Tag: for sale

A Cut Cost Chapel
Detached partly converted Victorian chapel in quaint Hampshire village goes to auction for 25% less than it sold for in 2018; it seems like a bargain, but there is, of course, a “but”…

Vernham Dean – also known as Vernhams Dean – is a quaint village in the Test Valley in Hampshire. Nine miles south of Hungerford, Berkshire, it is best known for its well thought of pub, The George, and was the place name the controversial ex-Labour minister of state for the Middle East Elizabeth Symonds added to her name when she became Baroness Synmonds PC of Vernham Dean in October 1996.

Given its sought after situation, news that a detached, freehold 562 square foot Victorian chapel is to be auctioned this week by Savills for just £75,000 initially seems surprising, but, as is often the way with “auction bargains,” comes with a number of catches.

Opened originally as a chapel in October 1845 seating 108 with standing room for 12, the current structure served as a chapel from 1869 onwards. Closed for worship now for a number of years, the building was sold at auction in 2017 for an undisclosed sum and then for £99,000 a year later.

In the years that followed subsequent owners have attempted to convert the building into first a two-bedroom and then a one-bedroom dwelling whilst various villagers repeatedly objected. It is now described as being “in need of modernisation” but complete with “extensive plans and reports… for change of use to a residential dwelling.”

Curiously, during the Black Death in 1665, the village’s then pastor is said to have fled leaving his villagers to die. His “guilt ridden ghost” reportedly still to this day haunts the Chute Causeway, a Roman road that runs from Winchester to Cirencester, but whether the Primitive Methodist Chapel is haunted also is unknown.

The double height space inside the Victorian building has been stripped bare in preparation from conversion from D1 usage to residential. It sadly retains few original features.

The original mezzanine seating area of the chapel remains in situ.

The Names & Numbers – Vernham Dean Primitive Methodist Chapel, Back Lane, Vernham Dean, Andover, Test Valley District, Hampshire, SP11 0LE, United Kingdom
- 2^nd March 2021 – To be offered for sale at auction for £75,000 ($104,000, €87,000 or درهم384,000) by Savills, a sum 32% lower than the last asking price and 25% lower than the 2018 sale price.
- 10^th February 2021 – Offered for sale at auction for £110,000+ ($153,000, €127,000 or درهم563,000) by Auction House London.
- December 2019 – New plans were submitted to convert the building according to the Andover Advertiser. They reported that the application stated: “The property is in shell condition and requires a full programme of works. It has electricity and water supplies. The property is situated in the heart of the picturesque area of Vernham Dean in Andover close to local amenities. There is pedestrian access to the left-hand side of the property but it is possible to park at the front of the chapel.”
- August 2019 – Then owner Gurdarshan Mandan told the Andover Advertiser: “We want to live there peacefully and we really don’t want to upset anyone, after all we all are neighbours and want to create a peaceful environment” after many Vernham Dean residents objected to his and his wife’s plans to first turn the building into a two-bedroom and then a one-bedroom residence.
- 11^th April 2018 – Sold for £99,000 ($138,000, €114,000 or درهم506,000) by Auction House London.
- 13^th December 2017 – “Sold after auction for an undisclosed amount” by Auction House London.
The staircase and entrance area. The building has mains water and electricity, but no sewage system is currently in place.

The mezzanine includes the only original remaining pews from the chapel.

A floor plan shows the current configuration of the detached chapel building.
February 28, 2021
A Brolly Wally

“Britain’s most troublesome brolly” goes to auction on eBay after its wally owner nearly gets shot by armed police whilst carrying it

Whilst a chimney pot filled with a collection of umbrellas owned by the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire we featured in February 2016 sold for the staggering sum of £4,375 at Sotheby’s due to its provenance, an Exeter man featured in DevonLive today is unsurprisingly not going to find his brolly selling for nearly as much after it nearly got him shot.

According to the paper’s plainly short of a real news story Chloe Parkman, “brolly wally” Mike Devlin was “swarmed by armed police five times while carrying his beloved novelty umbrella [with a samurai sword handle and a shoulder strap]” and now “has taken to eBay to get rid of it – on the orders of his other half.”

Speaking of the brolly, Devlin declared:

“You kind of get used to people pointing guns at you after a while. I lived in USA and have been to guns stores and in Germany where all cops have guns as well. But, in the UK, they seem obsessed by my umbrella.”

“I can vouch for it – it is a really strong umbrella and never breaks – but it is not a deadly weapon.” I just find the whole thing quite amusing. People accuse me of being an attention seeker, which is ridiculous. I have never called the police.”

“In all the years I was in Germany I never had a problem. The first issue I had was when I came to England and stepped off a plane and security pulled me over and wanted to know where I got it from.”

“I often get stopped by members of the public, and there have been five instances now where armed police have stopped me. On previous occasions when they discover it is just an umbrella they laugh it off. But it then culminated in them confiscating it.”

Referencing a recent incident when they pointed guns at Devlin, Devon and Cornwall Police remarked:

“We received a report of someone in possession of what looked like a samurai sword. It turns out it wasn’t a samurai sword, it was an umbrella made to look like a samurai sword. It looked realistic, to the armed officers as well.”

Now listed on eBay in an online auction that concludes in 3 days, Devlin’s description of the ‘offending’ brolly reads:

“I love this umbrella, had it for ages, but sadly I need to get rid of it. Why? Well, that’s an interesting one.”

“My other half doesn’t want me to get shot by the police. Y’see, couple of weeks ago, I had 4 assault rifles pointed at me, and surrounded by 8 police officers as I made my way home. This was the 5^th time I have ran into armed officers (or should I say they have come running to me, including back-up units, and sending helicopters out), and whilst I have always found it highly amusing, she is, however, not overly enthused by it. I know, right! But what can I do?”

“So, here I am offering this immaculate umbrella that undoubtedly has caused more trouble in the UK than any other umbrella in British history. The winner will (reluctantly)receive the umbrella, and the police return sheet – they took it off me the last time, only for an armed officer to return it to me a few days ago.”

“The media is watching this listing (that image is from ‘The Times’), so you may even be contacted by a reporter should you win.”

“What will I spend the money on? Dunno, really – maybe a couple of drinks to drown my sorrows. Ugh, I need a drink now…”

Whilst 33 bids have been made for the brolly with a current price of £103.50, a brand-new version of exactly the same umbrella can be bought elsewhere on the site for just £24.99. Perhaps someone might care to ‘rain-in’ the 33 wallies before they take a bath.

A Brolly Wally – The very same umbrella that Mike Devlin has cleverly PR’d in ‘Devon Live’ and ‘The Times’ supposedly even can be had brand-new for just £24.99 (if you desire to walk around risking a police incident).

A Brolly Wally – On the Facebook group ‘Angry People in Local Newspapers’ there was much discussion of the saga. One member, Steven Phillips, suggested: “He needs to get a less ambiguous brolly” and included a picture of an umbrella disguised as a gun.

February 24, 2021
Lock Him Up 2021!

Ideal new ‘home’ for likely to be impeached Donald Trump for sale just as he prepares to leave office; it comes with its own jail – the perfect place to “lock him up!”

The “quaint” shire town of Guildhall (pronounced ‘Gilhall’), Vermont – whose population was estimated at just 255 in 2014 – is best known for having a large sign at its centre declaring it to be the “only town in the world so named.”

Now, just in time for Donald Trump’s departure from the White House and likely impeachment, the perfect pad for the 45^th President has become available in the town. It comes in the form of a 4-bedroom cottage complete with its own attached former jail – a “safe space” he could retreat to if tagged or subjected to home imprisonment perhaps.

Situated on just under an acre of land next to the village green, Jailer’s House at 43 Courthouse Drive is described as having “so much character” and having “been renovated in recent years.” The jail, which ceased to be used in 1969, itself is in somewhat more perilous condition, as is a detached barn known as Jailer’s Barn.

Sold last for £85,000 in May 2017 and then bizarrely marketed for the much lower sum of £55,000 in April 2018l, agents Lisa Hampton Real Estate now seek £110,000 for the property.

Converted jailhouses and courts previously featured in The Steeple Times include the £14.5 million The Court House in Old Chelsea, London, SW3. It was from there that “drunkards, highwaymen and tax dodgers” were tried and “sent in chains to prison ships on the River Thames for transportation to the colonies.”

Lock Him Up! The property comes with a jail complete with prison cells with barred windows. Of it, agents Lisa Hampton Real Estate remark: “Bring your own ideas on what this 28’ x 40’ wing could be!”

Lock Him Up! This cell could make the perfect new home for Donald Trump.

Lock Him Up! One couldn’t imagine Melania Trump liking the condition of this crapper, however.

Lock Him Up! One of the house’s more unusual features is a ‘witch window’ (also known as a ‘Vermont window’). Its presence might put off broomstick flying Ivanka Trump from visiting as this diagonal double-hung sash was conceived on the basis of the folk belief that “witches cannot fly their broomsticks through tilted windows.”

The Names & Numbers – Jailer’s House, Jailer’s Barn and former Essex County Jail, 43 Courthouse Drive, Guildhall, Essex County, Vermont, VT 05905, United States of America

October 2020 – Listed for sale by Lisa Hampton Real Estate for £110,000 ($149,000, €123,000 or درهم547,000), a sum 100% higher than its April 2018 asking price.

April 2018 – Listed for sale for £55,000 ($75,000, €62,000 or درهم275,000), a sum 35% lower than its May 2017 sale price.

May 2017 – Sold for £85,000 ($116,000, €95,000 or درهم426,000).

February 2012 – Sold for £51,000 ($69,000, €57,000 or درهم253,000).

April 1969 – Essex County Jail discontinued. According to The Burlington Free Press: “The Corrections Department assumed control of most jails in the state, and the sheriffs were to no longer live next to the jail, an amenity they received as part of the job (never fear – it was offset by a triple pay increase for sheriffs as well as a new office).”

July 1964 – A rapist and a man awaiting trial for breaking and entering escaped the jail. Of this, The Burlington Free Press remarked: “A deputy sheriff who lives next door to the jail discovered the break Wednesday morning when he brought breakfast to the jailhouse.”

June 1961 – The jail was supposedly condemned as “potentially dangerous for prisoners” by the state fire marshal.

1947 – According to The Burlington Free Press: “After Antonio Dubois, 47, stole 80 pounds of sugar from the Royal Cafe on Cross and Birch streets in Island Pond, he was held at the Essex County Jail. He couldn’t come up with the $2,000 he needed for bail, so he spent some time in the cells of what could be your home sweet home.”

April 1938 – According to The Burlington Free Press: “Two sheriffs were sued for allegedly assaulting two prisoners at the jail, the Essex County Herald reported in April 1938. The plaintiffs sued for $10,000 each, claiming they suffered broken ribs and fractured ear drums from the attack.”

1879 – 1880 – Jailer’s House, Essex County Jail and Jailer’s Barn are built on the site of an earlier facility burned to the ground by prisoners in 1878.

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‘The Donald’ would have to be careful on this wooden staircase given Melania might see it fit to grease it in the style of drunken coal miner’s long-suffering wives of the 19th century. One false move and the 45th POTUS would be toast.

The ugly painting of a prized cow in this sitting room might appeal to ‘The Donald’s’ dubious taste in artwork. He might “improve” the room with a bit more gilt.

One could imagine Mr Trump, his ‘likely trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein’ wife and dear, little Barron dining in this “homely space.”

Melania might actually finally get to enjoy herself cooking on this faux “antique stove.”

A bedroom suitable for someone (like Donald) who’s got the blues. The furnishings would also appeal to a skinflint pensioner like Victor Meldrew.

Lock Him Up! When things get really bad, Mr Trump might like to sit and reflect in a “safe space” in this shower. There’s even a seat ready for him.

Given she didn’t achieve much at the White House aside from playing decorator in the tennis pavilion, Melania Trump could perhaps hone her gardening skills here.

Lock Him Up! The bars of the jailhouse would need re-installing prior to ‘The Donald’s’ arrival.

Lock Him Up! This barn could be the perfect place for the Trumps to play their favourite game: “Lock him up!”

Mr Trump could fantasise about redeveloping the grounds of the property, though he’d more likely busy himself recreating the international joke that is the Trump Wall.

Guildhall, Vermont is “most famous” for this sign. If Donald Trump arrived, maybe things might change. New signs declaring: “Lock him up!” would appear throughout the town.

January 12, 2021
A Christmas Nightmare

“Mini castle” in Pennsylvania goes on sale in time for Christmas for 512% more than it sold for in 2000 in spite of its decoration being nightmare nasty

The most expensive property The Steeple Times featured in terms of price per square foot in 2020 was a 713 square foot one-bedroom pad in a development on the former Chelsea Barracks site in London, SW1.

Whilst that tiny and completely “lacking in room to swing a cat” space was ludicrously marketed at a sum of £3.5 million or £4,909 per square foot, for just £221,000 or £61 per square foot a buyer with the ability to see round a decorating disaster could bag themselves what agents Howard Hanna term a “mini castle” and “Victorian colonial” in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

Presented “Christmas ready” in spite of the fact it will likely languish on the market for months given how nightmare nasty it is inside, 26 Cloverdale Avenue (AKA ‘The Castle on Cloverdale Avenue’) was built in 1902. The 3,678 square foot house stands on a plot of 0.35 acres and includes 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, but what gets Howard Hanna going is the Venetian portico and balcony that they boldly claim is “envied by Juliet herself” even.

We’ll let the pictures of 26 Cloverdale Avenue speak for themselves, but of its location there’s not much to note. David Bowie recorded his first live album in Upper Darby in July 1974, but beyond that there’s nothing to attract anyone to a horror of a house that’s being promoted for 512% more than it sold for in 2000.

A Christmas Nightmare – The Numbers – 26 Cloverdale Avenue, Upper Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, PA 19082, United States of America

December 2020 – Listed for sale in time for Christmas for £221,000 ($300,000, €246,000 or درهم1.1 million), a sum 512% higher than the sale price twenty years prior, through Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.

April 2000 – Sold for £36,000 ($49,000, €40,000 or درهم180,000).

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The sitting room has been tiled in a clinical fashion and is filled with leather seating you’d expect to see in the waiting room area of a brothel. The fireplace surround is, quite frankly, dreadful.

Whoever fitted the kitchen decided to plonk a three-tier open shelf in an odd position above the fridge. Plainly, given it is bloody hard to reach, nobody has or will ever use it.

Described as a “bonus room” (though what’s a “bonus” about it we cannot fathom), this space is set up as a home cinema. The owner’s decision to stencil “Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much” on the wall is equally curious.

The staging of the dining table with a Christmas cloth and tree won’t be of much help when the house is still on sale in July 2021.

That the agents decided that a metal device probably used for torture in a utility room was worth photographing speaks volumes.

The owners went to lengths to tuck in the sheets for this room’s photo session. The tiled flooring is especially welcoming, but any buyer will no doubt want to put in a bid for the tasteful bedroom set.

Another bedroom – with its nasty nets – looks like it could be in use by a hooker. The floors, after all, are easy to scrub.

Perhaps the internal front door with locks and a knocker is in place to ensure “clients” bang before entering.

Bizarrely in this room dedicated to Wonder Woman, somebody’s gone to town colouring in a few of the white tiles.

The rear decked area may appeal to rats and termites this Christmas, but it’s hardly an architectural triumph.

The agent belives this balcony is something “even Juliet would have envied,” but that’s about one of the only things about this train wreck of a house that she’d have got excited about in its current state.

There’s more chance of Chris Rea making it home for Christmas than someone buying this crib in the near future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M48CDuzfgg

December 25, 2020
Blow-Up The Donald 2021

Auction to blow-up Donald Trump in 2021 commences online for charity; the opportunity to implode is expected to sell for £375,000 and porn star Stormy Daniels is trying to get involved

Whilst Bill Clinton will be best be remembered for being given blowjobs under his desk in the Oval Office by Monica Lewinksy, someone wanting to erase the memory of Donald Trump can now literally pay to blow him to smithereens – and that person could be none other than his own alleged “ex-blower” Stormy Daniels.

Atlantic City, New Jersey is to demolish the dilapidated former Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino early next year and in an effort to raise money for a local charity, the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, they are selling the rights to “trigger the explosives that will bring the building down.”

Of the auction to virtually implode the building, which is now owned by a property investor named Carl Icahn, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small remarked:

“[Donald Trump] took advantage of bankruptcy laws, took advantage of a lot of people… He openly mocked Atlantic City, made a lot of money in Atlantic City, and then got out.”

“I wanted to use the demolition of this place to raise money for charity. Personally, I’m a pretty ambitious guy. I want to raise at least $1 million.”

Bizarrely, getting involved in the bidding in a “fly-by-night” fashion, according to the New York Post, is Trump’s alleged ex-squeeze, the porn star Stormy Daniels. They report that one of her “superfans,”a man named Joe Bedell of St Louis, Missouri, is fundraising to bring the structure crashing down and add that she herself announced: “I really want to do it…and we all know I’m good at pressing buttons. LOL #teamstormy.”

Daniels – whose real name is Stephanie Clifford – later added: “See…? Dreams can come true! This will piss off Tiny so fucking much! And it’s for charity… one he can’t steal from. LOL!”

Early bidding for the opportunity to be a modern-day Fred Dibnah currently stands at £40,000 ($53,500, €43,800 or درهم196,000) with a high estimate of £373,000 ($500,000, €409,000 or درهم1.8 million) and the lot will be sold live on Tuesday 19^th January 2021 at 6pm GMT.

The GoFundMe page to help raise money for a bid to enable “Stormy Daniels to push the button to implode Trump Plaza in Atlantic City for charity” has thus far had 84 donations and raised £1,300 ($1,755, €1,400 or درهم6,400) of a rather ambitious £747,000 ($1 million, €819,000 or درهم3.7 million) target.

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Blow-up The Donald 2021 – Plainly, given bidding thus far, a number of wealthy individuals like the idea of blowing up Donald Trump.

Blow-up The Donald 2021 – The 39-storey Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey opened in May 1984 and closed in September 2014. It had 906 hotel rooms and over 86,000 square feet of gaming space. The unoccupied 36-year-old building is now considered “a danger to public safety because of falling debris” and will be demolished in early February 2021.

Blow-up The Donald 2021 – Donald Trump with Stephanie Clifford (AKA ‘Stormy Daniels’) in 2006 in a photo shared on her MySpace account. Clifford was paid the sum of £97,000 ($130,000, €106,000 or درهم477,000) by Trump’s then lawyer, Michael Cohen, a month before the 2016 United States presidential election to sign an NDA about their “alleged affair.”

Some people, including the poster of this YouTube video Rexi Roxi, considered the Trump Casino & Hotel Atlantic City building “beautiful” and a “favourite hang-out,” but most would now agree that this monstrosity of a building was just yet another example of Donald Trump’s appalling lack of class and good taste. It will not be remembered fondly by many.

Closed since 2014, the crumbling oceanfront building has become an eyesore and is considered dangerous and an utter embarrassment by the people of Atlantic City.

December 22, 2020
Jobsworth Jenrick Props Up Property

Jobsworth Robert Jenrick announces estate agents CAN take potential virus spreaders into peoples’ homes even in Tier 4 lockdown areas; a QUARTER of donations to the Tory party come from the property sector

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick likes to do favours for his ridiculously rich cronies. He came to attention in May when he “unlawfully approved” a planning scheme for Richard Desmond (AKA ‘Mr Badger’) and on Saturday, this murky multi-millionaire Tory MP again showed his true colours when he bizarrely tweeted celebrating the fact that estate agents could remain open in Tier 4 areas even.

Whilst the public are cruelly banned from going to a socially distanced restaurant space or from having dinner with their lonely granny in her kitchen because of the risk of spreading coronavirus, how is it acceptable for estate agents to be allowed to take members of the public into the private spaces of peoples’ homes for viewings?

For jobsworth Jenrick, it seems, allowing prospective buyers and tenants to touch doors, walls and surfaces in confined spaces is not at all risky, but one is left wondering how he came to this conclusion. In June, the Independent revealed that the Conservative Party had received £11 million (or over a quarter of their donations) from the property sector since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.

Pictured top: Disgracefully, Robert Jenrick MP and his government have not made property viewings a “restricted zone” in Tier 4 lockdown areas.

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Stay Homes, Save Lives… But NOT if you’re an estate agent… Why have estate agents not been lumped into “non-essential” businesses forced to close by our incompetent government? The answer as to why “Stay Home, Save Lives” has not been applied to the property sector is unsurprising: A quarter of donations to the Tory Party comes from the property sector and we all know that Robert Jenrick enjoys Carlton Club suppers with rich developers like Richard Desmond.

Jenrick tweeted jubilantly about estate agents remaining open for business on Saturday. His government, meanwhile, has forced many other businesses to close and many of them will most likely tragically never reopen.

Twitter users were unsurprisingly unimpressed by Robert Jenrick’s enthusiasm for estate agents remaining open. One, Gavin Wilkins, remarked: “So thanks to the announcement my mum’s shit scared to come to my house for Xmas (she’s on her own), but I can go to value or view as many houses as I want. Sums it all up. Shitshow – government should be ashamed.”

Boris Johnson is equally happy to hang out with porn baron turned property developer. He should now be asked: “What first attracted you to the multi-millionaire Richard Desmond, Boris?”

December 21, 2020
Elvis & Epstein’s ‘Dictator Car’

1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan originally owned by Elvis Presley and currently by an Epstein is being sold by auction

‘Taking Care of Business’ was said to be “Elvis Presley’s business motto and working philosophy.” Now, someone with deep pockets can buy the ‘King’s’ 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Dictator Car’ sedan emblazoned with ‘TCB’ on its side that is being auctioned for charity this December.

Said to be one of over 200 cars that the Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock singer owned and mostly gave away as gifts, the short-wheelbase limousine was purchased by him on 14^th December 1970 at Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard for $15,000 (or the equivalent of £75,300, $100,600, €82,900 or درهم369,500 today).

Elvis and Priscilla Presley in the car.

And pictured standing next to it.

Presley reportedly used the 6.3-litre engine vehicle until the mid-1970s and then gave it to his vocalist friend Jimmy Velvet – who was later to become the operator of an Elvis memorabilia museum. Later sold on to the CEO of Dollar General and “refreshed” in the 1990s, a businessman turned philanthropist named Gene Epstein bought the ‘Dictator Car’ in 2002 after seeing it at the Amelia Island Concours.

Finished in silver and featuring a black leather with dark grey carpets and ‘zebrawood accents’ interior, the automatic car has privacy curtains, separate front and rear heating and air conditioning controls and a refrigerated console between the front seats. It has covered 60,500 miles and is being promoted as being in need of a new owner “with a big enough personality to pull it off.”

Of why he is selling the limousine – which comes with an array of Elvis Presley related memorabilia and paperwork – Gene Epstein (whom has no known connection to the late monster Jeffrey Epstein) commented:

“We feel that after owning and enjoying ‘Elvis’ for nearly 20 years it is time to say goodbye for the better need. Especially since Covid has shut down just about every event that we have planned.”

“Giving this car to our charity was a major decision that I’ve been advised against by my accountant who simply looks at the bottom line after taxes. I know that I exceed any tax benefit but how in the world can any of us enjoy life while seeing other people suffering?”

“The lightning bolt on Elvis is TCB could very well have been on mine. There’s not enough time in the day to do the best for everybody every day but we have to keep trying.”

“Elvis’s Mercedes is one hell of an automobile. And fun to drive… I hope it brings a world record price.”

In September 2019, a 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan The Steeple Times featured that had belonged to Nubar Gulbenkian sold for £310,900 ($415,000, €342,500 or درهم1.5 million). That car admittedly was undoubtedly a one-off in that its eccentric owner had changed the rear seats to a double bed and added a full glass roof, but by comparison the current bid of £160,400 ($214,500, €177,000 or درهم787,800) on the ex-Elvis ‘ride’ makes it seem cheap at a sum 48.4% lower.

Bring A Trailer’s online auction for this It’s Now or Never of a limousine concludes on the 18^th December.

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The black leather to the rear passenger seating is original yet in good condition.

There is some wear and tear to the front seating, however.

The car is emblazoned with ‘TCB’ on its front doors and also comes with an example of Elvis Presley’s ‘TCB’ stationery and some shot glasses marked ‘TCB’ also.

Amongst other memorabilia with the car are original documents, cuttings and an Elvis Presley bust.

The original bill of sale from Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood.

From the front.

And from the rear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=rYCxTiEdvoc&feature=emb_logo
A video of the car to be offered.

The car to be sold arriving at Gene Epstein’s 75^th birthday party in July 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex0XUS6ppas
Another Mercedes-Benz 600 sedan owned by Elvis Presley was sold by Bonhams in December 2010 in the UK.

Elvis Presley originally recorded ‘Long Black Limousine’ in January 1969.

December 13, 2020
A Cottage or a Car Space?

Detached Georgian cottage in Wales goes on for sale for a sum 64% lower than a single parking space in a basement in Knightsbridge

In Knightsbridge right now, Harrods Estates are offering what they term a “spacious” car parking space for the astonishing sum of £225,000 ($302,000, €250,000 or درهم1.1 million) in spite of it having a column intruding into it.

The 8’2” by 15’7” underground space is situated within a building opposite Harrods’ Basil Street entrance and is only available for purchase by those living within a 1,300-foot radius of it. It is held on a lease with 83 years remaining and is subject to a service charge of £743.22 per annum ($1,000, €825 or درهم3,700 per annum).

Whilst this seems surprisingly cheap compared to the £375,000 ($484,000, €448,000 or درهم1.8 million) single space in nearby Ennismore Gardens we featured in February, elsewhere, for those looking to park a lot less money into a serious renovation project, agents Dai Lewis are about to auction what appears from the exterior to be a “quaint” Georgian cottage. Built as an estate manager’s cottage in the late 1700s, 4-bedroom Penbont, near Llandysul in Ceredigion, Wales stands in private gardens adjoining the River Teifi and National Trust woodland, but literally is collapsing inside.

To bid for Penbont in the forthcoming Auction House South Wales sale, click here. Bidding opens on 14^th December at 12 noon and ends on the 16^th December at 12:02pm. An opening bid of £79,000 ($106,000, €88,000 or درهم390,000) has been set.

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The extremely punchily priced Basil Street car park space is entered via a ramp next to Harry’s Dolce Vita.

The space is rather limited in that it is intruded upon by a bloody great pillar. You do, however, get a rather swish Rolls-Royce adjoining whatever you park there.

Thankfully for the purchaser, Julian Assange has long left the adjoining apartment block.

The cottage appears initially quaint in this image.

The Welsh cottage literally is full of junk and rather lacking in first floor flooring.

There are plenty of old sofas – though nobody other than Onslow from ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ would want to sit on them.

The late Laura Ashley wouldn’t exactly rave about the curtains.

The staircase is unbelievably intact, but a purchaser would be advised to do something about the wall coverings in the hallway.

The kitchen has an original range, but somebody plainly nicked its doors.

Those liking double height rooms might feel at home in this space.

More recently it was boarded up and resembles a scene from ‘Midsomer Murders.’

An outbuilding that isn’t much use to man nor ornament.

Plainly, the current owner has a desire to stop gypsy caravans parking.

The setting is indeed idyllic, but one needs to be careful of runaway drunk drivers on a Friday

December 9, 2020
Erecting a C(l)ock

WARNING: EXPLICIT – Chi-chi auction house auction smutty Benny Hill-esque novelty automotive clock; it’ll be erecting a lot of interest

The late comedian Benny Hill once said: “I’m not against half naked girls – not as often as I’d like to be” and added: “Girls are like pianos. When they’re not upright, they’re grand” and surprisingly this month, the normally conservative auction house Bonhams is selling a clock that most definitely would appeal to his slapstick sense of humour.

Described simply as a “novelty erotic desk clock,” the item to be offered in their automobilia online sale is shaped “in the form of a vintage limousine.” The clock is inset into the rear wheel and a hinged door opens “to reveal [an] animated erotic scene” that is “operated” by a pendulum to the rear of the car. They neglect, however, to go into detail of what sexual action the ‘gentleman’ in the rear is actually ‘enjoying.’

Bonhams have set an estimate of £500 to £700 ($672 to $941, €554 to €776 or درهم2,468 to درهم3,455) for the clock and bidding ends on the 14^th December at 14:02 GMT. Someone who doesn’t care about sparing their visitors blushes, will no doubting be erecting a bid.

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Erecting a C(l)ock – The car opens up to reveal a ‘gentleman’ with his trousers down laughing as he is pleasured in a sexual sense by a naked ‘lady.’ One could imagine it sitting in the study of the late Jeffrey Epstein’s New York townhouse.

December 5, 2020
A Defender Desk

As more and more people work from home, how about an unusual desk? Jaguar Land Rover have made one out of a Defender and it’ll set you back a pretty penny

Whilst unsurprisingly nobody showed enough interest in working from a crappy Noel Edmonds designed ‘mobile office’ Range Rover for it to reach its lower reserve at auction last month, another automotive workspace is headed to auction early next month.

Handmade by Jaguar Land Rover and presented in the 2020 Defender’s launch colour, Pangea green, the desk to be sold features genuine parts and has European power and USB sockets integrated into it. In addition, there are functional front and rear lights and also included is a fully adjustable, trimmed leather chair.

Given so many are now working from home, here is a desk that will certainly get its purchaser noticed as they partake in Zoom calls with colleagues. The price? It’s certainly punchy and Bonhams will attempt to sell the 2020 Defender desk and chair at the Bicester Heritage sale on the 11^th December.

An estimate of £5,000 to £10,000 ($6,700 to $13,300, €5,600 to €11,100 or درهم24,500 to درهم48,900) and proceeds from the auction of the item will benefit the StarterMotor and NSPCC Boole House charities.

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The desk may cost as much as a secondhand 4×4, but it does come with an accompanying chair.

November 29, 2020