Friday 3 September 2010

House to Home!

I came across some photos as I was rummaging in the cupboard under the stairs a couple of weeks ago and thought they would make an interesting little post.  I'm hoping you won't notice that you've got 'before and after' pics of a house instead of the promised furniture makeover.

This is Huntsmans Cottage where my OH and I lived when we were first married in 1984 (OH had already lived here for a while with his first wife).  It's a beautiful picturesque cottage in a peaceful country location, although some rooms were quite cold in winter and it needed some modernisation.  With it being a 'tied house' (that is - it came with OH's job and is located on the estate where he works) and a listed building, we were restricted as to what could be done to improve it.  The layout inside left a lot to be desired when you could only get to the bathroom through the kitchen and, there being no door at the back, you had to walk all the way around the house to get to the garden (the green front door you see was not in use).
(If you look closely you can see the children looking out of the bedroom windows)

 When the children came along I felt increasingly isolated here and longed to live back amongst people in the village which was about 3 miles away.  When an opportunity arose to own our own little cottage in the village we jumped at the chance.
(The front of Huntsmans Cottage with DS by the door)
 And this (below) is what we were faced with!!  The house where my father and his brothers and sister were born and grew up which had been empty for many years.  I can hardly believe my grandparents brought up 6 children in this tiny cottage.  Apparently, the older children used to sleep next door at a relative's and they were also quite spread out in age which must have helped.
Planning and paperwork took a while but eventually work began.  There wasn't much left when it was stripped back.  At one stage we nearly lost the side wall on the right too but the builders managed to save it.
It took a couple of years in all but eventually we moved in in 1992 when the children were 4 and 6.

 

And this is how it looks today (the porch was added a couple of years ago).  It's not very different in style because we live in a conservation area and had to keep the general look of the building as it was. My auntie now lives next door, where my great aunt used to live until she died in 1978.  She moved there with my grandmother (who died in 1988 if I remember correctly) from our house about 12 years before we came along.  A little further down the road you can just see the end of my parents house.

I enjoyed this little amble down memory lane. It brought back some lovely memories, such as the the things I have in common with my grandmother.  Apart from living in the same house, we were also both members of the church choir (I still am!), members of the church council and Head Cook at the local school.
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Thank you for the lovely comments recently but I'm afraid I haven't been able to reply to some.  I replied to a few but for others I didn't receive an email so couldn't answer.  I try to answer all comments when you lovely people make the effort to leave them and am disappointed when I can't.  I do appreciate you taking the time to 'connect' as it makes all your blogs become more alive to me (and if you don't have a blog you're still very welcome).

Bye for now
Teresa x

6 comments:

Joanne said...

That was so interesting to read, Teresa! Loved the photo journal and the history behind your home!
You sure have kept busy with rennos and with town involvements! Good for you!
Thanks for sharing,
Joanne

bellsjo said...

What a lovely post! Thanks for a wander into your memories. I really must take some more photos of our house - it may be just a little terraced house in an ordinary street but it is the place my babies first came home to when the were born and the place they are spending their childhood, so it will always be a part of my heart!

Leslie said...

Oh, I really like this post. Your home is charming! I love that it has such a rich family history (children sleeping next door...now there is a thought!) and I am always struck by the close knit community of where you live.

Blueberry Heart said...

your cottage is absolutley gorgeous!A remarkable transformation! So lovely too that your family live so close.
BH x

Hooked Yarn said...

What a lovely post, and I admit to a little jealousy! Both beautiful houses, and to live in your old family house, with family next door - bliss! I live 5 hours drive from my family which is horrible but I have no choice and I do like we were live, the countryside is much nicer in Barry as oppposed to Cleethorpes!

Silvia LGD (Little Green Doll) said...

It's a very nice post, thanks for sharing. Your house looks so nice (and so big!!! - you should see my flat :)