The Good Life

A desire for a slower pace of life led this family to a smallholding in East Sussex

The kitchen dining chairs were from a closing-down pub in Winchelsea Beach

HOME TRUTHS

LOCATION:

Rye, East Sussex

THE OWNER:

Interior designer Wendy Newman, her husband Steve, an environmental engineer, and their children Maisie and Charlie

THE PROPERTY:

An extended single-storey farmhouse in Broad Oak, near Rye, East Sussex, built in 1910 THE PROPERTY: Grade II listed 17th century cottage

OWNER: Lucy and Joe Howard, sons Harry and Oliver, and two miniature dachshunds, Lottie and Linus

LOCATION: West Sussex

When Wendy Newman and her husband Steve had their first child, Maisie, in 1996, they decided they wanted to swap their hectic lives running a PR company for a quieter existence.

“We were living in Lamberhurst, Kent, and running a busy PR company in nearby Tunbridge Wells. But not long after our daughter was born in 1996, we decided we wanted to buy a farm to give our family a life rich in simple pleasures,” said Wendy. “We had an offer accepted on another house in Broad Oak and were looking for land

We turned it from a three-bed into a four-bedroom home and had to completely refit the house

separately but then when we saw this plot down the road, complete with the rundown farmhouse, 12 acres and as many outbuildings, we offered the full asking price in cash pretty much on the spot.”

After closing down the PR business and securing the house, in February 1997, they set about a complete overhaul. “The old boy who owned it before us had lived here for 60 years and hadn’t done any recent work on the house,” said Wendy. “We had to take it right back to the timber struts, so we were basically starting from scratch. I was pregnant with Charlie at that point, so we lived in a house adjoining the farm while work was being done.”

The couple did the lion’s share of the work themselves, which was no mean feat, especially

If you can afford to buy reclaimed materials when renovating a period building it makes all the difference for a seamless refurb

The mirror was inherited from Wendy’s parents. The hand-painted trunk was from a junk shop in Hastings Old Town 25 years ago given Wendy’s growing bump. However, they had renovated a number of properties in the past, so had plenty of experience to draw on. Steve built an extension and did all the rewiring and plumbing himself, while Wendy helped out with making curtains and decorating. “We turned it from a threebed into a four-bedroom home and had to completely refit the house. Charlie was born that September and we finally moved into the property in early 1998,” she said.

The house feels like an extended railway carriage. The original portion of the farmhouse is long and narrow and rooms have gradually been added on over the years. The colourful teal weatherboarded exterior sets the tone for a vibrant scheme inside. The vaulted kitchen extension, built by Steve, complete with country-style units and a racing green Aga, features a zesty yellow wall, while the sitting room and spare room have blue hues and the bathroom sports bright green panelling. The couple love all things retro and this is evident at every turn – from collections of vintage tins in the kitchen to the wonderful Ercol sofa in the

The colourful teal weatherboarded exterior sets the tone for a vibrant scheme inside

The original butcher’s block was from a closing-down butchers when they lived near Tunbridge Wells. Dark wood carver chair at the table, inherited from Wendy’s parents

sitting room, recovered from a tip and restored by Wendy. The couple wanted to retain a sense of the building’s heritage and so they restored the roof with salvaged slate and left the original brick wall exposed in the sitting room, covering it only with a lick of bright white paint.

Once they had settled into their new home, despite their best intentions, the entrepreneurial couple didn’t rest on their laurels for long. “Within a year we had bought livestock and built up a fully-fledged free-range meat business,” laughed Wendy. “We had planned to pretty much retire on the proceeds of our PR company but decided we would get too bored. We turned one of the outbuildings into a butchery and learnt to make sausages, selling at farmers markets.”

But then the duo realised that life was fast becoming too stressful again and they had lost sight of the initial reason for moving – to spend quality time as a family. “We were having to pay people to help look after the children,” remembered Wendy. So, in 2004, they called time on the meat business. Wendy started to do some part-time work for a TV script company and Steve went back to university to do a masters degree,

The 1960s coffee set (on the table) was inherited from Wendy’s parents. The oak coffee table was made by son Charlie

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The sheep keep the grass down and we have to maintain the hedges and the many outbuildings

leading to a new career as an environmental engineer. Then, spurred on by her and Steve’s ongoing experience of property development, Wendy set up an interior design business in 2009. “Friends were always asking my advice on how to do their houses and it inspired me to do an interior design course.”

Finally, an equilibrium was achieved. “Both of us have always been determined to keep a work life balance with plenty of time to spend with the children,” said Wendy.

As far as the farm is concerned, they keep things ticking over. Although they’ve scaled back on livestock, there is still the general upkeep. “The sheep keep the grass down and we have to maintain the hedges and the many outbuildings,” said Wendy.

Wendy’s parents brought the Pelican oil painting back from Canada in the 1960s

Tiny red bedside lamp, from a flea market in Sicily. Wendy and Steve purchased the vintage cast iron and brass bed 30 years ago in London. Wendy has displayed her childhood books by Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter as well as a collection of orange Penguins

Over the years, the children have reaped the rewards of their rural existence. “It’s been lovely having the space for the children to grow up in. They’ve enjoyed the animals and have had the space to run around and build camps and secret hideaways with friends. They even learnt to drive on the farm before hitting the road,” said Wendy. Although Maisie is now at university in Holland and Charlie is on his gap year, home is still where the heart is. “We have an opendoor policy and now they’re older they both have mini festivals in the fields with their friends.”

What does the future hold now that the children have almost flown the nest? “There’s another project in my head, but I’m not sure it’s in Steve’s,” laughed Wendy. Whatever lies ahead, it’s clear the couple have garnered a huge amount of satisfaction from what they’ve achieved thus far. “I love the practical knowledge I’ve gained over the years. I think the most important thing I’ve learnt is the importance of sympathetic restoration. If you can afford to, buy reclaimed materials when renovating a period building because it makes all the difference for a seamless refurb.” l

Words: Amy Maynard/ Living4Media Photography: Richard Gadsby/ Living4Media

Major Denis Rake MC, SOE

(Special Operations Executive)

Born in Brussels 1901 Denis Rake led a colourful and sometimes mysterious younger life as he is said to have belonged to the Sarrasani Circus as a young child. He later pursued an acting career under the name Denis Greer, before joining the Royal Army Service Corps at the start of the War.

Denis Rake escaped being sunk twice early in his military career, once whilst evacuating France as part of the British Expeditionary Force and again after joining the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. As a French speaker Denis managed to secure a place in the SOE French section as a Telegraph Operator. He had an eventful and controversial time in training, refusing to complete certain training but his skills and bravery so impressed that he was kept on and sent to the continent in 1942.

Denis served two terms as a POW in France, and after escaping, in Spain. Even though he suffered terrible treatment and permanent injury from interrogation he volunteered again in 1944 to return to France working with the resistance. He worked closely and was admired by Nancy Wake, the famous Australian SOE agent. After leaving SOE in 1944 he worked for Army Welfare Services organising entertainment for the troops. Denis Rake received the Military Cross, the Croix de Guerre with palm and the title of Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur for his service in France.

His officer once said of him that “he says he is not afraid of death and I believe him”, Denis said that his lack of fear came from his need to prove himself because of the prevailing prejudice against his homosexuality, something he never hid.

After demobilisation Denis worked on cruise liners and also as a 2nd Butler for Douglas Fairbanks Jr and his family. When a piece of post came for him addressed Major Denis Rake MC, Douglas Fairbanks handed him the letter and Denis apparently replied “I was hoping you wouldn’t hear about all this nonsense”.

Denis was later persuaded to write his autobiography Rake’s Progress – The Gay and Dramatic – Adventures of Major Denis Rake MC, the Reluctant British War-Time Agent.

Denis Rake died in 1976, a later biography was written in 2009 – The Shooting Star: The colourful life and times of Denis Rake, MC.

We are selling a collection of items related to Denis Rake’s life and wartime service, to include, his Military Cross, Croix de Guerre with Palm and Chevalier de la Legion D’Honneur. There is also a French Resistance Medal and miniatures medals. There are some related wartime papers from the French government, a signed copy of his book, postcards to his sister Esme from his time imprisoned in Spain and various photos of Denis Rake throughout his life. There is also a signed photo from Douglas Fairbanks Jr and his family to Denis.

This lot represents a very poignant story of one man’s bravery in the face of the enemy and defiance in the face of prejudice from society.