The Steeple Times

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  • The Icing on the Cake

    The Icing on the Cake

    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 Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty
    The Octagon House in 1882 and 1975
    The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty
    The 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.

     

    The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty The Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International RealtyThe Icing on the Cake – Armour-Stiner Carmer Octagon House, 45 West Clinton Avenue, Irvington, Westchester County, New York, NY 10533, United States of America – To rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month) through William Pitt Sotheby′s International Realty

  • Sandra Howard – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Sandra Howard – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with Sandra Howard – novelist, former model and wife of Conservative politician The Rt. Hon. Lord Howard of Lympne

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

    Seeing the upside of life and what’s to laugh at.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    Perseverance pays.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

    Kim Kardashian’s bottom.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Talking to my mother – She was a sage and a wonderful rock.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    A continuing, happy, healthy marriage.

     

    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?

    That’s too taxing for my ‘small bear’ financial brain. Well above my pay grade.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “At the end of the day” and I’m not mad about: “You know what?” (Jeremy Corbyn’s favourite phrase).

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    It should begin at home and continue overseas. I’d hate to see our foreign aid budget cut. I support Addaction (to help people off drugs), Youth Epilepsy and Hospice UK.

     

    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?

    They rule our lives, sometimes for better and frequently for worse.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    All my closest (bridge-playing and witty) friends.

     

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    Fresh crab, Dover sole, some delicious smelly cheese and a ripe mango. I’d eat it on Grand Anse Beach in Grenada, slipping in a last swim in that glorious clear sea.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    A Buck’s Fizz at breakfast isn’t a bad start to the day.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A cup of tea.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Other peoples’ – I’m a mess of nerves when giving one of my own.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My husband – Most of the time.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    A day (or more) entirely to myself to write in peace and privacy, not doing any of all the stuff, emails etc. that gets in the way.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    A black cat – I think I’ve had lots of luck in my life.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    A Mini Cooper is about my marque – fast, but I hope not flashy.

     

    Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I’m a passionate supporter of Liverpool Football Club.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    Family photos, a pair of china cockerels and a vase of lovely lavender freesias.

     

    Sandra Howard has quickly established herself as a successful author and journalist. She has written six novels; her latest, ‘The Consequence of Love’, is published on 13th July. She was, in the 1960s, a leading photographic fashion model and lives in London and Kent.

     

    Follow Sandra Howard on Twitter at @howardsandrac and like her page on Facebook at @sandrahoward76.

     

  • Robert Adam

    Robert Adam

    With such a name, this suave gent just had to design landmarks. University of Westminster educated and Hampshire based Robert Adam (born 1948) followed his more famous namesake (1728 – 1792) and became a designer of “progressive neo-classical style buildings” in 1975. He won “the richest prize in architecture” in January 2017 and counts the Sackler Library at the University of Oxford, a “miniature Baroque mansion” at Eastwood Farm – complete with a lion on the roof – in Herstmonceux, East Sussex and the “KGB proof” Ingliston House on the Wentworth Estate in Surrey amongst his notable works.

      (more…)

  • Billionaire Battersea

    Billionaire Battersea

    Historic Battersea mansion for sale for the same sum it was marketed for in 2011; it has been mostly empty throughout the intervening period and was renovated by the late billionaire Malcolm Forbes

    Billionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes was a man who liked to live large. He had a huge yacht named The Highlander, threw lavish parties across the globe and counted Gianni Agnelli, Gordon Getty, Calvin Klein, Robert Maxwell, Rupert Murdoch, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump as friends. This “mysterious collector” also owned numerous residences and one of these, Old Battersea House in London, is for sale for the same sum as it was marketed for in 2011.

     

    Often seen with Elizabeth Taylor at his side and described as “living life in the fabulous”, Forbes purchased Old Battersea House in 1971. It had previously been home to and saved from demolition by Battersea Council by the eccentric author and ghost hunter Wilhemina Stirling. She took up a lifetime tenancy on the building in 1931 and used it to house artworks by her sister, Evelyn de Morgan (1855 – 1919).

     

    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Businessman and publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990) with seven times married actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor DBE (1932 – 2011) at his lavish 70th birthday party at the Palais Mendoub, Tangier, Morocco in 1989
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) owned the house prior to Malcolm Forbes
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Christopher ‘Kip’ Forbes (born 1951) assisted his father restore Old Battersea House and later oversaw the family selling its art collection in 2003 and 2009

     

    Grade II* listed since 1954 and adapted during Forbes and subsequently his son Kip’s ownership to showcase a vast collection of Victorian art and antiques, Old Battersea House was built on Tudor foundations in 1699 and was at first known as ‘Terrace House’. It originally had gardens extending down to the River Thames and is rumoured to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren (1632 – 1723).

     

    Featuring “handsome classical proportions throughout” and standing within a 110-foot wide walled garden, the 10,100 square foot house includes 4 reception rooms, 10 double bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. It has off-street parking and a garden store but it is sadly overlooked by the adjoining housing estate that was built in its grounds in the 1930s.

     

    Savills seek £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) for Old Battersea House.

     

    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    The impressive hallway of Old Battersea House
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Another entertaining space
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Elizabeth Taylor and her then husband Larry Fortensky at Old Battersea House in 1992
    Billionaire Battersea – Old Battersea House, 30 Vicarage Crescent, Battersea, London, SW11 3LD, United Kingdom – Formerly Terrace House – For sale through Savills for £12 million ($15 million, €14 million or درهم54.9 million) – Former home of eccentric author and ghost hunter A. M. D. Wilhemina Stirling (1865 – 1965) and billionaire publisher Malcolm S. Forbes (1919 – 1990)
    Images of the house as it was furnished during the ownership of the Forbes family

  • A £5m Fixer Upper

    A £5m Fixer Upper

    Belgravia flat offered for £4.95 million in spite of featuring collapsed ceilings, ripped out light fittings and holes in the walls

     

    Before putting a property on the market and having it photographed for a sales brochure, most would clean up and make the space look appealing. In Belgravia, however, the owners of a £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) lateral flat in a Grade II listed building in Eaton Place plainly didn’t bother.

     

    In spite of showing evidence of attempts of a renovation, pictures of a 1,810 square foot third floor flat show electrical wires hanging from collapsed ceilings, rubbish on the floor and holes in the walls.

     

    Knight Frank offer the “totally unmodernised” 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom property on a long lease with 94 years remaining. They describe it as “offering buyers a chance to create a spectacular apartment”. The late Roy Brooks, an honest estate agent and author of Brothel in Pimlico, would have had a field day and no doubt advertised the flat instead as: “Bashed in Belgravia: Those with a dislike for dust need not cross the threshold”.

     

    A £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in Pimlico A £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in PimlicoA £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in Pimlico A £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in Pimlico A £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in PimlicoA £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in PimlicoA £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in Pimlico A £5m Fixer Upper – Unmodernised third floor flat in Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, SW1X – £4.95 million ($6.16 million, €5.84 million or درهم22.64 million) through Knight Frank – Roy Brooks Brothel in Pimlico

  • Noelle Blackman

    Noelle Blackman

    The Steeple Times asks Respond charity CEO Dr Noelle Blackman: What’s on your mantelpiece? (more…)

  • Donal Skehan

    Donal Skehan

    Donal SkehanDublin born Donal Skehan morphed from being part of a boyband to being recognised as one of the most popular food bloggers after being endorsed by Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver (more…)

  • Rowling in the Depp

    Rowling in the Depp

    JK Rowling pays £22 million for a yacht previously owned by Johnny Depp (more…)

  • Janan Ganesh

    Janan Ganesh

    Janan GaneshJournalist, author and political commentator Janan Ganesh is a regular on Andrew Neil’s Sunday Politics. (more…)

  • Danielle Rollins

    Danielle Rollins

    Danielle Rollins (née Danielle Deaton)Described as being “vivacious” and a “tastemaker”, Danielle Rollins admits to having been a “very odd child”. (more…)