Friday 10 November 2017

The House That I Grew Up In



The parental home is finally empty and ready to go on the market.


"The Cottage" has been empty for seven years. Just weeks after Mum died in 2010, Dad developed rapid onset dementia and was considered a danger to himself. He was taken away to live in secure accommodation and never returned. At first we had grand plans to do up the house and sell it on but were advised by the experts to leave well alone. Unrestored - totally original - houses are a rarity and apparently in high demand. My brother had toyed with the idea of moving in and restoring it himself but on reflection the task was just too daunting.



So, after an initial declutter, for seven years we left it as it was, using it as storage for our out of season stock and for items too heavy to cart to the charity shop - "The Cottage" is directly over the road from Stonecroft - we can see it from the bedroom window. Dad died two years ago and sorting out his estate took an age (I did it myself, saving thousands of pounds but almost sacrificing my sanity).


The bulk of the paperwork was completed just as the festival season kicked off so any house plans got put on the back burner until that and the Autumn fair season were over.


Last week with just one local fair left to trade at until next Spring we got the estate agent round to value the property and we agreed to have the house completely empty and ready for sale by the end of this week.


My bother & I had already taken the bits and bobs we wanted and I was determined not to hold on to things just for the sake of it. I have memories, I don't need stuff. Call me rash but I've donated everything from Moorcroft vases, a complete Edwardian Minton Greek Key dining service, a collection of wooden writing slopes, hallmarked silver cutlery, Staffordshire flat backs and a plethora of dainty Victorian china to Cats Protection and the Salvation Army. My brother even gave away his huge childhood collection of 1970s Action Men. Yesterday I had the mother of all fires and burnt almost every scrap of paperwork my family have hoarded for over a century. 


You know what? Finally, after seven long & stressful years, a huge weight of responsibility has been lifted from my shoulders and I feel f*cking fantastic!


My parents bought "The Cottage" in 1971 for £5,500. The original owner, a wealthy widow who owned a timber yard in the town centre, had died several years previously and the house, still full of her belongings, had been unoccupied for years. Her only remaining relative, a distant cousin, was furious that she'd only left him the house in her will with no mention of her alleged fortune. In his anger he ripped the place apart, smashing furniture and tearing up carpets in a vain attempt to discover the cash. It was never found. My brother and I spent hours hunting for it as children - many of the floors lift up to reveal secret boxes built into the floorboards. Maybe it's still there, stashed away somewhere safe. 


My money is on it being somewhere in the huge cellar which extends under the house and beyond, as far as the boundary hedge in the front garden. Not that you'll catch me in there, there's too many spiders.


So feast your eyes on "The Cottage" in all its originality. We've already been approached by several interested parties wanting to do a deal but, to be honest, I'd rather leave it in the hands of the professionals. I don't want people haggling over our childhood.


The garden occupies an area of over a quarter of an acre but we've sectioned a portion of it off which we'll sell at a later date. 


I'm an architectural salvage nut and absolutely love the original outside toilet - it's even got Walsall stamped on the cistern. I was terrified to use it as a child!



According to the original plans this little room that leads off the scullery is the china pantry. There's a bell push in the back lounge that the lady of the house used to press to summons the maid from here.


Now its empty this is my favourite room, the epitome of the Arts and Crafts aesthetic the architect was striving for when he designed and had the house built in 1910. There are two neighbouring houses in the avenue built in an identical style but the bloke who owns the house next door knocked this wood panelled part of his lounge down and had steps built leading to a full-sized cinema room in the cellar. I've got a terrible feeling the buyers of The Cottage will do the same. At least I've have this photo for posterity.

Other than the carpet & the switch everything here is original, including the brocade seat pads and the brass lantern

Mum & Dad weren't really into DIY (or housework!) although the breakfast room had a bit of a face lift in the 1980s.  We've rescued the stained glass windows from the summer house, that'll be a future project.


 The Anaglypta on the boxroom wall is original to the house - as are the coat hooks . This room used to be piled to the ceiling with bags of Mum's clothes. The first time I saw the floor was a few years ago.


The psychedelic wallpaper in the bathroom (and the separate loo) was an addition when we moved in. I wonder if looking at it every day subconsciously influenced my love of 1970s prints? 


The pedestal sink, towel rail and the pink opaque glass light shade (in the sink) are all original to the house. Dad had central heating installed after I left home, I grew up without it - and was probably the healthiest child at school, I never had a day off sick.


This was Mum & Dad's bedroom.




This was my bedroom until I left home and Mum took it over.


The view from my old bedroom window.


This was my brother's bedroom. It had a face-lift in 1980s. The toy cupboard is original and empty for the first time in 46 years!


  What a physically and emotionally draining week. I've got rid of so much stuff - but I've also uncovered a few interesting bits which I'll share next time. 


We've dropped off the keys at the estate agent and spent this afternoon in 'Spoons - being all grown-up doesn't mean we can't have some fun.



105 comments:

  1. What a great house, I love the windows and that big fireplace. Good for you to handle everything other than selling it yourself. In Canada that is the norm, people rarely have lawyers handle estates and it is a huge task, I can only imagine what you went through. Sad but freeing. Why did you hang on to a piece of land, is it enough that another house could be built there? Very smart then.

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    1. It all depends on the size of the estate here - some are very simple and straightforward but once there's tax implications most people use professionals.
      A few years ago a developer tried to buy all the neighbouring houses' gardens to build some executive homes but Mum & Dad's was the only house with a right of way to the nearest road and as they refused to sell the plans got shelved.
      Hopefully we'll keep the developers at bay for a few more years this way. xxx

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  2. What a beautiful house. How fabulous to see all the original fixtures and fittings and although it's not original to the house the bathroom and loo paper is fantastic!

    I do hope the people who do buy it love it and appreciate it; especially as you'll be able to see it all from your house...anyway it's a huge burden you no longer have to carry.

    Enjoy your weekend!
    xxxxx

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    1. If that loo wallpaper was a dress I'd wear it!!
      The day the new owners put a skip in the front garden will be the day I book a last minute holiday. xxx

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  3. What a beautiful house! There are lots of Arts & Crafts style homes in my native San Francisco Bay Area that look quite similar. I cleaned out & sold/donated my parents' things when they passed also, that was a lot of stuff spread over 2 homes. Hopefully leaving the rest to a real state agent will make the rest less difficult.
    xox

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    1. Fancy that! Makes me want to visit San Fran all the more!
      It felt so good to hand the key over to the agent and let them deal with it all although he's promised to phone me if he's on his way round so I can be miles away! xxx

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  4. I really envy you having grown up in such a stunning house. All those original features! I do hope it goes to someone who doesn't rip it all out, which might be heartbreaking if it's only across the road from Stonecroft ... I'm glad you're finally taking the plunge and putting it on the market though. You can't keep holding on to it and its contents just because it was where you grew up. I'm going through something similar with my parents' house. I'm all for putting it on the market, and finally get closure, but my brother and sister want to hold on to it. Like you, I have taken photogrpahs of its original features (even though it was built in the early 1960s, it still has some of those!) and have even written the blog post where I'm saying goodbye but it looks like I'm still a long way off posting it ... xxx

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    1. My brother is like your siblings, a bit of a procrastinator. If it was all up to him it'd be a weight around my neck for the next ten years! I hope you manage to publish that blog post about selling your parental home very soon! xxx

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  5. What a wonderful old place! Hopefully it won't be "updated" to death, as are so many older homes here in the US...

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    1. Thanks, Kathy! I do hope someone with a love of old houses buys it but looking at what's happened to so many other houses in the neighbourhood I have my doubts. xxx

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  6. What an utterly gorgeous house. I love the look of the place. It must have been fabulous growing up there. So many mysterious corners and that amazing garden to roam about in. I imagine that it is quite bitter-sweet putting it on the market after all these years. I hope that the new owners treat the place with respect and don't "modernise" the hell out of it. I had the estate agent out to photograph my house on Thursday and it will be going on the market next week. I am heartbroken but no point in paying for a house that is 6-hours drive away from where I live/work Will be able to afford a garden shed down here. Oh well. Best of luck selling yours. I am sure that it will get snapped up very quickly. Xx

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    1. Thanks, Kelly! I'm so sorry that you've got to put your house up for sale, you must be devastated. I wish you could buy The Cottage - house prices are cheap here! xxx

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  7. What a beautiful house , Looking forward to hearing about your other finds xxx

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  8. Thanks for sharing Vix - be assured if someone does come along to make 'improvements' - further down the line some nutters (like us) will come along to spend years putting it all back again lol That's what we've spent the last 10 years doing ... this kind of situation is so bittersweet - no wonder you feel like a weight is lifted. I hope that it is all sorted and bonny by the time you come back from India.

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    1. Hi Elaine! that made me laugh. You're probably right, the kind of person who rips all the original features out and turns a lovely old house into a grey box usually had the attention span of a gnat and will get bored as soon as they've modernised the f**k out of it! xxx

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  9. What a beautiful house, I would love to live there! Hopefully whoever buys it will love it for it's originality, and not modernise it to death...that would be such a shame.

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    1. Thanks, Sandi! It would be fab if someone who loved old houses bought it and did it up as opposed to ripping the guts out of it. xxx

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  10. Oh so enchanting ♥

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  11. It is a great looking house. I'm glad you have good memories of it growing up. The wallpaper reminds me of some in a house in Littleport, we rented when I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath back in the late 70's. Very bold and bright.

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    1. Thanks, Lynn! I wish I could find funky wallpaper like that these days! xxx

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  12. That house has history!! I seriously meant what I said about the house if I had bought it. Renovate it back to it's old self. I don't believe in changing a house a older house. All it needs is some TLC.

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    1. It does, Tracie! I hope the buyer is as sensible as you! xxx

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  13. So many memories for you there. The orange bedroom made me laugh...I had an orange carpet in the 1970s and my sister's room was painted a midnight blue/dark purple. When my inlaws Edwardian house was sold [they were only the 2nd owners] we feared it might be turned into flats, but a family bought it and have uncovered the original fireplaces my FIL had boarded up. My two sister in laws were invited back for a visit by the new owners and they had done a fantastic job updating it whilst keeping its integrity. My inlaws were hoarders and even with 5 siblings the reality of clearing 60 years worth of "stuff" was too overwhelming and they got house clearance in. Arilx

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    1. The orange bedroom was done in the 1980s when Mum took over my bedroom! I think it was almost impossible to find a shade that bright so it had to be custom mixed!
      I really didn't want to sell the stuff to traders we knew, I don't mind anyone making money on the stuff - most of it didn't cost more than a couple of quid anyway - but I'd have hated to see it for sale on other vintage trader's stalls! xxx

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  14. This is such a bittersweet post. The photo of you in the bay window looks very pensive. It's a lovely house.
    It's excellent that you have everything sorted out and a weight off your shoulders and at the same time sad that an era with so many happy memories attached to each of the rooms you've shown has passed.
    I bet you feel drained even if happy and relieved. Have a lovely relaxing weekend and thank you for sharing the wonderful photos xxx

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    1. Thanks, Sally! I do feel absolutely brilliant for getting it all done - hopefully it'll be gone before too long and I can move on! xxx

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  15. You could always send Jon into the cellar, arm him with spider killer and a very strong torch. That fortune is waiting to be found.

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    1. I've tried and he's come back empty handed. I've accused him of having a man-look as opposed to a proper one. I'd send my brother but he's more scared of spiders than i am! xxx

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  16. A hard week no doubt both physically and emotionally but glad that you now feel that a weight has been lifted. The Cottage is wonderful, all those original features still intact, what a rarity. I'm sure it will attract an abundance of viewers, let's hope the new owners restore it to it's former glory or at least update it sympathetically. The bathroom wallwaper is fab!

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    1. We had a couple of people enquiring when we were filling the skip on Thursday who we've referred to the estate agent.
      I love that paper, I wish they'd reissue it - it was Vymura and came ready pasted! xxx

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  17. "The first time I've seen this floor..." resonates with me. My brother and I managed the GREAT HOUSE-CLEARING when our parents were frail and elderly, from an enormous old farmhouse to a tidy bungalow in town. Literally nothing had been discarded, not even the wastebaskets emptied...but at the day's end I swept out the attic and saw the floor for the first time in 40 years. The next move, from cottage to nursing homes, involved even more labor and drama. Finally, my brother and I spent thousands hiring an elder-law attorney to sort out the paperwork. I don't doubt you saved pounds DIY, dear Vix, but I'm amazed you kept your marbles. Bless you, Jon and Marcus: there is no "right way" to cope with this situation! (One suspects it's the origin of Viking boat funerals.)

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    1. Isn't it excruciating, Beth? My Grandma was terrible for hoarding and Mum was the same, she'd often joke and say I better have a good clear out soon, I'd hate for you to be left to deal with all this....and never did!
      I'd recommend people use a professional if ever they're in the same situation - money is no substitute for sanity! xxx

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  18. Congratulations on a massive job, finally accomplished. I think I'd have kept the Minton china myself (I'm a china fancier), but otherwise it sounds as if you've done the sane and sensible things all around. (And if you and Jon didn't find the cash hoard, nobody else is likely to, either.)

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm not a fan of dainty china but Jon says that the Cats Protection lady was beside herself with joy with the donation. Hopefully it'll give a better life to all the Walsall cats out there! xxx

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  19. Ah those wistful photos in the window. Well that is how I interpret them. The soft blue outfit is perfect.
    Amazing how our stuff or inherited stuff can weigh you down. So many expectations...ours and others.
    Well done for biting the bullet and getting it done.
    And what a stunning house to grow up in! I'm sure it helped meld your wonderful taste.
    It will be bittersweet living opposite. I hope a nice family buys it and raises another family there.
    xo Jazzy Jack

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    1. You're spot on there - the weight of expectations is even worse than the weight of responsibility. Both parents would have been happy I'd thought of cats - Dad definitely preferred felines to humans! xxx

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  20. What a pretty house. Like a fairy book story. The overgrown garden so special. I think you are braves selling it. I rented out the family home for several years after mum died. I couldn't bear to part with it but I hated dealing with tenants more and finally sold it. I was sad for a long time. Trouble is I am too sentimental.

    Your house will sell in an instant.

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    1. I had a terrible experience when I rented my first house out. Never again!
      I'll be glad to see it go although I know I'm going to hate it when they start ripping everything out. xxx

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  21. What a lovely walk through your childhood home, and a beauty it is too. I am a bit like you on family stuff, I don't want a cupboard full of keepsakes. I have great memories and photos to remind me of days gone by. Good for you donating all that stuff, valuable or not, someone will enjoy the discovery of those things. I now cannot wait for your next installment!! Good luck with your sale.

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    1. Thanks, Sue! There's nothing like having a deadline looming to get your arse in gear. It feels good to donate all that stuff and it didn't cost Mum much so why not let another generation get a bargain, too? xxx

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  22. This is such a beautiful post. I'm glad you can be done with all the work and finally feel free of it however...you gave away the Minton?! Someone is going to make a happy purchase in the charity shop (wish it were me).

    I'd been carting around my parent's stuff for 25 years and keeping it stored in various attics and basements with each move. This last move 4 years ago was my breaking point, and I whittled it down to a box of papers, a few pieces of furniture and a few of mum's paintings. The rest was donated and like you, I snapped some photos to remember it by. I didn't want to spend my old age in a house full of my parent's decor.

    Best of luck with the sale-I hope the new owners make good neighbours.

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    1. The Minton! If you lived on the same continent I'd have given you the lot but the proceeds from the sale should keep lots of cats happy for years to come.
      That's what I was afraid of, spending the rest of my days surrounded by my parents' and grandparents' decor. Not that there was anything wrong with it but we want our house to reflect us! xxx

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  23. Love this bittersweet post, my dear. What a beautiful cottage! I think I could hear the Little Vicky's steps and laughter as I was reading your words and going from one room to the next with you... I am sure I would be terrified using that outside toilet! Though it is so civilized compared to Russian wooden outside toilets with holes in the ground - you don't want to know!

    I am convinced that the little cottage where we live now was built by an Englishman - so many similar features (though it isn't nearly as grand as yours). Low ceilings, shelves by the side of a fireplace, and many more... Ours was built in 1940s they say, though I saw some documents that it was built in the 1920s. I suspect the first portion of it was built in the 1920s, and then they added on as time progressed. The kitchen is very 1950s, perhaps the last addition. I adore old cottages... I grew up in a tall apartment building made of concrete. There is absolutely no architectural beauty in the building, but since it's the home of my childhood, it is still dear to my heart.

    I am happy that you finally have inner peace, after many years, my dear.

    Lots of love!

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    1. The glimpses of your darling cottage do look very English in style. You can imagine a lady or gentleman being served a good meal and retiring to the fireside to read a book from the shelves. Sadly, if next door is anything to go by, these days it's eating off their laps in front of a huge TV screen! xxx

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  24. I envy all your memories in that house. As a kid we moved around every few years and I don't really have any one house that I can remember as "home" when I was growing up.

    This has been a long and emotional journey for you and your family.

    I hope that is sells quickly and you can move forward and I really hope you like the new owners as I'm sure you will be running into them when you live so close by.

    Suzanne

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    1. I'd love to know why your family moved around so much (I'm nosy like that!)
      Damn, I hadn't thought much about the buyers other than them gutting the house? I hope we like them! xxx

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  25. Fabulous house, thank you for sharing your memories. Liz

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  26. how very interesting - I love stained glass and personally would feel it my duty to remove it and install in my own house - anyone moving in is bound to put double glazing in and may not appreciate it - this is a house with a personality so I hope the new owners will let it shine in all its originality. It must be a sad time for you but closure at long last so you can move on and not have the responsibility any longer. I can't wait to read more about it though and it has reminded me of an old house that was in our family with a bit of history too. My favourite room was the study with wood panelling and fireplace, I hope it stays exactly as it is. Betty x

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    1. Don't tempt me - the panels from the summerhouse will have to do for us although we've told the estate agent that if the buyers want to rip it all out and start again we'll have it off them!
      The front lounge was always Dad's domain. I love it now it's empty and can appreciate the features. xxx

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  27. Beautiful post today-thank you for sharing your childhood home. Catriona

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    1. Hello, Catriona! Thank you so much. Lovely to meet you. xxx

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  28. Oh wow! So rare to see something like this! I LOVE it! I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to read about the secret boxes as my lifetime ambition is to find or go into a secret passage! I LONG for it!!! I hope that the new owners do something beautiful and loving to it!x

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    1. I wish you lived closer - I bet it's way cheaper than the houses you've been looking at down south! xxx

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  29. A beautiful house with such character

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  30. It's gorgeous but someone's got a lot of work on their plates. Hope they appreciate all those beautiful old features. xx

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    1. Thanks, Julie! That's why my brother decided against it, the costs would be huge! xxx

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  31. its really lovely-the panelled hallway bought back a memory of the old peoples home I worked in when I was 16-it was exactly the same!

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    1. Thanks, Lorna! That must have been a fancy old people's home! xxx

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  32. Hi Vicky, what a lovely house, your write up was very emotional, I could feel your emotions in the words you used and how you reflected on your memories. Hopefully you will feel better about the whole experience once it is sold and totally out of your control. It is truly a beautiful house and like others on here I hope the buyer considers keeping many of the original features and only replace those things that are absolutely necessary and not take away from the original character of the house. I love the sound of having a cellar which stretches to the boundary hedge at the front garden. Les xx

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    1. Hello Les! Lovely to hear from you. It is a bit of a wrench but now it's empty and I've handed the keys over to the estate agent it feels a lot better - like I'm reclaiming my life after seven years of sadness.
      The cellar is massive. It's got a freshwater stream running beneath it hence the water pump in the verandah and there's a trap door leading to it in the back lounge. xxx

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  33. Just lovely Vix, I really enjoyed this tour! Thanks!

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  34. What an absolutely gorgeous house, it must be so special to have had it in your life for so long. I have to echo everyone else in saying that I hope the new owners will take proper care of it, one of my pet peeves is people buying a house with original features only to rip them all out and make it the same blank box as a new build. Houses have no character anymore, it's sad. The cellar sounds incredible, though I don't blame you for not wanting to go down there!
    Best of luck with the sale, I'm glad to hear you're feeling a weight has been lifted.

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    1. Thank you! We never own houses, just share them for a while. Looking at the deeds its only ever had two owners from being built, it would be a crying shame to destroy what's been so carefully minded for almost 100 years. xxx

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  35. chapeau my dear, chapeau!
    so much work - physical and mental. but you´r thru now. sounds like a mountain dropped off your heart....
    the house itself is beautiful with all the arts&crafts architectural details. i would love to renovate it with gentle hands in appropriate style - very inspiring.
    instead i will look after my own "jugendstil" cottage - still a lot of work to do here.
    xxxxx

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    1. Thank you!! Money no object I mentally went through the house selecting my dream wallpaper (£145 a roll) and the colour scheme for each room but, like you, we've got more than enough to occupy ourselves with Stonecroft! xxx

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  37. I was riveted with this post! The cottage is a true diamond in the rough. My favorite photo was the one of your childhood view though the bedroom window. Your bog continues to be my favorite as the years pass by because your personality really comes through in your writing. You are a born story teller and all around dynamic woman Vix!

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    1. Jill! How lovely to hear from you and such kind words.
      I loved the view from my bedroom window especially in the winter when the trees were bare and I could see for miles. xxx

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  38. You must feel so relieved to have this huge weight off your shoulders. That house has so much potential for someone who is skilled at restoring houses. I'm envious that you had one house you grew up in and have the memories to cherish. I lived in rentals all my life; an apartment for most of my childhood. I hope The Cottage finds an owner that falls in love with her.

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    1. I hope she gets lavished in love and attention! After being part of my life for 42 years it'll be very strange to say goodbye! xxx

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  39. Kinda bittersweet, eh? But cheers to having one less (big) stress in your life!

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    1. Very much so but I feel so much better for facing my fears and getting it emptied and ready for selling! xxx

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  40. Oh wow, what an amazing house! That Arts and Crafts panelled room should be listed!! I am way too sentimental about houses and am teary on your behalf, although I can also understand that you need closure.
    I just hope and pray (in a totally non-religious way) that whoever buys it shows it the respect it deserves.
    I'll go into the cellar for you - I am the official spider-catcher at work.xx

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    1. Thank you so much! The estate agent is going to sound out any prospective buyers to ensure the paneling is saved - either by them or us!
      Please come and search the cellar - Jon won't look properly! xxx

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  41. Goodness what an adorable house---cottage. More freedom for you though now that you're letting it go.

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    1. Definitely! I don't like responsibility! xxx

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  42. Truly wonderful to see these photos, it is rare indeed to see a house with so much original stuff left. It must have been exhausting getting it ready - I hope it gets a fair price and nice new owners. I love a treasure story, I would have been in that cellar looking for the X marking the spot!! Xx

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    1. It certainly is, we've been overwhelmed by interested (or should I say, nosy) people stopping us and asking for a look round. I'd love it to be gone before we go to India. xxx

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  43. Whew. Well done on getting this job done. The house is beautiful and I hope it will not be modernized beyond recognition by a buyer, but if it is, oh well - your memories are what count, as you said. And that was a great idea to section off a piece to hang onto. Good luck with the sale.

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    1. Thanks, Melanie! Yep, at least I've got my photos if the new owners end up having more cash than common sense! xxx

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  44. Ohhhhh!!! So many memories, so much work and letting go. I loved seeing your dad's passport. My parents went to Europe in 1953, and as you point out, so soon after the war. Thank you for sharing this bit of family history. It helps me process my own. Love you. xoxo

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    1. I've been looking at some of Dad's photos of famous European destinations from his travels in 1949 including Venice, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Brussels. I can't believe how empty they all look. These days they're over run with tourists! Love you right back! xxx

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  45. Such a lovely house! And that pink wallpaper - it reminds me of the bedroom curtains I had as a child, although they were in a vivid purple shade! I lived in a house of the same era in my teens, in the 1980s, but even then so many of the original features had sadly been erased. I do hope it will be bought by someone who will appreciate its history, and treat it with respect.

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    1. Thanks, Fran. I bet your childhood curtains would have made a fab maxi if I'd got my hands on them.
      Just heard that the estate agent has viewers lined up already - the For Sale sign hasn't even gone up yet. Keep your fingers crossed for me! xxx

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  46. Such an emotionally gutting thing to do.How good you have done it now and passed it on.And wonderful that you are so strong and emotionally resilient.Your parents did a great job.

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    1. Hello Jennifer! thank you so much, your kind words mean a lot. xxx

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  47. Gosh Vix! What a moving post. This was where you grew up so thank you for sharing something so personal. It must have been a lot to go through emotionally and physically to clear out the house. Glad you are feeling ready to move forward after it all. Best of luck with the sale. xx

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    1. Thanks V! Lovely to hear from you. Sharing stuff like this and having so much virtual support makes dealing with everything so much better. xxx

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  48. If I could buy it, I'd move right in. Maybe paint some walls. It's so cool.

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    1. I wish you would - we'd have such fun as neighbours! xxx

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  49. That is such a lovely house. I hope whoever gets it loves and appreciates that little panelled area.

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    1. Me, too! I'll be diving head first into the skip if they don't keep it. xxx

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  50. My goodness the psychedelic wallpaper in the bathroom is just amazing - if that was my house I would definitely keep that! Such a beautiful home, I do hope the new owners give it a sympathetic makeover and don't rip everything out. There are some lovely houses by the station where I live and it breaks my heart when I see people ripping out the beautiful front doors for some plastic monstrosity. xx

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    1. It's in great condition, too - unlike the rest of the house - I remember my dad putting it up, he had to paste the wall rather than the paper, it obviously worked! xxx

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  51. What a fantastic house. I hope the sale goes well and the new owners are lovely. I wonder if they'll invite you over to see the changes they make. I hope they see the beauty in the original features and keep them.
    Thanks for sharing this
    xx

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Lots of love, Vix