Dear Henry,
Back in the mists of time it was the books in another´s library that could lead one to identify or not with a stranger.
Today it is music and film too and so much of your home´s contents are replicated here in our place in London, I feel I identify with you enough to use first name terms! The week was a surprise event for my wife Marie´s 70th birthday celebrations.
During the week family and good friends spent time with us, walking the hills, cooking favourite meals and generally hugely enjoying Charity and most of what it had to offer; hot tubs at dusk, snooker and movies into the evenings, good sounds, lounging around the cosy fire in the living room and enjoying convivial meals at the long table. Everyone who stayed was reluctant to leave, all having completely fallen in love with the calm grandeur of the setting and with the house itself.
Even with the wind wuthering and the rain beating the windows - as it did for a while - the house felt so comfortable, draft-less, well insulated and solid, that none of this inclemency mattered a jot!
So enamoured of the place was I, that one evening as I sat in the hot tub, I found myself trying to scheme a fool proof way to win the only correct lotto ticket (impossible, of course) so that an offer that could not be refused could be made for Charity in its entirety. Well, they say everyone has a price, but jesting as I am I´d expect you to let any hopeful, minted or prospective buyer to politely bog off!!
And quite right too as you have invested such a huge amount of personal energy in it and the house has such poignant family memories for you.
I was fascinated by the historic time-line of the place. Congratulations on sticking with it and doing what you´ve done to achieve a wonderful treasure trove of a home.
Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you Ian and family for sharing your beautiful landscape photographs with us.
