Living in sounds idyllic. Usually they are beautiful, well-maintained, with the best blooms on display and perhaps a gastro pub or two. But although Dinnington, Newcastle, ticks many of these boxes, residents themselves are confused about why it keeps
The Telegraph picked it out as posh in its rundown of posh villages in 2023 and 2034 – and now it’s quickly gaining a reputation for being a bit well-to-do – but it’s baffling residents. David Dixon, 44, is a contracts manager who grew up in Dinnington and now lives just down the road in Cramlington. He is married to Louise, 39, also a contracts manager and they have three children aged three, seven and 13.
:
David Dixon, 44, is a contracts manager who grew up in Dinnington (Image: Andy Commins, Express)
He struggles to understand the posh label of the village, where house prices currently start from just £200,000 for a three-bedroom end terraced property. This is well below England’s average property price of around £290,000. However, he loves the place he still calls home.
Mr Dixon said: “It’s more about the village. It’s nice. But it’s the people that make it a nice place. We have a massive community spirit. I live in Cramlington but I still call it home. We care. People have morals and they say please and thank you. It would be very rare that you would walk through a door and that people wouldn’t hold it open for you.”
Mr Dixon also said that there is a contingent of villagers who work hard to make sure that there are flowers in bloom and that the communal spaces look great. He says the location of the village is perfect for city workers who want to be close to the countryside.
He said: “You’re close to the city but not too close to the city.”
Friend and fellow villager Connor Maguire, 30, a labourer, is also proud of the village he calls home and that locals call “Dinni”. He has two children and lives with his partner Megan Graham, 24, a full-time mum.
He said: “Posh is probably not the right word. I don’t know what word to use other than [saying] it’s a happy place to live.”
Connor Maguire, 30, a labourer, is also proud of the village he calls home (Image: Andy Commins, Express)
Don’t miss… [REPORT] [REVEAL]
The village of Dinnington, near Newcastle, has a shop and three pubs (Image: Andy Commins, Express)
So what makes it so special?
He said: “Definitely the people first and foremost. I think as well [it’s] the pubs and the shops we have got.”
Connor explains that “everyone goes to all three pubs at the weekend” and that you don’t have to venture far for fun, adding the Dinnington mini-pub crawl is “like a night out in town but in the village.”
He said: “Everyone knows everyone, you can mingle with different people, it’s one of those places. It’s just really friendly.”
And, he says, that it’s the kind of place that people feel comfortable enough to leave their doors unlocked and open.
He said: “If the shop is closed and they want a coffee they will go to their neighbour’s and get some sugar. They’ll walk through the back door and they will know them by name.”
New mum Kathryn Lambourn, 29, is a claims handler and has moved to the new houses in the village with her partner Jack, also 29, and their daughter, Ivy, one. They are both from different areas of the country – Hertfordshire and Wakefield respectively – and met at Newcastle’s Northumbria University.
She said: “Everyone seems to have lived here years and years. It’s nicely kept. A lot of effort goes into the maintenance of the village and it still has got the community feel. It’s not cold and detached.”
Her auntie Berverley Precious, 62, who lives and works in York – a place renowned for its poshness – was surprised by the exclusive label – but thinks it’s lovely.
She said: “Coming here, it’s really lovely. There is a village atmosphere, a nice community.”
The White Swan Inn in Dinnington is where the community comes together (Image: Andy Commins)
A bar lady who works in the Mason Arms, which overlooks the well-maintained village green also had her say on its so-called poshness.
The woman, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I have always lived here – it’s just quiet! I think that’s what makes people think that it’s posh.
“I think it’s more to do with the new estates being built,” said the pub worker, as she explained lots of the older parts of the village were originally filled with council houses.
She added: “I just think they are normal houses though – so I don’t really know! We are just down to earth – people come in here and have a laugh and you don’t have to watch your Ps and Qs. You can knock on your neighbour’s door and ask for a cup of sugar.”
Ava Cobb, 18, is a waitress in the The White Swan Inn (Image: Andy Commins)
Ava Cobb, 18, is a waitress in the village pub and restaurant The White Swan Inn. She is waiting to go into the RAF and has lived in the village all her life.
She said: “Posh isn’t the word that I would use! However, it is a really lovely place to live. It has always felt like a safe place to live and I have always known my neighbours. I also love working here with all the people I can talk to. It is also great living across the road from the restaurant and the shop. There is also a lot of greenery – and I have two dogs.”
Ava explains that the village isn’t far from the certified-posh Ponteland and just five minutes from Darras Hall, where an abundance of footballers live.
She added: “It’s not far from Ponteland and not far from town it’s ideal!”
Joe Velasco, 33, is a chef that also works in The White Swan Inn – and one of the only people we could find who agrees with the village’s so-called posh status.
Joe, who is originally from the Philippines but now lives in the village, said: “I prefer it here – and I do think it’s posh! There are nice houses and nice cars and there are a lot of professional people who live here.”