I feel a bit bereft today. Well, to tell the truth, O/H as well. The house in the picture belonged to a much loved neighbour of ours. Our house is the one in the distance below. We often used to walk up the single track up the hill to visit him. O/H had known him all his life and he'd lived in that house for as long as I can remember as well. We used to take our grand daughter for a walk up there when she was little. He always had a tin of sweets on the sideboard and the kettle on the stove.
He was well into his nineties when he died a couple or so years ago.
Old Jack loved all his animals and had three cats and a sheep dog which he adored.
The house was subsequently put up for sale and sold to a successful local business man. When we looked across up the hill today, the house had gone. All that was left was a JCB digger grinding away and a pile of bricks.
Oh dear, you’ll soon have an assortment of big detached houses on the land instead of a cosy, comfortable country house. Why else would a business man buy it?
ReplyDeleteIt does make you wonder what's on the horizon.
DeleteHow awful that is. I hate seeing houses torn down. For houses of certain age it should not be allowed. One day I hope to go and see my grandparents former home in Lincolnshire. I know if it is gone, I shall cry buckets of tears.
ReplyDeleteChania it would be wonderful if you were able to visit your grandparents farm in Lincolnshire someday and find their original house. I hope it's not been wrecked like so many of these little farm steads.
DeleteWhat a heart breaker. He and the house will live on in your memory but that view will always have a hole in it no matter what else is built there. A sad day indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know it's supposed to be progress, but some things are irreplaceable. I would have understood if the house was a wreck - OK, perhaps a new roof and interior work, but I'm still trying to get my head around this one.
DeleteHow sad.
ReplyDeleteSeems to be the rule of thumb now.
DeleteOh dear, Mollly, I can understand why your heart is feeling heavy today. We want everything to stay the same, but it never does.
ReplyDeleteEverything is on a time conveyor and things have to change I know.
DeleteI wonder what'll go up in its place? It looks a wonderful location.
ReplyDeleteMe too. The views through Old Jack's kitchen windows were breath taking - you could look right across the valley almost up to the Berwyn Mountains
DeleteHow sad for you. I do hope something nice goes up in its place and not a lot of little boxes as some have suggested. Lovely dog on your header.
ReplyDeleteHello Sue. The collie in the header is my niece's dog called Jess. She is waiting for for her best friend, H's 6 yr old son to come from school so they can play together like they did all through the school holidays. Seems to be such a long time to wait (sigh)
DeleteNot easy to come to terms with, but maybe he will just build himself his own house in it's place eh?
ReplyDeleteI do hope so. Hope too that you are now well on the road to recovery after your illness Gary. Love reading your blog
DeleteSad to lose such a good neighbour, and to see his house vanish. I do hope that whatever replaces it is appropriate to the lovely spot you live in Molly
ReplyDeleteHe was a lovely neighbour. He and his wife too. She died a few years before him. He was a real trooper and managed there on his own - though the neighbours looked after him as much as they could.
DeleteMolly, you are not alone in mourning this loss of heritage. All around here, beautiful homes are being demolished to be replaced by mere houses.
ReplyDeleteHomes where families and memories went back generations are now being bulldozed and replaced by more eu eco-friendly living accommodation.
I despair, you despair but we are all up against the grotesque march of the financial Goliaths.
Hope you are both well?
Take care .... Bernard {hugs}.
Hello Bernard, really good to hear from you. Hope you're keeping well. O/H has one or two struggly days, but we're good. I know exactly what you're saying in your comment and absolutely agree with you.
ReplyDeleteOh Molly that last sentence really got to me. I can understand how sad it must make you feel. You live in such a wonderful environment and its comforting to feel that it is somehow permanent. I hope they don't build something that is out of keeping with the landscape.
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted.
Jeanne
x
We've talked to one or two of our neighbours who'd known him all their lives. They feel exactly the same way as we do. All we can hope for is that whatever is built in place of it is in character.
DeleteOh Molly such a shame.....what a gorgeous house it was too, and so many happy memories destroyed by a digger. What a beautiful location you live in. I got here at last, lovely to get chance to catch up xx
ReplyDeleteHello Posie. Thanks so much for dropping by. Your life sounds a bit hectic at the moment. Loved reading your blog. The view from Jack's house is stunning .....I don't think you could put a price on it. We're very lucky.
DeleteIt's a shame some people don't share a love of older homes like so many of us do. It looks like it had a certain charm. I love the picture of Old Jack. He makes a pretty winter landscape!
ReplyDeleteHi Amy. Perhaps houses catch something of the characteristics of the people who've lived in them over the years. This was always a house where there was a ready welcome.
ReplyDelete