Category: OPULENCE & SPLENDOUR

Luxury and the arts From houses to cars and from Hockney to van Dyck, a profile of the best and the worst

  • Messing About in Boats

    Messing About in Boats

    Thameside cottage where ‘Lewis’ was filmed for sale; it is just the perfect place for ‘messing about in boats’

    Two episodes of the Inspector Morse sequel, Lewis, were filmed at Thatched Cottage at Mile End Reach, Henley-on-Thames. The cottage – last sold in 2000 for £1,075,000 – is now on the market for £3,600,000 through Knight Frank.

     

    Thatched Cottage, Mile End Reach, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3BL
    Thatched Cottage, Mile End Reach, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3BL

    A true “chocolate box” of a property, Thatched Cottage was built in 1897 and was at one point home to the Queen Mother’s cousin, Elizabeth Bowes Lyons. It currently comprises of 3,938 square foot of accommodation and has planning permission for a substantial extension that would take it to a grand total of 6,580 square foot.

     

    The highlight of the property, however, is its 1-acre plot as it comes complete with 99 foot of frontage to the River Thames and “unspoilt views over the river and water meadows beyond”. The current owners moor two boats on the property’s private moorings.

     

    A bathroom complete with port hole windows
    A bathroom complete with port hole windows

     

    There is a self-contained annexe in the garden
    There is a self-contained annexe in the garden

     

    The house comes with planning permission for a substantial extension
    The house comes with planning permission for a substantial extension

    In The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame famously wrote:

     

    “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”.

     

    For anyone with such a passion, 5-6 bedroomed Thatched Cottage would be just the perfect spot.

     

    Update: 21st February 2016: According to The Sun, the cottage has been sold to the comedian Russell Brand for circa £3.3 million.

     

  • Drugs and Dents

    Drugs and Dents

    A Cumbrian mansion built by opium traders and more recently used by cannabis growers comes to the market for just £1.5 million

     

    Built by the well-known Dent family, who made their fortune trading both tea and opium, Flass is a vast 23,000 square foot Palladian mansion on the outskirts of the village of Maulds Meaburn in Cumbria. Ironically it was also the setting for one of the country’s biggest drug raids in May 2012. (more…)

  • Reader offer: ‘Puff’ by John Agard

    Reader offer: ‘Puff’ by John Agard

    An invitation to the London finale of John Agard’s new satire

     

    Readers of The Steeple Times are invited to ‘Puff’, a new play by John Agard, on Wednesday 9th July at London’s newest literary and arts private members’ club, LIBRARY on St Martin’s Lane (more…)

  • A fond farewell to Juicy Couture

    A fond farewell to Juicy Couture

    Claire Rubinstein laments the closure of Juicy Couture’s US stores

     

    When I heard the news that the clothing brand Juicy Couture – famed for the much maligned rhinestone bedazzled tracksuits – had shut down all its US Stores at the end of last week I was somewhat surprised. (more…)

  • Limo Communism

    Limo Communism

    Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman once owed by Communist Party commander Chen Yi goes to auction

     

    Communist and dictators are amongst the well-known to have purchased Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limousines and one fine example is about to go to auction with Bonhams on 12th July (more…)

  • Mastering Moss

    Mastering Moss

    Painting of Sir Stirling Moss for sale at Masterpiece

     

    As Masterpiece 2014 comes towards it conclusion on the 2nd July, we feature another fine work on display there – an oil on canvas painting of Sir Stirling Moss with an Aston Martin DBR1 and a CC100 concept car (more…)

  • Reducing an island

    Reducing an island

    Buy a private island in Scotland’s Summer Isles for a knockdown price

     

    The Scottish independence campaign has been in the main funded by EuroMillions winners Chris and Colin Weir. If their desire doesn’t come to fruition, however, there’s another option for them: They could buy themselves a private island. (more…)

  • Win tickets to Masterpiece

    Win tickets to Masterpiece

    Reader offer: Galerie Dumonteil offers five pairs of tickets to Masterpiece 2014 to readers of The Steeple Times

     

    Franck Laverdin of Galerie Dumonteil is one of the stalwarts of Masterpiece and a great friend of all at The Steeple Times. He has kindly provided five pairs of tickets to this art and antiques fair for our readers. (more…)

  • Win tickets to Masterpiece

    Win tickets to Masterpiece

    Reader offer: Galerie Dumonteil offers five pairs of tickets to Masterpiece 2014 to readers of The Steeple Times

     

    Franck Laverdin of Galerie Dumonteil is one of the stalwarts of Masterpiece and a great friend of all at The Steeple Times. He has kindly provided five pairs of tickets to this art and antiques fair for our readers. (more…)

  • A window on John Stoddart

    A window on John Stoddart

    Photographer John Stoddart exhibits at Ransom

     

    Dapper sniper turned photographer John Stoddart has been a busy man lately. Not only has he exhibited in the former Olympic Village in London’s East End this week, he’s also currently the star of the window of the renowned Pimlico Road gallery Ransom. (more…)