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We've Bought an Historical Old Vicarage!

Matata said:
How very sad for all of us. First thread to come along in a long time that generated anticipation, joy and excitement.
I'm sorry @Ally T. It's a reminder that privacy is an illusion and that safety precautions are necessary for nearly everything we do in public and private venues. We just can't have nice things anymore.
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+ a billion. Just gonna write this.
 
RMOO said:
Well, I would say, that if they told Ella that they were able to find this info (scary what is available on the internet tho) that they were likely not up to anything nefarious. But you never know about the next person, so best to be safe.
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That's my thinking, too. Maybe this is was well-intentioned but poorly executed way of helping to protect your privacy? Though if that's the case, it probably would have been better to reach out to your through an old LT listing or something instead. Either way, I'm sorry we'll be seeing less of your incredible journey. But I know you'll be having lots of fun (as well as headaches) as you continue to turn this house into the perfect home for you and your family.
 
Thank everyone - you rock :kiss2:

I shall maybe post some pictures down the line when work has started. We've been there solidly for the last 4 days & have discovered all her secrets now, so I shall post again soon!
 
HI:

LADY! How's things moving along?? :wavey:

ETA I just read your post on the Tiffany thread. :appl:

cheers--Sharon
 
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yes, Ally i was thinking about you yesteday as i passed an old grand residence on my walk home

hope all is going well
 
Thanks @canuk-gal & @Daisys and Diamonds !

Things are going great over here. All the planning applications were submitted a week ago (kitchen extension, garage block, gym, balcony to the servants bedroom in the attic & widening of the gate stumps on the driveway). The Architect is confident they will all be straightforward, however the planning departments are all still playing catch up after covid, so if they get approved within the next 3-4 months we'll be happy.

Plenty to be going at in the meantime though. Replacing the windows & damp proofing is the first job, which involves injecting at ground level on the outside brickwork & removing all the plaster to the downstairs rooms so that it can be treated from the inside. They are removing all the skirting boards & door architraves in order to do this, so they can be re-fitted afterwards. The windows are having to be partly made by a specialist heritage company for the mullioned stone frames & the rest by a different place, which adds to the headache as the glazing, iron work & style need to be the same. We are hopeful they can clean up & re-use some of the window iron work, as it's very beautiful. The parquet flooring is all being taken up at the same time, to install insulation & underfloor heating. Sadly it's been decided we cannot replace the parquet as the heat could warp & gap it, which will be an expensive potential mistake, so we are going for an engineered parquet instead. We have a company who want to buy the original flooring for rather a lot of money due to it's condition & vast quantity, so that will offset the cost of the new stuff. Of course, we could have just had it cleaned up & relayed, fitting new radiators, but it's unanimous at Team T that we want underfloor heating throughout the downstairs, as we have stayed at many cottages during the winter months where that's been the case & it's so lovely to pad around on. The girls & I are generally barefoot, so it's a must whilst we have the chance.

The interior designer is amazing: top class & second to none. She's extremely popular & renovates & styles houses all over the world. But she is local to us & familiar with the house, so agreed to take us on despite being used to working with million pound budgets. She fell in love with the place on the first visit & has moved heaven & earth to attend all meetings either in person or via zoom. In the last 3 weeks she has dialled in from projects in Croatia & Spain, as well as getting herself to the house in the flesh 3 times. We are very lucky to have her onboard & next Friday we are taking the girls to her Studio to meet her & the rest of her team, to get cracking on cool ideas for the gaming room & their bedrooms.

It feels weird at the moment, as we are over at the house every spare minute clearing the gardens of debris (including 7 feet high nettles & brambles that went 20 feet deep around many of the borders) & keeping on top of hedges & weeds, and yet there isn't anything else going on so the house is eerily quiet. But everyone is busy planning & discussing as much as they can, so that in 2 weeks they can hit the ground running & things will hopefully be efficient & straightforward.

As per the advice of our lovely & dearly missed @prs every hour spent with the Architect will save a week for the builders.

We have met the neighbour who owns the paddocks immediately behind, and the girls have befriended the teeny miniature Shetland ponies, who are now 4 weeks old :kiss2:
 
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This is the view from the rear garden, looking across to the corn fields on the left side boundry. It took a few hours to clear the nettles around the base of the trees, so that we could in & get that hedge into shape.

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Oh my! How beautiful! I cannot imagine living in a place so lovely!! Though I also cannot imagine the hours you’ve spent clearing debris, etc.! Definitely a labor of love!! So happy that you’ve secured a designer with such a stellar reputation! In my experience, a good designer is worth their weight in gold in saving me from making costly mistakes!
 
Ally T said:
This is the view from the rear garden, looking across to the corn fields on the left side boundry. It took a few hours to clear the nettles around the base of the trees, so that we could in & get that hedge into shape.

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This is straight out of a postcard. And to think that you’ll be looking out at this every time you walk outdoors… ❤️
 
yssie said:
This is straight out of a postcard. And to think that you’ll be looking out at this every time you walk outdoors… ❤️
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I actually said that to Mr T! We were stood there in silence looking around us & I said "Do we actually OWN that view?" And he was like ".................. Why yes, I belive we actually do........"

And then we just stood in silence a bit longer, just listening to the birds :kiss2:
 
Thank you gracious lovely @Ally T for yet another wonderful installment of Allytown Abbey (without the drama :mrgreen2:)
 
Ally T said:
I actually said that to Mr T! We were stood there in silence looking around us & I said "Do we actually OWN that view?" And he was like ".................. Why yes, I belive we actually do........"

And then we just stood in silence a bit longer, just listening to the birds :kiss2:
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I love everything about this. I've told my husband that the next house we buy - we're buying for the view.
 
Daisys and Diamonds said:
Eww
What is it with fijjoas ???
Those things taste like perfume :lol-2:

Ive read its a genetic thing
Like how people like me hate coriander
When i order Thai
no carrot, no coriander :lol-2:
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I will take your lifetime allotment of carrots and coriander if you take my raisins and beets.

BTW, I love this thread and all of its lovely meanderings.
 
yssie said:
I love everything about this. I've told my husband that the next house we buy - we're buying for the view.
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It definitely goes some way to offset all the hard work & expense that is going into it! We keep reminding the children that it will be worth it & it will be amazing. All they see at the moment is a huge Gingerbread Cottage that's damp, a bit smelly & home to nothing but a billion fairy spiders, with a huge amount of overgrown gardens. They can't see or imagine the bespoke designed, warm, modern, technology loaded house with many toilets that it will become :lol-2:

Mr T's midlife crisis arrived on Wednesday though - a ride on mower. They LOVE that & have been setting clumps of cut grass up to form obstacle course slaloms & tearing around living their best lives!
 
Ally T said:
It definitely goes some way to offset all the hard work & expense that is going into it! We keep reminding the children that it will be worth it & it will be amazing. All they see at the moment is a huge Gingerbread Cottage that's damp, a bit smelly & home to nothing but a billion fairy spiders, with a huge amount of overgrown gardens. They can't see or imagine the bespoke designed, warm, modern, technology loaded house with many toilets that it will become :lol-2:

Mr T's midlife crisis arrived on Wednesday though - a ride on mower. They LOVE that & have been setting clumps of cut grass up to form obstacle course slaloms & tearing around living their best lives!
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do the kids not watch George Clarke and co ?
 
That view really is amazing. I can't wait until the girls start to see the house become their home! It will all be great memories and life lessons. I'm so happy for you and the T family!
 
Ally T said:
Mr T's midlife crisis arrived on Wednesday though - a ride on mower. They LOVE that & have been setting clumps of cut grass up to form obstacle course slaloms & tearing around living their best lives!
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Well your school summer holiday not-spending-a-fortune-on-activities-today days just got a lot easier to fill!
 
...when do the chickens come home to roost?! :bigsmile:

What fabulous views—you have done SO much in a short time. It's a labour of love, which clearly shows. Plus, how much fun for the kidlets to have mini Shetland ponies next door, and to have a ride-on mower? :kiss2:
 
SparklieBug said:
...when do the chickens come home to roost?! :bigsmile:

What fabulous views—you have done SO much in a short time. It's a labour of love, which clearly shows. Plus, how much fun for the kidlets to have mini Shetland ponies next door, and to have a ride-on mower? :kiss2:
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We already feel like we are living The Dream!

It's going to be incredibly special when we are finished & can actually move in :kiss2:
 
Ally T said:
We already feel like we are living The Dream!

It's going to be incredibly special when we are finished & can actually move in :kiss2:
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Yes, so wonderful!!! I'm curious to know when (if?) the chickens will arrive! :D That is, if you still plan to have some live on the property.

We were visiting some family yesterday, and a friend of theirs dropped by. She has three older chickens, no longer laying, that are now pet chickens. :bigsmile: That got me to thinking about your potential chickens.
 
SparklieBug said:
Yes, so wonderful!!! I'm curious to know when (if?) the chickens will arrive! :D That is, if you still plan to have some live on the property.

We were visiting some family yesterday, and a friend of theirs dropped by. She has three older chickens, no longer laying, that are now pet chickens. :bigsmile: That got me to thinking about your potential chickens.
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the spca here rehomes retired layers from egg farms
there are other organizations that do that too
 
SparklieBug said:
Yes, so wonderful!!! I'm curious to know when (if?) the chickens will arrive! :D That is, if you still plan to have some live on the property.

We were visiting some family yesterday, and a friend of theirs dropped by. She has three older chickens, no longer laying, that are now pet chickens. :bigsmile: That got me to thinking about your potential chickens.
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There will definitely be 2 chickens. Have to get pthe garden sorted & new coops built first though.
 
Ally T said:
There will definitely be 2 chickens. Have to get pthe garden sorted & new coops built first though.
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my friend brought a house in the country that came with a paddock out the back
the paddock was home to a flock of menopausal chooks
she really enjoys their company
they are such hard cases
 
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