Heating up friendship
A PENSIONER offered to share her bed with two street wardens who braved Arctic conditions to deliver two temporary heaters to her freezing Weardale home.
Nancy Stephenson, 78, lives alone in Wearhead and said Durham County Council street warden Louis Hodkinson was always checking on her to make sure she was alright.
On Boxing Day Nancy’s heating broke leaving her with one heater for five days until 50-year-old Louis found out. Within hours, Louis and his fellow warden David Mills made the 50-mile round trip in a snow storm to deliver two electric heaters to Nancy’s home on Vedra Close.
Nancy said: “I saw one of Louis’s colleagues in the shop and he asked how I was so I told him about my heating.
“The next day Louis and David turned up in an absolute blizzard with two heaters they had borrowed from the council stores.
“It was 4.30pm and even though we were in the middle of a storm they didn’t leave until they made sure both heaters were working.
“Louis’s such a nice lad who will do anything for anybody but he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.
“It’s just a shame there aren’t more people like him.”
Nancy, who knew Louis’s grandparents in Crook before she moved into the dale 21 years ago, was so concerned that the pair wouldn’t be able to get home in the snow she offered them a bed for the night.
She said: “I told them we could fit three in my bed, they could really have kept me warm then.
“Seriously though, as far as I’m concerned they went well beyond their duties to look after me and I think they’re just marvellous.”
Oliver Sherratt, head of direct services at Durham County Council, urged everyone to follow Louis’s example and look out for their neighbours.
He said: "Louis has clearly shown what great service is all about. He has shown initiative, determination and a caring attitude towards others.
"This illustrates the extra mile our staff are going to help ensure the welfare of residents during these extreme weather conditions.
“We'd encourage everyone to be good neighbours like this and check on elderly and other vulnerable neighbours, friends and relatives."
A humble Louis said looking after people in his community was part of his job.
He said: “While it’s obviously nice of Nancy to make a fuss of us, from my point of view I was just doing what was I supposed to.
“There was no way after hearing about Nancy’s heating problems that I couldn’t do everything possible to help.
“I’ve been visiting Nancy for three and a half years and every week she welcomes us in and makes us tea and a pie.
“It has escalated into a friendship just as it has with many other people we regularly visit.
“I want them to know that if they are having problems, call us and if we can’t help we’ll get on to somebody who can.
“I’m over the moon we could deliver the heaters to Nancy and it felt good to be doing something for the community.” Louis also issued a warning to other residents to ensure their heating is on.
He said: “We went to see one lady in Stanhope who was actually blue.
“It turned out her heating was switched off so we stayed with her until it had warmed the house up.
“In these conditions you have to make sure you are looking after yourself and your neighbours.”
