Two bedroom flat in Bayswater for sale for £12 million; it does come with two parking spaces and décor that harks back to the era of Laura Ashley
A leasehold flat in Hyde Park Gardens, London, W2 has gone on sale for the staggering sum of £12 million ($15.9 million, €13.5 million or درهم58.6 million) in spite of having just two bedrooms.
Admittedly, however, the first floor property offered by agents Aylesford is anything but ordinary. It extends to some 3,502 square foot across two period buildings and includes three vast reception rooms with ceiling heights of in excess of 13-feet.
Part of a building used as an auxiliary hospital for officers between 1916 and 1919, the flat also has two balconies, two off-street parking spaces and enjoys views across Hyde Park.
Tower house on Isle of Man that was home to the Romantic artist John Martin for sale for £3.95 million
Described as “the most sublime and extraordinary pictures in the world” by critic Simon Wilson and “the most popular painter of his day” by fellow artist Sir Thomas Lawrence, English Romantic painter John Martin (1789 – 1854) is renowned to this day for fantastic compositions and such works as The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Destruction of Tyre and The Plains of Heaven. He was born in Haydon Bridge, Northumberland and died in the Isle of Man and now a castellated tower house there, where he lived from 1851 to 1853, is for sale for £3.95 million ($5.32 million, €4.50 million or درهم19.56 million).
A portrait of John Martin and his own painting “The Plains of Heaven”The view out to sea from the castellated roof terrace of Harold Tower
Of the Gothic style and dating to circa 1833, Harold Tower in Douglas was allegedly named after either Harold Harefoot (Harold I, King of England from 1035 to 1040) or Harold Godwinson (Harold II, King of England in 1066). It was constructed in a hexagonal shape, was described as a “lately erected villa” in 1856 and used as a hotel during the Second World War.
Set within 3 acres of formal gardens, Harold Tower was renovated between 2009 and 2012. It is laid out over 5 levels and includes 3 reception rooms, a cinema, a wine cellar, 3 bedrooms suites with truly lavish bathrooms and an octagonal office with a roof terrace with sea views above. In addition, a 3 bedroom guest house and a 2 bedroom guest cottage are located within the grounds along with an outdoor swimming pool.
Knightsbridge townhouse for sale for sum 11% lower than it sold for in 2011; it comes with a rather large hole in the garden that has been described as “almost as deep as the Führerbunker”
To the poet and wit Henry Luttrell (1765 – 1861) “eating pâté de foie gras to the sound of trumpets” was his idea of heaven. Now, a very wealthy buyer has the opportunity to acquire what some might consider the very opposite of such with the sale of his former home – complete with a 4-storey hole in its garden – in Knightsbridge.
Empty for many years and the subject of numerous critical articles about its dereliction in such titles as the Mirror and Daily Mail, Grade II listed 31 Brompton Square is on the market for £3 million less than it sold for in 2011. It was previously reportedly owned by the industrialist Lord Tanlaw and was also in the possession of the High Commission of Malaysia at some point.
Fraudster Achilleas Kallakis was undoubtedly the most controversial owner of the buildingPhilanthropists Dora and Mary de Beer (pictured with Esmond de Beer) were certainly more civilised residentsBaron Tanlaw of Tanlawhill reportedly owned the house for a period also
Aside from being home to the philanthropist sisters Dora and Mary de Beer (owners of the house between 1934 and 1981) and the Conservative Party politician the Hon. Michael Astor in addition, most controversially the property was bought by the now jailed businessman Achilleas Kallakis in the mid 2000s.
Kallakis – who in spite of demanding he be called ‘His Excellency’ and ‘The Don’ was actually simply “Britain’s biggest mortgage fraudster” – began work on a scheme to create what he termed a “pleasure palace” at 31 Brompton Square in 2005. He employed contractors to dig four levels down beneath what had been a pretty garden and commenced both authorised and unauthorised works to create what could still ultimately become a 22,000 square foot, 8-floor “trophy home.”
Construction stopped in 2008 after Kallakis’ arrest and in 2011, 31 Brompton Square was sold for £8 million more than sought to a Virgin Islands based company by receivers acting for Barclays Wealth. Said by locals to actually be owned at that time by a Dubai based businessman named Jonathan Hart, further planning schemes were submitted in October 2016 and now agents Savills seek £25 million for the unfinished building.
Of the sale, one near neighbour told The Steeple Times:
“This bastard of a basement has blighted this area of Knightsbridge for far too long.”
“We have feared subsidence might cause the hole to cave in since 2005 and now hope a new owner will rectify the mess left by the conman Kallakis. We simply want to be able to live out our years in peace and would like a nice, quiet family rather than a brash billionaire be the purchasers.”
September 2017 – For sale for £25 million ($33.9 million, €28.4 million or درهم125 million).
June 2016 – Predicted to be worth £50 million ($67.8 million, €56.9 million or درهم249 million) if iceberg extension were to be completed.
March 2011 – Sold for £28 million ($38 million, €31.9 million or درهم139.5 million) after a bidding war on an asking price of £20 million ($27.1 million, €22.7 million or درهم99.6 million).
An aerial view of the giant hole behind 31 Brompton SquareA closer view of the dormant siteThe front elevation of 31 Brompton SquareA proposed floor plan for the buildingA CGI image of a proposed design for a reception room within the existing buildingA CGI image of a proposed design for a reception space in the proposed extension of the houseA CGI image of a proposed design for a reception space backing onto the gardenA CGI image of a proposed design for a swimming pool within the extensionA CGI image of the proposed gardenAnother view of the spaceA drawing of the proposed redevelopment
A 20-question interview with Liverpool born artist Pauline Amos; one of her works is for sale for £1.3 million
The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?
Myself.
“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?
“If you hesitate, you’ve lost.”
Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?
Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?
My dad.
What might you swap all your wealth for?
Ending cruelty to animals and children.
Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?
A disgrace.
What phrase or word do you most loathe?
Trump.
In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?
Being charitable is being a good human being. I support Coram children’s charity, Stop Ivory, the RNLI and charities that support war veterans.
The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?
Use if necessary.
If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?
Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, Stephen Fry, Oscar Wilde, my husband, my dogs, Hunter S. Thompson and Maya Angelou.
If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?
Caviar. On the outside.
What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?
Blackwell Rum on porridge for breakfast. Every hour is acceptable.
A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?
A martini.
Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?
My own: I choose the guests and the music.
Who is the most positive person you know?
Myself.
What’s your most guilty pleasure?
Charbonnel & Walker salt caramel chocolates.
If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?
An angel.
If you were a car, what marque would you be?
A Bentley Land Rover hybrid.
Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.
One of my paintings is on sale for £1.3 million.
What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?
Two silver candlesticks, some invitations and a sign that reads: “Scouse and Proud.”
Born in Liverpool, Pauline Amos is a creative performance painting artist with a unique style of work combining painting, performance and music. Amos has a PhD from Dartington College of Arts and has drawn international acclaim for her provocative, powerful and bold works.
Follow Pauline Amos on Twitter at @paulineamos99 and like her page on Facebook by clicking here.
Vast Georgian village house in Oxfordshire for sale for £4.25 million
A Grade II* listed, mid-18th century village house in Adderbury, Oxfordshire has just gone on sale for £4.25 million ($5.74 million, €4.79 million or درهم21.10 million) after fifty years in the same family.
Providing a total of 11,290 square foot of accommodation and including 5 reception rooms, a 38-foot long kitchen, 4 cellar rooms, 10 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, Cross Hill House is built of Horton stone and has a Welsh slate roof. It is described as being of “the mid-Georgian style” and as “a big house” by Country Life’s Penny Churchill.
Former San Francisco home of actor Nicolas Cage for sale for £11.4 million or 660% more than it sold for in 1996
Thrice married and an Academy Award winning actor Nicolas Cage is also known for lavish spending. Aside from once buying twenty-two cars in one hit – including a “squadron” of nine Rolls-Royce – he “wound up” owning fifteen personal residences in 2007 and now one of them is for sale for £11.4 million.
898 Francisco Street in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighbourhood was purchased by a trust connected to Cage in 2006 for £6.9 million and sold by him in 2008 at a loss for £6.3 million. It was built in Gothic Tudor style in 1914, extends to 6,305 square foot and is spread over four floors.
The front door is an example of fine craftmanship within the houseAs is the carving on this fireplace
Featuring 4 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, the house also has a 2-car garage and enjoys views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Bay Area. It has a garden to the rear and is adjoined by a further adjacent plot on Hyde Street that has potential for a further residence.
Debi Dicello of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing and seeks either a total of £11.4 million for the entire property or £8.8 million for the main house and £2.6 million for the adjacent 40-foot by 60-foot lot.
898 Francisco Street – The Numbers
2017 – £8.8 million ($12 million, €10 million or درهم44.1 million) for the main house plus £2.6 million ($3.5million, €2.9 million or درهم12.9 million) for the adjoining plot.
2008 – Sold for £6.3 million ($8.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم31.2 million).
2006 – Bought by a trust connected to Nicolas Cage for £6.9 million ($9.4 million, €7.9 million or درهم34.5 million).
1996 – Sold for £1.5 million ($2 million, €1.7 million or درهم7.4 million).
Detached Grade II listed Georgian cottage in London, E13 for sale for just £180,000
What could be one of London’s cheapest detached Georgian houses is headed to auction.
Built in 1836 as the gate lodge to a now demolished mansion known as Bedfords and later The Willows, Grade II listed Willow Lodge in Willow Grove, Plaistow, E13 was itself originally thatched but now has a slate roof.
The rendered and whitewashed single storey freehold cottage, which provides one reception room, a kitchen, one bedroom and a bathroom, looks idyllic in close-up pictures but actually, sadly, adjoins a rather grim looking 1950s/1960s housing estate to the rear and a playground named the Valetta Grove open space to the front. It comes with a private rear garden and is described as “in need of modernisation.”
Plaistow London Underground Station is just two minutes away and a guide price of £180,000+ ($237,000+, €198,000+ or درهم871,000+) has been set by auctioneers Savills. They will sell the property on Monday 25th September at the Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, W1.
Part refurbished Irish Georgian stately home for sale for just £136,000; it was originally built by the Fry family
What could be one of the cheapest Georgian stately homes ever has been placed on the market for just £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000).
Three storey, five bay, mid-18th century Frybrook House in the centre of the town of Boyle in County Roscommon, Ireland – the birthplace of Maureen O’Sullivan (Jane in the Tarzan movies) – stands in 3 acres of land beside the River Boyle
Frybrook House appeared to be in much better condition externally in the early 2000s
Described recently by The Times as a “hot stately home,” the 8 bedroom, 8 bathroom mansion was built for Henry Fry, a merchant from Somerset, after he established a weaving operation on the site in the 1740s. It was run as a bed and breakfast in the early 2000s and last offered on the open market for £309,000 – with additional land and properties – in 2015.
Period features include fine restored plasterwork, original cornicing, window shutters, marble fireplaces and roll top baths and though the property appears to be in some state of disrepair and dereliction, it is described as “partly restored and refurbished.” Sadly, pictures also show the setting is somewhat spoilt by a modern industrial building to the rear.
September 2017 – £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000) with 3 acres of land and various outbuildings.
July 2015 – £309,000 ($406,000, €340,000 or درهم1.5 million) with 6 acres of land, 4 houses on an adjoining street and a “period building” housing a café.
Octagonal Victorian Gothic landmark in Westchester County, New York available for rent; Bono was filmed there and it includes the only domestic Egyptian Revival room in existence
A Victorian Gothic house in Irvington, Westchester County, New York that resembles a wedding cake has been put on the market to rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month).
Built for a financier named Paul J. Armour between 1859 and 1860, this octagon shaped and domed landmark was subsequently home to the author Carl Carmer (1893 – 1976) – best known for his widely praised book Stars Fell on Alabama – between 1940 and his death. The building was later the main setting for the less popular (and seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) 1981 horror film The Nesting and then completely renovated by the award winning conservationist architect Joseph Pell Lombardi.
The Octagon House in 1882 and 1975The Octagon House in the 1981 film “The Nesting”; the then owner launched a $1 million lawsuit against the filmmakers after they supposedly trashed the building
Known alternatively as the Armour-Stiner House, the Carmer Octagon House, The Octagon House or simply 45 West Clinton Avenue, the National Register of Historic Places listed residence is being marketed by agents William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty as “one of the most visually unique homes in the world.” It stands on a plot close to the Hudson River of 3.05 acres, provides 8,400 square foot of accommodation and has a drawing room, dining room, ballroom, 7 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Within the grounds is an original Lord & Banham conservatory and a carriage house that provides garaging for 4 vehicles.
Especially impressive architectural features of the building number the only domestic Egyptian Revival room still in existence, an attic with a staircase to a stunning cupola and a wraparound veranda with 56 columns. In the 2007 film Across the Universe, the billionaire Irish singer-songwriter Bono (playing a character named ‘Dr Robert’) described The Octagon House as the “Headquarters of the League of Spiritual Deliverance.” It most definitely abounds in such.
(If you decide to purchase through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more)
Vivien Leigh’s necklace and Clark Gable’s cigarette case from ‘Gone with the Wind’ to be sold at auction in Los Angeles
Gone with the Wind is undoubtedly one of the all-time classic films. It took in excess of $390 million at the box office, won an astonishing eight Academy Awards in 1940 and propelled the careers of both Clark Gable (Rhett Butler) and Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O’Hara) into the stratosphere.
Now, in November in California, a diamond and amethyst necklace worn by Leigh in the film will be sold at auction with an estimate of £45,000 to £61,000 ($60,000 to $80,000, €50,000 to €66,000 or درهم220,000 to درهم294,000) alongside a cigarette case used by Gable (estimate: £30,000 to £45,000, $40,000 to $60,000, €33,000 to €50,000 or درهم147,000 to درهم220,000).
Eugene Joseff pictured in the crown and sceptre worn by Ronald Colman in “The Prisoner of Zenda” (1937) and Vivien Leigh in Joseff with Clark Gable in “Gone with the Wind” (1939)
This pair of Gone with the Wind memorabilia, which will be sold by Julien’s Auctions, forms part of a 500-piece collection from the vault of Eugene Joseff (1905 – 1948), an advertising executive turned jeweller to Hollywood’s superstars. Joseff’s primary success stemmed from the fact he developed a matte metal finish for his jewellery that minimised the glare from the strong studio lights and thus everyone from Marlene Dietrich to Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe wore his pieces. Though this talented designer tragically died in a plane crash, his family continue to operate the firm Joseff of Hollywood and aside from making jewellery now also produce aerospace castings for radar, guided missiles, computers, and electro-mechanical systems.
Of the collection, Martin Nolan of Julien’s Auctions commented:
“The Joseff Collection that has been consigned to Julien’s Auctions is the single most important collection of film-worn jewellery ever to come to the market. This historic cache, stored in a Hollywood warehouse for decades is the very stuff of Hollywood history and legend. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of film history that was designed and manufactured to dazzle, as each piece had to compete with the wearer, the most beautiful women in the world.”
Julien’s Auctions will sell the collection on 17th and 18th November at their Los Angeles Gallery.
The Vivien Leigh necklace by Eugene JoseffThe Clark Gable cigarette case by Eugene Joseff
At a slightly different point but nevertheless cut, here are three jewelry items to consider if you’re looking for gift ideas… Here are 3 we found that are cute and affordable: 1) Gorgeous ring for Mum? – this ring for Mum will make her eyes light up on Mother’s Day, or just about any other day for that matter. A casual, versatile ring that can be worn with just about anything, day or night, it’s a perfect complement to any outfit or occasion. 2) Need a pretty gift for a dog lover? – This cute puppy paw necklace is a pet-friendly addition for any puppy lover, young or old. Whether it’s a birthday gift or just a gift to say thank you, the recipient will be over the moon! 3) Cute leaf earrings for a nature lover perhaps? – these cute earrings can be worn day or night with just about any outfit. A nice addition to jazz up your day and look and feel great.
