Beamish Museum unveils 1950s replica home winner

Linda Gilmore and her mum Esther Gibbon said it was "fantastic" their house had been chosen

A 1950s house in Sunderland has been chosen to be rebuilt at a museum.

Beamish, in County Durham, appealed for semi-detached houses built between 1950 and 1959 to use as a design base to replicate at a new attraction.

Built as social housing, nine entries were chosen as finalists, from people's childhood homes to their current ones.

Esther Gibbon, 92, whose house in Redhouse Estate, Sunderland, was chosen as the winning property, said it was "great" her "happy home" had won.

Esther's house, where she has lived since 1952, will be replicated, rather than rebuilt, brick-by-brick like the properties in the older parts of the museum.

Her daughter Linda, who was born in the front room of the house, said: "I think I already view it [the house] as iconic but it's going to be more iconic now - we're really looking forward to it."

The museum's project officer Geraldine Straker, said it was a "wonderful house" with a "strong story" which would "really represent" the 1950s and 1950s housing in the new area.

The 1950s-style development, costing £10.75m, will also include a cafe, shops, police house, cinema and recreation area.

The museum appealed for homes which were originally constructed as social housing