Old Thatch up for sale - anyone got a spare 1.85 million?

[Rob Houghton]

Mind you, I suspect that many more people would visit Enid Blyton's House than Edward Heath's House.

[sixret]

Good luck!

[Katharine]

I've been on away on holiday. Just before I went, I e-mailed English Heritage, and there was a reply when I got back informing me that it is now two separate organisations and that they have passed my query/suggestion to the appropriate department. I will let you know if I hear anything further.

I've also had a look on the National Trust's web-site at the section about what kind of properties they are interested in. Although I think it's worth a shot at suggesting they buy Old Thatch, I think they would probably want some kind of business plan. Ideally we'd need to know how many people visited Old Thatch each year, although that I don't know how many people visited because of the gardens, and how many because it was Enid's home.

Unfortunately I don't think they'd be interested, as the gardens are quite a bit different to when Enid was there, and although the interior looks beautiful, I would guess it's quite a bit different to how it looked in Enid's day. It would probably take quite a bit of time and money to restore it to the way it looked in the 1920s/30s.

Still, I think it's worth someone contacting the NT with a suggestion, even if they come back to us asking for more details.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Looking at Old Thatch on Rightmove, I see it has now been reduced to £1,750 million. I guess Jacky hasn't had much response, and has reduced the price. Maybe she wants a quick sale.

[Lucky Star]

Looking at Old Thatch on Rightmove, I see it has now been reduced to £1,750 million.

Excellent start. Only about another 500 reductions required now.

[Courtenay]

I'm assuming that's actually £1.75 million (£1,750,000) rather than £1,750 million (£1,750,000,000).

[Wolfgang]

Courtenay, that depends on where you come from, in Germany 1.500 thousand means one million fivehundred thousand, while 1,5 thousand means one thousand fivehundred.
€ 1.750.000,95

[pete9012S]

I wonder how much Enid paid for Old Thatch?

[Julie2owlsdene]

I wonder how much Enid paid for Old Thatch?

I'm not sure if I've read that somewhere?

I'm assuming that's actually £1.75 million (£1,750,000) rather than £1,750 million (£1,750,000,000).

Everyone who knows me knows what I was meaning, Courtenay!!!!

[Moonraker]

The keyword in Julies post was reduced. It wouldn't therefore have risen to £1,750 million!

The problem is that we use a comma (in m/l Europe) or a full-stop for a decimal point. Had Julie written £1·750 million, although the final zero is superfluous, it would show the correct amount.

[Tony Summerfield]

I wonder how much Enid paid for Old Thatch?

I looked it up in her diaries two or three weeks ago, so I can tell you, £300!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Thanks, Tony.

I was sure either I'd read it before, or spoken with you about it! Memory's not quite what it was!

The keyword in Julies post was reduced. It wouldn't therefore have risen to £1,750 million!

I pressed , instead of . in error. I am only human after all! And get rather annoyed when my 'senior moments' are commented on!!!

[Julie2owlsdene]

I must admit that if I did have £1.75 million to spare, I don't think I'd buy Old Thatch. To me, Enid spent most of her working life in Beaconsfield. And so if I had a couple of million I'd buy one of the big houses along Penn Road, which many look like Green Hedges in design, and I'd feel much closer to Enid, than buying Old Thatch!

I think it's because the majority of her books she wrote when in Green Hedges, and somehow I think of Beaconsfield as Blyton country.

[Rob Houghton]

In some ways I tend to agree. It might be frowned upon by some people, but I'd sooner rebuild Green Hedges from scratch - a lifesize replica, and if I had the money, I'd get it furnished and decorated as close to Green Hedges as possible, then open it to the public!

Although I'd love to see Old Thatch as a National Trust Blyton house, I agree it's surely nothing like it was when she lived there.

[Moonraker]

I'd love to live there, irrespective of a Blyton connection. Only problem is, I consider Bourne End to be a dump of a place.