It looked distinctly vacant with the usual blocked gutters and dampness from failed rainwater down pipes but what a fantastic corner turret with fish scale slates. I wandered up the street wondering vaguely whether it might be for sale and there it was in the window of Currie Johnston & Co. Solicitors and Notaries Public, offers around £160,000. I popped in and asked if I might have particulars."The owner's in the back," I was told by the tight grey curled receptionist. He was extracted, wild-haired and unsettled, and we sat down. He explained his bad luck, ill health and the step back from principle of a firm run by his father and uncle to back room boy and employee of the firm now owning the practice. And thank God he no longer had the admin and (shuddering) the dealings with the Law Society. There was a sale agreed in principle with a community group, Heritage Lottry Fund Bid, how could he have been so hasty, gentleman's agreement, open to offers, would I like to have a look? I agreed to come back at ten to twelve after making coffee for my wife.
I did and here are some photographs of what had been the bank manager's flat or hoose, as my host designated it. I had failed to read the particulars carefully enough, as Mrs Gowthorpe pointed out later, but it became clear during the walk around that the pig-in-the-poke for sale is a largely flying freehold on the first and attic floors. Charming space but with 1,000 sq ft of poorly-lit, leaking roof space and a basement strong room. And it is full to bursting with old legal files, which your man is unlikely to have the will to sort. The rest of the building is owned by the Council and the roof and structural responsibilities are shared. Nightmare possibilities ensue and although only listed Grade C, the building would eat money and a Sassenach frustrating a local community group and the Council would be a pariah with little chance of getting approval for anything. So that's a no, then. And in Eyemouth, are ye touched?
No comments:
Post a Comment