RESIDENTS of a retirement village have been celebrating its 10th birthday in style.

A lavish party was thrown at Middleton Hall Retirement Village to mark the occasion.

Since it opened its doors the care home has expanded with the erection of 39 bungalows as part of the eco-friendly Waterside development on the site.

Marion Pickersgill, who was one of the first residents to move into the eco-friendly development in 2013, said: “I’ve made many friends since I moved to the village and lunch has been a lovely occasion. One of the good things about living here has been the community feel but I’ve got my own space too.”

The home has won numerous awards, including a Northumbria in Bloom Award last week, and was assessed recently as outstanding in every area by the Care Quality Commission.

Jeremy Walford, managing director of the retirement village, said: “It took some courage from customers ten years ago when we first opened Middleton Woods as we were asking people to buy into a vision of Middleton Hall as one of the foremost retirement villages in the country."