personal trainers - we’re motivated, as we’re trying to keep the old age at bay.” Entering Red Wynd via the main entrance from the gated grounds, you are greeted by an elegant galleried reception hall with a shining chandelier hanging above solid oak flooring. To the right is 600 sq ft of kitchen/diner featuring a stunning range of bespoke hand-built solid walnut kitchen units with solid granite work surfaces. Extended by Gary and Hayley, the kitchen/diner now looks out across the neighbouring golf course, while bi-fold doors and separate French doors open onto the patio areas and a rear garden featuring a summer house. Back inside, a cosy TV room with wood burning stove leads through to a snooker room featuring a three-quarters length snooker table that came with the house. “This room is lovely for entertaining,” says Gary. “If we’ve got friends round, we’ll sit in here, put the music on and the guys will play snooker while the girls chat.” Is the businessman an amateur Ronnie O’Sullivan, we ask? “Err, no, I’m not that good considering I’ve got a snooker table. It is a great social thing when the lads are round, but it has lost its novelty for me so I only tend to play when people are here.” HOMES The room in which both Gary and Hayley spend more time than anywhere else is less impressive but far more important – a small office at the front of the house. “We both regularly work from home and find ourselves sitting across the desk from one another,” he says. “We own four businesses between us so there’s always something going on and it’s good to bounce things off one another if anyone gets stuck. Hayley’s better at technology than I am so she’s my IT support!” Now, however, they think it may be time to move on from their dream home for pastures new. The house is up for sale with estate agents Michael Poole. Gary explains: “We don’t really want to sell but if we got the right price for it we’d sell it because it’s actually too big for the two of us and a dog. Our children, Emily and Adam, have grown up and moved out – though they’re often back for family get-togethers. “It is a forever house but it is just too big for us now. Funnily enough, it has never felt too big as a home because the rooms are a nice proportion without being too impersonal, but now the kids have gone we’ve got more rooms than we know what to do with. We’re in no hurry but it’s time for a fresh start.” WATCH: We chat with Gary and look around his beautiful Wynyard home on film – see it now in the online version of Tees Life at tees-life.co.uk 37