The Steeple Times

Tag: farming

  • Hero of the Hour 2023 – Oscar Award Winning Actor James Martin

    Hero of the Hour 2023 – Oscar Award Winning Actor James Martin

    As the modest ‘An Irish Goodbye’ actor James Martin wins an Oscar, we join those celebrating his truly deserved success and his becoming the first star with Down’s Syndrome to win at the Academy Awards

    Many readers of The Steeple Times are big fans of the North Yorkshire born television chef James Martin and one of our readers, Gary Hazell, is involved in distributing his eponymous gin. 50-year-old farmer’s son Mr Martin brings joy to many every Saturday on ITV1 and his “silky smooth, flavor rich gin” most definitely goes down a treat; his passion for cars both classic and modern is also clear and he is most certainly just the kind of role model the nation needs.

     

    After winning a BAFTA in February for his role in the short film An Irish Goodbye and last night – on the very day of his 31st birthday – adding to that with an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards, another James Martin is now also making waves. Here, indeed, is a Northern Irishman most definitely headed to becoming one of the best-loved and most deserved luminaries of 2023.

     

    This particular James Martin is a rising star actor whose career began when he was a guest on his father Ivan Martin’s U105 radio show on Father’s Day and Christmas Day in his youth.

     

    Of this in December 2014, the radio presenter remarked of his son: “I never look at my son James and think: ‘There’s James and he has Down’s Syndrome.’ I just think: ‘There’s James.’ It has always been that way… James is a remarkable young man and I admire him so much. He has never let his disability hold him back. He is an ambassador for Mencap and he has spoken at the European Parliament and to the Assembly at Stormont.”

     

    Responding about his father in the same interview for the Belfast Telegraph, the undoubted star of last night’s ceremony in Los Angeles added: “My dad and I are very close… We have great craic and a lot of banter… Dad is also supportive of my acting… I love to act and want to be a good actor.”

     

    The 23:29-minute film was the second collaboration between co-directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White. It was released on 4th March 2022 and of his son’s success winning an Oscar for it, Ivan Martin today told BBC Radio Ulster: “All I ever wanted was for James was that he’d be happy and, I tell you what, he’s happy now… It’s been a journey. You get to the Oscars and everybody keeps saying the prize is getting there, but, truth to tell, you want to win and I had my doubts about it because one of the opposition films was a Disney film and they had it in the last week… They had really been ramping up the promotion for it, but, calm heads win the end… A film we can all be proud of… It’s just crazy. There were a few tears shed, but what an achievement. Just delighted.”

    Subsequently James Martin appeared in the BBC’s Ups and Downs and starred opposite Anna Friel in ITV’s Marcella and last night he was well and truly celebrated. Speaking ahead of An Irish Goodbye being named the Best Live Action Short, Martin shared:

     

    “The timing of it has been just perfect. You know, you can’t plan somebody’s birthday to be on the Oscars. So, it’s a big day, [but] I just want to enjoy it really, just enjoy the experience.”

     

    “I was just in the airport going down the escalator and [I heard some say:] ‘Well done An Irish Goodbye.’ ‘I’m just thinking to myself: My God this is amazing.’”

     

    “I always say to people, never judge a book by its cover. Not just getting a BAFTA, but going to LA is a big deal… It’s just nice to be included.”

     

    Later, after his win and having had the 3,000 audience sing Happy Birthday to him, the modest-to-his-core actor told BBC News: “We’re just so proud to be representing Northern Ireland. To be on that stage in front of all of our cinematic heroes – it was a special moment.”

     

    An Irish Goodbye – which was written and directed by Tom Berkeley and Ross White and also stars Seamus O’Hara, Paddy Jenkins and Michelle Fairley – has been described as a “black comedy following the reunion of estranged brothers Turlough and Lorcan following the untimely death of their mother.”

     

    Going further in an 18-page press notes release, the 23:29-minute film’s production team added:

     

    “Under the watchful eye of odd-ball parish priest Father O’Shea, the brothers’ pained reunion is worsened by the fact Turlough must now make new care arrangements for Lorcan, who has Down Syndrome.”

     

    “A robust and dedicated farmer, Lorcan’s dream of continuing to work the land he grew up on is thwarted when Turlough decides he’s sending him to live with their aunt on the other side of Ireland.”

     

    “But when the brothers discover an unfulfilled bucket list belonging to their late mother, Lorcan senses an opportunity: he’ll only agree to leave the farm once he and Turlough have themselves completed every single wish on their mother’s list… All one-hundred of them.”

     

    Today, we join all those saluting the actor James Martin and urge readers to join us in raising a glass to his latest award with a snifter or two of the chef of the same name’s London Dry Gin. Cheers!

     

    The full film can be watched on BBC iPlayer by clicking here.

     

    Editor’s Note – Unlike as is the case in many publications, this article was NOT sponsored or supported by a third-party.

     

    Oscars 1
    ‘An Irish Goodbye’ is a short film written, produced, and directed in 2022 by Tom Berkeley and Ross White. The film stars James Martin, Seamus O’Hara, Paddy Jenkins and Michelle Fairley and is set on a farm in Northern Ireland.
    James Martin and Ivan Martin
    The award-winning actor with his radio presenter father, Ivan.
    Oscars 2
    On-stage to collect their award; the team behind the film used their acceptance speech to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the star-of-the-show. Co-director Ross White also stated: “Deary me, thank you so much the Academy for this incredible, incredible honour. Thank you to our fellow nominees, all the nominees for your work, and your work it inspires us so very, very much. Thank you to everybody back home and Northern Ireland who helped us make this film. We wish we had the time to list you all here, but you know who you are.” He then continued: “There’s something very important we’d like to speak about as well. This award is actually the second most important thing about today, because it’s this man’s birthday. He’s out here in Hollywood, wearing a leopard print suit jacket. We’d love to use the rest of our time up here to sing for James.”
    James-Martin-Motors-Into-Gin
    The actor’s English namesake… ‘The Steeple Times’ reviewed ITV1 ‘Saturday Morning’ presenter James Martin’s London Dry Gin in January this year and lauded it as showcasing “tradition with a twist.” To purchase a bottle, click here and do join us in urging the pair to team up for a joint tellybox appearance; it’d make for great viewing.
  • Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget)

    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget)

    ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000

    Slammed in the Facebook group ‘Vintage Houses For Sale – Pre 1940s’ as “looking like it’s wearing a giant sombrero,” an ‘antebellum style’ house in Ridgley, Tennessee has gone on sale for just £128,700 ($179,900).

     

    Extending to 3,632 square foot in total and on a plot of just under an acre, 221 Poplar Street is marketed by agents Carousel Realty as “gorgeous” and built in 1910. It was last sold in 2008 for just £42,900 ($60,000) and this time comes with “all furniture and antique furniture.”

     

    Very much having the appearance of a ‘bargain basement budget’ version of “frankly my dear” Rhett Butler’s mansion in the 1939 movie adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, 221 Poplar Street’s wrap-around-porch has most definitely got ‘Marmite-like’ qualities. Of it, on Facebook, one commentator remarked: “It looks like a house in a cage” whilst another concluded: “I just love it.”

     

    Situated in the Lake County area, where the militant ‘Night Riders of Reelfoot Lake’ tobacco farmers took on the monopolistic American Tobacco Company in the early 1900s and where between 1877 and 1950 thirteen black people were tragically lynched, the population makeup of the locality according to the 2000 census was 67% white and 31% black or African American.

     

    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – ‘Gone with the Wind’ was written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936. The fictional plantation house it centred upon, ‘Tara’, was of the antebellum style and in the novel was not nearly as palatial as the one depicted in the 1939 movie of the same name.

    The Public’s Take…

    • “Is this the house from Dallas?”
    • “Looks like a mortuary.”
    • “Looks like a houseboat.”
    • “Looks like the Flying Nun!”
    • “Looks like a house in a cage.”
    • “Looks like Amazon just delivered it.”
    • “Reminds me of a ‘Tara’ recreation, circa 1960s-1970s.”
    • “Is there an actual house in there somewhere or is it just a porch?”
    • “What’s with the flat roof? You could land a helicopter on that thing.”
    • “That veranda is a bit much.”
    • “Does it come with the dog statue?”
    • “Can they still advertise antebellum [in the new ‘woke’ age]?”
    • “Poor photography. This is what happens when a realtor uses their phone for photos.”

    The Numbers – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America

    March 2021 – For sale for £128,700 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot). Offered by realtor Karen Paschall of Carousel Realty of Dyer County at a sum 200% more than the December 2008 sale price.

     

    December 2008 – Sold for £42,900 ($60,000, €50,000 or درهم220,400) or the equivalent of £12 per square foot ($17, €14 or درهم62 per square foot).

     

    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – The entrance hall to the property is somewhat plain. It could be a dentist’s waiting room area, in fact, though the faux bulldog adds a comedy touch.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – This “formal living room” has the look of more like something from the 1980s BBC comedy series ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ than the elegance of ‘Gone with the Wind.’ The crappy coffee table, doily pelmeting and fake flower arrangements mixed with an oversized telly box are anything but classy.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – The dining room is somewhat plainer in its styling.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – A mural on the wall is surprisingly classy. It’s not quite de Gournay, but it’s certainly far from objectionable. The chandelier, on the other hand, most certainly belongs in a skip.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – Another entertaining area complete with yet more fake shrubbery.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – The kitchen is basic but functional.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – One of four bedrooms. This one’s curtains, cushions and accompaniments have been carefully coordinated.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – Another is a little more ‘Holiday Inn on an expense account-esque.’
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – A more flattering view of the building from the side. If only they’d watered the lawn.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – From the side, the setting looks somewhat neglected.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – There is a three car garage.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – In addition, the 0.96 acre plot features an outbuilding also.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – 221 Poplar Street, Ridgely, Lake County, Tennessee, TN 38080, United States of America – ‘Antebellum style’ residence in Tennessee that looks like a ‘bargain basement budget’ ‘Gone with the Wind’ house for sale for just £128,000 ($179,900, €150,100 or درهم660,700) or the equivalent of £36 per square foot ($50, €42 or درهم184 per square foot) by agents Carousel Realty of Dyer County.
    Gone with the Wind (on a Bargain Basement Budget) – Two adjoining plots of land come as part of the property and the selling agents declare: “All furniture and antique furniture stays with the property.”
  • 40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe

    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe

    As our Change.org petition seeking to ban giraffe slayer Merelize van der Merwe tops 40,000 signatures, the psycho publicity addict shared a CBS documentary of another mental monster killing a giraffe

    Elephant and giraffe murderer Merelize van der Merwe used to love the fact that 400 people she termed “snowflakes” signed a petition seeking to ban her from Facebook. Now, in less than a month, our new petition aiming to achieve the same has topped 40,000.

     

    Now, aside from banning us from commenting on her Facebook “public figure” page, van der Merwe has attempted to justify her actions by sharing a video of another monster, an American named Tess Talley, bragging about killing a giraffe also.

     

    In doing so, this deranged deviant has yet again proven she’s nothing but clinically insane and again today we urge those that haven’t already to help get our Change.org petition to ban her from the social media medium past 50,000 signatures. Please do so by clicking here.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIlJ61wwWQY
    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – The YouTube video shared by Merelize van der Merwe as part of her campaign to justify massacring a giraffe featured another wicked wench who’d done the same thing named Tess Talley.

    Deranged deviant Merelize van der Merwe on…

    Death threats

    “So, after all these death threats from people sitting comfortably behind a computer 15,000 kilometers away, it made me realise one thing… I haven’t hunted enough! So, I’ll go hunt some more tonight!”

     

    Mental disorders

    “We have seen mental disorders grow especially with social media giving these people a voice and openly expressing unnatural hatred towards people they never met with Instagram and Facebook. We in the hunting industry I’m sure deals [sic] with more of these unstable people then the psychiatric ward itself.”

     

    “So please next time if someone attacks you for hunting, just remind them they forgot their pills this morning and let’s get these people under control.”

     

    Truth and poetry and hunting

    “Truth is like poetry and most people f**king hate poetry… Same when it comes to hunting and conservation people only listen to what they want to hear and not the truth.”

     

    Liberals

    “It’s just these new age liberals who piss and moan and say hunting isn’t natural… You aren’t natural.”

     

    Kenya

    “Kenya has sold its soul to the devil, AKA animal rights activists.”

     

    Prince Harry

    “Soon he’ll be back in diapers.”

     

    Donald Trump

    “I love Trump because he pisses off all the people I can’t stand.”

     

    “What a privilege it was to look up to a President and know how a President should run a country. Today many are heartbroken across the world.”

     

    “I salute you President Trump. What a man you are and may God bless you on your next chapter in life.”

     

    On those that opposed Trump

    “Eat a bag of dicks you dirty f**king communists.”

     

    Celebrating killing an elephant

    “After the elephant was down I went to buy beer and gin for team motivation. The next day I looked like a red crab.”

     

    Why she likes killing elephants

    “Tell me how hunting [elephants] doesn’t benefit people and the ecosystem.”

     

    How she feels after a “kill”

    “I was like a child for two weeks, counting the days. Afterwards I was flooded with emotions.”

     

    People who protect elephants

    “Never underestimate the power of stupid.”

     

    People who object to the vile images she shares on social media

    “To the dumb f**k who tried to report my video, take this and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”

     

    “If you’re looking for a safe space, my page ain’t it… Move along, snowflake.”

     

    Charity and hunting

    “Charity is not sustainable, hunting is.”

     

    Killing endangered species and conservation

    “The only people protecting these animals are trophy hunters.”

     

    Why she massacres endangered species

    “In the end I’m nothing but yet another slave to this trade and a willing one too. The only time I find peace is living life on the edge. I firmly believe one is born like this and not made.”

     

    “We will keep on fighting the animal rights mafia propaganda as hunting has proven sustainable for wildlife.”

     

    “A day without blood is like a day without sunshine… Nature is not a Disney fairytale.”

     

    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – Change.org petition – As our Change.org petition seeking to ban giraffe slayer Merelize van der Merwe tops 40,000 signatures, the psycho publicity addict shared a CBS documentary of another mental monster killing a giraffe.
    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – In recent days Merelize van der Merwe (left) has posted about how she got malaria in Africa from the water and posed with a picture of herself “sipping a pink gin and tonic in Zambia” after “6 months non-stop 7 days a week of hunting.” She also lauded fellow mentally unhinged giraffe murderer (right) Tess Talley.
    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – Change.org petition – As our Change.org petition seeking to ban giraffe slayer Merelize van der Merwe tops 40,000 signatures, the psycho publicity addict shared a CBS documentary of another mental monster killing a giraffe.
    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – The disgraceful picture that made clinically crackers Merelize van der Merwe internationally infamous.
    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – Change.org petition – As our Change.org petition seeking to ban giraffe slayer Merelize van der Merwe tops 40,000 signatures, the psycho publicity addict shared a CBS documentary of another mental monster killing a giraffe.
    40,000 turn on Mental Monster Merelize van der Merwe – This monster has also taken pleasure in killing elephants and leopards. She must be banned by Facebook and her slaying of endangered species must be forever stopped.
  • Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky)

    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky)

    Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000; it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover

    ‘Achastaile’ is said to mean ‘field of the whisky still’ and now someone looking for somewhere truly far from the madding crowd, could purchase a truly remote house of that name at the heart of the Highlands in the true wilderness that is Sutherland in Scotland.

     

    Situated a mile up an access track described by its selling agents as “rough” and 5 miles from the small village of Rogart, the “semi-derelict” cottage offered sits on a plot of ¾ of an acre and currently includes a hall, a sitting room with cast iron fireplace, a kitchen with “basic” fittings and a stone inglenook fireplace, a “spacious” bedroom, a bathroom and an attic room.

     

    Serviced by mains electricity in spite of its isolation, ‘Achastaile’ has a private water supply, a UV water treatment system and drainage is to a septic tank.

     

    Described as an “ultimate hideaway” in the Sutherland Hills that offers “complete peace and tranquility,” the property “requires complete refurbishment and renovation.” Prior planning permission for such has now lapsed, but “the existing plans can be made available to prospective purchasers on request.”

     

    Arthur & Carmichael estate agents market ‘Achastaile’ – also known more simply as ‘188 Muie’ – at a price of offers over £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000). They advise viewers that they will not “accept any liability for damage or injury caused as a result of visiting the property” and provide detailed directions for access that read:

     

    “Take the A9 north over Dornoch Bridge and follow the road until you reach ‘The Mound’. Turn left at the sign for Rogart. Go through the village and after 2.2 miles from the last ‘30 mile’ sign at the end of the village, turn right into Blarich estate. Please close the gate.”

     

    “Follow the driveway and bear to the right and you will see a fence line where the drive continues to a large farm building. Park at the fence line (please take care to not obstruct the lane) and walk up the hill following the track to the left for approximately 1 mile. There are 2 gates on the way up the track – please make sure that these are closed behind you.”

     

    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – £95,000 cottage Achastaile, 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB, Scotland – Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000); it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover through estate agents Arthur & Carmichael.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – Whilst ‘Achastaile’ at 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB might seem a bargain at just £95,000, a 41,433 square foot castle in Sutherland we featured in April 2016 could be considered even more of a steal. Carbisdale Castle was offered at a price of just £900,000 or £21.70 per square foot.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – £95,000 cottage Achastaile, 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB, Scotland – Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000); it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover through estate agents Arthur & Carmichael.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – The cottage is situated at the heart of Britain’s “last true wilderness.”
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – £95,000 cottage Achastaile, 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB, Scotland – Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000); it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover through estate agents Arthur & Carmichael.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – A stone-building outbuilding without a roof currently within the grounds is described as “offering further potential.”
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – £95,000 cottage Achastaile, 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB, Scotland – Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000); it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover through estate agents Arthur & Carmichael.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – The cottage is situated at the heart of Britain’s “last true wilderness.”
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – £95,000 cottage Achastaile, 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB, Scotland – Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000); it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover through estate agents Arthur & Carmichael.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – The existing accommodation could be easily expanded.
    Far From The Madding Crowd (But Well-Near The Whisky) – £95,000 cottage Achastaile, 188 Muie, Rogart, Sutherland, Highland, IV28 3UB, Scotland – Detached cottage in nearly an acre of land, far from the madding crowd and 5 miles from the nearest village in Sutherland, Scotland for sale for just £95,000 ($131,000, €110,000 or درهم483,000); it’s perfect for an isolationist whisky lover through estate agents Arthur & Carmichael.
    The Clynelish Distillery is situated in Brora, a small industrial village on Sutherland’s east coast.

    Distilleries in Sutherland

    Whilst ‘Achastaile’ itself is terribly isolated, its eventual purchaser will find not only nature as solace. In nearby Ross-Shire, there are well known distilleries such as Balbair, Glenmorangie and Glen Ord and in Sutherland itself, the “water of life” flows at amongst others:

     

    Clynelish, Brora

    Originally built in 1819, the Clynelish Distillery is now owned by Diageo. Around 95% of the spirit made there is used in Johnnie Walker blends, primarily for the Gold Label Reserve.

     

    Thompson Bros. at Dornoch Distillery, Dornoch

    Founded in 2016 by Phil and Simon Thompson, this micro-distillery located in a ‘Fire House’ in the grounds of the Dornoch Castle Hotel produces “whisky styles of the 1960s” and gin also.

     

  • Merelize The Monster

    Merelize The Monster

    As our petition seeking Facebook banish Merelize van der Merwe tops 25,000 signatures in less than a week, this giraffe slaying monster sickly shares a video of her kill on YouTube

    After we featured the story of a monster whose husband bought her the ‘opportunity’ to slaughter a harmless giraffe on Sunday and began a Change.org petition seeking to ban Merelize van der Merwe from Facebook, it went viral.

     

    Today, in spite of the Mirror, Unilad and The Sun featuring our petition against the citrus farming freak, van der Merwe audaciously announced: “I created work for 11 people that day… And a lot of meat for the locals.”

     

    Worse still, ignoring international outrage about what she so callously did, in a 1:34-minute video that YouTube has disgracefully allowed to remain live, van der Merwe has shared footage of herself killing the giraffe “on a private farm in Smartwater, Limpopo.” She accompanied it with a tune by Johnny Clegg titled Scatterlings of Africa and the following captions:

     

    “Shot with a 30-06. Perfect frontal neck shot!”

     

    “The second rifle was a .450 Rigby. Was awesome to do my coup de grace, even if it wasn’t necessary!”

     

    “Thank you to my wonderful husband and my PH Chrisjan Bakker!”

     

    Today, we urge all readers who haven’t signed already to join the 25,000 who’ve already signed our Change.org petition seeking to get Merelize van der Merwe banned from sharing imagery of her grossly offensive ‘activities’ on Facebook. Do so by clicking here and please also share widely. This monster must be stopped.

     

    Pictured top: Bleached blonde bimbo Merelize van der Merwe in an image where she “showed-off” her tacky tattoo and also a video clip of herself taking a second shot at the innocent giraffe she massacred online also.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=5EhqeZ0vYJ4&fbclid=IwAR3_j1OyqXZVM_O8Z37lo5JnUhCjPUx4KKxBuaquMP4OA9F9I-qzDdP8FYg#menu
    Merleize The Monster – The video of Merelize van der Merwe massacring a harmless giraffe is quite beyond sickening. We advise viewer caution.
    Merelize The Monster 2021 – 25k sign our petition against giraffe killer – As our petition seeking Facebook banish Merelize van der Merwe tops 25,000 signatures in less than a week, this giraffe slaying monster sickly shares a video of her kill on YouTube.
    Merleize The Monster – Merelize van der Merwe reacted to our petition and articles about her by smugly posing with a can of ‘Lite’ beer. She arrogantly accompanied it with the caption: “While I make headlines across the globe, thought I’ll take a second to have a beer and enjoy our game farm. I hope that I can at least claim some profit from all the Kleenex used this week for all the emotionally unstable people out there.”
    Merelize The Monster 2021 – 25k sign our petition against giraffe killer – As our petition seeking Facebook banish Merelize van der Merwe tops 25,000 signatures in less than a week, this giraffe slaying monster sickly shares a video of her kill on YouTube.
    Merleize The Monster – In another image posted on her Facebook page, this clinically crackers cretin shared an image of an elephant that had been shot with a dart. How can Facebook and their seven-figure salaried ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg consider this acceptable?
  • Chic Chicheley

    Chic Chicheley

    Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it

    Just as historically significant as the £10 million Lilford Hall in nearby Northamptonshire we featured in June, but in far better condition, a Grade I listed mansion in Buckinghamshire has just come to the market for £3 million less.

     

    Chicheley Hall, near Olney is being sold due to the activities there – a combination of a conference venue, hotel and a centre used by the Royal Society – being curtailed due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It is offered for the sum of £7 million – which seems a relative bargain given its current owners paid £6.5 million for it in 2007 and spent a further £12 million on its renovation subsequently.

     

    Constructed on the site of an earlier house destroyed in the Civil War in the 1720s to the designs of master builder Francis Smith, Chicheley Hall became the seat of Sir John Chester, the 4th baronet. It is of nine bays on three floors upon a raised basement and is described as an “exceedingly rare example” of English Baroque architecture.

     

    “For more than 100 years, architectural historians have waxed lyrical in the pages of Country Life of Chicheley Hall” remarked Penny Churchill when it was placed for sale in June 2007 and since 2009 it has been owned by the Royal Society.

     

    Having carried out a “major programme of repair and refurbishment to turn the hall into a high-quality venue for residential conferences,” the Society created a venue that provided 14 bedrooms suites in the main house, 34 en-suite bedrooms in two Grade II* listed former stable blocks, two lecture theatres, meeting rooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms and reception areas. There is parking for 50 vehicles and an apartment that was used by the centre’s director.

     

    Knight Frank market the 34,928 square foot freehold property as a whole or in three lots complete with 75 acres. They describe the mini-estate as including “beautiful formal gardens, a ‘3 sided’ lake, a walled garden, woodland walks, a Grade II* dovecote and farmland.”

     

    Chicheley Hall is situated 7 miles north east of Milton Keynes and is 50 miles from both central London and Oxford.

     

     

    The Names & Numbers – Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom

    September 2020 – For sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) through Knight Frank.

     

    June 2020 – De Vere Venues permanently closed Chicheley Hall as a conference venue and hotel due to the impact of coronavirus. In a statement to MKFM, the firm remarked: “Sadly the resulting devastating economic impact [of the pandemic] on the hospitality industry, together with heightened operational restrictions, has meant we have taken the difficult decision to close our doors permanently.”

     

    2007 – Sold to the Royal Society for £6.5 million ($8.5 million, €7.2 million or درهم31.1 million). They supposedly subsequently spent £12 million ($15.6 million, €13.3 million or درهم57.5 million) on renovations. These were in part funded by the Norwegian-American business and philanthropist Fred Kavli (1927 – 2013).

     

    June 2007 – Placed for sale for £9 million ($11.7 million, €10 million or درهم43.1 million) through Savills on behalf of Nicholas Beatty, the 3rd Earl (born 1946).

     

    2001 – Used as a stand-in for Bletchley Park in the feature film Enigma. The building has also been used in other productions including Pride and Prejudice, The Meaning of Life, The Red Violin and Black Beauty.

     

    1952 – Ownership by the Chester family ends when David Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty (1905 – 1972), son of First World War naval hero Admiral David Beatty, bought the hall. Of his “major restoration programme,” Penny Churchill remarked: “Interior designer Felix Harbord, perhaps best known for his work at Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin, set out to recreate classic 18th-century interiors, using mainly light colours to accentuate the beauty of the mouldings and panelling. Very sensibly, the earl also added a bathroom to almost every bedroom.”

     

    1939 to 1945 – Chicheley Hall was used by the Special Operations Executive as its Special Training School No. 46, by Czechoslovaks for SOE parachute missions and as a FANY wireless telegraphy school. After the war, the hall was converted for use as a school.

     

    1720 to 1724 – Built by Sir John Chester, 4th baronet on the site of an earlier mansion to the designs of master-builder Francis Smith of Warwick. According to Country Life’s Penny Churchill, “a total of 955,550 bricks was used in the construction of the house, wings and garden, of which a staggering 85,000 were used for the garden walls.” She added: “For the next four years, Sir John himself paid the various master-craftsmen who worked on the interiors. The result was some of the finest woodcarving, joinery and plaster-work to be found in any English country house of that period. The elegant formal gardens were laid out by George London and Henry Wise, of Hampton Court and Melbourne Hall fame.”

     

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    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    The entrance hall of the house is impressive. English Heritage remark of it: “Entrance hall with Corinthian surround to front door and triple arched screen with marble columns leading to staircase, said to be designed by Flitcroft when working for Kent. Ceiling painting attributed to Kent.”
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    The ceiling painting is attributed to William Kent and depicts Herse and her sisters sacrificing to Flora.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Continuing, there is an especially wide staircase beyond.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    One of many reception rooms.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    The dining room is dominated by wooden panelling.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Another entertaining space.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    In its last use as a hotel and conference centre, a total of 48 bedroom suites were created within the property.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    This former coach house is currently configured as two large conference suites and a meeting room.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    One of two lecture theatres currently on-site.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    A conference room.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Another view of the exterior of Chicheley Hall.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Viewed from across the ‘three sided lake.’
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    An aerial shot of part of the 75-acre mini estate.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    And from another angle.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    Formal gardens.
    Chic Chicheley – £7 million for Grade I listed Chicheley Hall, Hall Lane, Chicheley, near Olney, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, MK16 9JJ, United Kingdom – Grade I listed Baroque mansion Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire for sale for £7 million ($9.1 million, €7.7 million or درهم12.6 million) or 62% less than the current owners have spent on it through Knight Frank.
    A plan of part of the Chicheley Hall site.
  • Lavish Living and Little Owls at Lilford Hall

    Lavish Living and Little Owls at Lilford Hall

    Crumbling Northamptonshire estate Lilford Hall – where the little owl was introduced to Britain – for sale for £10 million, a sum £35 million lower than in 2014

    • Grade I listed Jacobean mansion with 13 chimney stacks for sale for £10 million; it was for sale last for £44.9 million in 2014 in spite of being listed on English Heritage’s ‘At Risk Register.’
    • Lilford Hall – parts of which have not been occupied since 1947 – is currently owned by a businessman who tried to sell burial plots in the grounds for £1,250 a pop and shares in a yacht loosely associated with Frank Sinatra for £23 each.
    • The 321-acre estate includes not only overgrown parkland, but also a zoo with cages that formerly housed bears and a lake for flamingos.
    • From 1711 until 1990, Lilford House was the seat of the Powys family – the 4th baron is credited with introducing the little owl to the UK.
    • More recently, in 1969, the “sexual mystic” artist Penny Slinger used the at-the-time derelict mansion in one of her best-known works.

    A 32,406 square foot Grade I listed Jacobean mansion 82 miles from Central London has gone on sale for £10 million – or the equivalent of just £308 per square foot.

     

    On this basis, Lilford Hall – set in 321 acres near Oundle – seems a comparative bargain when considered against the £4,786 per square foot sought for a Lennox Gardens, Knightsbridge triplex flat The Steeple Times featured in May, but buyers need to remember this – parts of this crumbling building, most notably the major state rooms, have not been used since 1947.

     

    Marketed last in 2014 for the even more punchy sum of £45 million, the “exceptional residential and amenity estate located on the River Nene,” is now offered by agents Savills. The “wonderfully proportioned” U-shaped mansion itself  is constructed of grey limestone and includes over 100 rooms and amongst them are 7 “impressive” reception rooms, a ballroom, a ‘great chamber’ and 9 bedrooms. In addition, there are two Georgian pavilions that were formerly coach houses and stabling, three cottages, a former zoo, the oldest private softball court in the world, a former flamingo enclosure and a deer park.

     

    “Impressiveness in the chief attribute of Lilford Hall as a specimen of architecture” claimed County Life in 1990 and as the seat of the Powys family from 1711 until 1990, it became not only a Downton Abbey-esque entertaining pad, but also housed nurses in the Second World War. Here, indeed, is an English country house that has seen lavishness and decline and thankfully here is an example that thankfully escaped the wrecking ball wrought so disgracefully on such houses in the 1950s and 1960s.

     

    Fascinatingly in the 1880s, Thomas Powys, 4th Baron Lilford filled his aviaries on the estate with rheas, kiwis, pink-headed ducks, free-flying lammergeiers and it was from here that he also introduced the little owl into the UK. There are said to be around 5,700 breeding pairs today, but sadly, according to the RSPB, their numbers are now in decline.

     

    More recently, in 1969, “sexually erotic” performance artist Penny Slinger took over the by then “derelict” mansion in conjunction with the filmmaker Peter Whitehead. Their resulting work, titled An Exorcism, was exhibited internationally and in 2004, after the current owners, Charles and Aziza Micklewright, acquired the house, they did something equally avant-garde; they attempted to sell burial plots in the grounds to Americans by citing the estate’s connections to the founder of the Brownists, Robert Browne – a man better known as ‘The Father of the Pilgrims’ and ‘The Grandfather of the Nation’ (of the United States of America).

     

    Whilst Mr and Mrs Micklewright were lauded for their considerable efforts towards the “huge task” of restoring Lilford Hall, they came to the attention of Historic England in May 2019 when the building was listed on the At Risk Register. At that time, the Oundle Chronicle reported: “The roof covering is in poor condition leading to water ingress and distress to the upper storeys. The front bays require structural attention. A schedule of urgent repairs has been identified but not implemented, and no long-term solution has been agreed.”

     

    Now, someone with very, very deep pockets is required to restore this gem. It would be helpful if they liked erotic art, bears, squash and owls also.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cii3VlgfVy0
    Lavish Living and Little Owls at Lilford Hall, Northants – £10 million ($12.5 million, €11.1 million or درهم46 million) for The Lilford Hall Estate, Lilford, Oundle, Peterborough, Northamptonshire, PE8 5SG, United Kingdom through estate agents Savills – Crumbling Northamptonshire estate Lilford Hall – where the little owl was introduced to Britain – for sale for £10 million, a sum £35 million lower than in 2014.
    The artwork created by Penny Slinger and Peter Whitehead at the house has been exhibited internationally.

    The Names & Numbers – The Lilford Hall Estate, Lilford, Oundle, Peterborough, Northamptonshire, PE8 5SG, United Kingdom

     

    June 2020 – The estate is listed sale for £10 million ($12.5 million, €11.1 million or درهم46 million) through Savills. It includes 321.31 acres, of which 148.17 acres are pasture land whilst 157.48 acres are woodland. The majority of the estate is held on a freehold title, whilst the remaining 127.6 acres – known as ‘The Linches’ and ‘Lilford Woods’ – are held on a lease with 91 years remaining.

     

    2015 – Promoted as ‘The National Memorial Gardens,’ burial plots in the gardens of the hall were offered “available to any UK resident or national for an outstanding price of only £1,250 ($1,568, €1,393 or درهم5,758)” by Mark Bailey of Harley Investments. Around the same time, a website dedicated to Lilford Hall marketed “a piece of the formal gardens” for sale for £299 ($375, €333 or درهم1,377) to include “an officially certified ‘Squire of Lilford’ [title] … with this little piece of history.”

     

    March 2014 – The Irish Times reported that the asking price for the estate had been increased to £44.9 million ($56.3 million, €50 million or 206.8درهم million). They claimed the agents Coldwell Banker blamed “confusion over currency conversion rates and new instructions from the owner.”

     

    April 2014 – The Lilford Hall Estate is listed for sale through Coldwell Banker on MyHome.ie for £33.7 million ($44.2 million, €37.5 million or درهم155 million) on behalf of “an English gentleman.”

     

    2004 – The estate is acquired by the Micklewright family. Little information is available online about the Old Framlingham Charles Micklewright (born July 1958), but he is described as a “patent attorney” on Companies Houses pages. The businessman is mentioned also as a publisher and trustee of the Marsh Christian Trust elsewhere, whilst his Singaporean born wife, Aziza (born 1964), was a director of Lilford Properties Limited from 2013 to 2018.

     

    A website operated by Sign of the Times Limited, a Hong Kong company of Lilford Hall, Lilford, Oundle, Northamptonshire, PE8 5SG, currently offers shares in a yacht named ‘Sinatra the Voice’ for £23.91 ($29.99, €26.64 or درهم110.14) per share. The boat was built in 1956 and is tenuously linked to Frank Sinatra by the fact that a one-time owner, Beale Poste, loaned it occasionally to the crooner between 1968 and 1974 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

     

    1990 – The estate is closed to the public.

     

    1980s – The house is used as a location in the BBC English Civil War inspired historical drama series By the Sword Divided.

     

    1970s – Aviaries on the estate restocked by George Powys, 7th Baron Lilford (1931 – 2005). He “opened [the estate] to the public as a leisure park” and housed more than 350 birds of 110 species there. It remained thus for around 20 years and included a restaurant and shop. The aviaries and the 1,896 square foot restaurant building remain present still today.

     

    1969 – 1970 – American British “sexual mystic” artist Penny Slinger (born 1947) and Liverpudlian filmmaker Peter Whitehead used the “derelict mansion” as the setting for their works An Exorcism and Lilford Hall. They are lauded as a “photo romance” and exhibited at the Blum and Poe Gallery in Los Angeles in 2014, at the Haywood Gallery in London in 2015 and at the Fortnight Institute in New York in 2019.

     

    1949 – Stephen Powys, 6th Baron Lilford (1869 – 1949) died without having married or having had children. His properties aside from Lilford – a house in Mayfair, Bank Hall in Lancashire and the Bewsey Estate in Cheshire – passed to his second cousin twice removed.

     

    1947 – The estate is sold to a company named Merchant Ventures by the Powys family (though they remain present on the estate until 1990).

     

    1939 – 1945 – During the Second World War, the parkland of the estate was used as a military hospital for nearby airfields. From 1949 to 1954, some of the buildings constructed during this period were then used as a Polish school.

     

    1923 – First-class Northamptonshire cricketer Major John Powys, 5th Baron Lilford (1863 – 1945) built the first private softball court in the world in the grounds of the hall. It is now in disrepair and the roof has fallen into the inner court.

     

    1909 – 1910 – The hall was extended in the Edwardian manner including the provision of a new master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom by William Dunn and Robert Watson of Dunn & Watson.

     

    1901 – The estate surrounding the hall reaches its largest size and totals a vast 8,000 acres of land. Around this time, Queen Mary, wife of King George V, is said to have visited the gardens.

     

    1880s – Ornithologist and expert on the fauna of the Balearics Thomas Littleton Powys, 4th Baron Lilford (1833 – 1896) introduces the little owl into England on the estate. His aviaries were said to “feature exotic birds from all around the world” and a species of European lizard, the Lilford’s wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi), is named in his honour. The 4th baron is repeatedly mentioned in the works of Charles Darwin for his contribution to the study of the science of evolution.

     

    1840s – Further changes to the building are orchestrated by the architect William Gilbee Habershon (circa 1818 – 1891). The Campaign to Protect Rural England described these Victorian extensions as “sensitive” in 2006 – a rare accolade given most additions to English country houses during this period were simply brash and vulgar.

     

    1740s – The Palladian architect Henry Flitcroft (1697 – 1769) adds “outstanding” Georgian interiors whilst “respecting the hall’s Jacobean exterior.” He “softened and brightened” the building as a result and also “constructed the Georgian pavilions and additional storeys to the east end of the two wings.” Other works by Flitcroft can be seen at Bower House in Essex, Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire and Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire.

     

    1711 – Lilford Hall is sold to the judge and Tory politician Sir Thomas Powys (1649 – 1719), Attorney General to King James II. Powys is best remembered for conducting the prosecution of the Seven Bishops in 1699. He is buried at Lilford.

     

    1630s – Construction of the main exterior of what to this day remains Lilford Hall as a “Jacobean-style gentry house” by William Elmes (the younger).

     

    1473 – The land that forms the estate is acquired by William Browne (1410 – 1489), a wealthy wool merchant and landowner from Stamford, from the estate of Baron Welles (who was beheaded by King Edward IV for treason). In 1495, “in a Tudor style,” he built a hall on the site and it passed to Robert Browne (1550 – 1633), the founder of the Brownists, ‘The Father of the Pilgrims’ and ‘The Grandfather of the Nation’ (of the United States of America).

     

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  • Encouragement for Bamber

    Encouragement for Bamber

    In spite of a judge rejecting evidence disclosure, Jeremy Bamber’s case now looks more likely to be reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission; new podcast about the case begins Sunday

    Though he rejected Jeremy Bamber’s bid for the release of evidence which he believed could clear his name on Friday at the High Court, Mr Justice Julian Knowles did give the convicted familial killer new hope.

     

    In his judgment, the judge remarked:

     

    “If ever there was a case where the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) should be approached to make a decision on what is said to be new evidence, it is this one. This is a massively complex case which has been investigated and re-investigated by more than one police force over some 35 years.”

     

    “The body of material is vast. After so many years, and so much litigation, the CCRC is the body undoubtedly best placed to consider the claimant’s arguments.”

     

    We today urge readers to watch the YouTube video that follows. It examines the sequence of events on the night of 6th to the 7th August 1985 and for those interested in learning more, we also recommend listening to The White House Farm Murders: Is Jeremy Bamber Guilty? podcast by Kaiesha Page. It begins this evening and is available here.

     

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    Encouragement for Bamber – Jeremy Bamber case and CCRC – In spite of a judge rejecting evidence disclosure, Jeremy Bamber’s case now looks more likely to be reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
    Jeremy Bamber’s legal team have alleged that the senior investigating officer in the case, Michael Ainsley, took documents relating to the case to his home in 2010 and destroyed them in spite of “knowing there was an active appeal underway.”
    Encouragement for Bamber – Jeremy Bamber case and CCRC – In spite of a judge rejecting evidence disclosure, Jeremy Bamber’s case now looks more likely to be reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
    In her podcast, Kaiesha Page will examine the question: “Could Jeremy Bamber be the victim of one of Britain’s gravest miscarriages of justice?”
  • Beautiful Bolehyde

    Beautiful Bolehyde

    Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents again for sale

    Described as a “royal love nest for the Middletons” by The Telegraph when last marketed for sale in March 2011, Bolehyde Manor (pronounced according to the paper: “Bow lea Hyde”) in Wilshire was home to the Duchess of Cornwall, as plain old Camilla Parker Bowles, from 1973 until 1986.

     

    Considered, but subsequently discounted by Carole and Michael Middleton as a home prior to their purchase of the £4.7 million The Manor at Bucklebury (featured in The Steeple Times in June 2012), Grade II* listed Bolehyde Manor at Allington, near Chippenham was at that time offered for £4.76 million according to the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay.

     

    Kay lauded the “14th-century pile near Chippenham” as having “everything an aspiring lord (and lady and the manor could wish for” and reported it as having been “not just where Prince Charles retreated when his marriage crumbled, intriguingly it was also where he courted Lady Diana.”

     

    According to the royal biographer Christopher Wilson – quoted in an article in the Daily Express in May this year – “in 1979, there was very little pretense about the intensity of the relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla. Most of the week he would be staying at Bolehyde Manor, sometimes Andrew Parker Bowles would come home for the weekend and Prince Charles would stay. But there was a very curious ménage à trois between these three.”

     

    Whether the house sold in 2011 is unknown, but this week it has again been placed for sale through agents Savills. They are marketing the manor at a sum £1 million lower for £3.75 million and with it comes 80.13 acres.

     

    Aside from the main 4 reception room, 8-bedroom main house, there is a 3-bedroom annexe and in addition the property has three additional cottages, stabling and outbuildings. There is a tennis court and swimming pool with the grounds and the majority of the land is devoted to organic farming.

     

    One thing is, for sure, the former Meghan Markle won’t be putting in a bid in spite of Bolehyde Manor having glorious gardens that have opened under the National Garden Scheme.

     

    The Names & Numbers – Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom

     

    June 2020 – For sale for £3.75 million ($4.71 million, €4.21 million or درهم17.31 million) through Savills.

     

    March 2011 – Offered for sale for £4.76 million ($5.98 million, €5.35 million or درهم21.96 million) by the Earl and Countess Cairns.

     

    1986 – Sold for £600,000 ($754,000, €674,000 or درهم2.8 million) by Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles to Simon and Amanda Cairns.

     

    1973 – Andrew Parker Bowles moves in along with his then wife Camilla.

     

    1927 – Sold to a Mrs Mallet du Cros “in very indifferent repair” by the Gale family according to Country Life. She “restored and modernised it.”

     

    1635 – Sold to a yeoman named John Gale.

     

    Mid 17th century – Built on the site of an earlier house occupied by one Thomas de Bolehyde, a tenant of the Abbot of Glaston-bury.

     

    Pictured top: Carole Middleton, Bolehyde Manor and the Duchess of Cornwall.

     

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    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    The interior features traditional English country house style decoration.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    This study is currently lined with plenty of reading material.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    Original features including panelling abound throughout Bolehyde Manor.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    A pleasant courtyard garden is to be found to the rear of the house.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    To the front is a formal lawned area.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    Three cottages come with the house as well as an annexe also.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    The gardens have previously been opened to the public under the National Garden Scheme.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    They are quite delightful.
    Beautiful Bolehyde – £3.75 million for Bolehyde Manor, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6LW, United Kingdom – Wiltshire manor house once owned by the Duchess of Cornwall as Camilla Parker-Bowles and considered as a home by the Duchess of Cambridge’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton again for sale. Bolehyde Manor is offered for £3.75 million through agents Savills.
    A plan of the 80 acres currently offered with Bolehyde Manor.
  • Susie Steiner

    Susie Steiner

    “I’m sorry I still love him” unabashedly declared author, journalist and “stationary addict” Susie Steiner of Tony Blair on Twitter during the coronavirus lockdown whilst amusingly adding of Boris Johnson: “If only I could retreat to Chequers.” Registered fully blind and a mother of two, this former Guardian commissioning editor did a “little one-page feature, showing the ‘Keep Calm’ poster as one of her favourite things” in 2005. “After that, all hell broke loose,” according to Stuart Manley, co-owner of Barter Books of Alnwick, and what Steiner terms a “message of stoicism and patience” went viral. She thinks “it’s had its day now” and after publishing her first novel, Homecoming, in 2013, this West Hampstead based Londoner signed “significant six-figure” deals for her subsequent works. “Susie is a joy to publish” remarked Suzie Dooré of Borough Press, whilst she herself gave away the secret to her much deserved success in a 2016 interview with The Hampstead & Highgate Express: “I’m very disciplined about my work… The daily-ness is what matters; it’s being in contact with it all the time that keeps the work alive in your mind. Your mind is doing it even when your trogging up the hill from school or waiting in the hairdressers. It fingers it like a pebble in your pocket.”

     

    Susie Steiner – Journalist turned best-selling crime author; she loves Tony Blair – Registered blind former ‘Guardian’ commissioning editor Susie Steiner helped ‘Keep Calm’ go viral in 2005 and became a novelist in 2013. This Londoner’s best-selling works include ‘Missing, Presumed.’