Andrew was my father and we grew up in this house in Oamaru. It was built about 1927 and had five bedrooms, one bathroom, one toilet (a later one was added downstairs, outside!)The porch you can see was open to the air and in the summer we girls would all sleep out there, nip over the railings and go and raid the raspberry patch which was where the first green roof is now. The drawing room had those two round bay windows and was shut to naughty children. Upstairs in that window above, there was a big bedroom and when Mum had her prayer meetings down in the bedroom, we would jump on & off our beds until Mum quietly and determinedly came upstairs and told us off! Either that or if we were sleeping in the porch where there was a french door into the drawing room, we would pull the curtain back and make faces at all the solemn ladies!
The house was sold when I was at university for 17000 pounds, sold a couple of years later for 145000 pounds, then recently for $465000!
Amazing how the housing market has worked over the past several decades! Great capture of your childhood home, Maggiemae. Lots of memories there to cherish.
Sounds like the story of the house I grew up in too- Mom and Dad bought for a reasonable price and the last time it sold, it had quadruppled in value. Sounds like you have some wonderful memories of this beautiful home. Nice shot.
@olivetreeann@marlboromaam We used to shut all the doors up in the landing and frighten ourselves silly in the complete dark! Good memories to have forever - until we forget!
@deburahiru I think i see what you mean - its a wire going into the house for some reason and the slack wire looks like a smile. Been there since the beginning!
What a beautiful story and a loving remembrance of days gone by. This house is gorgeous, and I like the way you've blurred the edges keeping the focus on the house.
What a gorgeous photo of the home you grew up in, Maggiemae. Love the history of it and what you wrote. Amazing what houses are selling for. Seems to be about location. Where we live houses are lowering in price and where my Mom lives homes are selling as fast as they go up for sale and for high prices.
Ouch, how sad to have to lose such a beautiful place and for what now is so little money in comparison for what you once had, I find it a beautiful thing to be able to build your own home. I can just about mange to decorate and maintain ours. It sounds like a home to be in awe of and I bet you children didn't always stay out of the study/drawing room, I know when I was a little boy I would have been in a forbidden place as often as I could!
