Sanderson Young Magazine

PREMIER PROPERTIES & FABULOUS FEATURES

collection Spring | Summer 2011 £2.95

A COUNTRY CASTLE For sale – medieval Ogle Castle

PLEASURE CRAFTS The artisan craftspeople keeping tradition alive

MEDITERRANEAN GEMS Holidaying in style in the best of the Med’

BEAUTIFUL HOMES Pages and pages of dream homes and interiors

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20a clayton road, jesmond, newcastle upon tyne, ne2 4rp telephone: 0191 281 8273 www.williamsonbrown.com

YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS

ONE OF THE BEST SPAS ON THE PLANET FOR THE LAST NINE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE AT THE SERENITY SPA The award-winning Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall is like no other you have ever experienced. It draws together concepts of relaxation from far off lands where calm and inner peace are a way of life. Just walking through the doors will take your mind and body to realms of ultimate calm.

As a valued client of Sanderson Young, we would like to give you the opportunity to bring a friend next time you visit us. Book any day ritual from £155 and visit us by June 30th 2011 and your friend can enjoy full use of the fantastic spa facilities, with our compliments.

Quote ‘Sanderson Young’ when making your reservation.

This offer is available Monday to Thursday until June 30th 2011 and is subject to availability.

Friends free day does not include treatments or lunch. Conditions apply.

Seaham Hall and the Serenity Spa, Lord Byron’s Walk, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7AG Serenity Spa tel: +44 (0191) 516 1550 Hotel: +44 (0191) 516 1400

Email: info@seaham-hall.co.uk

www.seaham-hall.co.uk

SANDERSON YOUNG | SY

Business at Sanderson Young over the first quarter of 2011 has been strong and the best performance we have had for over five years.

abrighter t the beginning of the year I was delighted to see confidence returning to the £1 million plus price range, especially in Darras Hall and parts of Gosforth and Jesmond, where sales have been brisk. The demand for high quality residential lets has also been impressive, with a greater number of homes renting over £2,000 per calendar month than ever experienced before.

There are also many good incentives and action points being identified in order to reshape public finances and grow the strength of the economy. The recent announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer brought good news to both Tyneside and the Tees Valley, which are both being designated as Enterprise Zones, taking advantage of 100 per cent discounted business rates, access to faster broadband, reduced planning restrictions and the opportunity to see local development, as local authorities will be able to reinvest monies in capital projects.

This, combined with greater lending facilities for first time buyers through Northern Rock and the creation of a new shared equity fund, will stimulate the construction of new homes for the first time buyer market.

Statistics from the majority of property professionals and associates have indicated that housing market price levels are running fairly flat and this is good news, since rapid deflation and inflation only causes severe peaks and troughs in confidence.

My aspiration for the next six months is to gently encourage more people to make a move and it is the volume of transactions that we hope to see increase, rather than the value of people’s houses. With greater numbers of people moving the economy will slowly recover and there is no doubt that people buying at this time will achieve excellent value for money.

All the negative news of 2010 is now old news and even three feet of snow at the end of the year will now be replaced by longer sunny days, warmer weather, beautiful brighter gardens and hopefully

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My aspiration for the next six months is to gently encourage more people to make a move and it is the volume of transactions that we hope to see increase …

a climate in which the feel good factor will return to most home owners.

Realistic pricing and valuations that are accurate remain the key focus point for us and whilst some of our clients are disappointed by the reality of the value of their home, they also appreciate honest advice with facts about comparable sales, rather than fictitious, exaggerated and wildly optimistic asking prices which are never achieved and waste so much of everybody’s time.

The imminent launch of version five of our Sanderson Young website, the ongoing success of the Sanderson Young iphone application and the strong development of our marketing skills in regional press, is allowing our company to significantly differentiate from our competitors. Our market share has increased in the mid and higher price levels and our sales success is undoubtedly improving.

Sanderson Young has always been known for its ability

to market and portray the very best features of properties for sale and to let and our proven marketing techniques continue to shine, supported by the maturity and experience of our very valuable staff.

We look forward to being able to assist you in 2011 with your house move and we will do so very proactively. This magazine is a first class example of the manner in which we promote our homes, for sale and to let, throughout the region. We very much look forward to hearing from you as to how we can assist you with your move in 2011.

DUNCAN G YOUNG Dip.Est.Man.FNAEA Managing Director SANDERSON YOUNG duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk 0191 223 3500

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SY | SANDERSON YOUNG

positivemoves

With more positive signs in the market, and a growth-promoting budget behind us, operations director Janet Hopkinson and corporate client director Nicola Osborne offer their view of the property market

janethopkinson

ooking back over the last 12 years, since the launch of Sanderson Young, it is amazing to reflect upon the changing manner in which people now buy houses. When the company first launched in January 1999, promotion of the regular weekly newspaper had a significant impact on the attraction of buyers to new homes and the method in which we displayed our properties for

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sale. We are currently developing version 5 of the Sanderson Young website, which will be ready to go live by May 2011. The website is now even more intelligent in the manner in which it attracts buyers and the ease in which it allows people to navigate through their choice of housing, style, age, design and location. We support this with our iphone and ipad Apps, which gives even greater flexibility (for those on the move).

The statistics tell us that all age groups are using modern technology, with increasing numbers over 55 years of age and under 35 years of age.

The accessibility that the web provides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the quality of information, including downloadable brochures in full pdf formats, as well as virtual reality viewing of houses, floor plans, area maps, location maps and google maps, give complete clarity to peoples’ search for the right home for the future. Over the years we have experienced a number of buyers who have registered as an applicant, enquired about a home, arranged a viewing and then negotiated an offer remotely through modern technology such as the internet and emails. We will always encourage people to speak to us directly, so that we can achieve the best price for a home; however there is little doubt that the convenience of communication anywhere in the world at any time, gives much greater freedom.

Sanderson Young has over 7,500 registered applicant buyers, who we call our VIPs, and in many cases these

buyers tend not to de-register after they have bought a home, since they like the regular emails they receive from us and the matching that they continue to receive against houses that may be in their price range. This effectively keeps people in touch with what new properties are coming onto the market for sale, even though they may no longer be actively looking to buy. For those who are active, we immediately match all our new properties, phone to ensure that the email has reached them and push for that all important first viewing.

The Sanderson Young Magazine reaches out to the people who are not actively looking to buy, but who are, in many respects, ‘passive buyers’. This magazine has 22,000 copies printed and provides an excellent medium to tease, tempt and lure prospective buyers to beautiful homes with beautiful interiors.

The trading results for Sanderson Young in the first quarter of 2011 were the strongest and best performance that we have had for five years. We know the economy will continue to recover in confidence and people buying homes at this point in the cycle are undoubtedly achieving excellent value for money.

Sanderson Young continues to focus on quality and we are justifiably proud of our team, our knowledge and experience and our dedicated workforce, who exceed the expectations of our clients in everything they do. We look forward to assisting you.

Janet Hopkinson, tel 0191 223 3500, email janet.hopkinson@sandersonyoung.co.uk

am pleased to report house builders are now experiencing more positive conditions.

In addition to formerly mothballed sites coming forward for development, developers are again active in land acquisition and we have recently agreed terms on the sale of Prudhoe hospital and the Fleming Nuffield on behalf of the Northumberland and Tyne and Wear NHS Trust.

The new homes pages within this magazine demonstrate increasing confidence, with new developments like Glororum in Northumberland and Moorlands Hall and Mews in Newcastle making their mark.

The spring budget should assist in kick-starting the market with the introduction of measures to assist house builders and developers.

A new £250 million shared equity fund is targeted at the first-time buyer market, and because

it is only for new-build homes it will support house builders.

The designation of enterprise zones in the North East and Tees Valley brings reduced planning restrictions and local authority reinvestment in capital projects. The Regional Growth Fund should underpin this, helping to make applications viable at a time when house and land prices remain suppressed.

We offer a range of services to assist builders, developers and investors. Our strength is in new homes, residential investment and land sales and we also offer speciality surveying services. We look forward to assisting in bringing prime redevelopment sites to market.

To learn more about Sanderson Young’s professional department, contact NJ Osborne BSc MRICS, tel 0191 223 3500, and email nicola.osborne@sandersonyoung.co.uk

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WHEN YOUR MONEY’S NOT ALL IN ONE PLACE, IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE ONE PLACE LOOK AFTER IT FOR YOU. At Brewin Dolphin, we believe that both an overall and a long-term view are necessary when planning our clients’ finances.

Because life doesn’t come in discrete little parcels, we always make sure your investments are balanced across different sectors. An approach which helps you to make the most of things like tax and pension allowances, and helps us to make sure we live up to the one simple philosophy that guides everything we do: that the first thing we earn is your trust.

Investments may fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. brewin.co.uk/newcastle For more information please contact George Slack on 0845 059 6370 or at george.slack@brewin.co.uk Brewin Dolphin is a member of the London Stock Exchange and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority No.124444

contents Managing Director Duncan Young Operations Director Janet Hopkinson Regional Sales Manager Hazel Ross Editor Jane Pikett 01434 607 466

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Editorial Mark Anderson Alastair Gilmour Neil Gordon Rosie McGlade Brian Nicholls Sales Sue Tomlin Sanderson Young Media 0191 213 2533 Photography Kevin Gibson David Grebby Adam Lawrenson Nicky Rogerson Design Mark Denny Production Damian Wood Print Potts www.potts.co.uk

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property 41 | rare! Office

63 | Gosforth Office

76 | Ponteland Office

86 | Alnwick Office

96 | New Homes P42

104 | Residential Lettings

Cover: Ogle Castle P36

ISSN No: 1740-3375 Whilst every care is taken in compiling the contents of this magazine, the publisher accepts no responsibility for the effects arising thereof.

All material is copyright.

Reproduction of any part of the magazine is forbidden except by written permission of the publisher.

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features 12 | Around with Wylie Entrepreneur Graham Wylie on the greatest challenge of his life

32 | He ain’t heavy Horseman Gawin Holmes on life with the Shires

118 | PS, I love you How artist Nicky Peacock turned love tokens into art

16 | Here comes the sun Travelling the jewels of the Mediterranean

36 | Best of both worlds The historic splendour of rural Ogle Castle

120 | Artisans who can A rocking horse restorer, book binder and blacksmith reveal their trades

20 | Well read The stars of Hexham’s book festival

100 | In with the new The homes creating new landmarks for the region

124 | Hidden Gems Perfect places to shop, eat and stay awhile

22 | Share the love How to buy designer gear at non-designer prices

105 | Let’s get moving The fabulous homes to rent region wide

126 | Bridging troubled waters St Oswald’s Hospice – bringing joy to young faces

26 | For kith and kin How life in an ex-Barnardo’s home inspired a writer’s words

114 | God’s own county If Northumberland could speak, this is what she might say

128 | A fine vintage Restoring great Morgan cars to their former glory

30 | The quiet men The Malhotra brothers; restoring Newcastle with Punjab pride

116 | Go fly a kite The joy – and perils – of kiteboarding on the North Sea

130 | Executive motoring The new Mercedes CLS turns a few heads

rare! Office

Gosforth Regional Office

Ponteland Office

Alnwick Office

Regional Lettings

Mayfair Office

0191 223 3500

0191 213 0033

01661 823 951

01665 600 170

0191 223 3510

0870 112 7099

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SY | SANDERSON YOUNG

REGuLARS AT SANdERSON yOuNG’S INNOvATIvE COffEE SHOP

AT 95 HIGH STREET, GOSfORTH, MAy HAvE NOTICEd A fEW SuBTLE CHANGES IN RECENT WEEkS. NEIL GORdON fINdS OuT MORE …

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SANDERSON YOUNG | SY

anderson Young’s newly re-branded Gosforth coffee shop, Cafe No. 95, is now offering seasonal tastes of the region’s best produce inspired by new operator Rod Davies’ keen weather watching.

Rod, who has recently taken over the running of the cafe at 95 High Street, Gosforth, has taken to keeping a close eye on the skies to plan his menus at the cafe, which is newly re-launched following a major refurbishment.

And with a substantial increase in takings, it seems Rod’s new menus are doing the trick.

“Rod is completely committed to the best in fresh, local produce from the North East and to dishes that suit the time of year” says Sanderson Young MD Duncan Young.

“Popular mouthwatering dishes include asparagus, parma ham and Thai chicken soups, along with peppered mackerel with horse radish créme fraiche and brie with tomato and chilli chutney sandwiches.”

Duncan and Rod are now planning to follow up on their recent success with the launch of a new Great North East Menu in association with the area’s best local restaurants.

“The idea is to work with the best local restaurants to offer tapas versions of their signature dishes,” says Duncan.

“Each dish will be prepared locally and then delivered to Cafe No. 95, allowing us to offer a taste of some of the best dining in the region to our customers.”

This innovative idea is in line with Sanderson Young’s commitment to promoting the North East as a whole, and the coffee shop is an important part of the estate agency business next door.

“I hope people will browse our property details while they enjoy a latte or a freshly toasted sandwich,” says Duncan, “but I also hope our coffee shop is much more than that.

“I live in Gosforth, so it was important to me that I helped to renovate a decrepit building that was an eyesore on the High Street. Now I want to make Cafe No. 95 an integral part of the Gosforth community and see it used for community activities.”

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Below: Rod davies

Rod is passionate about using fresh, seasonal ingredients,” says duncan, “so our toasties, sandwiches and jacket potatoes are freshly made on the premises and our soups vary according to the season

The coffee shop first opened under the name Great Coffee 18 months ago, and recently customer surveys were undertaken to find out what the public wanted.

The most obvious result of this consultation process has been a complete refurbishment and rebrand.

There’s a new name, Cafe No. 95, new decor, new lighting, new colours and new furniture, with mini tables and the breakfast bar replaced with more comfortable seating.

“There are other outlets well-placed to serve a quick espresso,” says Duncan. “Our customers want to take a longer break and meet friends, plan their next business meeting or simply read the paper.

“And we have a handful of off-street parking spaces for less mobile customers or people short of time.”

The new team at the cafe is headed by Rod Davies, who has been in the catering and hospitality industry for more than 20 years. Rod, who owned the former Quay 35 bistro on Newcastle Quayside and prior to that owned The Tunstall Lodge Hotel in Sunderland, is passionate about fresh, seasonal ingredients.

“Our toasties, sandwiches and jacket potatoes are freshly made on the premises and our soups vary

according to the season,” adds Duncan. “Rod checks the forecast to ensure his menu matches the weather.”

With business booming, it would appear the new seasonal menus and special promotions have been well received.

“We also want the community to use Cafe No. 95 as a resource,” says Duncan. “We can offer a WiFi-equipped boardroom for committee meetings, an outside area for fundraising events and we can open the café in the evenings until 10pm.

“Whatever your idea, such as raising money for a school or charity, we will do our very best to accommodate you.”

To find out more about using Cafe No. 95 for community activity, please contact Rod Davies, tel 0191 284 5533

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SY | PROFILE

aroundwith WYLIE

What do you do when you retire in your early 40s a very rich man? former Sage director Graham Wylie has no trouble occupying his time, he tells Rosie McGlade

age, Graham Wylie’s best-known legacy to date, is now a worldwide business turning over £1billion a year. He retired a few years ago, but was bored after about three hours and so got back to work. The result - he is now busier than ever.

A major focus at the moment is Close House Hotel and leisure complex on the outskirts of Newcastle, where a soon-to-open new golf course is expected to rival the great St Andrew’s.

He is also the fourth biggest race horse owner in the country and is involved in so many IT businesses the precise numbers escape him.

“I relax by keeping busy. I get bored very quickly,” he says, with no particular pause for effect.

We’re at Close House’s newly revamped Champagne and Cocktail Bar to talk about this spectacular new golf

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course, but first and foremost we discuss his one-yearold daughter, Kiera, who was born with a heart half the size of a sugar cube.

Graham and his wife Andrea came close to losing Kiera in her first months, and that’s led them to champion Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital Children’s Heart Unit – the place where Kiera’s life was saved - as their charity of choice.

Kiera and her twin sister Zahra were born in December 2009; the joy of their arrival tinged by the knowledge that Kiera had a major heart problem which had been diagnosed during pregnancy. They had to operate to keep her alive at a mere two days old. “I can’t get over the courage required to perform an operation like that,” Graham says. “I’m a huge admirer of the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman.”

But at six months, a tube fitted in her heart clotted and

PROFILE | SY

But everyone associated with Close House really wanted to have something special,” says Graham, who added 200 acres of land for the new championship course …

she collapsed. By incredible good fortune, Graham and Andrea happened to be with her in the Freeman at the time. Left unattended, she would have died in a matter of 20 minutes, they were told.

“My wife says she will never, ever forget the look on her face. She was kept unconscious for five days, and put on a machine that pumped her blood around her body and acted as heart and lungs. All you can do is go to the hospital and watch her just lying flat in her tubes and bandages.”

It took two weeks after regaining consciousness for Kiera to start smiling and playing with toys, and for her parents to know she wasn’t brain damaged. “Kiera is now doing great. We’re hoping an operation at the end of this year will complete her treatment and she can get on with life normally. She’s very feisty. You just feel sorry for her. You get huge highs and lows.

“But there are a lot of children who are more poorly than Kiera. That’s why I’m so passionate about the Freeman’s Children’s Heart Unit Fund, or CHUF, because I’ve been through it. I want to raise awareness about it and to create something sustainable, so that for every pound I raise, someone else raises ten.”

While it serves not only the North East but the whole of Scotland and is the only hospital currently able to perform heart transplants on child patients along with London’s Great Ormond Street, the Freeman unit’s future is uncertain. By September, the Government will have chosen between it and Leeds.

So there is campaigning to do, as well as fundraising to improve conditions for patients and parents, for whom stays can be very lengthy, and provide additional equipment and training for staff.

In addition, there is much focus on Close House; a place with an intriguing history and a prosperous future. Formerly owned by Newcastle University, students, old boys and university staff once enjoyed access to its beautiful golf course. They built a football and rugby pitch among the greens and on Wednesdays and Fridays golfers negotiated with goal posts to finish their rounds.

“Then the university was needed to sell it and I stepped in. It was really a thank you,” says Graham, who famously attended lectures at the University in a

suit and tie, leaving to head straight into business meetings with his fellow founders of Sage, all of them not much more than boys at the time.

It was Graham who wrote the original accounts softwear which has made the company such a success. “I was the techo,” he says.

The new golf course opens on May 1 and the annual fees, at £2,000 + VAT, are not for any Tom, Dick or Harry; nor Graham himself, come to that, who found time for just two rounds last year.

Cheap it is not, but half the 300 memberships had been sold by the beginning of March, without a ball whipped from a single green.

To put it into perspective, the next most expensive course in the region is Northumberland Park in Gosforth, Newcastle, which charges about £1,000 a year. “Ours is by far the most expensive golf course in

the North,” Graham offers. “And what we’re doing will reflect the price fully.”

When he bought the hotel in 2004, the fee for a round was £20, paid in an honesty box at the first tee.

Graham’s first act was to buy a couple of fields to accommodate the rugby and football pitches which the university continues to use. Membership of the revamped original golf course is £600 a year.

“But everyone associated with Close House really wanted to have something special,” says Graham, who added 200 acres of land for the new championship course designed by Scott Macpherson in a Harry Colt-esque dynamic style around the natural landscape and existing trees, “from the river up to Hadrian’s Wall”.

The Golf Academy contains equipment you won’t find for another 200 miles, we’re told, such as the FlightScope, which started life tracking missiles for the South African military and now accurately measures the power, spin, angle - every element of every shot you take.

The driving range is on an uphill slope. The clubhouse has 270 degree views with glazed walls, walkways and balconies. Ceremony and reception over, wedding guests will soon enjoy evening celebrations here, leaving the main hotel free for diners and smaller parties.

You may think it’s a brave man who builds exclusive golf courses and champagne bars at this stage in the global economic proceedings, but Graham Wylie did not get where he is today by getting carried away.

He is enthusiastic, very much so. “You can look down from the 13th tee box over the whole Tyne Valley and it looks magnificent,” he reveals with pleasure. But his steering of Close House from a rather run-down university hideaway to a very beautiful and exclusive hotel with 31 bedrooms, two leading chefs and smart weddings every week of the year, has been cautiously planned. >>

Ours is by far the most expensive golf course in the North,” Graham offers. “And what we’re doing will reflect the price fully”

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SY | PROFILE

It is tough out there and people are checking every penny. But people still want to get married, to eat out occasionally, and relax

<< “First of all, it’s taken me about six years just to have the confidence to recognise that I do have something very special here,” says Wylie, born and raised in Whitley Bay to a coal miner father and a mother who took in lodgers to supplement the household income.

“My first thoughts when I originally bought it were, ‘what have I done?’ But we put in the restaurant and the first bedrooms, and as people started using it more I saw we could invest and do it up to a much higher standard, knowing that it wasn’t going to be a white elephant.

“The second thing is that bank interest rates have been 0.5 per cent for a long time now, and whatever income you do get is taxed at 50 per cent. I would rather put my money into capital investments.

“It is tough out there and people are checking every penny. But people still want to get married, to eat out occasionally, and relax. I’ve got confidence that this is going quite well.”

In terms of wanting to occasionally relax himself, Graham has always enjoyed horse racing. A friend suggested he’d like it much more if he actually owned some horses and with his wife Andrea’s encouragement, he bought a few. Six years on, he now has nearly 90.

“In terms of the number of horses I own, I’m probably the top four in the UK. In terms of prize money earned in National Hunt racing, I’m probably second right now,” he observes with quiet pleasure.

Other hobbies include non-executive positions in numerous IT companies including TSG, and a growing commercial property portfolio.

“I’m also a control freak,” he says. But he seems a genuinely likeable control freak, with the man very much at the fore of astonishing business energy.

“I’m involved in a lot of things, but it’s Close House and CHUF that are closest to my heart,” Graham says. They’re the exciting ones for me.”

Perhaps there are a few more legacies yet up Graham Wylie’s sleeve. At just 51, one suspects he has barely begun.

To find out more about the Freeman Hospital Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF), contact Lorraine Embleton at the Children's Heart Unit Fund, Freeman Hospital, tel 0191 213 1365, email info@chuf.org.uk or see the CHUF website at www.chuf.org.uk

‘I need just one local IT company to support my computer system’ Unrivalled local support service from our team of IT experts One number to call for all of your IT, software and hardware requirements Unique predictive support service designed to fix computer problems before they affect your business Impartial IT advice that is right for your business and budget Offices in Gosforth, Team Valley, Stockton and nationwide

© 2010 TSG 01520/02/10

Call 0845 15 50 180 or visit www.tsg.com 14 | collection

SY | TRAVEL

Jane Pikett considers the many attractions of a luxury home from home in the Mediterranean

ravel, they say, broadens the mind, though I’ve always thought that sounds worringly like there may be some effort involved in the process.

No, R and R is my highest priority, and when that R and R is located in some of the most beautiful spots the Mediterranean has to offer, it is the ultimate escape.

The Med remains one of the most romantic, beautiful holiday destinations this world has to offer, and when you consider that it is just a hop, skip and jump away, we might consider ourselves to be quite spoilt.

Sanderson Young Holiday Introductions, which introduces travellers direct to the owners of luxury holiday homes worldwide, offers some of the best luxury properties the region has to offer in some of the world’s loveliest locations.

Each of these properties is blessed with style, luxury and elegance, and with superb facilities including full

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five villas now being introduced by Sanderson young Holiday Introductions lie in four different countries, and four distinct cultures … catering from superb chefs, these are places where holidays truly are special.

La Chenoiserie, close to St Tropez, might be described as the last word in luxury. This superb villa comes complete with speedboat hire and Michelin-starred chef, plus a full complement of staff to guarantee your every need is catered for.

Set in an exclusive gated community, accommodation for up to 12 people is spread through the luxury villa and a beautifully styled garden cottage.

TRAVEL | SY

This is a truly unspoilt area, and the villas damianos and Aleka offer privacy, luxury, private pools and views over the Ionian Sea to the Albanian mountains

SandersonYoungHolidayIntroductions Sanderson Young Holiday Introductions is a new company which introduces travellers direct to the owners of luxury villas, apartments and ski lodges in some of the world’s most sought-after locations.

For a small set-up fee, owners can register selected properties with the SY Holiday Introductions website, via which they are introduced direct to discerning travellers through the comprehensive marketing and exposure of the SY Media, website and Collection magazine.

For more information about Sanderson Young Holiday Introductions - as an owner or a traveller please contact Duncan Young, tel 0191 223 3500, email duncan.young@sandersonyoung.co.uk

The property has an acre of lovely grounds with a large pool, beautiful terraces and views over St Tropez bay and is within walking distance of a fabulous beach and the exclusive Beauvallon Beach Club.

Assuming you’re happy to put a bit of physical effort into your holiday, the best in water sports, golf and tennis facilities are all nearby, which at least will help you work up an appetite for the chef’s specials. Oh, and there’s a chauffeur, or a speedboat, on hand to get you wherever you want to go.

A little further up the coast on the Italian Riviera, Villa Crystal is also a luxury home from home for up to 12 people set in a paradise of sun, sea and mountains.

It has panoramic views to the bay of Bordighera and provides spacious accommodation over four levels, with a fabulous barbecue area, terraces from all four bedrooms, gardens and a pool with hot tub.

You’re also close enough to Limone (60km) to ski in

the morning and be back on the beach for lunch.

It’s a little further to ski from Spain’s lovely Puerto Banus, but with the fabulous Sierra Nevada mountains 130km away, it is still absolutely do-able, and very tempting for travellers to the luxury Villa Natasha.

Natasha, which is just minutes from vibrant and beautiful Puerto Banus, is the epitome of open-plan, contemporary luxury. With five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two living rooms, a cinema room and views over Las Brisas Golf and La Concha Mountain, the villa also has separate staff quarters, a pool and sauna and a Bodega.

Puerto Banus is on the doorstep and Marbella is just a few short miles down the road, which means some of the Med’s best beaches, shops, restaurants and bars are at your fingertips.

Over on the beautiful island of Corfu, the pace of life is probably a little slower than in the hot spots

of Puerto Banus and Marbella, and the natural beauty of the island is absolutely at its best in the hillsides overlooking lovely St Stephano bay.

This peninsula, which is much loved by the Chelsea and Kensington set and home to the Rothschild family castle, is the best of Corfu, and the villas Aleka and Damianos are both wonderful holiday destinations.

These hillside villas, built by a local taverna owner, lie above the bay of St Stephano, close to the village of Kalami where the writer Lawrence Durrell lived.

Paradise here is to be found on the poolside terrace, watching the sailing boats below glide into the many beautiful nearby harbours.

This is a truly unspoilt area, and the villas Damianos and Aleka offer privacy, luxury, private pools and views over the Ionian Sea to the Albanian mountains.

Damianos accommodates eight and features a fabulous open-plan living and dining area and beautiful balcony terrace.

Fully air-conditioned with spacious open-plan living spaces and outdoor terraces, an al fresco kitchen and barbecue area and a superb pool with views over the sea, the villa is set in terraced gardens with lemon, lime and orange trees, grape vines and bougainvillea.

Close by, Villa Aleka features a beautiful courtyard and terrace with a private pool. Fully air-conditioned with an open-plan living room, spacious kitchen, a double and a twin bedroom and two bathrooms, Aleka is a peaceful haven with spectacular views.

Corfu is only just over three hours away from most UK airports. Its simplicity is complemented by the hospitality the Greeks have always been delighted to deliver.

Indeed, for a completely relaxing stay, chef service is available at both villas six days per week, as is daily cleaning and, of course, the freedom to sit back, relax and experience a little of that essential R and R. Now, aren’t you worth it?

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thegreatescape SANDERSON YOUNG HOLIDAY INTRODUCTIONS INTRODUCES TRAVELLERS DIRECT TO THE OWNERS OF LUXURY VILLAS IN SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER LOCATIONS Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, and discover.... wrote Mark Twain of the joys of travel. And whether you’re travelling by sail or other means, there is little as thrilling as a journey fuelled by one’s own anticipation.

Many great words have been made of the Mediterranean, and with the launch of superb luxury holiday villas in the best this most magical region has to offer, one may be inspired to bring a few of one’s own to mind.

These are places for truly special holidays which make for a lifetime of memories. The following luxury properties are all available via private introduction to the owner through Sanderson young Holiday Introductions.

Villa Crystal

Sleeps 10-12

RIVIERA OF FLOWERS, ITALY

The Italian Riviera is a place much dreamed of and never forgotten; a paradise of sun, sea and mountains renowned as one of the loveliest spots this vibrant country has to offer. villa Crystal is blessed with panoramic views from mountain ranges to the bay of Bordighera on the Italian Riviera, providing the perfect setting for a relaxing holiday.

Built into the landscape, this modern property provides spacious accommodation over four levels, with a fabulous barbecue area, four bedroom terraces, gardens and a pool with hot tub.

Accommodation: Large lounge leading to terrace and pool kitchen breakfast room with valley views and terrace 3 double bedrooms, each with private terrace 1 twin bedroom Separate sitting room or bedroom with private terrace (sleeps 4) 2 large bathrooms and 1 shower room Facilities: Private swimming pool, 10m x 8m, with

separate hot tub Al fresco dining area with BBQ Satellite Tv Air conditioning Amenities: Shops, restaurants, bars: Bordighera 2km, Monaco 33km, Nice 45km, Manton 15km, Cap ferrat/Antibes 73km Beaches: Bordighera 2km, Manton 15km Golf: San Remo 30km Skiing: Limone 60km Airport: Nice 45km

£1,800 - £3,600 PER WEEK, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON

Villa Natasha

LAS BRISAS, PUERTO BANUS, SPAIN

Malaga is the gateway to one of Spain’s loveliest stretches of coastline, and villa Natasha, just minutes from vibrant and beautiful Puerto Banus, is the epitome of open-plan, contemporary luxury.

Accommodation:

Sauna

5 bedrooms

under-floor heating

6 bathrooms

Air conditioning

With five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two living rooms, cinema room and views over Las Brisas Golf and La Concha Mountain, the villa also has separate staff quarters, pool and sauna, and Bodega.

Separate staff apartment

With Puerto Banus on its doorstep and Marbella just a few short miles down the road, villa Natasha is perfectly located for the best this beautiful coastline has to offer.

Sleeps 10-12

Amenities:

2 living rooms Open-plan kitchen

Shops, restaurants, bars: Puerto Banus 2km,

Cinema room

Marbella 13km

Facilities:

Golf: Las Brisas

Private swimming pool & water features

Airport: Malaga 67km

12,000 EURO PER WEEK

TAKING BOOKINGS NOW FOR MAY 2011 THROUGH TO OCTOBER 2011

LATE BOOKING DISCOUNTS FOR CORFU VILLAS - MAY & JUNE - BOOK NOW!

Villa Aleka

Sleeps 4

ST STEPHANO, CORFU

North east Corfu is one of the loveliest areas this beautiful island has to offer, and Aleka is a charming property built in the style of the traditional Corfiot country cottage, though with a good deal more space and to a higher specification than the term ‘cottage’ might suggest.

The villa, which is located on a hillside overlooking beautiful St Stephano bay, features versatile open-plan living spaces and beautiful gardens and grounds featuring a private pool terrace and shaded pergola for al fresco dining.

Accommodation:

Satellite Tv

2 bedrooms

full catering and private chef if required

Bathroom and shower room

Amenities:

Open-plan living, dining, kitchen area

Shops, restaurants, bars: St Stephano 1.6km

Facilities: Private swimming pool

Water sports: kalami 8km, Avlaki 2km,

(7m x 4m, 1.15m-1.7m deep)

kassiopi 4km

Built-in BBQ

Airport

Air conditioning

Corfu, 39km

£750 TO £1,750 PER WEEK, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON

Villa Damianos Situated in beautiful north east Corfu, not far from the Rothschild family castle and overlooking St Stephano’s beautiful horseshoe bay, villa damianos is a magnificent three-storey villa with spacious, sunny rooms and beautiful terraces.

The views over the bay extend to Albania and the beautiful gardens feature beautiful terraces, lawns, barbecue area for al fresco dining and a private pool; the perfect place for relaxing with the works of brothers Gerald and Lawrence durrell, who loved this place. Close to St Stephano’s tavernas and within easy reach of local boat hire, damianos is a perfect holiday setting.

Sleeps 8

ST STEPHANO, CORFU Accommodation:

Air conditioning

4 double/twin bedrooms

Satellite Tv

En suite bathrooms and shower rooms

full catering and private chef if required

Open-plan living and dining area with covered balcony kitchen with steps to BBQ area Facilities:

Amenities: Shops, restaurants, bars: St Stephano 1.6km Water sports: kalami 8km, Avlaki 2km,

Private swimming pool

kassiopi 4km

(8.5m x 5m, 1m-1.8m deep)

Airport

Built-in BBQ

Corfu, 39km

£1,400 TO £3,200 PER WEEK, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON

La Chenoiserie La Chenoiserie is the last word in luxury, offering spacious accommodation in the main property and garden cottage and set in a gated community and within an acre of beautiful grounds with a large pool, beautiful terraces and views over St Tropez bay.

The villa is within walking distance of a fabulous beach served by restaurants and bars, including the exclusive Beauvallon Beach Club.

Water sports, golf and tennis facilities are all nearby, and the villa comes complete with a full staff, including your own Michelin-starred chef and a chauffer.

ST TROPEZ, FRANCE

Accommodation: Large living and dining area Study and library kitchen breakfast room 4 double bedrooms with en suites in the private house, and 2 further bedrooms and a bathroom in the garden cottage Facilities: Large private swimming pool with pool house and BBQ area, summer kitchen and bar area, and views to St Tropez bay Satellite Tv

Sleeps 8-12 Air conditioning Amenities: Shops, restaurants, bars: Within walking distance, St Tropez 5km Beaches: Within walking distance, St Tropez 5km Golf: Within walking distance Tennis: Within walking distance Quad biking, go karting, water park, horse riding: Short drive Airport Nice 96km

£7,000 -£10,000 PER WEEK, TO INCLUDE A MICHELIN STARRED CHEF, CHAUFFEUR, FULL CLEANING AND CATERING STAFF AND SPEEDBOAT HIRE

SANDERSON YOUNg HOLIDAY INTRODUCTIONS The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: +44 (0)191 2233500 | f: +44 (0)191 2233505 | contact@sandersonyoung.co.uk | www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

SY | BOOKS

Rosie McGlade meets the two women behind the ever-growing line-up of famous names at Hexham’s landmark annual Book festival

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read t’s only six years since Susie Troup returned from a book festival in Wigtown in Scotland’s pretty Dumfries and Galloway - really the middle of nowhere, if we’re honest - and decided if that could pull off a fantastic line-up of famous authors, so could Hexham.

April and May in Hexham this year will see a genuinely significant festival take shape, with appearances from the likes of Alastair Campbell, Alexei Sayle, Prue Leith, Italian chef Antonio Carluccio, and Melvyn Bragg.

Then there’s Alys Fowler at Alnwick Garden and Charlie Higson booked in for a schools session, plus many more.

Book festivals are fashionable these days. Who really knew anything about Hay-on-Wye a few years ago, yet now it’s very much on the English events calendar, and

I

there are hundreds of others. This means, of course, that it is getting harder to secure appearances from the big names, because authors are busy with these things these days.

So how have they pulled it off? “It gets easier the more established you are,” says Susie, who is festival director.

“But you can’t do it without first securing funding. The Arts Council and the Northern Rock Foundation have really got us to where we are.”

In 2005, the first Hexham Book Festival took just over a day. The next year, over a weekend, attracted Will Self.

Since then, guests have included Germaine Greer, Irma Kurtz, Libby Purves and Simon Hoggart.

Beyond the incredible drive of Susie and the marketing, audience and children’s events director Gil Pugh, the main reason the festival has done so well is because people come.

“The people of Hexham support it, and we have visitors from Newcastle, Durham and Scotland,” Gil says. “We’ve got to know our audiences look out for big-name writers, political commentators and historians as well as famous names in cookery and gardening.”

It’s also a bit of a destination weekend, she says, because people come from outside the region and

BOOKS | SY

also enjoy the rest of the surrounding area. The audiences particularly value the opportunity to get close to the writers and question them about their work.

“People who have read the book get a lot out of it particularly,” says Susie, who met Gil a few years ago at a dinner party where their common interest in pigs led to friendship and a shared paddock for their livestock.

Hexham’s Queens Hall is the main venue, while Melvyn Bragg appears in Hexham’s historic Abbey on May 5. Alys Fowler is at Alnwick Garden on April 28 and there are a number of events at the Maltings Theatre in Berwick.

The festival is also running free lunch time salons at the Robinson-Gay Art Gallery in Hexham, which will be the venue for local author Anne Cleeves and a number of up-and-coming authors doing readings, and there are also covered market stalls outside the Queen’s Hall on the Saturday, with independent publishers and local arts and crafts producers.

Susie lists her personal favourites as ghost writer Andrew Crofts and Liz Lochhead, the Scottish Makar

“I’m also very excited about seeing Maggie O’farrell, and I’m a big fan of Alys fowler and Alexei Sayle…

(the equivalent to our Poet Laureate). “I’m also very excited about seeing Maggie O’Farrell, and I’m a big fan of Alys Fowler and Alexei Sayle,” she says.

Ongoing activities linked to the Festival are a Hexham-based audio book club for the visually impaired, a Bloomsbury-sponsored free paperback service in Hexham Hospital, and a number of schools initiatives.

Expanding the mind is, we are told, very much in vogue, and this is a great place to get started.

Hexham Book Festival, April 28 - May 12, www.hexhambookfestival.co.uk

FESTIVALHIGHLIGHTS AlysFowler

Thursday April 28, 7pm, Alnwick garden - £8, including a glass of wine

Alys Fowler knows how to have her garden and eat it. A champion of informal gardening, in her latest book The Edible Garden she tells you how to create an earthly, tasty, paradise on earth.

MelvynBragg

Thursday May 5, 5pm, Hexham Abbey - £8

Melvyn Bragg tells the story of one of the world's most influential books, the 300-year-old King James Bible, and the often bloody fight to have it translated into English.

AlastairCampbell

Saturday May 7, 8pm, Queen’s Hall, Hexham - £12 (conc £10)

Expect controversial views and blunt speaking as Alastair Campbell reveals more about life at the heart of Government. In the second volume of Power and the People he talks candidly about what life is like at the eye of the political storm.

JoscelineDimbleby

Friday May 6, 10am, Queen’s Hall, Hexham - £7

As the step-daughter of a diplomat, Josceline Dimbleby's life was built upon exotic food in far-flung places. Her recipe-packed book recreates a rich life with smells, tastes and sights from a lifetime’s travels.

AlexeiSayle

Tuesday May 10, 8pm, Queen’s Hall, Hexham - £12 (conc £10)

In his memoir Stalin Ate my Homework, Sayle tells of his strange life via his communist parents, his childhood in Eastern Europe and his teenage years as a Maoist revolutionary.

MaggieO’Farrell

Thursday May 5, 7.30pm, Queen’s Hall, Hexham - £7

In her fifth novel and winner of the Costa 2010 prize, The Hand That First Held Mine, O’Farrell lays bare love and motherhood in a compelling portrait of two women set in 1950s London. In conversation with Caroline Beck.

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LITTLE The

Black dress Agency; katie wears: Joseph suit in nude, size 8 £65, Louis vuitton shoes size 4 £135, Necklace, vintage £10 Necklace worn as bracelet vintage £10

22 | collection

FASHION | SY

sharethelove

dress agencies are growing in popularity to buy and sell designer gear. Jane Pikett is fully converted...

eautiful thing, March 2011: Jasper Conran tan leather hobo handbag, fully lined, three inner compartments, inner zip pocket and phone sleeve, removable shoulder straps, brass buckles, frilled outer pockets. Purchased: The Little Black Dress Agency, Yarm. Result: Joy unconfined.

If I were to record classic fashion investments (I would, but no house would be big enough to accommodate such a record, all available space being employed in the careful storage of handbags, shoes etc...), my latest purchase (above) would be in it, most probably documented under ‘Handbags: Classic’.

Eagle-eyed in important matters of style, I spotted this one at a distance of some 50 metres in the window of one of Yarm’s best boutiques. A quick sprint across the road (no slouch, me, when in pursuit of beautiful things), and it was safely in my possession. It had been

B

in the window, I am told, for a full eight and a half minutes. It’s a good job I was passing...

Said boutique is The Little Black Dress Agency; a haven of pre-loved designer clothes and accessories which has caught the imagination of women who appreciate the opportunity to both buy and sell good-quality designer goods on their own high street.

It is probably a sign of the times that people are increasingly likely to sell designer gear and invest in pre-owned (or ‘pre-loved’) designer pieces, but dress agencies as good as this one are still few and far between and definitely to be treasured.

To judge a good one all you need to do is browse the rails. If the stock is genuinely designer and in immaculate condition you have found a gem.

Beware places where cast-off cardies from Bhs and Marks’s are littered among items which may have once had a ‘label’ but have definitely seen better days. >>

Our designer labels include everything from Armani and Moschino to Chanel, and many items are new and still have the original labels attached.

RIGHT katie wears: black Joseph troursers, size 8 £27.50, black diego Reiga black shirt size 10 £45, d&G white leather bag £150, Louis vuitton shoes size 4, £135

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SY | FASHION

Our customers know that we only stock items that are new or in very good condition from sought-after labels.

sharethelove…

<< These are, or should be, charity shops. They are not dress agencies.

Good agencies take in carefully selected items from people who have made a mistake (who hasn’t?), have an unwanted gift or have something of which they have grown tired.

The seller agrees agree a price with the agency owner, who then displays the item for an agreed period. When it sells, they split the proceeds.

Katie Moulding, who opened The Little Black Dress Agency on Yarm High Street three years ago, is rigorous in her quality control. “You have to be particular,” she says. “Our designer labels include everything from Armani and Moschino to Chanel, and many items are new and still have the original labels attached.

“Our customers know that we only stock items that are new or in very good condition from sought-after labels. We also carry a small number of last-season pieces which may come to us from other boutiques, and again, they are very carefully selected.”

Some of Katie’s clients simply leave the proceeds from clothes sold through the agency on the shops’ books, and then put the money towards items they buy, “which feels a bit like getting something for free, which is lovely,” says Katie.

Search dress agencies on the internet and you will find some have a branch on eBay, but Katie stays away from that, preferring to sell some selected items on her own website and the majority through her boutique.

“People like and trust personal service,” she says, “and I get to know my regular ladies very well.”

She’s never yet had a customer buy something which had been owned by someone in her own social circle, but Katie knows her clients well enough to advise them should such a faux pas be about to take place.

“No,” she laughs, “I haven’t yet had reports of anyone buying something one of their friends used to

LEfT Jayne wears: Orange Chanel suit, size 10 £650, Gold Christian Louboutin shoes size 5 £180, Black and white £25

24 | collection

FASHION | SY

own, and I do know which circles my regular clients move in so I’m sure I could prevent something embarrassing happening.”

Katie, who lives just outside Yarm, has a degree in education and worked in special schools before being lured into the world of fashion, something which was prompted by experience gained behind the counter of a friend’s dress agency in Kendal.

“I’ve always had a passion for fashion, and I sometimes helped my friend at her dress agency in Kendal. I just enjoyed it and it seemed natural for me to open my own shop,” she says.

“We get some beautiful items here, and it would be such a shame if they were just left in the back of someone’s wardrobe. The only problem is resisting them myself!”

The Little Black Dress Agency, 119 High Street, Yarm, TS15 9BB, tel 01642 789 557, www.thelittleblackdressagency.co.uk

what’shot vintagestyle Most dress agency and vintage boutique owners will tell you that pre-loved fur is very definitely the new black.

If, like me, your mother’s vintage minks are stashed in the wardrobe, now is the time to dust them off and wear them yourself, or head to your local dress agency and sell them.

“It’s as if fur has gone full circle,” says Katie Moulding. “It wasn’t long ago that no-one would wear it, but there is a feeling now that vintage furs are accepted and people who wouldn’t buy new fur can wear vintage guilt-free. I can certainly sell a fur coat every day of the week without any problem.”

At the time of writing Katie had in stock a vintage three-quarter length mink in immaculate condition. A steal at £750, it may yet prompt me to venture to the back of my mother’s wardrobe.

I may be some time...

Be sure you can trust your agency’s selection criteria. Every item should be in pristine condition.

If it isn’t, it should be in the charity shop.

Labels should be intact. If a label has been removed, the item is more likely to be Primark than Prada.

Ask if the shop owner has the original receipt of purchase; then you know how old it is, and how much it was new.

Use the same criteria when buying from an agency as you would any boutique. It’s not a bargain if it doesn’t fit – even if the label does say Chanel.

In addition, don’t buy out-moded items. It might be the actual jacket Joan Collins wore in Dynasty, but where on earth are you going to wear it now?

Style rules apply – vintage or no.

Get to know the owner of your local agency. Ask her if the item you’re about to buy is being sold by someone who moves in similar circles to you, and if it’s evening wear, ask her to find out if the seller is going to be at the do at which you plan to wear it.

We get some beautiful items here, and it would be such a shame if they were just left in the back of someone’s wardrobe.

dressagencies …rules of engagement

LEfT Jayne wears: Green diane von furstenberg dress size 12 £67.50, Christian Louboutin white slingbacks £180 size 5, Red Suede Tods d Bag £350

Agencies generally accept designer and top-end high street garments and accessories. Some take children’s and menswear, but most specialise in womenswear only.

Items should be as new or in immaculate condition and clean (no stains, blemishes or odours). Many agencies stipulate that items should be no older than three years old, though a classic vintage fur, in immaculate condition, would generally be accepted.

Most dress agencies operate a simple percentage system, cutting the proceeds of any sale with the seller, most likely 60 % (them) /40% (you), or 50%/50%.

You generally agree a set time the item will be on the shop floor and if it doesn’t sell in that time, you either agree to pick it up, or the agency owner may pass it on to charity for you.

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SY | PROFILE

&

FOR

Tv producer, author and grumpy old woman Judith Holder shows Jane Hall around the home that has inspired her latest project

kith kin rive out of the picturesque market town of Hexham into the Northumberland countryside, make a tight turn from a steeply rising B-road through an imposing set of stone gateposts, and Mount Royal comes into view. An impressive, and quirky, edifice built of granite it features a tower with a round roof that, at a distance, resembles a large pineapple.

Sash bay windows with Dutch-style gables overlook a lawn and wall upon which sit old, lichen-covered statues. There’s a pig staring into the distance and a once-majestic lion with a broken nose.

To the side of the house there stands a shed used as a table tennis room. Painted racing green, it might be mistaken for a Scout hut, were it not for its proximity to a family home.

The front door opens into a spacious hallway with a Medieval-style stone fireplace. “Welcome to Mount Royal,” declares TV filmmaker, author and perennial

D

So, my role as a mother is changing. I’m about to be made redundant, which is poignant, considering the history of this house.

26 | collection

Grumpy Old Woman Judith Holder. “Or should that be Montreal? The house was built by a Canadian ship owner in 1896. Mount Royal is supposed to be a play on Montreal.” Hexham’s own little piece of Canada, then.

Judith leads the way into a blue-papered sitting room overlooking the garden. A wall is almost covered in framed sepia prints; moustachioed men in uniform and women in long dresses with children clinging to their skirts.

“They’re family pictures,” Judith says. “Family is very important to me, and this is a great family house, though my two girls are both about to fly the nest.

The eldest is at university and the youngest is about to head off on a gap year.

“So, my role as a mother is changing. I’m about to be made redundant, which is poignant, considering the history of this house. “ For some years Mount Royal was a sanctuary for children with no kith and kin. From 1948 to 1982, it was a Barnardo’s institution, restored to this eightbedroom family home after its closure.

Judith and her husband Mike Parker – the former head of Tyne and Wear transport body Nexus – and their two children, Siena, now 22, and Ellen, 19, moved into the property in 1995.

Mount Royal in 1950, copyright Archive@Barnardo’s

It must have been a tough life, which is very chastening. But the fact these people return and want to see it hopefully means they had some good times.

PROFILE | SY

Once there would be 36 children living here at any one time; hence the huge green shed, which does indeed turn out to be a former Scout hut (the home had its own troupe).

More signs of the property’s past are visible, such as the lion with no nose. “I would imagine it got a bit knocked around by the kids,” Judith says. “We have a beautiful stained glass window half-way up the stairs, but when we moved in only the top part was original and the rest was filled in with bubble glass.

“The children probably broke it at some time. We got a local stained glass specialist to reproduce the design and it’s now one of my favourite parts of the house.”

It is nearly 29 years since Barnardo’s finally closed the door on Mount Royal, but occasionally ex-Barnardo’s boys and girls will return and ask to see round their former home.

“It’s very moving. I remember taking someone into what is now Siena’s bedroom with its turret, and being told it was where between 12 and 14 girls used to sleep.

“It must have been a tough life, which is very chastening. But the fact these people return and want to see it hopefully means they had some good times.

“Years ago we were given some film footage of the children exercising on the front lawn. It’s an extraordinary snapshot into another world.”

Judith and Mike moved from London via Worcestershire as work brought them North. Judith remembers being astounded by what you could buy for your money 16 years ago.

“Coming from London, where money won’t buy you anything, to a place where we were looking at homes with ballrooms was a real eye-opener.

“The first time we saw this house we fell in love with it. I think what attracted us was the space, its quirkiness, and its position - on the edge of fields and close to Hexham.”

Judith, who had never been further North than Leeds, admits it was a culture shock. “I remember that first summer I went into a garden centre and bought some tomato plants. The chap said, ‘you have got a greenhouse haven’t you? ’ and I said no.

“He replied, ‘you’re not from up here are you?’ Of course, I put the tomatoes straight out in the garden and they never ripened. That’s the North East weather for you.”

Judith has built a successful media career and is responsible for stranding Joanna Lumley on a desert island, reuniting the famous Von Trapp children from the Sound of Music for the series After They Were Famous, and producing chat shows for the likes of Dame Edna Everage, Michael Aspel and Clive James.

She helped put the ‘grumpy’ into old women in the iconic BBC2 series and latterly has profiled Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler for BBC4 and helped to launch Sky Atlantic with Let the Stories Begin, a programme looking forward to some of the channel’s forthcoming shows. She has been nominated for two BAFTAs and is the best-selling author and co-writer of the internationally successful Grumpy Old Women stage show, which has now been translated into >>

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SY | PROFILE

It would be lovely to put other people’s experiences into the book and I would like some testimonies from mothers and daughters …

<< languages as diverse as Icelandic and Norwegian.

Her latest project is closer to home. She is writing an entertaining book on motherhood, which she describes as “a little bit mischievous, a little bit authoritative”.

Sections will include sibling rivalry, the facts of life, mums being economical with the truth and pets. “I swear there are an uncanny number of mothers that have ‘allergies’ to pets. I was never that clever. We had rats, kittens, gerbils…”

It is based upon her own life and stories from other mothers. “It would be lovely to put other people’s experiences into the book and I would like some testimonies from mothers and daughters,” she says.

The book has been sparked by the death three years ago of her mother and her changing relationship with

28 | collection

her daughters. “I have been thinking a lot about motherhood recently,” she says. “I miss my mother and I am at that point in my life where my own role as a parent is about to change forever.

"I’m about to discover what it is like to have an empty nest for the first time in 22 years.”

She concedes that in part the idea for the book may also have been ignited by her home’s previous occupants. “In so many ways this book feels right,” she says.

Judith Holder would like to hear from people with funny or poignant stories to tell about motherhood for possible inclusion in her book.

Judith will acknowledge any stories used. To contact Judith with your anecdotes go to www.judithholder.com and click on ‘contact me’

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Pushing the boundaries of bathroom design with style, innovation and inspiration.

Grays Jesmond

Grays Bathrooms of Jesmond 37-39 St Georges Terrace, Jesmond | 0191 281 6581 (above Starbucks) www.graysbathrooms.co.uk

SY | PROFILE

Thequiet

men

Above left: devinder (known as Bunty) Above right: Meenu

e often take for granted the grandeur of the buildings around us, and have a similar view of our elderly and infirm.

Consider, by contrast, the brothers Malhotra and their influence on North East care homes, and on some of our great urban architecture.

Long-time residents of Darras Hall, Ponteland, their background is proudly Punjabi. Over centuries, as invaders repeatedly descended on India through Afghanistan, Punjabis had to stand in their way.

Thus, says Meenu Malhotra: “Punjabis are bold and loud because it’s in our genes to work hard and stand our ground.”

Labour hard, they do: Meenu, 50, brother Devinder (known as Bunty), 43, and Meenu’s sons Atul, 28, and Varun, 27.

Loudness is questionable, however. It’s not widely known that their UGC group in Newcastle umbrellas 14 firms in four sectors, including care homes and the development of Newcastle landmarks, complemented by DAV Developments and DAV Homes, which is owned by Bunty, Atul and Varun. “We buy iconic property whose previous owners perhaps

W

Since the M al 30 years a hotra brothers arriv ed i go, historic bu they have restored n the uk ildi some grea t based on ngs and built a busi a respect n e s s e mpire for age, b architectu o t h ral, as Bria h n Nicholls uman and discovers

We buy iconic properties whose previous owners perhaps didn’t care for them as they should … didn’t care for them as they should,” Meenu explains.

“We provide TLC, and make a living in the process.”

They have purchased several extensive properties on Newcastle’s Grey Street and they hope to install a luxurious boutique hotel at rooftop level, boasting affordable prices and standards to rival The Dorchester.

“Look up at Grey Street,” Meenu urges. “The buildings are not only historic, but beautiful. Soon tourists and locals will have the opportunity to come up to roof level and admire.”

The hotel will be a jewel in an expanding leisure crown of hotels, pubs and arcades.

It will also include the transformation of several recently acquired landmarks including The Three Mile Inn Gosforth, the Northumberland Hotel in Jesmond and, in the city centre, Attic nightclub, Pumphreys and the iconic Balmbras, whose current sad condition contrasts with its music hall origins and historic association with the Blaydon Races.

Now closed for refurbishment, Balmbras will be restored to its former glory and linked to its own diner

PROFILE | SY

within the hotel. A bridge across Drury Lane joining Attic to the hotel is also being considered.

Estate and finance is in their blood; Meenu and Bunty’s late father lived well off it, and all his children were privately educated.

Even he, though, might have been surprised by the family portfolio now, begun with the purchase in 1991 of the former Parrish’s department store in Shields Road, Newcastle, which now houses UGC’s HQ and student accommodation.

Manor Park, formerly a coal boss’s house at Birtley, quickly followed and become the brothers’ first care home. More recent acquisitions include the buildings which house Reid the jeweller at Newcastle’s Monument, and Barclays Bank and Prêt a Manger in Northumberland Street. On Westgate Road they plan to convert a tool hire centre into shops and flats.

Beyond the city is the Ryton pub, Runhead.

Turned round in 78 days, it remains a village pub but with hotel-standard refurbishment. More pub deals are imminent.

At Ponteland, the old Barclays Bank building is being converted beside the Pele tower. Meenu explains: “I’ve always wanted more people to admire that tower.

There’s so much history here.” With the opening of a tea room-cum- bar-diner, the Malhotras hope visitors will linger to learn more about local history.

At Gateshead, Bunty acquired a former Lloyds Bank and post office. The latter’s plaque tells passers-by that Thomas Bewick, England’s finest wood engraver, lived and died there. “Prominent and beautiful buildings will be returned to their original glory,” Meenu promises.

It has taken years to secure some of their iconic trophies, though they did net three properties in a week recently, including Market Lane pub (popularly known as the Monkey Bar) in, hopefully, the soon-to-be regenerated Pilgrim Street.

“Property, well maintained, will always appreciate when times are good,” Meenu says. ”We value heritage and culture, and the area has beautiful architecture.”

The Malhotras also converted a former bank in Grainger Street into a backpacker hostel. It has been voted three times the best backpacker destination in the country and Bunty plans to introduce the model to the likes of Edinburgh, York and London.

Meenu explains: “We’re dreamers. We look and visualise and are blessed to have wonderful professionals and lenders who trust us even in difficult times.

“We feel that if you do it right, institutions aren’t afraid to lend. Of course, we’re very grateful to the people of the North East and proud to be associated with iconic properties which have been brought back to life by our endeavours.”

They acknowledge support from Newcastle city planners and English Heritage. Correspondingly, two local bankers who have backed them with millions describe theirs as an impressive corporate strategy.

Soon they’ll have 1,000 employees and between now and 2017 they’ll be investing £120m-plus in care homes. In addition to their current £50m investment in leisure, another £100m-plus will benefit The Three Mile Inn, the Grey Street project and the Northumbria Hotel.

Meenu is the chosen spokesman, but says: “We’re

We’re dreamers. We look and visualise and are blessed to have wonderful professionals and lenders who trust us even in difficult times

strictly family; no one person is in charge and we consider ourselves staff. We are also indebted to North Easterners who have supported us.”

Their assets in total? “We believe if you count money it begins to shake. It’s an Indian saying. Back home, being superstitious, we don’t count our assets in case they shrink.”

Above: Meenu & Bunty at Balmbras

punjabpride Meenu was 19 when he came to Britain to prove he was hard working and return to India successful and happy. But over the years the North East won his affection. “There’s no friendlier place on earth,” he says.

He ran a newsagent’s for 70 hours a week for £30. “And whenever I had money, the only business I invested in was property.”

It enabled him to realise an ambition to retire at 45. “I spent my time at the David Lloyd gym, but to avoid Bunty’s wrath I’d come to the office for an hour or two.”

Bunty had joined Meenu at 17. After working in care homes, he wanted to develop a quality group. Initially

thebusinessofcaring Caring for the elderly and the challenged touches the Malhotra sense of social responsibility and their care home group comprises Heatherfield, Prestwick, Belleview and Bawi Homes, named for Meenu and Bunty’s elder sister who died when she was only 24.

Atul, following studies at Northumbria University, joined the businesses in 2003. Varun, following London College of Fashion, is now setting up a concessionaire, sports agency and asset management business in London with Bunty’s support.

The homes provide 300-plus beds and this year 260 more beds will appear at purpose-built homes in Newcastle and the surrounding area. Seaham will be added next year.

Meenu says: “In India, we’re taught to care for our elders and we aim to provide the highest standards of care. It’s our way to thank the public who have been very kind to us over 30 years. Britain is great because people made sacrifices in the past, especially during the war. They’re old now and deserve the best our generation can provide.”

Besides the elderly, care provision is made for the young with learning or physical disabilities. The target for 2017 is 2,000 places in specially equipped homes, some with day centres and others with independent specialist units.

“We want to leave a lasting contribution to the welfare and heritage of the North East,” says Meenu.

“This, I trust, will be our lasting legacy for generations to come.”

he bought Bellevue, one of Sunderland’s oldest homes, in 1992.

Bunty has described Meenu as both his brother and his best friend. “Everything I have learned, I have learned from him.”

Meenu says: “All the sweat, blood and dedication for these businesses have come from my brother and my son. We’re also blessed to have absolutely the best staff.”

Bunty and Atul coaxed Meenu back from retirement.

Now, he says, he’ll retire at 55. “Then you’ll never again be able to write that I came back from retirement.”

collection | 31

SY | PROFILE

He ain’t heavy...

Jane Pikett meets horse man Gawin Holmes, a man working to preserve our traditional heavy breeds t’s not so very long ago that heavy horses were a regular sight in the fields and on the highways of this land. Indeed, Gawin Holmes clearly remembers them working on his father’s farm just 50 or so years ago.

They remain on Gawin’s own farm, though his six Clydesdales and Shires excel in work very different to those of Gawin’s father.

Their endeavours are centred on glory in the show ring, where Gawin drives them and shows them in hand all over the UK with enviable success.

It all started, as is so often the way, by accident. Gawin, a chartered surveyor and land agent, had done a job for a farmer who, when push came to shove, couldn’t pay his bill.

“He said to me, ‘look, is there anything on the farm you

I

would take as payment?’ and I chose a Clydesdale,” says Gawin matter of fact, as if deciding on the spur of the moment to take home 2,000lbs of horse were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Unfortunately, when Gawin, who had kept light horses previously, returned to the farm later with his horse box, the Clydesdale refused to get in. “I had to walk him seven miles home,” laughs Gawin. “So we got to know each other on the way.”

It was 1990, and that walk with a horse named Henry, who remains with Gawin to this day, re-ignited a childhood love for heavy horses which still prevails.

“I restored an old cart, got Henry driving and started taking him to local shows,” says Gawin. “Then I bought a pair and restored an old brewery dray, and so it went on.” >>

I had to walk him seven miles home,” laughs Gawin.

“So we got to know each other on the way” 32 | collection

PROFILE | SY

Henry, he says, is now 23 and has had an illustrious career. “I’d always had horses, though when I got Henry I had been out of them for a while. We’d had heavy horses on the farm when I was a boy and I suppose I was about six when we stopped using them in the mid-1950s, but they’re in the blood.”

Gawin now has six horses, and they are a highly successful team. There’s Jimmy, who’s half Shire and half Clydesdale and leads a team of three. There’s pedigree Shire Jerry, who was Champion at the National Horse Show Single Class in 2008.

Gawin also has two home-bred Clydesdales, William and Tom, and another old Shire called George, who’s semi-retired now. Then, of course, there’s Henry, who’s still the boss horse.

“Mind you, Jerry’s a big, former brewery horse with a big personality and he might just start nudging Henry aside,” says Gawin.

The rest, he says, are gentle giants. Tom’s a bit nervous,

George is laid back, and William will follow you round like a dog; a very big dog.

Gawin is keen to alert the public to the endangered species status of the heavy horse; in particular the Clydesdale.

As transport and agricultural machinery have developed, the working horse has been phased out, and its current status, and ultimate future, now lies in the hands of enthusiasts like Gawin.

Indeed, he says there are fewer than 300 Clydesdale breeding mares in the UK, and that means the breed is now in danger.

Gawin keeps his horses at his 68-acre farm in County Durham. Early evening training routines are performed in singles, pairs, threes and fours, pulling the dray and rehearsing show ring moves.

The horses react to Gawin’s voice with the same hearing sensitivity one would expect from a sheepdog.

“They’re graceful creatures considering their size, and very careful where they put their feet,” he says.

Gawin is well placed to voice his growing concerns for the heavy horse breeds as the head steward of the Heavy Horse section at the Northumberland County Show; the region’s major annual agricultural show, which is on May 30 this year.

“Shows like Northumberland County Show are becoming the only places where you are able to see

these magnificent creatures now,” he says.

“The public are becoming less aware of them and interest in keeping and showing them will ultimately wane. Keeping horses like this is a big commitment.

You take on a way of life rather than just a hobby; it’s all-consuming and involves the whole family.”

Gawin’s two daughters used to complain, perhaps only half jokingly, that he’d take the blankets from their beds to cover the horses on a cold night. As for Gawin, he describes the horses, with some understatement, as “a hobby that’s probably got a bit out of hand”.

His daughters Rebecca and Philippa are now up and away, while Gawin’s wife Marilyn, who also has a livery business on the family farm, is credited by Gawin for a large proportion of the day-to-day care, along with a small army of friends and helpers.

Marilyn also accompanies Gawin to some 20 major shows every summer, which is a huge undertaking considering the size of the animals they have to transport and the many hours of practise and grooming dedicated to every show. “The first show is the second weekend in May and we bring the horses in at the end of March to start >>

Shows like Northumberland County Show are becoming the only places where you are able to see these magnificent creatures now …

collection | 33

SY | PROFILE

OnShow â&#x20AC;Ś

I want to encourage businesses to use these magnificent creatures for delivery work, ceremonial and marketing purposes â&#x20AC;Ś

preparing them,â&#x20AC;? says Gawin of the lengthy process of preparing horses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both in terms of practise and grooming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for the show ring.

He drives with the horses most nights prior to and during the show season, and the preparation and ongoing grooming of coats, manes and tails is nobodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business.

On a show day, the first feed is at 5am, followed by exercise, cleaning and plaiting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ready for their first appearance in public by 11am. They are then on parade, on and oďŹ&#x20AC;, for the rest of the day, eventually retiring after sunset to sleep and prepare for the journey to the next show.

They have a purpose-built vehicle with living accommodation for Gawin, Marilyn, grooms and all six horses, which is quite a beast in itself and no small financial undertaking in terms of running costs; rather like the horses.

A leading prize winner who commands respect wherever he goes with his teams, Gawin is also an

expert on the traditions and folklore of ribbon work, tail dressing and horse brasses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The original horse brasses were to ward oďŹ&#x20AC; the evil eye as early as 1700,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then in more recent times the RSPCA awarded farmers and grooms with them as proof of good welfare. Eventually, agricultural societies began to award them as prizes.â&#x20AC;?

For Gawin, this hobby that has got out of hand is rooted entirely in a love of the animals and the joy of driving them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are fabulous creatures, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real buzz in the driving. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real horse power,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a boy, I worked for a while on a milk trap pulled by a pony. When I first started driving with Henry, it came back so naturally; I suppose itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ingrained in me.â&#x20AC;?

But Gawin speaks of an uncertain future for the Shires, Clydesdales, SuďŹ&#x20AC;olk Punch and Percheron horses that were once so common in our fields and on our highways. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to encourage businesses to use these magnificent creatures for delivery work, ceremonial and marketing purposes,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are now only a couple of breweries using them, yet in America, Budweiser uses six teams of Clydesdales to deliver beer, and they are a major part of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand awareness campaign. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ironic that many of their horses were imported from the UK. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And who knows? With ever-increasing fuel costs we may yet need to return to our original eco-friendly horse power,â&#x20AC;? says Gawin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And why not?â&#x20AC;?

You can see Gawinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horses alongside competing heavy horse teams from all over the UK at the Northumberland County Show, Tynedale Park, Corbridge, Bank Holiday Monday, May 30.

With more than 300 trade stands, spectacular main arena events and nationally renowned agricultural and equine sections, Northumberland County Show is the highlight of the agricultural year and a major annual attraction.

In addition to the popular parade of the hounds, heavy horses, and the Champion of Championsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Parade, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attractions include monster trucks, a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funfair, live cookery demonstrations from leading chefs, live entertainment from bands and dancers, a working milking parlour and shearing shed, beekeeping and falconry displays.

The Show also features competitive heavy and light horse sections and livestock classes for cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, dogs, poultry, cavies, rabbits, stick dressing, competitive home crafts, and Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling.

There is free parking and easy access on the train from Carlisle and Newcastle.

Discount advance tickets at 0845 230 5177 and online at www.northcountyshow.co.uk

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PRIVATE FINANCE

A TEAM FOR ALL SEASONS

95 High Street Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4AA T: 0191 284 3723 | www.sypf.co.uk

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THE MORTGAGE MARKET HAS SEEN MASSIVE CHANGES. During this time the team at Sanderson Young Private Finance has remained constant. With over 60 years collective experience we are here to help both now and in the future.

• Standard purchase • High net worth • Buy to let • Let to buy • Re-mortgage • Life and health insurance • Household insurances

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WE DO NOT NORMALLY CHARGE A FEE FOR MORTGAGE ADVICE; HOWEVER THIS WILL BE DEPENDENT ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. IF A FEE IS CHARGED OUR TYPICAL FEE IS £250.

The financial services authority does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages.

Sanderson young Private finance is a trading style of Innovation financial Management Limited which is an appointed representative of Personal Touch financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the financial Services Authority.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

SY | HOMES

best both 36 | collection

Jane Pikett visits Ogle Castle, one of Northumberlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest inhabited buildings and now seeking a new owner to protect its heritage for the future

HOMES | SY

any people believe that the past inhabitants of old houses leave an imprint in some way in the fabric of the place.

That could well be hocus pocus, but there is no doubt that some houses simply feel happier than others. And while the atmosphere within any pile of stone and mortar may have more to do with the mood of the inhabitants and the dĂŠcor than with the imprint of those who have lived there previously, it is true that some houses simply feel happier than others.

Ogle Castle is one of them, and for all its long and at times violent history, it is blessed with the atmosphere of a contented, comfortable home that may have witnessed much, but maintains its own serene state of quiet elegance and calm.

Of course, Northumberland is famed for its grand manor houses, unsurprisingly so when you consider the beauty and grandeur of some of the countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renowned historic homes.

Ogle Castle is without doubt one of the best of >>

The house, says its present custodian, is at its best with people in it, as if its old stones actually soak up the energy of those who inhabit the place

M

collection | 37

SY | HOMES

<< them, and one of the oldest inhabited buildings in Northumberland to boot.

The house, says its present custodian, is at its best with people in it, as if its old stones actually soak up the energy of those who inhabit the place. Indeed, occupation of the property dates back to 1341 and in 1348, during the battle of Neville’s Cross, King David of Scotland was imprisoned in the Castle prior to his exile to his homeland.

The king’s former cell is now one of the property’s nine bedrooms. It is in the Castle’s Pele Tower and, in common with so many rooms in this house, it features a historic stone fireplace and beautiful views of the surrounding gardens and grounds.

The room also leads to one of the Castle’s numerous curious historic features – a beautiful wrought iron gate set into a stone wall which leads to further wings of the property.

The gate, the many superb fireplaces, the timber beams and leaded windows are all integral to the historic fabric of this property, which surprises and delights at every turn.

The current family has lived there since 1985, and they have proved to be excellent custodians, maintaining and further enhancing the historic features and creating a welcoming family home.

There have been minimal modern interventions, and those additions that have been made over the Castle’s long history are in keeping with the property’s heritage.

The Castle is Grade I listed and marked by superb original structural features including massive timber ceiling beams, huge arched stone openings and magnificent stone mullioned windows with cross leaded window detailing.

For the current custodians it has been first and foremost a happy family home and a welcoming bed and breakfast business loved by visitors from all over the world.

Its potential, says the current owner, is great, both as a business and a wonderful home.

In addition to being one of the oldest properties in the county, it must also be one of the most attractive, with pretty gardens, mature ivy and wisteria climbing its south-facing front elevation, its own small wood, an orchard and a paddock.

The paddock was, until recently, home to ponies used by the Magic Trust to allow people with severe disabilities to be driven in traps.

The charity, named 17 years ago for a pony owned by

38 | collection

The Castle is Grade I listed and marked by superb original structural features including massive timber ceiling beams, huge arched stone openings and magnificent stone mullioned windows …

a daughter of the current family at Ogle, is now moving to the National Trust Property at Gibside, close to Gateshead, where the ponies and traps will continue to bring joy to hundreds of disabled people every year.

It is, says the current owner, a wrench to leave this home after so many happy years, but it is time, she says, to move aside for the next custodians in the expectation that they will enjoy the property as much as those who have gone before.

The Castle is just outside pretty Ogle Village and sits in some five acres of gardens and grounds. Its entrance along a pebbled drive lined with a mature tree-lined avenue offers the warmest of welcomes, in keeping with the house that is to come.

The western evergreen woodland has beautiful walkways through the contours of the moat that once surrounded the property, while the grazing paddock is served by stables, six loose boxes, winter stores and a large tack room.

Parts of the property are currently run as a bed and breakfast business which welcomes visitors throughout the year. Its grounds have often been open for garden parties and fetes and its pretty gardens, rose beds and seating areas are a tranquil haven.

The surroundings here are comfortable, traditional and fully in keeping with its heritage. A property of this age cannot survive without additions and restorations and those installed here are so expertly done that they fully complement the property’s long history.

The Pele Tower’s library and family room features oak panelling which is most likely Victorian and complements the history of the place remarkably well.

The kitchen and breakfast room has a four-oven Aga,

HOMES | SY

Parts of the property are currently run as a bed and breakfast business which welcomes visitors throughout the year …

pantries and store rooms. There is a charming single storey barn, which in recent years has been used as a bakery and second kitchen and features a superb carriage house, a disabled toilet and a second kitchen.

The south-facing drawing room is thought to have originally been the main kitchen. Its beamed ceiling, its magnificent stone inglenook fireplace and timber flooring combine to create a grand, yet comfortable space which by turns welcomes and fascinates.

The grounds are also home to the charmingly named Owl Cottage, built in 2004 at the entrance.

It’s a charming three-bedroom property which may also be available for sale under separate negotiation.

Like the big house, it has a charming atmosphere, its sitting room with south-facing terrace, fireplace with stone hearth welcoming visitors, its kitchen with Belfast sink, Aesse cooking range and integrated

Brandt appliances creating its comfortable heart.

The surrounding countryside and farmland is renowned as some of the most beautiful Northumberland has to offer, yet the Castle and Owl Cottage are within easy reach of Ponteland and Newcastle and the international airport.

You might well call it the best of both worlds – ancient and modern.

Ogle Castle is for sale at a guide price of £1.795 million with Sanderson Young’s rare! Office. Owl Cottage could be available subject to separate negotiation.

For details and further information, please contact Hazel Ross, Sanderson Young rare! Office, The Old Bank, 30 High Street, gosforth, Newcastle, NE3 1LX, tel 0191 223 3500, email hazel.ross@sandersonyoung.co.uk

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rare! OFFICE

Rare! is renowned as a leading estate agency for the sale of luxury and beautiful homes.

Extensive knowledge and experience, superb marketing and absolute discretion are guaranteed, plus an international window to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best buyers. Beautiful homes in beautiful placesâ&#x20AC;Ś a rare! thing indeed.

YOUR LOCAL OFFICE

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The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 42 | collection

rare! OFFICE

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Beechfield Tower Belsay Set within stunning Northumbrian countryside Beechfield Tower is a highly impressive country house, surrounded by grass parks. It provides a private, peaceful haven yet is accessible to Ponteland (10 miles), Newcastle Airport (10 miles) and Newcastle (18 miles). Following their purchase in 1995, the current owners have extensively refurbished the property. More recently, the conversion of the Estate Office enables a private business to be run from within the grounds.

Great Hall | Morning room | Impressive dining room with galleried library | Drawing room | Music room | Billiard room | Gentlemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study | Kitchen | Laundry room | Flower room | Cloakroom/wc | Staff kitchen | Cellars | Master bedroom and guest bedroom suites Nursery | Seven further bedrooms, five en suites | Guest sitting room Three bedroom staff house | Gatehouse | Outbuildings including stabling and garaging

Externally, the mature garden contains a champion sized all weather tennis court, a croquet lawn, and a well stocked trout lake. The layout of the grounds, with a series of walled gardens, is much admired, and the acreage of the property extends to around 6 acres.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 43

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: Offers over ÂŁ3.5 Million

Images are for illustrative purposes only.

Another development by

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C A R LTO N T E R R AC E An exclusive collection of 4 beautifully presented five storey Victorian townhouses, boasting a wealth of period character blended with contemporary interiors. All 4 listed properties have been extensively rebuilt and remodelled to outstanding levels of luxury at the highest standard, including highly impressive fixtures and fittings combined with retained features throughout.

Each property comprises of a magnificent entrance hall with period features. A substantial dining area leads out to a tranquil orangery through to a private landscaped courtyard.

Ideally situated in Central Newcastle, close by to some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most picturesque parks, Jesmond is arguably the most prestigious and sought after of Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suburbs.

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T: 0191 223 3500 E: info@carltonterrace.co.uk www.carltonterrace.co.uk

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Callerton Hall High Callerton, Ponteland

Price Guide: Price on Application

An outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the most significant country houses available within Northumberland and Tyneside. The property which is Grade II listed has an impressive history. The magnificent accommodation has been extensively refurbished and restored and now provides some of the most luxurious accommodation available within the region. The interior design reflects a contemporary image with beautiful rooms restored in a sympathetic manner to its age and period.

Reception hallway | Stunning dining room with stone fireplace and Crest of Arms | Drawing room | Family room | Sitting area | Kitchen with Mowlem & Company supplied cabinets | Leisure wing including gymnasium, sauna and spa bath | Cellar rooms | Six bedrooms | Master en-suite and dressing room | Family bathroom/wc | Second floor cinema and cocktail bar, sitting room and games area | Playroom | Seventh double bedroom suite | Formal gardens | Grazing field extending to over 10 acres Callerton Hall represents one of the finest and most impressive family homes within the north east of England and rarely is it possible to view a house which has been so sympathetically restored in a modern, contemporary and highly tasteful manner within such an impressive structure. Available for sale or to rent.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 46 | collection

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Grey Court Riding Mill

Price Guide: ÂŁ1.5 Million

An outstanding country house set in magnificent gardens and grounds extending to just under 20 acres. The property is just outside Riding Mill and is framed by tall mature trees and impressive ancient redwoods, which surround the tarmacadam drive and gated entrance. The house was converted from a former coach house and stables in 1940, following the demolition of the former Gothic mansion.

Entrance vestibule | Dining reception hall | Cloakroom/wc | Shower room | Drawing room | Kitchen fitted by Mowlem & Company four oven Aga | Breakfasting area | Family room | Utility & laundry room | Gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wc | Study and working office | Six bedrooms | Three bathrooms | One bedroomed nursery cottage with living room, kitchen and bathroom wc | Outbuildings include two large garages, two double loose boxes, a single loose box, large store and tack rooms and agricultural hay barn | Lawned gardens | Paddocks Grey Court is a quintessential country property, approached through an electrically operated gated entrance with stone pillars, along a tree lined driveway dividing beautiful mature private gardens and a railed paddock of circa three acres extending in front of the house. A very special house in a lovely location, with ease of access into Corbridge and Newcastle via rail and road links.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 47

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Osborne Villas Jesmond

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Price Guide: ÂŁ1.75 Million

Constructed in 1877 and occupying a fine site within the heart of Jesmond is this substantial three storey, semi detached Victorian villa. The property has a lovely entrance and drive with a single garage and private enclosed courtyard. Tall mature trees surround the gardens and the south facing rear garden is superb, with a timber deck and terrace and well stocked borders. The house contrasts period rooms with contemporary interiors and has been very stylishly designed by the owners.

Vestibule | Reception hall | Cloakroom and separate wc | Dining room | Sitting room | Drawing room | Amdega conservatory with mature Camellia tree Kitchen with high quality Newcastle Furniture Company cabinets and built-in appliances, leading to family room with concertina doors to deck | Utility Six double bedrooms, master with en suite bathroom | Family bathroom to first floor | Additional bathroom to second floor The house has gas central heating, an alarm system and tasteful interior design. This is an outstanding property in a great area of Jesmond with immediate access to local amenities. Viewing is strongly recommended.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 48 | collection

Runnymede Road Darras Hall, Ponteland

rare! OFFICE

Price Guide: ÂŁ1.55 Million

Extensively refurbished, remodelled and improved by the current owners in May 2006, is this magnificent detached luxury family home. The property has superb gardens and grounds with good privacy and screening. The entrance is impressive, with electrically operated doors leading to a large drive and courtyard and an integral double garage.

Entrance vestibule | Dining hall | Cloakroom/wc | Study | Lounge | Kitchen/breakfasting room | Dining room | Drawing room | Laundry/utility room Stunning chrome and glass staircase | External terrace and balcony | Master bedroom suite with private terrace | Three double bedrooms, two with en-suite | Fifth bedroom | Family bathroom with double wet room | Superb gardens The house has gas central heating, with panelled radiators and under-floor heating, double glazing, and a sophisticated alarm system. This is a beautiful house in a prime residential area of Darras Hall, with good access to all amenities and facilities, as well as the village centre.

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Dilston House Dilston, Corbridge

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Price Guide: ÂŁ1.45 Million

An outstanding opportunity to acquire a beautiful stone built country home, within a stunning area of the Tyne Valley. This fabulous house has five acres of gardens and grounds, including grazing paddocks, an all weather training arena, four stables, a large barn and outbuildings. There is also a magnificent Scandinavian chalet built in timber, providing ideal dining in the winter months. The house was built in 1878 and bought by the current owners in 1999.

Entrance vestibule | Cellars at lower ground level | Drawing room | Dining room | Gentlemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study | Cloakroom/wc | Kitchen/breakfast room | Large pantry | Family room | Utility area | Large conservatory and garden room | Master bedroom | En-suite bathroom/wc | Guest bedroom with en-suite | Four further bedrooms | Bathroom/wc | Five star rated, four bedroom holiday cottage | Extensive parking | Private grounds A magnificent home with good access to Corbridge and Hexham and good rail and road links to Newcastle. The south facing gardens and grounds have tall mature trees, lawned area, an open pond and a French parterre with box hedging. A highly desirable country home.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 50 | collection

Saville Lodge The Grove, Gosforth

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Price Guide: Price on Application

Occupying a site of just under quarter of an acre on the corner of The Grove and Moor Road North, is this fabulous stone built detached home. The house was extensively renovated by the owners in 2007 to a very high standard, with contemporary interior blending well with the traditional late 19th century architecture. Electrically operated double gates and security entry telephone system link to the main house and connect into the front courtyard gardens. To the rear there is a westerly facing terrace, timber deck and patio with spotlighting and stone boundary walls.

Entrance hall with marble flooring | Cloakroom/wc | Drawing room with contemporary fireplace | Kitchen with walnut fronted cabinets furniture, Miele appliances and an Aga | Utility | Family room/snug | Dining room opening to timber deck | Study/gymnasium, wired for cinema use | Master bedroom suite, with luxury en-suite and wet room area | Four further double bedrooms, all with en suite bathrooms or wet rooms The property has gas central heating, double glazing set in wood frames, fabulous windows, burglar alarm system, and a Nuvo audio system in many rooms. A highly impressive house in a great location of Gosforth with well screened and private gardens and tremendous access to central Gosforth facilities and amenities.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 51

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The Old Vicarage Furzefield Road, Gosforth

Price Guide: ÂŁ1.3 Million

Occupying a professionally landscaped and mature garden site of just over 0.19 acres is this attractive three storey, semi detached house. The property has electrically controlled panelled gates set in brick pillars leading into a tarmacadam drive with detached double garage. The lawned gardens are south facing with bay trees, topiary box hedging and two private sitting areas.

Entrance vestibule | Reception hall | Separate cloakroom and wc | Drawing room with window bench seat and contemporary fireplace | Dining room with doors to patio | Family sitting room with contemporary fireplace and door to terrace | Kitchen fitted by Smallbone | Garden and breakfast room | Utility | Six double bedrooms | Two en suites | Two family bathrooms | Study The house has double glazing, a comprehensive alarm system and high quality interior decoration. The Old Vicarage is a very well presented house in an excellent area of Gosforth with good accessibility to the High Street, local private schools and leisure amenities. A beautiful home. Available for sale or to rent.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 52 | collection

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Moorlands Hall and Mews Elmfield Square, Gosforth

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Prices From: ÂŁ495,000

Providing the final phase to this outstanding development, is this prestigious release of 5 luxurious conversion apartments and one stunning detached mews house.

The Victorian stone built detached mansion will complete its conversion in the summer of 2011, with 2 of the 5 apartments already reserved. Adderstone Group are known for their high quality schemes and have fine examples of beautiful conversion homes nearby.

Moorlands Hall and Mews are set back from Elmfield Road in stunning manicured communal grounds, with tall mature trees, flower borders and tremendous privacy. The 2 ground floor apartments have their own private garden areas and the mews house will have a substantial south facing garden of its own.

Moorlands Hall provides 2 ground floor apartments, both with mezzanine level accommodation due to the double height ceilings, with stunning windows and fabulous light. They will have separate drawing and dining rooms, fully integrated kitchens with breakfast areas and offer approximately 2,000 sq m of accommodation, with 3 double bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms and shower rooms.

At first floor level the private stairs and lift will access the 2 first floor apartments which have 2 double bedrooms, both with en-suite facilities, a large drawing and dining room and a fully integrated kitchen/breakfast room. They will offer between 132 and 137 sq m of accommodation and have tremendous views to the south.

The luxury penthouse at second floor level which has 3 bedrooms and its own private lift has already been reserved.

The mews house is detached from the hall and has a beautiful aspect to the south, with 3 double bedrooms, drawing room, dining room and kitchen. It is a stunning house among beautiful neighbours.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 53

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This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire the last remaining properties within this fabulous development, so well located close to Gosforth High Street and with state of the art luxurious appliances. Please contact Ashleigh Sundin on 0191 223 3500

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The Woodlands Sunderland Road, Cleadon

Price Guide: Price on Application

Originally constructed in the mid 1980s and occupied by the same family since, is this luxurious detached family home. Security plays an important part in the property, with a gated entrance and security gatehouse giving access into the private grounds, which include a large courtyard and parking area, single garage, security office and separate wc. There is also an independent cottage which has a double bedroom with en-suite, a lounge and a fitted kitchen.

Entrance vestibule | Central hall | Cloakroom/wc | Drawing room and separate dining area | Kitchen with large breakfasting area | Utility room | Master suite with en-suite and ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and gentlemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dressing rooms | Three further bedrooms, all with en-suites | Internal courtyard | Independent cottage Security gatehouse The Woodlands is set back from Sunderland Road, backing onto delightful open countryside, as well as having very impressive gardens and grounds with lawned areas and flower borders. The Woodlands is a unique and very special home for which viewing is strongly recommended.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 54 | collection

Bramblings Tranwell Woods, Morpeth

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Price Guide: ÂŁ995,000

An outstanding detached house which was purpose built for the owners in 2000. This beautiful home is set within a wooded site of two acres. The gardens are magnificent and the design of the property gives maximum use of light and views over the garden. The property benefits from a detached double plus garage, double glazing, an alarm system and fabulous internal hemlock wood doors and oak wood floors.

Reception hall | Cloakroom/wc | Kitchen/dining area | Utility & laundry room | Drawing room | Garden room | Leisure suite with gymnasium area, swimming pool and shower area | Games room | Guest bedroom to the ground floor with en-suite shower | Three double bedrooms | Fourth single bedroom | Two en-suite bathrooms | Master dressing room | Double plus garage | Impressive gardens Bramblings is a highly impressive house, beautifully designed and in a great area of Tranwell Woods, close by to Morpeth and with easy access to Newcastle. Tranwell Woods is well known for its tall trees and beautiful gardens and this house has a particularly impressive garden site. Viewing strongly recommended.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 55

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Lindisfarne Close Jesmond

Price Guide: ÂŁ995,000

Built by Banyard, this beautiful detached house is set at the head of the cul de sac and enjoys one of the best sites within its area. It has a magnificent view over Jesmond Dene and adjacent park and enjoys good privacy. The large drive will accommodate three to four cars and connects to a double integral garage. The house has been extensively remodelled and refurbished to a very high standard, with beautiful contemporary interior.

Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Utility | Dual aspect family room with stairs to lower level sitting room with media wall and doors to terrace | Kitchen with white gloss cabinets | Dining room with doors to terrace | Family shower room/wc | Master bedroom with en-suite and large dressing room | Two further bedrooms Family bathroom/wc | Fourth double bedroom, currently a lounge and cinema room The house has double glazing, gas central heating, an alarm system and beautiful gardens with timber deck and patio areas and a gazebo covering a ten person Jacuzzi. Lindisfarne Close is set back from Lindisfarne Road, adjacent to the Dene and close by to local shopping facilities.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 56 | collection

Northcroft Manor Fairmoor, Morpeth

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Price Guide: ÂŁ899,500

Planning permission has been passed to dramatically extend and remodel the existing detached family home which sits on this mature garden plot, extending to 0.402 acres. Approximately 4 months would be required to refurbish the property to the standards indicated in the computer generated images. The accommodation offered in the future will provide:

Reception hallway | Bespoke kitchen | Breakfast room | Orangery | Utility room | Shower room | Sitting room | Dining room | Master bedroom with ensuite Three further double bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Fifth bedroom with dressing room and bathroom | Detached four car garage with clock tower Extensive area above the garage, ideal for a gym, games room, cinema room or office Northcroft Manor will provide a luxurious family home in a lovely setting, with excellent views to the south and the east, and only 1 mile from Morpeth town centre, 1.3 miles to the railway station, 14 miles to Newcastle International Airport and 15 miles to Newcastle city centre.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 57

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The Grove Gosforth

Price Guide: ÂŁ825,000

A very impressive opportunity to acquire a very tasteful stone built Georgian family home. This beautiful house represents one of the finest properties within its area and has been superbly extended and refurbished in more recent years. The house offers stylish and elegant accommodation on three floors and has a number of impressive architectural features reflecting the period of its construction.

Entrance vestibule | Reception hall | cloakroom/wc | Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Morning room | Professional office | Three double bedrooms | Master en-suite dressing room | Family bathroom/wc | Fourth double bedroom set into the roof space | second bathroom/wc | Town gardens Courtyard to rear | Detached double garage | Double parking bay This is a fabulous home in a great area of Gosforth, with parking facilities at the front, a double car parking bay at the rear and a detached double garage. The house has gas central heating, some double glazing in wood frames, an alarm system and a very tasteful interior. It enjoys great access to all local schools and amenities on the High Street. Viewing is strongly recommended.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 58 | collection

Grosvenor Villas Jesmond

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Price Guide: ÂŁ825,000

A stunning three storey, Victorian semi detached villa, set in its own private crescent and one of only four original houses built at that time. The property has a lovely front garden with lawned area and long drive to the detached double length garage. At the rear the garden widens to provide a private lawned area, with brick wall boundaries and terraces. The house internally has tremendous architectural features and style and is very tastefully presented.

Entrance vestibule | Reception hall | Family room with stripped wood floors, fireplace and open archway to kitchen | Kitchen with cooking range Pantry and utility Cloakroom and wc | Drawing room with marble Adam fireplace | Music room | Garden room and conservatory with doors to terrace | Six double bedrooms | En suite Second family bathroom/wc | Shower room/wc | Large games room The property has gas radiator central heating, beautiful panelled doors, stained and leaded glass windows in part, an alarm system and lovely interior design. This is a super house in a good area of Jesmond, close by to all amenities and facilities and good transport links. Viewing is strongly recommended.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 59

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Andes House West Park Road, Cleadon Village

Price Guide: ÂŁ795,000

Occupying a secluded and private position in what has to be one of the premier streets of this sought after village. The front elevation of the premises has a full southerly aspect and access onto a sun terrace and patio. This impressive home has recently undergone a full refurbishment programme and now offers the discerning purchaser a substantial home with high quality fixtures and fittings.

Reception Hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Games room with feature window | Study | Dining Room | Stunning kitchen with AGA | Utility room Four double bedrooms | Master with en-suite and balcony | Second bedroom with en-suite and large rooftop terrace | Family bathroom | Impressive loft room | Private granny annex | Double garage | Lawned gardens Externally access is via an unmade part of West Park Road adding to the degree of privacy and seclusion and then via gates leading onto a block paved driveway with access to a double garage with quality German automatic door. The mature lawned gardens have extensively planted borders with matured trees, landscaping, and rock garden.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 60 | collection

Hirst Head House Hirst Head, Bedlington

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Price Guide: £695,000

A very well appointed stone built Victorian detached home in a beautiful walled garden setting. This property is one of the finest houses within its area. It has fabulous private gardens and excellent parking facilities for many cars, with electrically operated gates leading to the private drive and courtyard. The architectural significance of this Victorian house is important; it has been extensively refurbished and modernised throughout. A very well presented and tasteful property with beautiful décor.

Entrance porch | Reception hallway | Drawing room | Dining room | Family room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Rear hall and staircase | Cloakroom/wc Large utility | Five bedrooms | Master en-suite dressing room | Guest bedroom with en-suite | Original features throughout A very well presented and tasteful property with beautiful décor and original features to many rooms. Stone built outbuildings, stone terraces and paths, tall trees and lawned gardens make this home very attractive. Bedlington has excellent local amenities and facilities, as well as good road links to Newcastle and Coast.

The Old Bank, 30 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1LX | T: 0191 223 3500 collection | 61

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moving mountains... ...to ensure customer satisfaction, every move!

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In setting these high standards for ourselves,we ensure customer satisfaction everytime, be it a domestic or commercial relocation. Each is dealt with by our own professional uniformed staff who are discreet and courteous and work to make your moving experience smooth and simple.

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Northumberland Business Park West, Cramlington, Northumberland NE23 7RH Telephone: 0191 284 0558 enquiries@gosforthremovals.co.uk

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For a truly regionwide portfolio of quality homes marketed by highly experienced, expert staff our Gosforth regional office provides a shop window to the North East.

Country cottage, city apartment, suburban house or country pile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our regional presence provides the perfect platform to secure your sale.

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95 High Street Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4AA T: 0191 2130033

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Eslington Terrace Jesmond

Price Guide: £675,000

A magnificent, four storey, six bedroom, period terrace house in this much sought after residential area of Jesmond. The fabulous, family home is well positioned for access to the numerous local schools, shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as Jesmond Metro Station with easy links to the city centre. This superb family home has been lovingly restored and improved by the current owners, with many of the property’s period features retained including, sash windows, decorative ceiling coving and roses, and impressive high ceilings.

Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Laundry | Boot room/store | Basement games room/office | First floor drawing room | Master bedroom | En-suite shower room/wc | First floor double bedroom with roof terrace | Shower room/wc | Four bedrooms to the second floor | Bathroom/wc Externally, there is a lawned town garden to the front, a first floor terrace for sitting out, and to the rear an attractive, private courtyard with raised planted beds.

There is a large double garage accessed from the rear lane.

95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 64 | collection

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Cragside House, Cragside Cottage and Cragside Farm Cottage have a superb elevated position overlooking Eastgate village, Rookhope Burn and the ‘Bainbridge Memorial Methodist Church’. The properties are within a few minutes walk of the picturesque Rookhope Burn waterfalls and beyond, lovely rural and woodland walks. The traditional stone built houses, formerly known as Eastgate Home Farm, are steeped in history with the oldest house being Cragside House, circa 1640, which was originally built as the Bailiffs House for the Bishop of Durham’s hunting park and was later occupied by the Bainbridge family in the 1800’s. The charming properties have lovely, private gardens and Cragside Farm Cottage has a small paddock circa 0.784 acres. A great opportunity to purchase all three properties, and ideal for families with dependent relatives. Alternatively there is business potential as holiday lets or bed and breakfast.

Cragside House: £385,000 - Three reception rooms | Kitchen | Utility/wc | Five bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Stone built double garage Cragside Cottage: £335,000 - Two reception rooms | Kitchen/breakfast room | Utility/wc | Four bedrooms | En-suite to master | Bathroom Cragside Farm Cottage: £295,000 - Two reception rooms | Kitchen | Store | Three bedrooms | En suite bathroom/wc | Shower room/wc | Stone built single garage | Paddock approx 0.784

95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 collection | 65

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Eastgate Nr Stanhope, Co Durham

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Oakfield Road Gosforth A beautifully presented and maintained, five bedroom semi detached house on Oakfield Road. The property, occupied by the current owners for the last 35 years, has lovely features including a south facing garden, traditional marble fireplaces, stained glass leaded windows, and original doors and coving.

Reception Hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Utility room | Master bedroom | En-suite dressing room and bathroom | Two further first floor bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Two second floor bedrooms | Shower room/wc

The fabulous, three storey family home has an attractive landscaped, paved patio garden to the rear, a gravel driveway to the front and side, and a large single garage. French doors lead from both the kitchen/breakfast room and living room directly onto the garden.

Price Guide: £595,000 Westfield Grove Gosforth Very well located in a prime area of central Gosforth is this substantial semi detached family home. The property, originally built in the 1930’s, has been extended on two occasions to create a large family property. The property enjoys a lovely west facing garden.

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Entrance vestibule | Reception hallway | Cloakroom/wc Dining room | Drawing room | Family room | Fitted kitchen Conservatory | Four bedrooms | Master en-suite | Garage

The property has a great deal of style and character with an entrance vestibule leading through to the reception hall with wood panelling, cloaks cupboard and a separate wc. The dining room is at the front of the property with a bay window and a built-in china cabinet to the chimney breast.

Price Guide: £595,000 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 66 | collection

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GOSFORTHREGIONALOFFICE Tollgate Road Tollgate Road, Hamsterley Mill, Rowlands Gill A superb, four bedroom detached house with a fabulous mature garden site of approx 0.3 acres, two driveways, a single garage and detached double garage constructed in wood. The property is a fantastic family home, with an impressive extended garden room opening to the terrace and garden, and versatile living accommodation.

Hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Study/Music room Fitted kitchen | Fabulous open plan garden/dining room Utility room | Four bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Single attached garage | Double timber detached garage | Superb mature gardens and terraces.

The family home has plans drawn for the conversion of the garage to an extra family room and to the first floor a master bedroom with en-suite ( subject to normal planning consents).

Price Guide: ÂŁ555,000 The Cottage Three Ways, Tranwell Woods, Morpeth A beautifully appointed detached family cottage in a lovely location, with wooded surrounds and an attractive garden site. The property has a gated access with private on-site parking for several cars, as well as a detached double garage. There is a westerly facing rear garden with patio terrace, lawns and a water feature.

The property has oil central heating, double glazing and an alarm system. This is a lovely home in a great location, close by to Morpeth and with excellent road links to Newcastle and Tyneside. Viewing is strongly recommended.

Price Guide: ÂŁ530,000 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 collection | 67

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Dining reception hall | Kitchen/breakfast room | Lounge Conservatory | Playroom | Two ground floor bedrooms Separate wc | Two first floor double bedrooms | Master en-suite shower room | Family bathroom/wc with under floor heating

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West Lodge House High Gosforth Park This detached historic lodge, built in circa 1880’s, is set within the boundary walls of Gosforth Park. The Lodge has been extensively renovated creating a most comfortable and well laid out family home.

All of the renovation has been carried out in such a way as to maintain the traditional character of the original cottage.

Entrance vestibule | Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Open plan kitchen/dining room | Spacious living room | Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom | 2 further bedrooms both with en-suite shower rooms | Detached double garage | Gardens

The generous plot includes gardens to three sides, surrounded by mature shrubbery and hedgerows ensuring a good degree of privacy.

Attached to the side of the garage is an additional room which could be used as an office/workshop.

Price Guide: £435,000 Lintfort Picktree, Washington An attractive family home, constructed in a traditional style in stone, well positioned in a quiet cul de sac. The four/five bedroom house, offers deceptively spacious accommodation, and has been improved and extended with the addition of a versatile, first floor granny/teenager annexe and a double detached garage.

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Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Dining room Study | Family kitchen/breakfast room | First floor self contained annexe – living room, double bedroom and bathroom/wc |Three bedrooms | Master en-suite | Family bathroom/wc | Lovely landscaped gardens

Lintfort is ideally placed for the local amenities in Chester le Street and Washington, and has excellent access to the A1 both north and South for commuting to Tyneside, Durham and Newcastle.

Price Guide: £420,000 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 68 | collection

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GOSFORTHREGIONALOFFICE Brackenpeth Mews Great Park, Gosforth A beautifully presented, detached bungalow, set in a quiet cul de sac towards the easterly edge of the Great Park. The three bedroom bungalow has a lovely, south facing rear garden, parking for several cars and a large, attached double garage.

Hallway | Cloakroom | Living room | 22ft Kitchen/breakfast room | Master bedroom | En-suite shower room/wc | Two further bedrooms | Bathroom/wc | Large double garage South facing rear garden with paved terraces | Vegetable garden | Parking for several cars

The property is immaculately presented throughout, with attractive neutral décor and flooring, high quality kitchen cabinets with granite worktops and integrated appliances, fitted wardrobes to the master and guest bedroom, and a well appointed bathroom and en-suite shower room.

Price Guide: £395,000 Northfield Road Gosforth A superb, four bedroom, semi detached house with landscaped gardens, a block paved driveway and store. The family home has been extensively refurbished in recent years, to provide great family accommodation, with a new kitchen/breakfast room, and newly fitted bathroom and shower room.

One major feature of the house is a the impressive open plan living space to the rear, incorporating the kitchen, family room and dining/garden room. To the front of the property there is a block paved driveway which in turn leads to the store (former garage).

Price Guide: £310,000 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 collection | 69

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Vestibule | Hallway | Living room | Open plan family and dining room | Contemporary fitted kitchen| Four bedrooms Shower room/wc | Family bathroom/wc | Store | Landscaped gardens | Decked terrace | Block paved driveway

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Mount Pleasant Blaydon Bank, Blaydon-On-Tyne A handsome, stone built semi detached house with an elevated position off Blaydon Bank, with lovely landscaped gardens, single garage and parking. The fabulous, period house has been stylishly refurbished to an extremely high standard throughout, with many original features including wood floorboards, and cast iron fireplaces.

Vestibule | Cloakroom/wc | Reception hallway | Living room Dining room | Contemporary fitted kitchen/breakfast room Utility room | Three double bedrooms | Impressive 14ft bathroom/wc | Stone terraced sitting area | Rear terraced garden | Single garage and parking

To the front of the property, there is a lovely landscaped terraced garden with a feature oval shaped raised lawn with timber sleepers supports, gravel pathways, external halogen lighting with timer control and mature planted borders with trees and shrubs.

Price Guide: ÂŁ310,000 Easedale Avenue Melton Park, Gosforth A super opportunity to acquire a well extended, semi detached house in a good area of Gosforth. The property is located in a popular location in Easedale Avenue, with west facing front gardens, double drive, lawned areas and access to the integral single plus garage.

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Entrance porch | Reception hall | Sitting room | Dining room with French doors | Kitchen/breakfast room | Utility room Ground floor wc | Large master bedroom | En-suite bathroom/wc | Three further double bedrooms Family bathroom | Separate wc | Lawned garden with raised patio terrace

The property benefits from double glazing, gas central heating and an alarm system. A very pleasant property in a good area with good access to local amenities and sports facilities. Viewing strongly recommended.

Price Guide: ÂŁ299,950 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 70 | collection

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GOSFORTHREGIONALOFFICE Granville Road Jesmond An elegant and stylish, two bedroom apartment located on the first floor of this semi detached Victorian villa, well set back from Granville Road in Jesmond. The spacious, period apartment is beautifully presented throughout, with many period and traditional features retained, including sash windows, and an impressive ornate marble fireplace to the living room.

Hallway | Impressive 20ft living room | 16 ft kitchen/breakfast room | Master bedroom | En-suite wc | Large second bedroom | Family bathroom/wc | Single garage with electronic roller door and parking

There is a communal side entrance, with a staircase leading to the private entrance, which has a secure entry phone system. No upward chain.

Price Guide: £279,950 Walbottle Hall Gardens Walbottle An attractive, Grade II listed, former wing of Walbottle Hall, set back from the original Hall on the eastern elevation. The stone built, period home has generous accommodation over two floors, a double garage, a long gravelled driveway, and lovely lawned gardens to the front and side.

Hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Drawing room | Dining room Kitchen/breakfast room | Laundry room | Master bedroom | En-suite shower room/wc | Three further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc

Price Guide: £450,000

A beautifully presented, three bedroom bungalow, well positioned toward the head of the cul de sac in Baronswood and within easy access of Gosforth High Street. The detached bungalow has been well maintained throughout with attractive neutral décor and modern kitchen and bathrooms, benefiting from double glazing and gas central heating.

Hallway | Living room | Dining room | Conservatory | Fitted kitchen | Utility room | Master bedroom with fitted wardrobes | En-suite shower/wc | Two further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Single garage and driveway Lawned gardens

Price Guide: £349,950 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 collection | 71

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Baronswood Gosforth

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West Lane Forest Hall A substantial, five bedroom, semi detached house, built in the 1930’s and extended in 2005 by the current owner. The excellent family home, has three reception rooms, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a loft room, along with a large double garage, and gardens.

Porch | Hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Living room | Family room | 19ft Dining/music room | 18ft Kitchen with integrated appliances | Utility/store | Five bedrooms | Two well appointed bathrooms | Loft room | Double garage | Driveway | Raised decked terrace

Price Guide: £330,000 Albany Mews Montagu Avenue, Gosforth A beautifully presented townhouse, set in this quiet residential development close to the Town Moor. The property has accommodation set over three floors, with versatile ground and first floor living spaces, a double garage and attractive rear garden. The house benefits from double glazing, gas central heating, and a security alarm system.

Vestibule | Cloakroom/wc | Hallway | Garden room | First floor 32 ft open plan living/dining room | Fitted kitchen | Study | Second floor | Master bedroom | En-suite shower room/wc | Three further bedrooms and bathroom/wc | Double integral garage | Landscaped rear garden

Price Guide: £305,000 Chipchase Mews Great Park, Gosforth An attractive four bedroom, detached house situated towards the edge and entrance of the Great Park, with a generous, private rear garden and double attached garage. The property is an ideal family home, with enclosed gardens, gas central heating, double glazing and neutral décor throughout.

Hallway | Living room | Dining room/study | Kitchen/breakfast room Utility room | Master bedroom | Ensuite shower room/wc | Three further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Lovely, good sized rear garden | Double attached garage

Price Guide: £299,950

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Pinewood Avenue North Gosforth This deceptively spacious, 1950’s detached bungalow, in need of some modernisation, occupies a generous garden site. The impressive bungalow, which has been extended, has spacious ground floor accommodation with further scope for development into the loft, where there are two rooms that could be further bedrooms(subject to normal consents).

Vestibule | Reception hallway | Living room | Large conservatory | 30ft Kitchen/dining room | Master bedroom with en-suite wc | Second double bedroom | Bathroom/wc | Two loft rooms accessed via a loft ladder | Lovely gardens | Single garage

Price Guide: £275,000 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 72 | collection

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GOSFORTHREGIONALOFFICE Dobson Crescent St Peters Basin A very spacious and extremely well presented three storey, three bedroom town house which is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne. This property, recently refurbished by the current owners, has been decorated to a very high standard.

Breakfasting kitchen | Cloakroom/wc | L-shaped living/dining area | Three bedrooms – two with dressing areas | Master with en-suite | Family bathroom | Front and rear gardens | Driveway | Store area, formerly garage

Price Guide: £210,000 Dukes Meadow Backworth A four bedroom, stone built house, constructed by Beechwood Homes in 2007, with parking, a single garage and a rear garden. The house, built in a barn conversion style, forms part of an attractive courtyard setting, and overlooks a large stable and ménage to the rear.

Vestibule | Hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Living/dining room | Fitted kitchen with integrated appliances | Master bedroom with fitted wardrobes | En-suite shower room/wc | Three further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Single integral garage Block paved parking/driveway | Rear garden | No upward chain

Price Guide: £210,000 Percy Gardens Forest Hall A deceptively spacious, two bedroom, semi detached bungalow, in need of modernisation. The property is ideally situated for the local shops and amenities. The bungalow benefits from two loft rooms to the first floor, gas central heating and gardens to front and rear.

Vestibule | Hallway | 24ft Living room | Conservatory | Kitchen with gas fired AGA | Two double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes | Shower room/wc Two loft rooms | Gardens | Detached garage | Driveway

Price Guide: £185,000

This is a delightfully presented and deceptively spacious three/four bedroom two storey property situated towards the end of this very pleasant road. The property boasts gas central heating, double glazing and a very pleasant landscaped rear garden, large timber garage and private driveway.

Mid terrace dormer bungalow | Entrance hall | Living room | Dining room Sun lounge | Bathroom | Fitted kitchen | Conservatory | Three/four bedrooms | Landscaped gardens | Timber garage

Price Guide: £179,950 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 collection | 73

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Nicholson Terrace Forest Hall

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The Drive Gosforth A well presented, light and spacious, two bedroom flat, positioned on the second floor of this apartment building in this sought after area of Gosforth. The flat, enjoying a southerly aspect, benefits from double glazing, electric night storage heating and communal front gardens.

Communal entrance | Staircase to second floor | Hallway | Living room Dining room | Kitchen | Utility room | Two double bedrooms Bathroom/wc | Communal gardens

Price Guide: £169,950 St Anns Quay Quayside A well presented third floor one bedroom duplex apartment in the prestigious development of St Anns Quay benefiting from a security intercom system. The apartment has been finished to a high specification including solid wood flooring and doors and Travertine marble to the bathroom and wc.

Entrance hall | Master bedroom | En-suite bathroom | Spiral staircase to open plan lounge/dining/kitchen | | Balcony | Recessed lighting | One allocated car parking space | Concierge service

Price Guide: £149,950 St Anns Quay Quayside This is a superb one bedroom apartment with fantastic views from the balcony over the River Tyne. Well positioned on the ground floor of the popular, and much sought after St Anns Quay development, this river fronted apartment benefits from secure entry and an allocated parking space nearby.

Entrance hall | Open plan living space with fitted kitchen and integrated appliances and door to balcony | Double bedroom with door to balcony Bathroom/wc | View is highly recommended

Price Guide: £142,950

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The Printworks Rutherford Street, Newcastle A superbly presented, sixth floor, two bedroomed apartment, situated in a converted Printworks building, next to the city walls and the centre of Newcastle.

The property benefits from contemporary décor throughout and ample storage space providing well proportioned rooms at this very competitive price.

Open plan living | Fitted kitchen | Bathroom | Master bedroom with ensuite | Second bedroom | Parking space | Juliet balcony | City views

Price Guide: £142,500 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 74 | collection

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GOSFORTHREGIONALOFFICE Collingwood Mews Gosforth A second floor (top floor) modern apartment situated within this popular, purpose built development, close to Gosforth High Street and enjoying stylishly presented accommodation with a communal entrance via a security intercom system with stairs and lift access to all floors.

Master bedroom with en-suite | Second bedroom | Bathroom | Open plan Living and dining | Fitted kitchen with integral appliances Allocated space in secure underground car park

Price Guide: £139,950 Beaumont Terrace Gosforth This three bedroomed, upper floor, Tyneside flat is situated in a very popular area of Gosforth. The property is pleasantly located, spacious and very versatile.

Located within half a mile is Gosforth High Street giving access to bars, restaurants, shops and amenities. Newcastle city centre is within close proximity as is Gosforth Metro Station.

Entrance vestibule | Staircase | First floor landing | Lounge | Three bedrooms | Kitchen | Bathroomwc | Externally there is a rear yard

Price Guide: £135,000 Warton Terrace Heaton A two bedroom, ground floor,Tyneside flat, situated in this vibrant area of Heaton.

Located just off the ever popular Chillingham Road, the property is spacious and versatile. Externally there is a small garden to the front and a private rear yard.

Entrance vestibule | Entrance hallway | Spacious lounge | Two bedrooms | Fitted kitchen | Bathroom/wc | Small garden to the front and a private rear yard

Price Guide: £99,950

A rare studio apartment, well positioned on the first floor of Montagu Court and enjoying spectacular views over the Town Moor. The apartment has been cleverly designed to create a light and airy accommodation. There are lovely landscaped communal gardens.

Communal entrance with entry phone system | Well proportioned and versatile room with panoramic views | Well appointed kitchen and shower room | Lovely, landscaped communal gardens | Allocated parking for both residents and guests

Price Guide: £87,950 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 2130033 collection | 75

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The Annexe Montagu Court, Gosforth

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Ponteland and Darras Hall, the Tyne Valley and south Northumberland all benefit from the expertise and experience of Sanderson Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ponteland office.

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Coates Institute Main Street Ponteland NE20 9NH T: 01661 823 951

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The Granary Stables Prestwick Mill Farm, Prestwick

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Price Guide: £950,000

Prestwick Mill Farm is located to the north of the village of Prestwick, a beautiful village which links easily to Newcastle to the south. The Granary Stables was purchased by the current owners in 2007 and since that time has been greatly improved and extended, with new equestrian and cattery businesses being formed. The Granary Stables itself provides a very pleasant and comfortable family home, which enjoys lovely views over the surrounding grazing paddocks and nearby countryside.

Entrance hallway | Sitting room | Family room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Conservatory and dining room | Two double bedrooms to the ground floor | Ground floor bathroom | Master bedroom with en-suite to first floor | Dressing room/bedroom four | Outdoor terrace with timber barbecue area | Garden | Courtyard with parking Grazing paddocks | All weather training arena and menage | Stables and loose boxes | Cattery | Circa 19 acres ‘The Granary Stables and Kitty Kattery’ has been a successfully launched business by the current owners, with four and six stables respectively, a five stable building, and all weather training arena. Prestwick Mill Farm is a lovely property, situated in a beautiful rural backdrop, yet close by to a large area of Tyneside, with excellent road links and access to the airport

Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 collection | 77

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Silverhill House Dalton

Price Guide: ÂŁ749,950

A superb opportunity to acquire a fabulous detached family home, extensively refurbished in 2005. This is a luxury modern home, retaining the original farmhouse in part. Formal grounds surround the house and in addition to this there is an orchard with ornamental apple trees and grazing paddocks, totalling 8.404 acres (subject to separate negotiation). The gardens include lawned areas, patio terraces, kitchen garden and large grass dog run.

Entrance porch | Reception hall | Family room with period fireplace | Study | Drawing room | Garden room | Kitchen/dining with four oven Aga, beautiful oak and painted units and extensive built-in appliances | Utility and laundry room | Master bedroom with dressing room and an en-suite bathroom/wc with double shower | Three further double bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Double plus detached garage This luxury home has all modern amenities, with double glazed windows, oil fired central heating with under-floor heating to the ground floor and bathrooms and radiators to the first floor. There is a comprehensive alarm system, a built-in vacuum system and lovely modern interior design. This is a super house in a great location.

Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 78 | collection

Burnside Close Ovingham

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Price Guide: ÂŁ499,500

This six bedroom stone built property is located in the heart of Ovingham Village, with access to local amenities and good transport links. The property was built in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and is set over three floors with a beautiful landscaped rear garden.

Entrance hallway | Refitted cloakroom/wc | Sitting room Dining room | Lounge | Refitted breakfasting kitchen | Utility room | Four first floor bedrooms | Master en-suite | Family bathroom | Two second floor bedrooms | Store room The property benefits from double glazing, gas central heating, double garage and off street parking, enclosed patio front garden and a rear landscaped garden.

It is an ideal family house with spacious rooms. Viewing is recommended to fully appreciate the accommodation on offer.

Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 collection | 79

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Darras Road Darras Hall, Ponteland

Price Guide: ÂŁ599,950

Excellent detached family home in a lovely mature garden plot of 0.553 acres. In and out access drive, good parking and double width garage. There are lovely gardens at the rear with mature trees, family terrace and patio with rolling lawned gardens, small burn and professional tennis court. The property has been dramatically extended and refurbished by the current owners. The principal extensions to the house have taken place at the rear and include a guest bedroom suite and breakfasting kitchen.

Entrance porch |Reception hall | Cloakroom/wc | Sitting room | Study | Music room | Fitted kitchen with French doors to the garden | Family breakfasting room | Four double bedrooms | Two en-suites | Family bathroom/wc | Garage | Gardens | Tennis court The rear garden is a very impressive feature of the house, with a raised up stone flagged terrace to the foreground of the property. It is surrounded by a stone rockery bed with flowers and shrubs. There is a small bridge running over the little burn, which then connects onto the rear garden adjacent to the professional tennis court.

Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 80 | collection

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PONTELAND OFFICE Bonas Hill Farm Steadings Ogle An outstanding opportunity to acquire a range of redundant stone built farm steadings, in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the edge of Ogle village. The farm buildings extend with a ground floor area of circa 590 sq m (including the remains of a once gin gan) and 64 sq m of first floor accommodation. The current planning application has been submitted to convert these buildings into two fabulous semi detached houses, offering 223 sq m and 339 sq m respectively.

Separate to this will be detached garaging. The gardens and grounds that surround extend to around 1.16 acres and will have fabulous views over the surrounding countryside. This is a fabulous opportunity to create two luxury homes in such a beautiful location. Both properties will provide four plus bedrooms and attractive landscaped gardens.

Ogle is a lovely Northumberland village, with easy access into Ponteland and Newcastle.

Price Guide for the Existing Buildings: ÂŁ825,000 Eland Hall Cottage Ponteland A superb opportunity to acquire a very impressive house set back from the old Eland Hall and farm. The property has great history and character with an impressive garden extending to around an acre including a former grazing paddock and a double garage with a hard standing for 6 cars.

The house is a semi detached wing built in stone with a single storey addition, ideal for an independent relative. Well located for Ponteland village centre and good transport links into Newcastle. This is a lovely old period property in an excellent area.

Price Guide: ÂŁ799,500 Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 collection | 81

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Entrance hall | Dining room | Drawing room | Sitting room Shower room/wc | Family room with marble fireplace Kitchen/breakfast room with AGA | Utility room | Four bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Double and secondary glazing | Oil fired central heating

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Darras Road Darras Hall Ponteland Building Plot A rare opportunity has arisen to purchase this mature site of approximately 0.6 acres which is offered with full planning permission.

The road frontage is approximately 83ft. The proposed dwelling is very impressive and will offer approximately 7000 sq ft of accommodation over three floors. The site has been prepared ready for construction, with the demolition of the old bungalow, leaving only a site office/storage cabin.

The proposal is for a very substantial detached house, which will include a large entrance reception hall, lounge, sitting room and a study. There is a dining room as well as a kitchen breakfast room, which has access on to a garden room.

At first floor level there will be four double bedrooms, the master has a very substantial en suite dressing room and bathroom, the other bedrooms will have en suite bathroom facilities. The second floor of the property will provide a substantial fifth bedroom suite and studio, ideal as a cinema room or entertainment area. There is Building Regulations Approval and it also may be possible, subject to the usual consents, to submit an alternative design.

Price Guide: ÂŁ650,000 Avondale Road Darras Hall Ponteland A superbly presented, four bedroom, two en-suite, family home, occupying approximately a quarter acre site, located in a pleasant and quiet cul de sac, on the western edge of Darras Hall. The property has gardens to the front and rear and a block paved driveway providing ample off street parking.

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Entrance vestibule | Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Study Lounge | Stunning orangery | Kitchen/breakfast room | Utility Four bedrooms | Master en-suite | Bedroom two en-suite and dressing room | Family bathroom/wc | Double garage Gardens to the front and rear

Modern benefits include UPVC double glazed windows, gas central heating system to radiators and a security alarm system. Overall this is a stunning family home enjoying a pleasant location in a quiet cul de sac location. Viewing is strongly recommend.

Price Guide: ÂŁ630,000 Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 82 | collection

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Garden House Kirkheaton This modern stone built detached family home is located in the hamlet of Kirkheaton with lovely views to the front elevation over the green.

There is good access into Newcastle upon Tyne, Ponteland and all the amenities it has to offer.

Reception hallway | Lounge with feature open fireplace Impressive 28ft dining kitchen | Utility room | Snug/study Cloakroom/wc | Master suite including a double bedroom and en-suite | Three further bedrooms | Family bathroom

Externally there are lawned gardens all with a wall surround to the rear elevation. The property is surrounded by some of Northumberland’s most picturesque countryside.

Price Guide: £445,000 Whinfell Road Darras Hall, Ponteland A super opportunity to acquire a lovely detached family home, on a good quarter acre site. The property has a wide frontage and gated access into a parking area with attached double garage. The property has attractive gardens, with a patio and large open lawned areas.

A lovely light house in a good location of Darras Hall, with easy access to local schools, shopping facilities and the village centre in Ponteland.

Viewing is strongly recommended.

Price Guide: £435,000 Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 collection | 83

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Ground floor shower room/wc | Fitted breakfasting kitchen Dining room with patio doors | Lounge | Three double bedrooms | Fourth single bedroom used as a study | Well appointed family bathroom/wc | Double garage

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Willow Way Darras Hall Ponteland This delightful detached bungalow is set within its own grounds with lawned gardens to the front and a secluded garden to the rear. There is a driveway providing ample off street parking. The property offers good access to all that Ponteland and Darras Hall has to offer.

Entrance porch | Entrance hallway | Spacious lounge/dining area | Breakfasting kitchen | Conservatory | Two bedrooms Master en-suite | Family bathroom | Double Garage | Lawned gardens to the front and a secluded garden to the rear

Previous planning permission granted, now lapsed, for substantial extension. The property benefits from gas central heating, double glazing and a security alarm system. Darras Hall is well positioned for commuting throughout the region, including Newcastle International Airport and Newcastle city centre.

Price Guide: £375,000 Beech Court Darras Hall Ponteland This detached bungalow, originally constructed in the 1970’s, is located on the edge of Darras Hall estate. The property offers considerable potential for renovation and modernisation, although having been maintained over the years it is somewhat dated in presentation.

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Entrance hallway | Living/dining room | Kitchen | Utilty room Shower room | Three bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc Attached double garage | Extensive gardens to the front, side and rear

The property benefits from double glazing and gas fired central heating. We would strongly recommend an internal inspection in order to fully appreciate the considerable potential offered by this property.

Price Guide: £299,950 Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 84 | collection

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Ingham Terrace Wylam A thoroughly modernised two storey end terraced house, situated in this most prominent and sought after location within the picturesque and desirable Tyne Valley village of Wylam. The house has been carefully restored to retain much of its period charm, including period fireplaces, stripped and waxed internal four panel pine doors.

Entrance hall | Spacious lounge with open fire | Dining kitchen with French doors to rear garden | Utility Cloakroom/wc | Three bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc

Externally there is an attractive fenced and gated village garden to the front and a private fenced lawned garden to the rear, including a timber garden shed. It is considered that there is some further scope for extension via a loft conversion, subject to obtaining all required consents.

Price Guide: ÂŁ304,950 North Road Ponteland A traditional, three bedroom, semi detached house with lovely rear gardens, a driveway and single attached garage. The house, ideal as a family home, has many original features including a stained glass and leaded window to the landing, original panel doors and door handles, tiled fireplaces and dado rails.

The house benefits from gas central heating and double glazed windows. The lovely rear garden is predominately lawned with mature hedges to the boundary and a patio area leading directly from the dining room at the rear. No upward chain

Price Guide: ÂŁ245,000 Coates Institute, Main Street, Ponteland, NE20 9NH | T: 01661 823 951 collection | 85

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Hallway | Living room | Dining room with door leading to the garden | Kitchen/breakfast room | Three bedrooms Bathroom and separate wc | Single garage | Driveway Lovely rear garden

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Sanderson Young are here to give your home maximum exposure and introduce buyers to the delights of country life.

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31-33 Bondgate Within Alnwick Northumberland NE66 1SX T: 01665 600 170

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Oaklands West & Oaklands Courtyard Cottage Alnmouth Road Alnwick

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Price Guide: £695,000

Oakslands West is a superb example of an Edwardian family home with Courtyard Cottage set within private surroundings accessed from the much sought after Alnmouth Road area of Alnwick.

This property would ideally suit those looking for a family home with additional accommodation for relative or family member. Built Circa 1896 Oaklands West benefits from gas central heating, double glazing and many traditional features in keeping with the age and style of the property.

Oaklands West Entrance lobby | Superb generous reception hall with original cast iron bread oven and range | Study | Conservatory | Attractive lounge with inglenook style fireplace and multi-fuel burning stove | Fitted kitchen - Open plan to a conservatory/breakfast room | Cloakroom/wc | Four bedrooms master with en-suite | Family bathroom/wc | Private driveway | Courtyard gardens

Price Guide: £490,000

Oaklands Courtyard Cottage Open plan kitchen with stairs to the first floor | Ground floor cloakroom/wc | Feature archway leading to the lounge | Two bedrooms, the master with en-suite wc and wash hand basin | Bathroom/wc

Price Guide: £205,000

31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 collection | 87

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Alnside Court Lesbury A superb four bedroom, stone built, detached family home, well positioned within this exclusive residential development located in the heart of the pretty coastal village of Lesbury, offering generous and well proportioned accommodation. Benefiting from gas central heating, double glazing, security alarm system, good sized gardens, and a detached stone built double garage.

Entrance lobby | Hallway | Lounge | Family room Conservatory | Dining room/study | Ground floor shower room/wc | Superbly appointed fitted kitchen | Utility room Master bedroom suite with dressing area and bathroom/wc Bedroom 2 with en suite shower/wc | Two further double bedrooms | Jack and Jill style bathroom

The picturesque village of Lesbury has a Church, village hall, traditional public house, and is within walking distance of Alnmouth’s East Coast Main Line rail station and the neighbouring Fisrt School at Hipsburn.

There is easy access to the A1 for commuting north towards Scotland or south to Tyneside.

Price Guide: £650,000 West Wing Cote Nook, Linden Hall, Longhorsley An attractive and well appointed, 3 bedroom family home, within a delightful and generous garden site. West Wing, Cote Nook, was originally constructed in the early 1800’s as the original estate house for Linden Hall and was converted to offer its current accommodation in 2002.

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Entrance lobby | Dining hall with study area | Fitted breakfasting kitchen with integrated appliances | Utility Cloakroom/wc | 22ft lounge with French doors leading to the gardens | Three double bedrooms with en-suites Bathroom/wc

The property is within walking distance of what is now ‘Linden Hall’ Hotel, which is itself set within 450 acres of parks and woodlands offering numerous leisure facilities.

Price Guide: £595,000 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 88 | collection

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ALNWICKOFFICE Beachcomber Newton Barns, Newton-By-The-Sea Beachcomber is an attractive and superbly presented stone built barn conversion. One of seven properties within this exclusive Farm Steading development constructed by Turney Wylde in 2006, located to the west of the sought after village of Newton-by-the-Sea. This property has stunning sea views across the gardens and open countryside to the rear.

Open plan kitchen/dining room | Utility | Cloakroom/wc Lounge with byre style window and French doors | Two double bedrooms with fitted furniture | Third single bedroom with built-in wardrobe | Family bathroom/wc | Gardens Allocated Parking

The property benefits from LPG gas under floor heating to the ground floor, and radiators to the first floor, double glazing, downstairs dimmer switches, and security alarm system.

Price Guide: ÂŁ395,000 The Cottage Newton-on-the-Moor A charming stone built cottage, in the centre of the village, with fabulous open aspect views to the rear. Original features include solid oak ledged and braced doors, oak beams, stone flooring, and inglenook fireplace. Benefiting from a security alarm system, hardwood framed double glazing, gas central heating and gardens extending to approximately 0.331 of an acre.

The village of Newton-on-the-Moor has a public house. Local shop/post office, village first school and golf course can be found in the nearby village of Swarland.

Price Guide: ÂŁ350,000 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 collection | 89

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Well appointed fitted kitchen with gas Range | Charming lounge/dining room with stone inglenook style fireplace Master bedroom with en-suite | Bathroom/wc | Second double bedroom | Third bedroom/study | Mature gardens Stone workshop/garage

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Burn Close Felton An individually designed, substantial detached family home built over three floors circa 1986. The property is located on the edge of the village of Felton and is set within private mature gardens and woodland of approximately one acre with views over open countryside. This family home benefits from electric heating, and timber casement triple glazing.

Entrance hall | Shower room/wc | Study | Kitchen/dining room Lower ground floor: hallway with garage access door Bedroom six | First floor lounge with balcony | Bedroom four Galleried bedroom with open balcony | Master bedroom with en suite | Two further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc

The village of Felton offers a range of local amenities including shops/post office, public houses/restaurants, village first school, doctors’ surgery and historic Church.

Price Guide: £499,950 Lordenshaw Drive Rothbury An excellent opportunity to purchase this attractive and well proportioned modern detached four bedroom family home, occupying an elevated position within the exclusive cul de sac development having breathtaking views across the spectacular Coquet Valley. Well appointed and spacious accommodation, finished to a high standard of specification to include gas central heating, and double glazing.

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Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Attractive lounge | Open plan kitchen/dining room | Snug | Utility room | Galleried landing Master bedroom with en-suite | Three further bedrooms Family bathroom/wc | Attached garage | Gardens with decking and patio area

The market town of Rothbury, famous for being the gateway to the National Park, offers an excellent range of amenities, which include many shops, cafes, restaurants, public houses, hotels, as well as local Doctors surgery, Post Office, schooling and leisure facilities

Price Guide: £475,000 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 90 | collection

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ALNWICKOFFICE Column Mews Wagon Way Road, Alnwick Column Mews is a superb architect designed development, and is within walking distance of Alnwick’s town centre, Percy Tenantry Column and Alnwick Garden. The development comprises of ten two bedroom apartments, last few remaining, positioned in an attractive mews style setting. Show Apartment available for viewings.

Communal entrance | Private entrance hall with storage cupboard | Open plan living room with fitted kitchen Two bedrooms | Bathroom/wc | Allocated parking

Alnwick, famous for its Castle and impressive Alnwick Gardens, still retains much of its market town charm, with a wide variety of shops, restaurants and public houses.

Price Guide: £154,950 Northumberland Street Alnwick A three bedroom, Grade II listed town house, well positioned within the centre of Alnwick, only minutes walk from Alnwick Castle, Bailiffgate Museum and the impressive Hulne Park for walks. The well presented accommodation is set over three floors, with an enclosed courtyard and decked roof terrace.

The property benefits from many traditional features including sash windows with shutters, a stone flagged floor to the kitchen and stripped floorboards.

Price Guide: £215,000 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 collection | 91

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Entrance hall | Lounge with cast iron fire surround and open grate | Study/third bedroom | Bathroom/wc | Lower ground floor kitchen/breakfast room | Access to the roof terrace Master bedroom with en-suite | Second bedroom | Courtyard to the rear

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Beal Croft Warkworth A stunning detached family home within this exclusive development close to the village centre. The current owners have completed extensive refurbishment of this modern bungalow to now produce high specification contemporary family living accommodation. The property has double glazing, gas central heating, off street parking and single garage.

Hallway | Living room | Conservatory | Open plan kitchen/dining area Utility | Cloakroom/wc | Three double bedrooms | Master with en-suite and walk-in closet | Luxury family bathroom/wc | Landscaped garden with timber decked area

Price Guide: £349,950 Islestone Drive North Sunderland, Seahouses A well presented, three bedroom detached bungalow, benefiting from mature and landscaped gardens, well proportioned living accommodation with central heating and double glazing. The property is positioned within this small and exclusive modern development within North Sunderland, in land from the coastal village of Seahouses.

Entrance lobby | Entrance hallway | Living room | Dining kitchen Cloakroom/wc | Family bathroom | Three bedrooms, master with en-suite Single garage | Garden to the front, landscaped garden to rear with timber summer house, patios and lawn

Price Guide: £259,950 Harden View Netherton, Near Rothbury Modern detached bungalow offering spacious living accommodation, amidst spectacular rural North Northumberland. The property is in a small development benefiting from superb rural views to the rear with oil central heating, timber casement double glazing, external security lighting and alarm system.

Entrance lobby | Entrance hallway | Lounge/dining room | Breakfasting kitchen | Utility | Shower room/wc | Master bedroom leading to a conservatory | Two further bedrooms | Bathroom/wc | Single integral garage | Gardens | Garage

Price Guide: £225,000

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Rennington Village Alnwick Charming stone built, terraced cottage well positioned within the centre of this popular village, recently modernised and refurbished to a high standard, benefiting from Fusion electric central heating system to radiators and underfloor heating, double glazing, rewiring, parking, outbuildings, and gardens to both front and rear.

Generous entrance hall ideal as a study area | Loft room Lounge with Inglenook fireplace and multi-fuel burner | Double bedroom | Newly fitted kitchen | Newly fitted bathroom

Price Guide: £179,950 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 92 | collection

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Aydon View Alnwick A unique opportunity to purchase this five bedroom Eskdale style, detached family home, superbly positioned with superb open aspect views over Alnwick and across open countryside to the coast. Benefits from gas central heating, double glazing, security alarm system, gardens, and double attached garage.

Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Study | Lounge with French doors | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room with integrated appliances | Utility room Master bedroom with en-suite | Four further generous bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc

Price Guide: £389,950 Linden House Alnmouth Road, Alnwick Linden House is an attractive, detached family home well positioned within a small cul de sac of three similar properties on a private access road towards the periphery of Alnwick Town. The property benefits from gas central heating, single garage, and generous gardens.

Entrance lobby | Entrance hall | Cloakroom/wc | Lounge | Dining room Fitted kitchen/breakfast room | Conservatory | Utility room | Master bedroom with en-suite | Three further bedrooms | Bathroom/wc | Garage Private rear garden

Price Guide: £375,000 Rivergreen Amble A stylish and contemporary semi-detached home with accommodation over three levels, occupying a superb position within this exclusive award winning development, with views of Amble Marina and Braid. The property incorporates many design features rated as excellent under Eco Homes 2003, including sedum and zinc roofs, whilst being finished to a high standard of specification, and benefiting from gas central heating to radiators via a condensing boiler, double glazing, and security alarm system.

Entrance hallway | Utility room | Cloakroom/wc | Open plan living space including fitted kitchen | Lounge | Four bedrooms – master with en-suite and balcony | Family bathroom/wc | Garage | Enclosed rear garden

Price Guide: £280,000

A superbly presented four bedroom property, well positioned overlooking the green, within the popular development of Eastfield. A well appointed and generously proportioned family home benefiting from gas central heating, double glazing, security alarm system, 10 Year NHBC Guarantee, and gardens.

Living room | Dining room | Fitted kitchen | Breakfast room | Utility Cloakroom/wc | Master bedroom with en-suite | Guest double bedroom with en-suite | Two further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc Single garage within a block

Price Guide: £259,950 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 collection | 93

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Eastfield Longhoughton

ALNWICKOFFICE

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Link House Farm Newton-by-the-Sea Newton by the Sea is a much sought after location and this small hamlet is perfectly positioned to make the most of this beautiful part of Northumberland.

The National Trust owns much of the coastline which boasts miles of unspoilt beaches and dunes, harbour villages and historic castles. The area is popular for pursuits such as windsurfing, sailing, and bird watching and these unique properties are also ideally placed for coastal walks being situated adjacent to the sandy dunes.

The Old Barn Link House Farm The Old Barn is an attractive and excellent example of a converted Gin Gan, superbly positioned for easy access to the sandy dunes of Northumberland’s Heritage Coastline, and has been a successful holiday let in recent years. The property has night storage heating and timber double glazing.

Entrance hall | Ground floor bedroom with en-suite | Kitchen/breakfast room | Lounge converted from the original Gin Gan | First floor double bedroom with en-suite | Two further bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc Open plan garden | Parking area

Price Guide: £510,000 The Warren Link House Farm An attractive stone built end terraced barn conversion, within a courtyard of similar properties. Just a short walk from the property through the dunes lies the beautiful sandy beaches of Beadnell Bay. The Warren has proved itself in recent years to be a successful holiday let.

Breakfasting kitchen | Lounge | Hallway | Family bathroom/wc | Four double bedrooms - two with en-suite shower rooms | Enclosed front garden with patio | Off street parking | Electric and night storage heating | Timber casement double glazing

Price Guide: £420,000

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The Cottage Link House Farm A most unique and rare opportunity to purchase this converted semi-detached cottage, situated adjacent to the sandy dunes of Northumberland’s outstanding Heritage coastline. There is a short walk from the private gardens to the property, through the dunes to beautiful sandy beaches..

Living room | Dining kitchen which incorporates a garden room area | Two good double bedrooms - one with en-suite Family bathroom | Garden

Price Guide: £325,000 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 94 | collection

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Budle Sands Bamburgh Superbly appointed three bedroom stone conversion, positioned within a courtyard of similar properties close to Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve. The property has been designed to incorporate many traditional features including vaulted beamed ceilings and Heritage style windows and benefits from oil fired central heating.

Entrance lobby | Lounge | Well appointed fitted breakfasting kitchen Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom/wc | Two further double bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Allocated parking space to front within the courtyard | Rear garden

Price Guide: £395,000 Chapel Row Seahouses A rare opportunity to purchase this attractive three storey, three bedroom town house, enjoying an excellent harbour position within the village of Seahouses with breathtaking coastal views to the front across the harbour wall towards Bamburgh Castle, the Farne Islands and Holy Island.

Ground floor: Integral garage | First floor: Master bedroom with en-suite | shower room/wc | Second floor: Lounge with French doors leading to the balcony | Fitted kitchen | Third floor: Cloakroom/wc | Entrance hall and lobby | Two further bedrooms | Courtyard | Decking area

Price Guide: £365,000 Barmoor Cottage Station Road, Embleton A charming, detached cottage situated within the picturesque village of Embleton.

The property overlooks neighbouring fields towards the village Church, as well as being within walking distance of the village amenities. The property has oil central heating, double glazing, gardens and off street parking.

Entrance hallway | Cloakroom/wc | Fitted kitchen/dining room with underfloor heating and French doors leading out to the garden | Lounge Three bedrooms | Family bathroom/wc | Walk-in utility cupboard

Price Guide: £285,000

Spacious three bedroom second floor apartment forming part of The Dunes, West Wing on St Aidans, with fabulous beach and sea views from the bedrooms and lounge. The apartment benefits from electric heating, double glazing, two allocated parking spaces and communal lawned gardens to front and rear.

Communal entrance hallway | Entrance lobby | Open plan lounge/dining room with kitchen | Three double bedrooms one with en-suite shower room | Bathroom/wc | Two allocated parking spaces Shared gardens

Price Guide: £225,000 31-33 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1SX | T: 01665 600 170 collection | 95

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The Dunes Seahouses

A NEW DEVELOPMENT OF LUXURY STONE BUILT HOMES

BamBurgh

A PRESTIGIOUS LIFESTYLE OPPORTUNITY LOCATED WITHIN THE BEAUTIFUL NORTHUMBRIAN COASTAL AREA OF BAMBURGH

BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, BREATHTAKING VIEWS & PEACEFUL COUNTRYSIDE... glororum is a luxurious development from prestigious rural property specialists, Sturton grange Developments and offers everything you ever hoped to find in North Northumberland.

Situated near the picturesque Bamburgh village, with its spectacular Castle, shops, pubs and sandy beaches, glororum is only 5 miles east of the a1, offering excellent access to alnwick, Berwick, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

The twelve beautifully finished properties enjoy a spectacular location with a combination of views of Bamburgh Castle, the coast and the Cheviot hills. Created from the original 19th Century glororum Steading, these superlative stone-built properties have been designed to suit a wide range of modern lifestyles. The cosy, yet spacious, one and two bedroom cottages could serve as superior second homes, popular holiday-lets or easily managed permanent residences whilst the larger three and four bedroom houses are perfect as family homes. all twelve glororum properties preserve their authentic original exteriors in unique local whinstone with tooled natural sandstone quoins, heads, cills and jambs. The interiors offer stylish underfloor heated open-plan living areas, contemporary kitchens, fully tiled luxury bathrooms and ensuites and masses of storage space. Externally, careful consideration has been given to privacy, individual entrances, ample parking, garaging and mature landscaping.

So whether you’re searching for a delightful country cottage, or a fantastic family home, you won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to acquire an exclusive residence in the heart of North Northumberland’s idyllic heritage Coast.

a STuNNINg VIEW FrOm ThE NEW gLOrOrum DEVELOPmENT

For further information please contact Sanderson Young on 01665 600 170 or visit www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

WWW.SaNDErSONYOuNg.CO.uk

Showhome Now Open!

Cardinal Point, Beadnell, Northumbe Northumberland erland Come along and visit our sparkling new showhome at Cardinal Point. The perfect place for a beautiful holiday home. Just a minutes walk from the beach and a short drive from Seahouses, Craster and Bamburgh.

70% S OLD

2 & 3 bedroom new homes from ÂŁ183,000

spacious and bright Make an appointment to view our new showhome.

Call 07860 503069 or visit yuillhomes.co.uk

stunning exterior views

unwind to ce la p t c e rf e p e th

NEW HOMES

An increasingly confident new homes market is creating fabulous new property landmarks throughout the region.

With the market back to its buoyant best, the new home you’re dreaming off is probably just around the corner. Isn’t it time you started looking?

YOUR LOCAL OFFICE

The Old Bank 30 High Street Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1LX T: 0191 223 3500

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

SY | NEW HOMES

doors he new homes market is continuing to strengthen and interest in a number of niche developments in some prime locations in the region is extremely brisk.

Here at Sanderson Young, our new homes division has had a busy 12 months, with continued growth in interest and sales over the last year indicating a sustained recovery in the sector.

This is good news for the economy and underpins the confidence of buyers who rightly appreciate the investment potential of quality new developments.

Brand new to the market now is Glororum at Bamburgh in north Northumberland. This is a fine example of exactly the sort of bespoke, niche development our clients appreciate, both for the quality of accommodation and location they provide and for their sound investment potential.

Work has also now started on the extensive refurbishment and re-modelling of an outstanding Victorian stone-built mansion in the heart of Gosforth, Newcastle to create some of the best luxury conversion homes in the city.

Moorlands Hall and Mews is in an exclusive location with a mature, partially wooded site and the property is now being converted into five beautiful apartments and one detached mews house.

Our success in the sale and marketing of developments like Turner Square in Morpeth, where we sold a substantial number of homes off-plan, is testament to increased confidence in the new homes market.

AxwellGardens

TurnerSquare

HawthornGrange

Axwell Park, Blaydon

Morpeth

Brunton Lane, Gosforth

Outstanding four-bedroom townhouses built to a high specification and set in 35 acres of parkland with a walled garden and views across the Derwent Valley create a spectacle on this historic site. These beautiful homes boast versatile, contemporary living spaces and stylish design touches including a first-floor sun terrace overlooking the estate’s woodland. Out of 18 town houses, only two properties remain.

Only six properties remain at this development of 24 stylish homes and apartments. These include a duplex, a three-bedroom semi and a four-bedroom semi, one end terrace show home and two mid-terrace homes, all built around a leafy cul-de-sac with garage and/or off-road parking for each property.

Show home open Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-4pm

The final town house is now available in this sought-after location, which is now fully finished.

Built to a very a high specification and boasting a contemporary internal layout for maximum versatility, this is a truly unique development and an outstanding blend of contemporary and traditional style. Its location is both close to the city and extremely tranquil.

Prices from £369,995

Prices from £149,950

Price guide £425,000

opening Quality, bespoke developments are leading a growth in confidence and interest in the new homes market

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The variety and quality of new homes coming to market now illustrates increasing confidence in the market and the many opportunities available …

At historic Axwell Park in Blaydon and Field Homes’ Hawthorn Grange development at Brunton Lane in Gosforth very few properties remain.

Up the coast at Mount Hooley Farm, Beal, near Berwick, where a superb farm conversion has created six exquisite properties in a fabulous setting, four beautiful family properties remain.

The variety and quality of new homes coming to market now illustrates increasing confidence in the market and the many opportunities available, which goes to show there is something for everyone – but hurry.

MoorlandsHall&Mews

Glororum

MountHooleyFarm View from glororum

Gosforth, Newcastle

Bamburgh, Northumberland

A small development of exquisite barn conversions with bespoke designer bathrooms and kitchens and faithfully restored or recreated period features, Mount Hooley Farm is ideal as a permanent home, second home or holiday let. Four properties remain here; two three-bedroom homes and two four-bedroom homes, all boasting high quality specifications and spacious gardens with country views.

This outstanding Victorian mansion in the heart of Gosforth, is now being converted into five beautiful apartments and one detached mews house which are likely to be some of the finest conversion luxury homes in Newcastle.

Two ground-floor properties will feature three double bedroom suites, drawing and dining room and separate kitchen with breakfast area and extend to around 200m2 in size. The two first-floor apartments will feature two double en-suite bedrooms and large drawing/dining rooms and integrated kitchen /breakfast rooms up to 137m2.

The second-floor penthouse will have a private lift and cover 230m2 with three double bedroom suites and private stone covered courtyard with mini pool and a retractable glazed roof. The three-bedroom mews house will have a small private garden.

Any new development must reflect north Northumberland’s outstanding natural beauty and the 12 individually styled homes at Glororum have been designed with this philosophy very much in mind.

These beautiful barn conversions just a mile from Bramburgh’s beach blend seamlessly with the countryside and the site’s elevated position offers breathtaking views of Bamburgh Castle and the Cheviot Hills.

The development’s spacious three and four-bedroom homes are perfect for families and the one and two-bedroom cottages would suit couples downsizing and those looking for a property with letting potential.

The properties feature an innovative mix of traditional features and contemporary innovation and the development’s location, period architecture, superior design and specifications are attracting much interest.

Prices £295,000-£485,000

Price on application

Prices from £235,000

Beal, near Holy Island

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BRING THE OUTSIDE INSIDE… BESPOKE CITY LIVING IN RURAL HEAVEN Axwell Gardens is part of the prestigious Axwell Park Estate, built by the DARE Group, where only two of the stunning new townhouses remain for sale. Just a short drive from the city centre, yet set in 35 acres of historic parkland, each contemporary home, finished to a high specification, benefits from magnificent views across the Derwent Valley and exclusive use of the restored walled garden.

High Specification Includes:

Designed and built to the most exacting standards, Axwell Gardens offers a quality of life that really is second to none.

- AEG appliances

Plot 3 – Show House: £390,000 | Plot 4 – Star Plot: £369,995

- Bi-fold doors

- Large open plan living and dining areas - State of the art German Wellman kitchens

- Travertine limestone tiling

- Staircases with glass balustrades

Open: Thursday – Monday 10am – 6pm

- Private elevated terrace

Axwell Gardens, Axwell Park, Blaydon, Tyne & Wear, NE21 6RN

- Integral garage & additional parking

Contact: John-Paul Anderson

T: 0191 4144412

DEVELOPMENT AND REGENERATION EXCELLENCE

GOSFORTH OFFICE:

0191 213 0033

www.axwellpark.co.uk

IN-HOUSE FILMS

www.inhousefilms.com info@inhousefilms.com

We make Video. In HD.

Introducing...

Remote Heli-Cam Photography & Video

At In-House Films we have been providing Sanderson Young with aerial photography and video for over three years.

We are now offering our services to Residential and Commercial clients throughout the region and beyond.

Whether you’re selling your home or would just like a unique photograph for your interior, our Radio-Controlled Heli-Cam system captures beautiful images using the very latest Digital SLR cameras.

Reference quality, C-Type prints available.

Prices from £250.

CORPORATE video //

PROMOTIONAL video // ONLINE video // MUSIC video // LIVE EVENTS video // WEDDING video

REGIONAL LETTINGS

City centre crash pad, country mansion, suburban family homeâ&#x20AC;Ś the rental market is vibrant and exciting.

The flexibility and versatility of renting appeals to many, and we are here to introduce your property to our wide range of tenants waiting.

City, coast or country â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we would be happy to market your property.

YOUR LOCAL OFFICE

95 High Street Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4AA T: 0191 223 3510

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

SY | LETTINGS

let’sdoit Neil gordon finds out about the current residential rental market from Sanderson Young Regional Lettings manager gail mclean t’s an accepted truth in the property industry that a slow housing market benefits residential lettings.

If buyers are struggling to secure finance they often decide to rent as a short-term solution, and sellers in a depressed market often install tenants until conditions improve.

“January and February were our most productive trade period ever,” says Gail McLean, manager of Sanderson Young’s regional lettings division.

“The last 12 months as whole were extremely active, but we have already improved on 2010’s figures and our stream of rental properties coming onto the market is full.”

Newcastle’s Quayside and city centre areas remain popular with young professionals, while the demand for large family properties remains strong. Indeed, demand across the region is still outstripping supply.

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Sanderson Young is currently marketing two properties in the converted former school of Whalton Park near Morpeth.

The five-bedroom Hall, in the main building, has a billiard room and breathtaking views of the surrounding parkland, while the six-bedroom Walled Garden property, built in the grounds in 2001 and to rent at £3,000 pcm, boasts every modern luxury from a sunken Jacuzzi bath to pool table.

Gail has also been instructed to let the seven-bedroom Grade II-listed Callerton Hall near Ponteland.

“It’s more than 500 years old and the current owners have spent a decade restoring it to its former glory.

This truly magnificent country house now has everything from a home cinema to a cocktail bar.”

As you might expect, the rent for Callerton Hall remains a matter for the landlord and any prospective tenant, but it is safe to say the monthly figure will be

well into the thousands. Considering the amount of house you get for your money, these four-figure rents are actually surprisingly reasonable, but who is paying them?

Gail is the soul of discretion, saying only that Sanderson Young is used by high-profile clients in the world of sport, business and entertainment.

“We are also one of a group of agents commissioned

by MTV to find a property for a new reality TV show,” says Gail. “The property needs to have a hot tub, accommodate up to eight people and be available for six weeks.”

Meanwhile, Gail is introducing an optional new facility with the Fully Managed Service, whereby Sanderson Young will underwrite the cost of repairs up to the value of £500.

The Sanderson Young App for iPhone proves a useful tool in searching for property, automatically highlighting properties for rent and showing them on a satellite photograph.

A quick dry run of the app reveals more splendid properties for rent across the region.

There’s Heathery Edge, a lovely four-bedroom Tyne Valley farmhouse near Stocksfield for £1,900 pcm, and Ravensbourne, an imposing six-bedroom Victorian villa in Houghton-le-Spring, Co Durham for £2,500 pcm.

There is also a good selection of competitively priced rental property, including a charming two-bedroom apartment in Alnwick town centre for £475 pcm and a modern four-bedroom family home at Allerburn Lea near Alnwick for £650 pcm.

Even this whistle-stop tour reveals Sanderson Young Lettings is a truly region wide operation with something to suit every rental taste and pocket in most North East locations.

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REGIONALLETTINGS

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Chaswell House Burgham Park, Felton

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Price Guide: Price on Application

This beautiful, highly impressive, stone built, detached house was constructed approximately 10 years ago and occupies one of the best locations within this exclusive development sitting on a three-quarter acre garden. There are electric gates to the circular drive and courtyard with parking for many cars and a triple garage. The house overlooks the golf course and the surrounding countryside is absolutely stunning yet Newcastle City centre and airport are only a short drive via the A1.

Reception hallway with stunning staircase | Cloakroom/wc | Kitchen/dining/family room with access to decked garden area with spa and summer entertaining section Snug | Study | Drawing room | Dining room | Billiard/games/gym room with stunning cocktail bar | Master bedroom with walk in dressing room, sitting area and luxury en suite | Three further double bedrooms, two with en suites | Games room | Family bathroom | Family sitting room/additional bedroom The property also benefits from under floor heating in three of the en suite bathrooms as well as oil heating and access to sky/broadband connections. Externally there is a private gated entrance, circular driveway , gardens and decked summer entertaining area with hot tub and a triple garage.

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Kenilworth Darras Road, Darras Hall, Ponteland • 5 Bedrooms • Available immediately • Bathroom • Central heating • Conservatory • Dining room • Double garage • En suite bathroom • En suite shower room • Extensive grounds • Garden • Gym • Hallway • Kitchen with breakfast room • Landscaped gardens • Reception room • Utility room

Price Guide: £4,500 pcm Mede House Runnymede Road, Darras Hall, Ponteland • 6 Bedrooms • Balcony • Bathroom • Dining room • Double garage • Double glazing • En suite bathroom • En suite shower room • Extensive grounds • Garden

• Kitchen with breakfast room • Reception room • Unfurnished • Utility room

Price Guide: Price on application 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 223 3510 collection | 107

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• Hallway

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Glastonbury Grove Jesmond £2,000 pcm

• 4 Bedrooms • Bathroom • Kitchen with dining area • Garden • Garage • Reception room

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£1,750 pcm

£1,500 pcm

• 7 Bedrooms • Garden • Parking • Unfurnished • Bathroom • Kitchen with breakfasting forms

£1,300 pcm

• 2 Bedrooms • Furnished • Balcony • Pleasant views • Bathroom • Communal areas

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Montagu Court Gosforth

Barmoor Corbridge £1,500 pcm

• 5 Bedrooms • Bathroom • Central heating • Conservatory • Garage • Garden

Coromandel Burnopfield

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West Lodge Belsay

• 4 Bedrooms • Garden • Bathroom • Unfurnished • Kitchen • Reception room

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Stamp Exchange Newcastle £1,200 pcm

• 2 Bedrooms • Allocated parking • En suite bathroom • Furnished • Open plan kitchen • Open plan living area

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The Middle Wing Harbottle Castle, Harbottle • 4 Bedrooms • Bathroom • Dining room • Extensive grounds • Furnished • Garden • Hallway • Kitchen with breakfast room • Parking • Pleasant views • Reception room • Utility room

Price Guide: £2,000 pcm

• 3 Bedrooms • Allocated parking • Available immediately • Bathroom • Central heating • Communal areas • Duplex apartment • En suite shower room • Furnished • Hallway • Kitchen with breakfast room • Lift • Open plan kitchen • Open plan living area • Pleasant views • Reception room • River views

Price Guide: £1,950 pcm 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 223 3510 collection | 109

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Akenside Terrace Akenside Hill, Newcastle

REGIONALLETTINGS

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

Loft 3 The Turnbull, Newcastle • 2 Bedrooms • Allocated parking • Available immediately • Communal areas • Concierge • Duplex apartment • En suite bathroom • Open plan kitchen • Open plan living area • Pleasant views over the city

Price Guide: £1,700 pcm Dukes Meadow Backworth • 5 Bedrooms • Allocated parking • Bathroom • Central heating • En suite shower room • Garage • Garden • Hallway

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

• Kitchen with breakfast room • Pleasant views • Reception room • Study

Price Guide: £1,150 pcm 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 223 3510 110 | collection

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Lindisfarne House The Grange, Middle Farm, Cramlington • 4 Bedrooms • Allocated parking • Dining room • En suite shower room • Garden • Kitchen with breakfast room • Pleasant views • Reception room • Unfurnished

Price Guide: £1,000 pcm Grove Park Crescent Grove Park, Gosforth • 2 Bedrooms • Allocated parking • Bathroom • En suite shower room • Furnished • Kitchen • Pleasant views • Reception room

Price Guide: £895 pcm 9 Osborne Terrace Jesmond • 2 Bedrooms • Available immediately • Central heating • Hallway • Kitchen • Open plan living area

Price Guide: £850 pcm

• 3 Bedrooms • Conservatory • Furnished • Garage • Garden • Hallway • Kitchen with breakfast room • Open plan living area • Pleasant views

Price Guide: £850 pcm 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 223 3510 collection | 111

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Pembroke Court Kingston Park

REGIONALLETTINGS

www.sandersonyoung.co.uk

High Quays City Road, Newcastle • 2 Bedrooms • Available immediately • Bathroom • En suite shower room • Furnished • Lift • Open plan living area • Parking • Pleasant views

Price Guide: £750 pcm Hawthorn Road Gosforth • 1 Bedroom • Available immediately • Bathroom • Communal areas • Furnished or Unfurnished • Garden • Hallway • Kitchen with breakfast room

Price Guide: £645 pcm Baltic Quays Gateshead Quays • 1 Bedroom • Allocated parking • Bathroom • Furnished • Kitchen • Lift • Open plan living area

Price Guide: £550 pcm

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Brandling Mews Melton Park, Gosforth • 1 Bedroom • Available immediately • Bathroom • Garage • Kitchen • Open plan living area • Parking • Unfurnished

Price Guide: £450 pcm 95 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 4AA | T: 0191 223 3510 112 | collection

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Rosebrough Road Greenside £1200 pcm

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Eastfield House Gosforth £950 pcm

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Elmfield Square Gosforth £900 pcm

Collingwood Cottages Ponteland £900 pcm

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Dulveton Court Jesmond £900 pcm

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Hawthorn Court Gosforth £750 pcm

successfully letting homes

continuing to do what we do best We now have clients looking for similar properties to rent. If you are thinking of letting your property please contact us today on 0 1 9 1 2 2 3 3 5 1 0

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Knightsbridge Court Gosforth £725 pcm

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Baltic Quay Gateshead Quays £600 pcm

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Manor Chare Newcastle £625 pcm

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Lime Square Newcastle £600 pcm

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SY | OUT & ABOUT

There are some places you feel naturally at home. Alastair Gilmour considers what she would say if Northumberland could speak for herself

t was Robert Burns who trotted out the phrase “O wad some Power the giftiegie us to see oursels as ithers see us”.

He meant we’re curious, we’re vain and we’re eager to please, so let’s summon up a “giftie” of our own to take a fresh look at me.

I’m Northumberland by name and my advice is to view my features through the eyes of the first-time visitor and marvel at my diversity of geography, my rich and often bloody history, and my wild nature.

I’ve got architecture to rival any in Europe, from impenetrable castles to handsome houses, and I’ve got culture coming out of my ears.

I’ve got golf, sailing, fishing, rambling and cycling. The European and Senior golf tours hold regular events in my patch and I can offer links courses as feisty as any in the country at the likes of Goswick, Warkworth, Dunstanburgh Castle and Newbiggin by the Sea, particularly when I have a breeze up.

And inland you'll find world-standard courses at Slaley Hall and Burgham Park, home of the PGA North Region Championship. I’ve even got a host of challenging nine-hole courses dotting my broad frame.

What joy there is in a 14ft putt for a birdie, a bogey on the 9th, several long, well-connected drives, and a

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couple of short ones that leave your partner nodding in admiration.

Take Matfen Hall as a typical Northumberland parkland course. Its 6,700 yards are guarded by obstacles including a dry-stone ha-ha and wicked water features where it’s you versus the fast-flowing River Pont.

The dog-legged 16th is the pick of the par fives, but Matfen's signature hole is surely the long, par three 17th with its narrow green sited teasingly just over the river.

My coastline is worth admiring as well. Take Amble, where the very name invites visitors to break stride, slow down, and take measured steps. Amble, dawdle, stroll on and mosey around the town’s 270-berth marina where a forest of masts reveals every type of craft from 1,200hp air-conditioned cruiser to 20ft plywood trailer sailer.

Here you can moor securely and the only sound interrupting the silence is the clink of wire on

I’ve got architecture to rival any in Europe, from impenetrable castles to handsome houses, and I’ve got culture coming out of my ears. I’ve got golf, sailing, fishing, rambling and cycling 114 | collection

OUT & ABOUT | SY

I’m Northumbrian, so I never tire of talking about myself, but let’s face it, I do have a lot to be proud of and loads to offer aluminium as the neighbouring craft roll gently on the swell. Call into Coquet Yacht Club and relax with the fine view of river, marina, harbour and North Sea. Hug my 80-mile coastline and sail to vibrant, industrious Seahouses and Beadnell with its curious west-facing harbour. Drop a line into the water and see what you can hook. Spot cormorants, terns, razorbills, kittiwakes and guillemots along this wildlife-rich spine of mine.

There’s my Farne Islands family with their resident puffins, colonies of grey seals – the largest carnivores in the British Isles – and occasional visitors such as pale-bellied Brent geese.

Seahouses harbour is a legacy of the 19th Century herring industry and here you’ll enjoy fine, fresh seafood, fish and chips and oak-smoked kippers.

And for those whose sea legs have seen better days, Blyth South Beach, Low Newton, Druridge Bay and Spittal Beach are easy to reach by road and offer the sea fisherman plenty of challenges in the pursuit of bass, plaice and mackerel.

Bigger and wilder are the cliffs at Cullernose Point and Newbiggin by the Sea and the large expanses of rocks at Craster, Amble, Hauxley and Cresswell. The piers at Amble, Craster, Cullercoats and Blyth produce a wide variety of fish during the summer months.

At Low Newton, the Ship Inn is a renowned lunch-stop close to the sandy bay which begs toes to be introduced to North Sea (the German Ocean, as a framed map in the pub calls it).

The Ship nestles in a square of whitewashed fishermen’s cottages and a pint of the Ship Hot Ale, Sandcastles at Dawn or Dolly Day Dream brewed next door is mandatory.

I’m proud of my micro-breweries, with Wylam at Heddon-on-the Wall and High House Farm at Matfen possibly the pick of a superb bunch.

While we’re sailing on, I recommend you to head inland to the pristine waters of Kielder Water and Forest Park, which is perfect for inland sailing.

In addition, four out of five of the cleanest rivers in Britain have their sources in my Northumberland National Park, tumbling down from the Cheviot Hills up there by my head.

Those include the Barrow Burn catchment in the Upper Coquet Valley; the Ridlees Burn south of the Coquet in the Otterburn Military Ranges; the Linhope Burn, a tributary of the River Breamish; and the upper Breamish, part of the Till catchment.

The pure nature of their water is down to two things; the type of farming that has conserved the moorland character of the area and its low population, both of which combine to make this landscape officially the

most tranquil in the country, says the Campaign to Protect Rural England tranquility mapping report.

The rivers are vital for migrating salmon and sea trout and for otters, dippers and the water crow-foot (a floating member of the buttercup family).

And what could be more relaxing than fly-fishing in what some refer to as England's last wilderness?

The rivers Tyne and Coquet are fisheries of national importance and have a growing international reputation. The Tyne is now known as England's premier salmon river and all my major rivers offer fantastic fly-fishing opportunities, and a day on the banks of the Coquet or the Tweed often results in a canny haul of brown trout and sea trout. The Rede and Aln also teem with salmon and trout.

Reach them by bike; the Coast & Castles cycle route has few rivals, and is there a more adrenaline-pumping mile than the stretch from the B1339 (through a triumphal arch, no less) to Craster?

Celebrate with (another) pint of ale and a crab sandwich at the Jolly Fisherman, then it’s back in the saddle for the ride to Alnmouth where you may admire the green-tinged, white-flecked sea beyond the town’s pastel-coloured buildings.

Again, further towards my “belly”, the South Tyne Trail Haltwhistle to Lambley Viaduct cycle route is exactly what green transport organisation Sustrans envisaged when it was set up in 1977, initially to explore alternative means of travel. As Sustrans director John Grimshaw says: “Here you get as close to cyclists’ paradise as you can.” The pleasant leafy trail follows the former Haltwhistle to Alston railway line where pedals and spokes flash past old station houses, railway platforms, tunnels and bridges – the most impressive of all being the 110ft Lambley Viaduct.

Then it’s a browse around Haltwhistle with its charming stone buildings and its associations with Hadrian's Wall. I’m Northumbrian, so I never tire of talking about myself, but let’s face it, I do have a lot to be proud of. I hope that now, you’ve got to know me a little bit better.

Sanderson Young has an unrivalled portfolio of properties for sale or to let throughout Northumberland, including a superb selection of second homes and holiday properties. Our offices at Alnwick, Ponteland and gosforth all serve the area and property details can be found at www.sandersonyoung.co.uk and on the Sanderson Young iPhone app

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SY | SPORT

A Y L F O LET’SG

e t i k erson, ss but a Mark And e w o r p g n or sporti n i m f o n a ma oarding. b e t i k o t takes little... a e r a s t l u The res

ge,

coura f o l a e d d goo

Wet

am not your typical extreme sportsperson.

In fact, I think it is fair to say that on balance I am not, in any way, an extreme sportsperson. Indeed, to suggest I’m any kind of sportsperson at all is pushing it.

This may be why, when I tell my friends and family that I am going kite surfing, in Northumberland, in February, they variously laugh until they cry or enquire how recently I have reviewed my last will and testament.

I had a stunt kite as a kid with which I nearly removed my Dad’s eye while ‘dive bombing’ him. I can swim and I have done a bit of skateboarding. With that skill-set, what can possibly go wrong?

I

I can swim and I have done a bit of skateboarding.

With that skill-set, what can possibly go wrong?

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SPORT | SY

I’ve been aware of the sport of kite surfing for some time and have sat on the dunes on Northumberland beaches watching these neoprene-clad action men skimming across the water at amazing speed attached to vast curved kites.

They frequently take off, launching themselves from the crests of waves and performing various mid-air stunts. It’s as entertaining as it is impressive.

This is why, when this magazine asks me, in my capacity as their pet idiot, if I fancy a go, I readily agree.

A date is quickly arranged with Kev Anderson of KA Kitesurfing. Kev has been an extreme sports enthusiast for many years and is an accomplished sailor of high-performance skiffs, winning UK and European titles in the sport, as well as a keen paraglider, windsurfer and snowboarder.

Kite surfing involves elements of all of these sports, so when he took it up four years ago he progressed to a high standard very quickly. Today, Kev is a British Kite Surfing Association advanced instructor.

We meet at his house in Beadnell, which he lets out to tourists and uses as a base for the school, before driving down to the beach to find the conditions are ideal.

“What we want for beginners is a steady but not too strong wind running parallel to the beach, which is what we have today.” Kev says. “One of the reasons this area is so popular among kite surfers is that the orientation of the beaches means you can surf no matter which way the prevailing wind is blowing.

“We use Budle Bay, Bamburgh and Beadnell Bay, and go even as far south as Redcar. People come here from all over the country and from overseas.”

Mercifully, Kev isn’t planning to strap me to a kite and throw me straight into the sea and we spend the morning on the sand going over safety protocols and learning to control a smaller version of the kites used on the water.

People come here from all over the country and from overseas

kev Anderson of kA

These kites are controlled by two lines attached to a bar and the wing tips of the kites. Pull left line, kite goes left; pull right line, kite goes right. Fairly straightforward, but what I am learning is where the power is in the wind.

I get the hang of it fairly quickly and soon have the kite performing figure-of-eight patters and skimming the surface of the sand. Buzzing my dad with a stunt kite as a kid was clearly time well spent.

Next, we break out the big boys. Kev uses state-of-theart kites and boards. The kites range from 5m to 13m in wingspan, have a stiff, inflated leading edge and complex rigging.

Stepping up from the trainer kite to these can be like passing your bike test on 50cc machine and hopping straight on to a 500cc racing bike; to be approached with extreme caution and only under supervision.

The principles are the same, but the power is in a different league. For a start, I am now wearing a harness to which the kite is attached. The control lines are separate.

When the kite is in the power zone it pulls on the harness, not your arms, preventing them coming out of their sockets, which seems sensible.

I get used to the new kite and move into the sea. I bring the kite around and... I’m dragged through the sea on my face!

I repeat this exercise several times in a bid to achieve a ‘body drag’, where the kite pulls you through the water on your front. I just about manage it.

I don’t make it onto a board, but I might just remind you that Kev has squashed a couple of day’s instruction into four hours. If you think you’re going to

be skipping across the waves like a ninja on day one you are wrong.

I do, however, get a real feel for what is possible and can see the attraction of this fast-growing sport.

Of all the water sports, kite surfing seems to me the most accessible. The kites pack away into rucksack-sized bags and can be rigged in minutes, there are no bulky boards or booms to transport, and there’s no need for a powerboat.

And once you’ve cracked it you can be out on those beautiful beaches in minutes.

Go on, give it a go… you know you want to.

KA Kitesurfing offers one, two, and three-day courses from £99 and is the only BKSA-approved school in the North East. Wetsuits, buoyancy aids, helmets and all other equipment are supplied.

Contact Kevin Anderson, tel 07766 303 876 or see www.kakitesurfing.co.uk

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SY | ART

Jane Pikett discovers the softer side of North Eastern folk, as uncovered by the work of artist and curator

Nicky Peacock

I wouldn’t have believed that people would be so ready to share such private thoughts and feelings

PS, I love you...

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he things that inspire artists are many and varied, but there can be few sources of inspiration with less obvious appeal than a dusty old biscuit tin.

Of course, it wasn’t simply the biscuit tin that did it for artist and curator Nicky Peacock, but rather its contents – old love letters tied up with a longforgotten hair ribbon, imbued by age and secrecy with the power to prompt stirrings of memories long buried.

Most people would have enjoyed a few moments of nostalgia and then packed them carefully back away to await another day, years ahead, when they might be re-discovered by accident.

But not Nicky; her discovery prompted the inspiration, in conjunction with co-curator Steven Philip Brown, to create an exhibition, book, DVD and online gallery featuring love tokens re-discovered, restored or newly created by the ordinary men and women of the North East and internationally renowned artists and performers.

T

The collection, entitled Love Letter, Love Letter, touches anyone who has ever been in love, or yearned for it.

“When you ask people for their expressions of love, they come up with the most honest, open things, it really is beautiful,” says Nicky. “I wouldn’t have believed that people would be so ready to share such private thoughts and feelings.”

It’s not the first time Nicky has created a participatory art exhibition on the theme of love. Her first, Learning to Love You More in 2008, also drew on the experiences of ordinary folk and resulted in some deeply affecting work.

Linked to the Learning to Love You More website, which lists 70 creative assignments including such gems as ‘draw a scene from a movie that made you cry’ and ‘make the saddest song’, the show illustrated how open the public of Middlesbrough and Teesside are, not just to creative expression, but also to wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

“The results were honest, simple and beautiful,”

ART | SY

*

* The Love Letter, Love Letter limited-edition book and free DvD is available via the Love Letter, Love Letter blog and facebook page, priced £10 * The curators are accepting love letters / artwork / dedications for the project’s blog at: http://loveletter-loveletter.tumblr.com/ * Submissions should be emailed to: loveletterloveletter@gmail.com

wished to create a love token dedicated to a person or thing they felt connected to. Those methods might be drawn, photographed, filmed, sung, spoken, written, sculpted or assembled, or could be a reinterpretation of an existing love letter, perhaps from history, perhaps from a grandmother to a grandfather.

“It could also,” says Nicky, “be a huge declaration or a tiny note, depending on how busy your schedule is and how deeply you are swooning!”

The result includes work by artists and performers including Minutemen, fiREHOSE and Stooges bass player Mike Watt, LA film maker Maximilla Lukacs, and works by legendary underground musician and artist Jad Fair.

Artists and makers involved also include Londonbased film maker Patrick Staff, fashion photographer Blossom Berkofsky and musician Suzy Mangion.

The book is now available from the project’s website, which will also continue to take submissions for as long as there is a demand, creating an ongoing participatory art show online.

“The results are hilarious, upsetting, mysterious and wonderful, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Nicky, 41. “And they all say something about love.”

The results are hilarious, upsetting, mysterious and wonderful, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Nicky.

“And they all say something about love”

says Nicky, “and Love Letter, Love Letter has also brought out some beautiful dedications from the general public.”

Nicky’s 20-year career as an artist and curator is marked by her commitment to community involvement and she is a curator for the We Are Open project, which stages contemporary ‘Pop Up’ exhibitions in Middlesbrough high street units, all of them with a community involvement and appeal.

Over the years, she has worked in a variety of roles; punk musician, fashion magazine artist-in-residence, filmmaker, photographer and curator, and her foreword to the book of Love Letter, Love Letter, eloquently brings this latest project to life: “Whilst Spring cleaning last year I came across an old biscuit tin full of letters… There was one pile of letters I had

obviously deemed more private and precious than the rest as they were tied together with my schoolgirl hair ribbon.

“Love letters of all shapes and sizes; some written on magazine pages, one illustrated with drawings of a sad, college-bound boy who missed me, one which had been posted to me in a tiny Oxo cube box, and my very first love letter, mysteriously hand delivered to my place of work when I was 17 by a tall, skinny Goth who wanted to take me to the Strawberry Fair.

“There was a simple declaration written on a Kleenex tissue: “I love you baby. PS, there is ham in the fridge”, and a variety of ‘I’m sorry’ missives.

“I remember as a child my mother had a large, white 1960s handbag full of love letters which I was never allowed to snoop in. I found it odd, as she seemed to let me snoop just about anywhere else; but no, never the white handbag. Love letters are private.”

It’s a lovely recollection, and one which found a resonance in the ordinary people who have shared their love tokens on the Love Letter, Love Letter website and among internationally acclaimed artists and performers who have created works for the project.

Participants were invited to use any methods they

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SY | ART

A PASSION fOR INTRICATE dETAIL INSPIRES BEAuTIfuLTHINGS. ROSIE MCGLAdE MEETS THREE ARTISANS PRESERvING TRAdITIONAL CRAfTS.

graemeHopper > BLACKSMITH Graeme Hopper has just, he says, “put a couple of pigs in at Newcastle”. He was only asked to do one big one, but thought it looked lonely and added a little friend.

The pigs bask in a soft light cast by giant steel mushrooms with orange lighters within their stems.

It sounds rather spellbinding. They occupy space at the Crown Valley Gardens, a cooperative on Westgate Road in Newcastle, entitled Places to Live.

Drive out of Gateshead on the Felling Bypass, and you can see his Abbots Hat sculpture with its gate welcoming people to the Abbotsford Estate, complete with teapot and cat.

For Sunderland fans there are miners rolling ‘big roundies’, as massive coal lumps were called here, on the grass slopes to the river from the Stadium of Light.

In Sherburn Road, just outside Durham, Graeme has

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I was stopped by the police, but one officer who knew the Prince said, ‘he’ll love that! Take it through, but don’t lift it up or we’ll have to shoot you’

ART | SY

installed a Dragon Slayer’s Village, with huge dragon heads, a fairytale fort and medieval banners.

Graeme’s work is across the North East landscape, and mushrooms and magic feature prominently. He met Prince Charles last year in Middlesbrough and gave him a mushroom clump galvanised in gold leaf.

“I’d done a sculpture at Hemlington Lake which the Prince was visiting,” Graeme says. “I was told I wasn’t allowed to give a gift, but I snuck it in. I was stopped by the police, but one officer who knew the Prince said, ‘he’ll love that! Take it through, but don’t lift it up or we’ll have to shoot you’.”

The piece now sits proudly within the Royal Art Collection and Graeme received a thank you letter at Christmas.

An exhibition at Darlington Arts Centre in May has the tantalising title, Rude Man and Other Works. A highlight will be a pair of chairs depicting David and Victoria Beckham.

The Rude Man of the title is a chair with huge feet and legs that invites you to sit on its knee. “He’s awful really, but I hope people think it’s fun. The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a huge running chicken with a rider on its back. That’s really weird.”

Graeme’s inspiration came from his mother’s old stables, which he turned into a blacksmith’s shop, and he was largely self-taught, though he did train to work with people with special needs.

“I developed a way of heating up a piece of metal and running wheelchairs around it. You’d end up with a big wiggly worm, and that would lead to wonderful storytelling.”

His website states that Graeme’s goal is to please clients with things they would never have thought of, which pretty much sums up his public commissions, like an Indiana Jones-inspired installation at Shotley Bridge Hospital. Young patients love it.

He also does decorative gates and arches, or clumps of bulrushes that may not have the humour, but carry the same visual warmth.

Graeme’s house, converted from a barn near Crook, Co Durham, is home to two life-sized girls with silver trays who welcome visitors. There’s also a huge dragon throne. “I had thought of giving that to Charles,” Graeme says, “but it’s a bit over the top.” graeme Hopper, Crook, tel 01388 767 005, www.graemehopper.co.uk Rude Man and Other Works, Darlington Arts Centre, May 27 - July 23

His ear needs re-tipping, and he might need a new leg. He’ll be stunning when he’s done

JanetBeveridge > vINTAgE ROCKINg HORSE RESTORER Janet Beveridge is soaking a horse’s tail in a bucket in her kitchen. The horse is no more, but its lovely cream tail will live on as the lustrous mane, forelock and tail of a Victorian rocking horse restored by Janet at her Whitley Bay home.

Janet is one of the UK’s best-known restorers, and with some help from her husband, she mends broken legs, fixes rockers, coats with a traditional rabbit glue fixer called gesso, varnishes, shellacs, paints, re-hairs, saddles and generally transforms one horse every month.

She remembers a rocking horse in Fenwick’s in Newcastle, where children would queue up to have a turn. She’s tried phoning the shop, but has found no record of the horse, now gone.

The antique models she works on, by illustrious makers such as FH Ayres and G&J Lines Bros, have been loved and passed down through generations.

Janet recalls one that rattled with old toys that had been poked through a hole beneath the saddle.

“There were marbles, little soldiers and a letter to ‘Dear Nursey’,” she says. She discovered it had come from a Victorian isolation hospital in Bishops Stortford.

Customers receive regular email updates with photos and a client waiting to bring Trumpet home is travelling from Lancashire to check on progress.

Formerly a rather ugly brown and white skewbald with no hair, he will look very different by the time Janet has finished.

Rocking horses maintain their value. Expect to pay £800 to £2,500 depending on the maker, the original features, the rarity and year of make.

Rhubarb arrived with his jaw missing. Some careful carving and yacht glue took care of that. Someone had replaced Biscuit’s mane with a mop, which was swiftly replaced. Leonard went to Australia and Silver King went to Saudi.

Oisin, a large Ayres, arrived with a stencilled engraving on the stand showing the name Barkers of Kensington; the department store where he was bought in the late 1800s.

There are 14 rocking horses in Janet’s house. A large one stands in the kitchen with no mane, tail or eyes.

Spray-painted silver, it’s a sorry sight. >>

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SY | ART

<< Repainting is where they really come to life. Janet uses a subtle pale blue which is beautiful against darker dapples, cream mane and tail.

The number of spots depends on how many they come with, and if they’ve been painted over Janet uses reference books to copy original models.

Customers get to choose saddle leather and cloth, and the colour of hair.

While most are from recognisable makers, the odd one-off comes in. Danby is small, though his pose is fast and proud. He was brought in by a local man whose grandfather, an Edwardian colliery worker, had made him. He’s beautiful, though Janet says his eyes are too close together.

“I’ll have to move them to the side more and give him some nice new glass ones,” she says. “His ear needs re-tipping, and he might need a new leg. He’ll be stunning when he’s done. It’s so satisfying seeing their transformation.”

Earl was a favourite of Janet’s, though she eventually managed to bring herself to sell him to a family in the Orkneys. “He was special because he had all his original paintwork which had deepened with age.

All he needed was a new mane and tail. I just liked his face.”

The Rocking Horse Stables, tel 0191 291 3784, www.rockinghorsestables.co.uk

valerieLevitt > BOOK BINDER There are too few second-hand bookshops left in the North East. Valerie Levitt ran the Newcastle Bookshop on the Quayside for 17 years before moving to Haltwhistle in Northumberland, where her love of books developed into a passion for binding which attracts customers from all over the UK and abroad.

She makes a tiny two-and-a-half inch diary, painstakingly copied from an 1890s original by De La Rue, the bank note maker still on Gateshead’s Team Valley. Valerie’s £30 replica diary, hand-bound in leather with pages made by a 75-year-old friend on a vintage printing press, is quite lovely.

“The inside is identical to the original. It’s a beautiful little thing,” she says. “I bought the diary at an antique fair and just loved it. I’m only going to produce about 100 of them, so they’re not year-specific.”

Each comes in its own little leather-bound case, intricately made. How long does each book take her?

“Hours and hours!” she says, “but I love them.

I remember the day I opened the marbled paper drawer at Newcastle university, and I thought life couldn’t get better

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Sometimes you have to do things you really enjoy.”

She describes another old De La Rue diary she bought, which had been written in by a lady who appeared to have three boyfriends. “But many times her entry for a day is ‘stayed in and knitted’. It’s such a treasure.”

Valerie repairs valuable books and those cherished by their owners, from hand-written family cook books to valuable Victorian editions of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanac.

New books bound by Valerie include photographers’ special editions and Lord Mayors’ annual photo and press cuttings books. She makes albums for a local family each time there’s a new baby, adding a leather label with the baby’s name.

Detail is crucial, and Valerie buys hand-marbled paper. “I remember the day I opened the marbled paper drawer at Newcastle University, and I thought life couldn’t get any better,” she says. “The colours are just glorious.”

It’s hard to think of anything you might treasure more than a special book, and unsurprisingly, Valerie has a waiting list of six months.

“One old lady came in with a little religious book in which her auntie had made notes. I told her it would cost £30 to have it rebound and she could buy a similar book for £2 on the internet. But the precious thing, of course, was her auntie’s notes.”

Newcastle Bookshop, Haltwhistle, tel 01434 320 103, www.newcastlebookshop.com

SY | OUT & ABOUT

hiddengems Jane Pikett discovers some wonderful places to shop, eat,

and stay awhile …

RE, Corbridge Yes, you’ve read about them here before, but we couldn’t allow RE’s award for Retailer of the Year at the Homes and Gardens Design Awards go unnoticed.

RE is deservedly one of the UK’s leading and most original vintage home ware retailers, and we defy anyone to visit RE and not come away with rather more than they bargained for.

Our particular weakness is for the vintage glass cake stands and the dinner plates printed with macabre skulls, scorpions and the like designed by co-owner Jenny Vaughn.

It’s hard to sum up what RE is, apart from just about the best place on the planet to buy stuff for your house. Look on their website, or just go… it’s a destination in itself.

RE, Bishops Yard, Main Street, Corbridge, NE45 5LA, tel 01434 634 567, www.re-foundobjects.com

WISC shirts at Woven, Durham city The eternal search for the perfect shirt could be over thanks to the arrival in the North East of shirts by new design house WISC, founded by Durham graduate Paul Brown.

WISC shirts are now at designer menswear and lifestyle store Woven. “These are some of the best-quality shirts I have seen,” says Woven’s Chris Hayes, who has also introduced Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green label and Stefano Lucchesi tailoring since opening Woven last year The first collection from WISC, which stands for Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, features classic men’s and women’s stripes. The men’s have square-cut shoulders to make the chest appear more athletic.

The sides of the shirt are also cut in round the waist for a slimmer fit. Nice!

Woven, Gates Shopping Centre, Framwellgate Bridge, Durham, DH1 4SJ, tel 0191 374 1002, www.vmclothing.co.uk

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Amble Marina, Northumberland Home to up to 250 yachts and motor cruisers from 5m to 25m, Amble Marina is a family-run concern which attracts owners from throughout the region and the UK. They keep their craft here, says owner Karl Brunton, because it is a unique sailing spot and so close to the pretty villages of north Northumberland, Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands.

As Karl says, it’s easier and safer to keep your craft here than leaving it to its fate in the river and with Coquet Yacht Club and Amble Boat Club nearby, you’re also guaranteed an active social life.

Karl says sailing in the North East is among the best you’ll get in these isles. It’s not massively expensive, as it is in the south, and there’s no substitute for our rugged coast and our sunny, winter days.

And where else can you sail with the company of dolphins, porpoises, seals and puffins and then stop off at Lindisfarne for lunch?

Amble Marina, Amble, Northumberland, NE65 0YP, tel 01665 712 168, www.amble.co.uk

OUT & ABOUT | SY

Decorated Shed, Newcastle Decorated Shed produces a range of eco-friendly buildings designed to provide an extra room in the garden.

The timber-framed buildings can be designed to any size and specification to offer an environmentally friendly way to solve space problems. They make ideal offices, studios and teenage dens and look good into the bargain.

Decorated Shed has created new garden living spaces in homes across the UK and is now working on installing the sheds for the first time in Europe.

Prices start from £14,995.

Decorated Shed, Maling Court, Union Street, Newcastle, NE2 1BP, tel 0845 250 0028, www.decoratedshed.com

Elite Rocking Horses, Corbridge

Ciao Ciao, Durham City

Brinkburn Music Festival 2011 Brinkburn Music Festival returns in July for its 18th year at the stunning 12th Century Brinkburn Priory near Rothbury, Northumberland. With the festival operating over one extended weekend rather than two this year, the emphasis will be firmly on what Brinkburn does best choral music. Festival favourites The Gabrieli’s will feature strongly, as well as Northern Sinfonia and North East Youth Chorale.

Sitting at the North Road end of Framwellgate Bridge in an historic building that is now part of The Gates Shopping Centre, this cafe and deli is a haven of speciality foods with a Greek/Italian twist.

This Mediterranean mix is explained by the heritage of the owner, Andreas Souris, who is a mix of these two great food nations. His baklava, Greek spinach and feta pie, and Italian focaccia are the best you will get here or on the Mediterranean, and coupled with his infectious enthusiasm for his food, a visit is both tasty and entertaining.

Ciao Ciao, Framwellgate Bridge, Durham City, DH1 4SJ, tel 0191 383 0149,www.ciaociao.co.uk

Brinkburn Music Festival, July 8-10 2011, Brinkburn Priory, Longframlington, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 8AR, tel 01665 833 751, www.brinkburnmusic.org

Elite Rocking Horses restore – surprise, surprise – rocking horses. These are very much top end of the market, collectors’ items as opposed to toys and they come from all over the world.

The business is now working on a rocking horse donated to the Blue Lamp Foundation, a charity set up in recognition of the bravery of PC David Rathband, who was shot and injured by gunman Raoul Moat.

This horse, featuring the charity logo on the saddle blanket, will be offered by the charity at an auction event to be held in July.

Other projects currently on the go include the restoration of a very rare horse made to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. In addition, this summer will see a new film, Lady in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame, with Elite rocking horses.

The business is small and run from home in Corbridge by mum-of-four Debbie Walsh with the help of a business partner in Essex, Jan Rusling.

“Last summer, we found a piece of paper inside a horse written with faded words in wax crayon,” says Debbie. “The note was headed ‘I am the President of the Hate the Sarah Club’ and detailed the writer’s jealousy over this girl Sarah’s pony.

“A few months later, the owner returned her horse to us for a small piece of further work. She had located ‘Sarah’ and been reunited, in her 80s, with her old school rival. She now asked us to put the note back inside the horse, under the saddle, where it can be found by future restorers.”

Elite Rocking Horses, Aydon Road, Corbridge, NE45 5DL, tel 01434 634 690, www.rockinghorseelite.com

BoConcept, Fenwick, Newcastle The new Effects collection at BoConcept’s inspiration store at Fenwick, Newcastle, catches the 70s vibe that’s so big in fashion just now.

Accessories in the range feature 70s-inspired flowered and patterned fabrics featuring warm jade green, peacock blue, orange, purple and dark red. They also have new photo arts by the Danish painter Poul Pava and 70s-inspired candlesticks. Oh, and they do tables and chairs too...

BoConcept, Fenwick, Northumberland Street, Newcastle, tel 0191 221 0690, www.boconcept.co.uk

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SY | IN-FOCUS

until now, young people with life-threatening conditions have been unable to benefit from short breaks at hospices after the age of 18. St Oswald’s in Newcastle is now working to put an end to that, as Rosie McGlade discovers

troubledwaters or most of us, our 18th birthday is a milestone marked by celebration and the happy anticipation of adulthood. But for some teenagers in need, it can be marked by dread. St Oswald’s Hospice in Newcastle’s Gosforth provides a short-break service for children living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, but until now it has been unable to offer this service to young people once they reach the age of 18, who might then have to find short-break care in old people’s homes.

St Oswald’s is not a place you go to die. It’s about quality of life; a place for people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions to be cared for and enjoy meaningful activity, company and fun. It also supports carers for whom looking after family members is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week commitment. But on turning 18, support for many young adults with life-limiting conditions vanishes. Nikki Wilkinson, St Oswald’s campaign manager, says: “Young people and their families can get very depressed at this time.

Their physical and emotional wellbeing is challenged, and they often go down hill when they leave here. It’s something we desperately want to change.”

What we work towards is that children look forward to coming here…

F

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Last year, St Oswald’s provided nearly 5,000 bed-days in its adult service inpatient care, and daily care for 80 adult outpatients a week. Since opening its Children’s Service in 2003, an average 23 children stay at the hospice for an average three nights every six to eight weeks.

Running costs alone at St Oswald’s are £8.5million a year. “Our biggest giver was a mother whose young son had died following complications in hospital. She was awarded £600,000 compensation and she gave it all to us,” Nikki says. “She wasn’t a wealthy woman; it was just what she wanted to do.”

Trusts, foundations and businesses provide significant sums, and the public supports St Oswald’s with donations, legacies and fundraisers. The hospice is now in the process of raising £400,000 for a two-year pilot Transition Service for young people who’ve passed 18. “We’re just about £70,000 short of that now,” Nikki explains. “That’s where we need the added support of the local community.”

Hospitals have distinctive smells and decor, but there is none of that in the Children’s Service facilities.

A child’s room at St Oswald’s is like any nice bedroom, with attractive curtains, solid beech wardrobes which keep hoists and medical equipment out of view, and posters individual to each child’s taste put up especially for their stay. The child’s name also goes on the door. The corridors are wide and light and punctuated by windows with garden views. There’s a

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AlasdairWadge 18, by his mum Hilary

There may well be other young people in the region whose conditions will deteriorate … glazed courtyard and everywhere there are flowers and fairy lights.

The communal area is large but remarkably home-like, with squashy sofas, a huge telly, toys and dressing up clothes, and a big kitchen area where children can fix their own snacks. There are Wiis and Xboxes; all the things the average child covets.

Nikki’s favourite is the Sensory Room. There are giant glass columns of tiny coloured lights, great strings of LED lights you can wrap round yourself, a huge padded poof that vibrates when you clamber on top, and big buttons in the floor and walls that make sounds when pushed. Nikki’s baby crawled for the first time in this room, overcome by the need to reach the attractions. “What we work towards is that children look forward to coming here,” Nikki says.

The Garden Room is just like an ordinary child’s bedroom but with patio doors to a private garden courtyard. St Oswald’s children are very poorly, and occasionally they die here. This is the room where families can spend time saying goodbye; a heartbreaking place, but of immeasurable value to those facing what few of us can imagine.

Clinicians agree that children like these who survive into young adulthood need continued support.

“They’re no longer eligible for paediatric care; just a range of different specialists. It can be very lonely for them and for parents, too,” Nikki says. “We already have a young man, Alasdair, who has used the Transitional Service here and we are looking for people to help to raise funds. We are creating a young adult living area, a kitchen area themed on an American diner, an IT suite for games and social networking, and a huge TV. It’s a place to chill out and hang out with your friends. We’re organising a social club for trips to pubs, the cinema and all the usual things young people do.”

Children make strong friendships and talk to each other in ways that don’t happen when the reaction is sympathetic rather than honest and empathetic. Most are probably a lot more aware of their limited life expectation than they’re given credit for, Nikki believes. They come from around the region, and most are born with their conditions. They are not cancer sufferers; for them, services like the Teenage Cancer Trust provide excellent support. Their needs are many and varied and the hospice caters for the individual. The new Transition Service will cater initially for some 20 young people who visited the hospice before turning 18. In addition, a further six kids will be turning 18 this year and will now be able to continue to come. “There may well be other young people in the

region whose conditions will deteriorate, and for whom the service will be helpful,” Nikki adds, and when the two-year pilot is complete, it is hoped there will be evidence to prove the need for funding.

There is support for parents and siblings here, too.

“Working here is a privilege,” says Nikki. “Sometimes I don’t know how the nurses do it, but I guess it’s the knowledge that you’re making such a difference to people’s lives; not only our patients and children, but their families, too.”

AndrewEllwood by his mother Jenni “My son, Andrew, suffered from severe cerebral palsy which meant he was completely dependent on others to care for him. He also suffered from severe epilepsy and had breathing difficulties.

“Andrew attended St Oswald’s from the age of 16, but when he turned 18 his residential breaks on the Children’s Unit had to come to an end. Even though his condition had not changed, he was now classed as an adult, which meant he could no longer access children’s services. This was the beginning of a nightmare.

“We found that there was nowhere in adult services that could offer a short break service for someone like Andrew, as his medical needs were too severe.

“Children like Andrew were not expected to reach adulthood. Medical science has improved their lifespan, but the services they require have not progressed with them. We felt that we were being told that Andrew had lived too long. Andrew’s years of battling and courage were no longer seen as being a positive thing. It was soul-destroying.

“Andrew sadly died in November 2009. He was the light in our life and we miss him so much.

“The pilot scheme at St Oswald’s will enable young adults and their families to continue receiving the expert care and support that they need during these crucial years. Andrew’s legacy will live on within St Oswald’s with every family that is supported there.

He will be looking down with a cheeky grin on his face thinking ‘I helped that happen!’”

“Alasdair has been visiting St Oswald’s Children’s Service for the last five years. He stays on the unit for three days each month. He has cerebral palsy, cortical blindness and epilepsy.

“Until he was 11 I took care of him alone at our home near Durham, but a few years ago I finally realised we needed a service like St Oswald’s.

“As Alasdair is now legally classed as an adult, the care and help we receive has changed massively, even though his needs haven’t. It’s an extremely daunting and stressful time for us both and the only stable thing now is Alasdair’s stays on the Children’s Unit.

“If Alasdair were no longer able to stay at St Oswald’s we would both be heartbroken. St Oswald’s is a huge part of our lives and if it were taken away I don’t know how we’d cope. That’s why we’re so thrilled that St Oswald’s have been able to offer a Transition Service.

“I truly believe Alasdair’s health would suffer if he were no longer able to access the care of St Oswald’s. He wasn’t expected to live into adulthood and I obviously worry about his health. Knowing that St Oswald’s have helped to manage his condition so well for the past five years, and that they meet his needs in an appropriate way, is extremely reassuring.”

Backpacksattheready!

St Oswald’s Hospice is looking for adventurers to join a trek in Peru from September 8-17 2012. The trek goes from Salkantay to the lost city of Machu Picchu in the Andes, named by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine as one of the 25 best treks in the world. For more information, call Jayne Crow, tel 0191 246 9123, email jaynecrow@stoswaldsuk.org

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A fine Mark Anderson gets all hot under the collar over Morgan cars, old and new… estled quietly in the sleepy village of Maiden between Stanley and Lanchester, N Law County Durham, is, for anyone with even a passing interest in classic British motor cars, one of the biggest sweet shops in the world.

On any given day you will find men in overalls tinkering with classic British marques such as Morgan, Lagonda, Alvis and Riley.

Rare examples litter the place while they are variously restored, tuned and generally given heaps of TLC by John Macdonald and his team at Macdonald Racing.

John’s relationship with Morgan began way back in the 1960s when he was working for an engineering company and racing a Morgan as a hobby. This was

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back in the day when a Morgan could be picked up, by today’s standards, relatively cheaply.

“One of the reasons I loved Morgans then and still do today is that they are very honest motor cars that are easy to repair and maintain,” he says. “I had some success racing mine and before long other people started asking me to tune theirs for racing, which is where it all started.”

John’s success in racing and his expertise with the cars led to a meeting with the legendary Peter Morgan, son

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of Morgan’s founder Charles Morgan who, up to that point had had very little success in terms of sales in the North East.

It was 1966 and John suddenly found himself with the exclusive rights to sell and maintain the Morgan brand from the Borders to Yorkshire.

“We got on like a house on fire,” he says, “and everything was done on a handshake, no contracts or anything like that.”

One can’t really see that happening today; not that it matters, as John still has those rights today and has developed a similar relationship with Lagonda.

Originally working from a lock-up in Jesmond, he moved to Maiden Law in 1969 and today the Howden Works comprises 8,000sq ft of workshops comprising a machine shop, restoration and engine bays and a tuning shop with a rolling road dynamometer.

“People bring their cars to us from all over the country and even from overseas,” says John. “We can be involved in anything from simple tuning and maintenance to crash repairs or full restorations.”

The car in our pictures is John’s own 1954 Morgan +4 that he rebuilt himself and raced for many years.

It houses one of the original Vanguard 2088cc engines tuned to produce 170bhp and features the much sought-after ‘flat-rad’ flat radiator that made way for the distinctive curved grilles of later models. If you wanted to buy it today, and if John was willing to sell, it would set you back at least £80,000.

At this point I’d like to dispel a motoring myth. The chassis on which a Morgan is built are not, and never have been, made from wood. They are made from steel. Ash is used in the construction of the body, but not the chassis. Just thought I’d clear that up. If John had a pound for every time he was asked that question…

It’s not all about vintage and classic cars, however, as the Morgan brand is alive and well, producing modern, much-admired cars.

I had some success racing mine and before long other people started asking me to tune theirs for racing, which is where it all started”

The Aero 8 now contains a very modern BMW V8 with sales no doubt driven by success in GT racing where Morgan competes with Porsche, Bentley et al.

A new Morgan starts at £30,000, although you can rent one from Macdonald Racing from as little as £150 a day. Now there’s an idea for father’s Day. The new machine that is really exciting interest, however, and for which John already has orders, is the 3-wheeler that will be available later this year.

This bonkers machine (and I mean that in the best

We can be involved in anything from simple tuning and maintenance to crash repairs or full restorations”

possible way) harks back to the famous F series 3-wheeled cars dating back as far as 1910 – one famously won the French Grand Prix in 1913.

Actually, it looks as though somebody has simply blown dust off an old set of drawings and got to work.

The original designer was clearly on day release from making biplanes for the RAF as the cabin resembles an open aircraft cockpit and has a huge exhaust running down the side.

There is lots of leather and wood. The rear wheel is powered by an 1800cc v-twin engine with two open wheels at the front. It looks fantastic.

Lagonda too (now owned by Aston Martin) are introducing a new SUV this year. Now that is bonkers.

Macdonald Racing, Maiden Law garage, Howden Works, Lanchester, DH7 0QR, tel 01207 520 916, www.macdonald-racing.com

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SY | MOTORS

is turns heads...

S CL s de ce er M w ne ol co rpe su The Jane Pikett f o n o ti n e tt a e th s and grab

am told that squealing with delight and doing a little jig on a car dealership fore court could be taken by some to indicate a certain lack of cool.

It also indicates a paradox, considering that the impulse for said squealing, jigging and clapping (sorry, did I mention the flappy, girly applause?) is arguably one of the coolest cars on the road.

I don’t know where the Top Gear team put it on their Cool Wall, but I’d put it in the ‘Sub Zero’ category; if I were, that is, an overgrown schoolgirl given to highly exaggerated expressions of enthusiasm, which clearly I am not.

Because, you see, squealing, dancing a jig, applauding and stroking (sorry, did I mention the stroking?), is an entirely natural response to a thing of beauty, and a thing of beauty this is.

When the nice gentleman at Mercedes Benz Newcastle handed me a brochure for the new Mercedes CLS, I noted its opening lines: “There are times when it can be hard to keep your emotions in check; the moment you first set eyes on the new CLS, for instance.”

See? There must be lots of people out there who are just like me.

And it’s a striking car, the drama of its lines softened by the strength and elegance of a National Hunt racehorse; a National Hunt racehorse with very groovy LED headlamps, five-spoke alloy wheels and ambient interior lighting with a choice of three colour settings.

It possesses attractive retro design cues which are most evident in rear wheel arches that make a nod to the 1940s. Athletic, muscular and graceful, the striking four-door coupe body and deceptively roomy, sumptuous interior indicate that this might just be the motoring equivalent of a luxury hotel.

The brochure also says the CLS is designed “to enhance your sense of well-being”, which sounds

I

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The CLS also offers much driving enjoyment, impressive levels of torque and, in the 350 CdI, 0-62mph in 6.2 sec and a top speed of 155mph to me to be a bit beyond the call of duty for your average car; but then I guess this isn’t an average sort of a car.

The CLS also offers much driving enjoyment, impressive levels of torque and, in the 350 CDI, 0-62mph in 6.2 sec and a top speed of 155mph.

You also get a standard 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed auto transmission which ensures the engine is always operating at the optimum speed, which in the CLS 350 BlueEFFICIENCY works in conjunction with eco start/stop to help reduce fuel consumption.

Its CO2 emissions are reduced by up to 20 per cent compared to its predecessor, so you don’t have to feel guilty driving it either.

There is a Driving Assist package which includes something called Attention Assist which analyses the driver’s behaviour and suggests a break if it detects signs of lapses in concentration.

When I told my husband he asked how many times the Attention Assist had sounded the alert during my hour behind the wheel.

I treated that comment with the disdain it deserved and then rang the dealership and offered them his beloved Alfa Romeo as trade in. That’ll show him...

The Mercedes CLS is available at a starting price of £46,355 at Mercedes Benz Newcastle, tel 0191 447 6484

supersuperband Mercedes-Benz has been crowned the UK’s number one Consumer Superbrand for 2011, toppling last year’s winner Microsoft.

This is the first time in five years that the top spot has not been claimed by either Microsoft or Google. The number two spot went to watch brand Rolex and the BBC was third.

The annual Consumer Superbrands results follow independent research by The Centre for Brand Analysis, which analysed the views of more than 2,000 members of the British public.

Interestingly, the two new entries in the top ten this year are both automotive brands, with BMW in seventh place and a resurgent Jaguar in tenth.

Concurrent with this survey Superbrands also published the 2011 Business Superbrands listing, which was topped by Rolls-Royce Group.

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