The Steeple Times

Tag: India

  • The Gavinator vs. The Clown

    The Gavinator vs. The Clown

    Nikolay Kalinin contrasts ‘The Gavinator’ Gavin Newsom’s reopening of California with Boris Johnson’s still closed Britain and slams the latter for allowing the Indian variant to spread

    Weeks after letting the Indian variant of COVID-19 – now dubbed the Delta variant – to get past the borders despite supposedly cutting off all communications with India, Boris Johnson has been forced to delay ‘Freedom Day’ to 19th July. Once again, ‘Bosie The Clown’ was too late to close the borders in time.

     

    The nation’s finest gammons have responded to the news in a fashion that can only be described as “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” with GB News’ fruitcake Dan Wootton stating: “Those who know continued lockdowns are wrong have a duty to speak up,” while washed-up actor Laurence Fox and local weather loony Piers Corbyn predictably participated in yet another anti-lockdown protest.

     

    Elsewhere, the state of California, which for the past 15 months has been battered by the pandemic, has fully reopened its economy, lifting measures such as social distancing, although large events such as sports will still be restricted. In addition to that, vaccinated Californians can go to most places without a face covering. I really hate to say it, but Americans led by ‘The Gavinator,’ Governor Gavin Newsom, have done something incredibly genius in a while.

     

    The UK government meanwhile, aims to offer a vaccine to people over the age of 18 by the end of the week, in order to achieve the target of the entire British adult population receiving a first dose of the vaccine.

     

    What’s surprising is that even though more people have been vaccinated in the UK than in California, yet more and more people in the UK are getting hospitalised. Much of this has to do with the Delta variant, which the government has foolishly allowed in and which has reduced the efficiency of the vaccines; for example, protection of AstraZeneca has fallen from 73% for the Alpha variant to 60% for the Delta variant.

     

    The delay has also resulted in the government once again considering the implementation of vaccine passports for large events such as sports matches. Personally, I don’t think it’s a risk worth taking because of the reduced vaccine efficiency – meaning that once again the safest option is sadly to extend restrictions.

     

    Let’s put this simply: All this comes because of the stupidity of nepotistic Prime Minister Johnson and misinformation spreaders like Fox and Corbyn and it is jolly well time they realised the errors of their ways and saw sense.

     

    Gavin Newsom tweet
    On Tuesday, Gavin Newsom shared California’s good news on Twitter. He remarked: “40 million vaccines. One of the lowest COVID rates in the country. California is BACK and fully reopen!” Earlier, he went further in sharing: “It’s reopening day. We’ve administered over 40 million vaccines. Now… No more social distancing. No more capacity limits. No more colors or county tiers. And if you’re vaccinated – no more masks. It’s a good day.” Shouldn’t Britain learn from this?
    Indian variant COVID-19 wedding on a plane
    Ludicrously in May, the BBC reported that an Indian couple “chartered a plan and held a mid-air wedding with more than 160 guests in an effort to escape coronavirus restrictions.” Meanwhile in April, ‘The Times of India’ reported: “India’s super-rich paid tens of thousands of pounds to get to Britain by private jets ahead of the Covid-hit country being added to the UK’s travel red list even as some charter flights arranged for others were denied landing permits. The website FlightAware show that eight private jets – which would have cost £70,000 each (around Rs 72 lakh) upwards to charter – arrived from India at London Luton airport in the 24 hours before the travel restrictions kicked in at 8.30am IST on Friday. Four of these arrived from Mumbai, three from Delhi and one from Ahmedabad.”
    Yesterday in the House of Commons, Sir Keir Starmer quite rightly slammed Boris Johnson for failing to prevent the Delta variant from reaching the UK from India.

    The Indian/Delta Variant Timeline…

    – 1st April – Ministers told about the new strain.

    – 2nd April – Pakistan and Bangladesh added to the red list, but not India.

    – 15th April – Public told of this.

    – 16 April – Prime Minister’s India trip still on.

    – 19th April – Prime Minister’s trip cancelled and India added to red list.

    – 23rd April – Ban finally kicks in.

     

    The 3-week delay brought 20,000 passengers from India into the UK.

     

    In response, Boris Johnson remarked: “We did all we could.”

     

  • Katie UKIPpers

    Katie UKIPpers

    “Gaunt” looking Katie Hopkins joins UKIP in time for its next (of many) leadership contests and is “spotted lurking” in Washington in spite of unsurprisingly being ‘NFI’d’ to Joe Biden’s inauguration

    “Permanently suspended” from Twitter but astonishingly still allowed on Instagram (where she presents herself as “The Biggest Bitch in Britain”) Katie Hopkins was unsurprisingly ‘Not F**king Invited’ to Joe Biden’s inauguration. She decided to turn up to “lurk” anyway.

     

    Subsequently, in a video rant yesterday, one-time “shagger-of-someone-else’s-husband-in-a-field” Hopkins declared that she’d run into Emily Maitlis in Washington and blabbered on about how the BBC presenter was a hypocrite for traveling there. She neglected, however, to explain why her own presence was necessary and yet again just made a total berk of her not-so-sorry self.

     

    Continuing elsewhere, the political party that is more widely considered nothing but a train wreck that is UKIP last week tweeted that it is still “alive and kicking as Britain’s voice of common sense.” With this post, the ragbag of racists shared an image of a megaphone and Katie Hopkins and added: “We are pleased to welcome Katie Hopkins to UKIP!” Now there’s one welcome bash nobody in their right mind will have a desire to break lockdown to attend.

     

    Some of Katie Hopkins’ most outrageous moments:

     

    On people with dementia:

    “Dementia sufferers should not be blocking beds. What is the point of life when you no longer know you are living it?”

     

    On Ramadan:

    “Ramadan typically brings a spike in violence in Middle East. I get grumpy when I don’t eat – but I don’t blow things up. Religion of peace?”

     

    On ginger haired children:

    “Ginger babies. Like a baby. Just so much harder to love.”

     

    On ‘Highgella’ Nigella Lawson:

    “A self-confessed drug-taker, spendthrift, and a self-obsessed flirt determined to show other women they were imperfect.”

     

    On tourists stranded in Egypt after the bombing of a Russian airplane:

    “I think if you are going to take your children out from school, which is ridiculous in itself, stick them in a destination that is dangerous, don’t be complaining on my television that you’ve been delayed at the airport, don’t be complaining that you don’t have any information, and don’t be coming back acting like you are a refugee from a war-torn country.”

     

    On Jewish politician Ed Miliband’s wife:

    “Pollsters say Justine [Miliband] is the least popular of the party wives. He might stick her head in the oven and turn on the gas.”

     

    On refugees:

    “Make no mistake, these migrants are like cockroaches. They might look a bit ‘Bob Geldof’s Ethiopia circa 1984,’ but they are built to survive a nuclear bomb. They are survivors.”

     

    On obesity:

    “I don’t really like fat people… Would I employ you if you were obese? No, I would not… If you are obese, you look lazy.”

     

    On suicidal prisoners:

    “They should just kill themselves.”

     

    Katie UKIPpers – Is Katie Hopkins looking to become UKIP leader in 2021? “Gaunt” looking Katie Hopkins joins UKIP in time for its next (of many) leadership contests and is “spotted lurking” in Washington in spite of unsurprisingly being ‘NFI’d’ to Joe Biden’s inauguration.
    UKIP, currently with ex-Conservative MP Neil Hamilton as its “interim party leader,” has had 13 leaders and acting leaders since 2010. From October 2019 until April 2020, “prized pillock” Pat Mountain was in charge and she was followed by an Indian businessman “who once listed Nazi Germany as a hobby on his CV” named Freddy Vachha. He was suspended from the party in September 2020 (though “maintains he is still the leader”) and, for now, Pat Mountain is “serving” as UKIP’s “abuse and exploitation spokeswoman” in spite of most likely not have the foggiest what that quite means.
    Katie UKIPpers – Last year, Hopkins was flown to Prague and given a spoof award for being the ‘C*NT of the Year.’ In accepting it, she proved that she is anything but as bright as a button and now news that she’s considering standing to become UKIP leader will be met with nothing but laughter. Of the possibility, she remarked: “People always ask me when am I going to get into politics, when am I going to do something smarter than just gob off on social media. But I do see that the time for just being on social media and just having opinions is wearing thin and is probably time for somebody like myself, who is at the pointy end of the spear most of the time, to make more of a formalised stand.”
    Katie UKIPpers – On Thursday, Katie Hopkins took to Instagram to berate Emily Maitlis for being in Washington for Joe Biden’s inauguration in spite of hypocritically being there herself also. Here, in this YouTube video, ‘MoJo’ share ten examples where this rhinoceros skinned ratbag previously made a prat of herself.
  • Schofe Banned

    Schofe Banned

    As Phillip Schofield’s book is banned from sale in Wales, we ask: “Did the temperamental telly host ‘Schofe’ have another meltdown as a result?”

    Whilst nobody was surprised when Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Senegal, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand amongst others banned The Satanic Verses in 1988 for supposed blasphemy against Islam, news that Phillip Schofield’s memoirs have been outlawed from sale in Wales might actually surprise.

     

    Though no doubt an affront to literature in terms of the quality and relevance of its content, an image of Schofield’s recently released Life’s What You Make It in a taped off section of a Tesco store in Cardiff appeared yesterday in The Sun. Appropriately, however, given the shocking reviews the tome has deservedly received, a notice was pinned to the shelving stating: “We are unable to sell non-essential items at this time.”

     

    We’re left wondering: Did ‘Schofe’ hit his “only fit for the bin” boxed wine as a result? If so, we can only pity those dealing with his hangover this morning.

     

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    Schofe Banned – Phillip Schofield memoirs banned in Wales – As Phillip Schofield’s book is banned from sale in Wales, we ask: “Did the temperamental telly host have another meltdown as a result?”
    Schofe Banned – With his memoirs banned from sale in supermarkets in Wales and his boxed wine rubbished as “no more palatable than fizzy Ribena,” ‘Schofe’ no doubt had another temper tantrum. Poor lamb.
    As Phillip Schofield’s book is banned from sale in Wales, we ask: “Did the temperamental telly host ‘Schofe’ have another meltdown as a result?”
    Schofe Banned – D. H. Lawrence’s ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ was banned from sale in the United Kingdom for violation of obscenity laws. The ban was lifted in 1960 and one is now left wondering how long Phillip Schofield’s tome will remain on a list of banned books for.
  • Tall Poppy Syndrome

    Tall Poppy Syndrome

    Asking price for America’s tallest single-family residence – a 124-foot tall tower in Phoenix, Arizona – slashed by 74%; it is somewhat dated but costs nearly nothing to heat and nearly nothing in property taxes either

     

    They say “the bigger, the better” but in the case of Falcon Nest at Prescott in Arizona, it seems as if the tallest single-family residence in America has little appeal given its asking price has been slashed by nearly two thirds during the two years it has been on the market.

     

    Reduced in price from £2.2 million ($2.8 million, €2.6 million or درهم10.3 million) in 2015 to £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million or درهم5.5 million) this year, 124-foot tall Falcon Nest is to be auctioned by Concierge Auctions for a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May. For that, a buyer will not only get a truly unique structure but also views that range over 120 miles as far as the San Francisco Peaks.

     

    Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994
    Sukumar Pal, AIA faced some opposition when he decided to construct Falcon Nest but the resulting building he designed is certainly striking

    Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994
    Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303 is situated at the head of a cul-de-sac and the base of Thumb Butte

    Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994
    It is priced at just $242 per square foot (at $1.5 million) and enjoys long-reaching views

    Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994
    An aerial view of the extraordinary structure

     

    Built to the designs of Calcutta born Sukumar Pal, AIA for his own occupation, Falcon Nest took four years to build and was completed in 1994. This was in part due to high winds making it difficult to use cranes on a site that was already at 5,920-foot at its base on the slopes of 6,514-foot tall Thumb Butte – a prominent geographical feature of the Sierra Prieta mountain range – but also because Pal was so stringent about creating a residence that was not only striking architecturally but also one that was energy efficient.

     

    Featuring a tubular tower portion that causes heat to rise and ventilate the residence in the summer but capture it in the winter, Mr Pal, in a video interview, claimed that “heating and cooling [the building] is automatic and without any cost”.

     

    Accommodation in the 24-foot by 24-foot square base, ten-floor residence – linked by a staircase with 144 steps and a hydraulic elevator that provides access to six levels – includes three bedrooms and four bathrooms. Living space is primarily located on a central floor known as ‘the solarium’ that is mostly built of glass so as to catch as much sun as possible and centres around a vast entertaining area described as a ‘great room’.

     

    Falcon Nest stands on a 1.08-acre plot that offers potential for further development and of the existing “multi-functional structure” itself, selling agents Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty suggest there is potential to turn it into a bed and breakfast, ham radio tower, event space or even a ranger station and museum connected to the Prescott National Park.

     

    Of this “architectural and engineering treasure”, which is defined as a ‘palsolaral house’, Mr Pal commented:

     

    “I chose the height, for several reasons: I wanted to enjoy the views but I didn’t want to cover vast areas on the ground as open ground separates the tower from the neighbouring buildings”.

     

    “[But the most] important [reason] is the tax. The tax is proportional to the ground cover of the building. If this building was flat like tortilla, it would have a tremendous tax burden. This building does not have that. It is 6,200 square foot but I’ve been paying much less [tax] because the ground print is so small”.

     

    In a feature on Falcon Nest in March, Lauren Ro of property blog Curbed rather curtly remarked: “Time has not been kind to this property, which feels like it was left behind in the ugly part of the ’90s”. She has a point but anyone wanting to live like the ultimate super-villain could indeed do a lot worse.

     

     Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994 Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994 Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994 Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994 Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994Tall Poppy Syndrome – North America’s tallest single-family residence – Falcon Nest, 2365 Skyline Drive, Prescott, Arizona, AZ 86303, United States of America – £1.2 million ($1.5 million, €1.4 million million or درهم5.5 million) through Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty and to be auctioned with a minimum price of £581,000 ($750,000, €688,000 or درهم2.8 million) on 25th May by Concierge Auctions – Designed by Sukumar Pal, AIA in 1994

  • Anything Can Happen

    Anything Can Happen

    5,000 acre Irish estate where “anything can happen” for sale for £24.1 million; its current owner would prefer a buyer who’ll allow him to use it for three months a year

    Michael Jackson hid out at Luggala in County Wicklow, Ireland in 2006 for three months after being cleared of child molestation charges and other guests at this magical estate have included Francis Bacon, Orlando Bloom, Bono, John Paul Getty II, Mel Gibson, John Hurt, Mick Jagger, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Paul McCartney and Anita Pallenberg.

     

    Encompassing a plot of some 5,000 acres, Luggala (meaning: “a hollow in a ridge”) is also known as ‘Fancy Mountain’ and has been used in films including Zardoz, Braveheart and Excalibur. It is located 28 miles south-west of Dublin, was described by the singer Marianne Faithfull as “the most beautiful place in the world” and the main house there has gradually morphed into what has been called “the most decorative honeypot in Ireland”.

     

    Architecturally significant, Luggala Lodge (also known as Luggala Castle), was built in 1787 and is lauded as having “that special brand of 18th century Gothick that rejoices in little battlements, crochets, trefoil and quatrefoil windows and ogee mantelpieces, Indeed, quite like the Gothick of pastry cooks and Rockingham china”. It “boasts all the appurtenances of a grand castle but on a miniature scale” and though standing on a modest footprint, extends to some 7,438 square foot in total.

     

    In 1937, the estate was bought by the Hon. Ernest Guinness (1876 – 1949) and given to his daughter, Oonagh, on her marriage to Lord Oranmore and Browne – a peer with the rare distinction of managing to sit in the House of Lords without ever saying a single thing. It subsequently became a place where “nobody could stay away: Dublin intelligentsia, literati, painters, actors, scholars, hangers-on, toffs, punters, poets and social hang-gliders” and was even immortalised in poetry by Seamus Heaney.

     

    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Current owner of Luggala, the decidedly eccentric the Hon. Dr. Garech Browne (born 1939)
    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Luggala Lodge, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland
    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Luggala Lodge after a fire in 1956
    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Oonagh Guinness, Oonagh, Lady Oranmore and Browne (1910 – 1995)

     

    On Oonagh, Lady Oranmore and Browne’s death in 1970, the estate passed into the “custody” of her son, the Hon. Dr. Garech Browne. He has spent considerable sums restoring the house and made it a “cultural hub for Irish music, art and literature”. A co-founder of the record label Claddagh Records and instrumental in the formation of the traditional Irish folk group, The Chieftans, Browne and his Indian princess wife, Purna Devi of Morvi, added an indoor swimming pool to Luggala Lodge as well as a Gothic library for his collection of 8,000 books.

     

    Now for sale due to 77-year old Garlech Browne and his wife primarily choosing to be based in Singapore, it has been suggested that the Irish State should purchase the estate. Thus far no offer has been forthcoming and this week Jennifer O’Connell of The Irish Times even penned an article that suggested: “Opening the national chequebook is not the way to secure [Luggala’s] future”.

     

    Luggala – which comes with 7 estate lodges and cottages – is offered jointly by Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s with a guide price of £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million). The Guernsey based Guinness Trust that currently controls the actual ownership of the property has indicated that it “seeks a freehold sale and will entertain offers with both vacant possession and non-vacant possession”. Though such a deal seems as unlikely as that that Christian de Guigné IV proposed of his £81 million ($100 million, €94 million or درهم367 million) estate at Hillsborough in California, at the mythical delight that is Luggala, anything could indeed happen.

     

    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’sAnything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’sAnything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’sAnything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s

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