Comments on: The Pigeon Cote, Kirkleatham, North Yorkshire

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 11:27:51 +0000

In reply to Paul Kirkwood. Hello Paul. Yes Kirkleatham deserves to be better known, there’s so much of interest there.

By: Paul Kirkwood

Paul Kirkwood — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 10:47:20 +0000

Sad about the pigeon cote. This is an interesting corner of the North Riding that it’s easy to overlook when coast bound.
Paul.

By: TOM GARDNER

TOM GARDNER — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 16:02:19 +0000

In reply to Judith Rossiter.

DEAR JUDITH, SUN. 14 APR 24
PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MY OFTEN – ‘DIGRESSING’ … STORY LINE. THE FACT THAT IN MY
20’s (c. 1960’s) I WAS A BUTLER FOR THE LAST … ‘ASTOR – 400’ (USA) – THUS ALLOWING ME TO WORK AND BE HOUSED IN ‘STRUCTURES’ OF BEAUTY AND ‘STANDING’. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THOSE ‘STRUCTURES’ ARE NO LONGER … STANDING.
SADLY, OVER HALF OF THEM ARE NOW GONE; REPLACED WITH TRULY … A MIXED-BAG OF ‘REPLACEMENTS’, LESS CREATIVE.
SO THERE YOU ARE!
IN CLOSING, WE SHOULD DO OUR BEST TO INSURE THOSE REMAINING …
REMAIN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I REMAIN,
TOM GARDNER (THE ONCE UPON A TIME BUTLER)

By: Editor

Editor — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 09:09:22 +0000

In reply to Judith Rossiter. Sadly there are too many stories of great houses built with the riches of one generation only to be abandoned by the next.

By: Editor

Editor — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 09:07:34 +0000

In reply to TOM GARDNER. Good morning Tom. A fascinating tale of riches and excess, thanks for sharing.

By: Judith Rossiter

Judith Rossiter — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:33:38 +0000

The fascinating anecdote above is hard to follow ! A glimpse into another world !!

By: TOM GARDNER

TOM GARDNER — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 23:11:26 +0000

TOM GARDNER HERE – NYC – FOR A FEW INSIGHTS … ‘THIS SIDE OF THE POND’
AS MENTION IN MY PREVIOUS EMAIL, I’M A 77 YEAR OLD, FORMER BUTLER, TURNED ANTIQUES DEALER, WITH A PERSONAL HISTORY OF APPRECIATING ‘OLD’ OBJECTS OF VARIOUS FORMS.
WHILE MY ‘LADIES’ ALL HAD AT LEAST THREE RESIDENCES: MAJOR – USUALLY IN A CITY, FOLLOWED BY A WINTER AND THE THIRD, A COUNTRY OR SUMMER ADDRESS.
AS MENTIONED PRIOR, I WAS: 4TH FOOTMAN. AKA JR. BUTLER FOR MRS. MERRIWEATHER POST AT BOTH HER PALM BEACH, FLORIDA RESIDENCE (MAR-A-LAGO c. 1967) AND THE WONDERFUL MUSEUM LEVEL HOME OF ‘HILLWOOD’ IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
FOR FUN – GOOGLE: NEW YORK SOCIAL DIARY. THEN. MAR A LAGO
BUT TO THE POINT OF …’ THE LONGEVITY OF STRUCTURES … MY EMPLOY AS BUTLER, THE SUMMER OF 1972 FOR WIDOWER: MR. I. TOWNSEND BURDEN – WHOSE LATE WIFE WAS: NEE -FRANCIS FRICK (GRANDDAUGHTER TO – HENRY CLAY FRICK, AS IN MUSEUM,
IS A CASE IN POINT AS TO … ‘DOWN SIZING’.
THE MAIN HOME, ON LONG ISLAND’S ‘GOLD COAST’ WAS IN LOCUST VALLEY. IT WAS BUILT FOR THE NIECE OF – J.P. MORGAN. IT WAS A MASSIVE, HANDSOME ENGLISH TUDOR STRUCTURE.
THE STAFF WING WAS THREE STORIES, HOUSING TWELVE BEDROOMS AND THREE BATHS.
IN MY TIME, 1972, IT WAS TOTALLY EMPTY.
AT THE OTHER END OF THE MANSION, ON THE GROUND FLOOR WAS THE MASSIVE – BALL ROOM – AGAIN NOT USED.
THE HOME HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE YOUNG COUPLE AS A WEDDING GIFT BY GRAND DAD ‘FRICK’
THE UNION PRODUCED FIVE CHILDREN, FOUR BOYS AND ONE GIRL.
MY ARRIVAL FOUND ONLY THE YOUNGEST … DIXON FRICK BURDEN AT HOME AGE 15.

ALL OF THIS TO CLOSE WITH … WHEN MR. BURDEN SOLD THE HOUSE, THE NEW OWNERS, FOR LIFESTYLE EASE AND TAXES ….. REMOVED BOTH WINGS.
THE STORY GOES, THAT THE MULTICOLORED SLATE ROOFS ON EACH SECTION, WAS OF SUCH VALUE THAT IT COVERED THE EXPENSE OF THE TOTAL REMOVAL
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!