Over the years the castle at Ashford as played host to some world-famous guests, both as a private home and a hotel. Visitors have included King George V, writer Oscar Wilde, The Beatles‘ members John Lennon and George Harrison, and US President Ronald Reagan.
During filming of the Academy Award-winning film The Quiet Man (1952), actor John Wayne and other cast members stayed at the castle, and the grounds were used as a location in the film. More recently, contemporary celebrities like Barbara Streisand and Brad Pitt have been guests
Now owned by Red Carnation Hotel Group, the five-star accomodations Ashford Castle underwent a major overhaul in recent years, re-opening in April of 2015. The refurbishments and addition of a new spa have paid off, with visitor numbers up significantly. The four-star Lodge at Ashford Castle, also owned by Red Carnation, was recently voted number nine of the world’s top 50 hotels by readers of Condé Nast Traveller magazine
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/ireland/articles
It was bought in June 2013 by Red Carnation Hotels, a South African company headed by husband and wife Stanley and Beatrice Tollman, who will arrive in Cong tomorrow for the relaunch.
In addition to the purchase price the couple have spent about $50 million (€47m) restoring the property, which hosted US president Ronald Reagan during his State visit to Ireland in 1984.
It also provided a backdrop to actors John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in 1951 when film director John Ford came to Co Mayo to shoot The Quiet Man.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Ashford Castle’s general manager, Niall Rochford, said the restoration work had given it “probably the best hotel bedrooms in the country”.
All 820 windows have been replaced, a new lead roof installed, and its stonework repointed.
Red Carnation has also added some modern comforts to the five-star property, once home to the Guinness family. These include a spa and swimming pool, a 32-seat cinema, a billiards room and cigar terrace. The grounds have also received a makeover.
To reflect the investment, room rates at Ashford Castle have increased by 20 per cent this year.
Peak season rates range from €495 for bed and breakfast in a Corrib room up to €2,500 for the split-level Reagan presidential suite.
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Gone With The Wind's Vivien Leigh's manor house up for sale for £2.6m
The estate is mentioned in the Domesday Book, but little is known about the early history of Manor Farm. Gone With The Wind actress Vivien Leigh stayed at the property
By the late 17th century it had grown to be one of the wealthiest farms in the area, with a unique concentration of four tithe barns, which are for sale with the house. The asking price is £2.6million.
The Grade II listed Manor Farm House in Lower Zeals, Wiltshire. It was a sanctuary from the pressures of film life for acrtress Vivien Leigh
Despite divorcing after eight years of marriage, the pair remained close friends and the actress who rose to fame as Scarlett O'Hara in the 1940 film Gone With the Wind would often seek refuge at the house when the film world got too much.
Her grandson Neville Farrington, 57, said: 'We've got many happy memories there as a family. We spent pretty much every Christmas there.
'It became a bit of a hub for everyone - grandparents, aunts, great aunts.
'I remember my grandfather dragging me round the frozen lake and my wife and I had our wedding reception there in the snow, which my father called the winter of our disco tent.'
The seven-bedroom house has lovely period features including impressive fireplaces, working shutters and two attractive oval windows, as well as a magnificent oak staircase in the reception hall.
The beautiful 17th century stone barns flank a charming grass farmyard in an L shape and have been restored by the owners in the last few years, with consent for four live/work units.
There are also two cottages and beautiful grounds with a walled garden, orchard and tennis court.
Vivien Leigh and her first husband, who she married in 1932, shared a love of English manors, fine art and interiors.
She helped him chose this Queen Anne manor in 1959, when Holman took a 21-year lease. Their daughter and her husband bought the house once it went on the market.
Leigh started an affair with Laurence Olivier in 1937 when they were both in Fire Over England.
After their divorce Leigh and Holman, who was granted custody of their daughter, remained good friends.
She was a frequent guest at Manor Farm House and her name appears on every other page of the visitors book right up until she died in 1967, aged 53 from chronic tuberculosis.
Bucklebury: a small village in West Berkshire, England
Bucklebury is a small sleepy village in West Berkshire, England with a population of 2,066. It may be a mere 45 minute drive from London but with its scenic views, country lanes, oak trees and farmland it could be a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life. In recent years the unremarkable village has come to the attention of the world's media, because the Duchess of Cambridge, formerly Kate Middleton spent a large portion of her life there;
In 1995, Carole and Michael Middleton's fledgling business Party Pieces had begun to do so well they decided to sell their first married home on Cock Lane for £158,000 and buy a bigger property in the nearby hamlet of Chapel Row for £250,000. The large detached country house with five bedrooms was set in one-and-a-half-acres of land and was called Oak Acre. Discreetly hidden from view by trees, the house can only by accessed via a private road - a security measure that would serve the family in good stead in the years to come.
The move was an exciting one for the entire family who immediately fell in love with their nearest village of Bucklebury and the surrounding area - very similar to their previous home - just ten miles away.
It was a time of change for Kate who moved from St Andrews School (she loved it so much she once said she should like to return to work there as a teacher) to the £22,000 per year all-girls school Downe House. Kate quickly made attempts to make friends and settle into her new school, but encountered a nasty clique of girls who made her time there very unhappy. Former pupil Emma Sayle recalled: "Downe House is a great school but it is a fighting school. She was bullied. It was a huge shock for Kate.
" After two terms, Mike and Carole moved Kate to Marlborough College where the young teenager was back in her element - making friends and excelling at sports. On weekends, Kate, Pippa and James would play tennis and go for long walks in the countryside.
The family business Party Pieces was operated from converted farm buildings where buyers selected the latest themed tableware, party bags, games and activities. The call centre was based in a 200-year-old barn, the picking room was a converted cow shed, and the huge warehouse (you guessed it) was a converted hay barn stacked with thousands of products ready to be dispatched.
When William and Kate's relationship became public knowledge and media attention began to focus more and more, Bucklebury became a sanctuary for both of them. William forged a strong relationship with the Middleton family, becoming fiercely protective of them and affectionately refers to Mike Middleton as "Dad".
He loved their relaxed family life and spending time at their idyllic country home. Over Carole's Sunday lunches and a glass or two of William's favourite red wine; which Carole always stored in the cellar, the young Prince became a part of the Middleton family. In 2008, he landed a multi-million pound Chinook helicopter in Kate's back garden for just a number of seconds before taking off again; something he was criticised in the press for doing (though I must say, I thought it was a rather romantic gesture).
Local business owners were thrilled to meet the Prince for the first time. Local shop owner Hash Shingadia, a grocer who attended the royal wedding, recalled the first time William came in he inquired about Wall's Vienetta Mint Ice Cream: "Now we make sure it's always stocked for him." He also confirmed Kate loves Haribo sweets - so much so, he sent her a box as a wedding gift.
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William and Kate regularly enjoy a quiet drink and a pie at their local The Old Boot Inn. Owner John Haley revealed the couple like to sit at the front of the bar, next to the fireplace. The eighteenth-century building has a contemporary interior and is a quaint pub, where locals can sit back, relax and enjoy a chat.
The Duke and Duchess chose to spend last Christmas with the Middletons following Kate's hospitalisation for acute morning sickness. It provided an opportunity for Kate to rest and recuperate whilst enjoying a private family Christmas. They attended the annual service at nearby St Mary's Church where they joined locals in singing traditional carols.
Last year, Carole and Mike Middleton made the decision to move from their five-bedroom 'Oak Acre' to a Georgian house known as 'Bucklebury Manor'. Previously owned by banker Morgan Stanley banker Justin Mason and his wife Jill, there was a bidding war for the much sought after property before the Middletons triumphed paying an estimated £4.7 million.
The Grade II listed house features seven bedrooms, five reception rooms, a swimming pool and a tennis court, all set in eighteen acres of land.
The day after the Cambridges left St Mary's hospital with their son they travelled to Bucklebury with a four car convoy and have remained their since. It shows how comfortable and at home William and Kate feel there and it's very telling that they want to share those precious first weeks with Kate's family. I'm of the opinion Mike and Carole purchased Bucklebury Manor partly for security and privacy reasons.
Last year, Carole and Mike Middleton made the decision to move from their five-bedroom 'Oak Acre' to a Georgian house known as 'Bucklebury Manor'. Previously owned by banker Morgan Stanley banker Justin Mason and his wife Jill, there was a bidding war for the much sought after property before the Middletons triumphed paying an estimated £4.7 million.
The Middletons Old London Apartment
The Middletons, a.k.a Kate and Pippa’s entrepreneurial parents Carole and Michael Middleton, have reportedly put their Old Church Street property on the market for a cool £1.95 million.
Bought by the family in 2002 for a reported £780,00, the three-story, three-bedroom and two-bathroom apartment’s worth has sky-rocketed, no doubt due to its enviable location, and perhaps it’s royal inhabitants;
Pippa now lives with her son Arthur and husband James Matthews in a London townhouse, whilst Kate splits her time between Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall with children George, Charlotte and Louis, as well as her husband the Duke of Sussex.
Meanwhile, Carole and Michael Middleton seem happy as Larry in their family home in Berkshire, and therefore no longer need their London digs.
The Bucklebury Manor
The house, which is set amid stunning gardens and parkland with views across the Pang Valley, boasts a tennis court and swimming pool.
As well as an en-suite master bedroom, it contains an elegant drawing room, dining room with a 17th Century fireplace, library, sitting room and an impressive entrance hall.
The Middletons’ fortune is estimated at around £30 million by analysts, who say the couple’s link to the Royal Family could boost the value of their business even further by opening up lucrative new markets in the United States.
However, at their prospective new property, planning permission has already been granted for an outbuilding to be erected, providing a flat and garage on the ground floor, and a storage area and workshop above it.
The extra space is likely to prove ideal for expanding Party Pieces, the mail order firm the Middletons set up in 1987 and which now employs around 30 staff.
The online retailer, which provides a range of party items from paper plates to patriotic bunting, aims to help parents create ‘magical’ events for their children at home.
Kate’s younger sister Pippa has already signed a lucrative book deal about how to organise the perfect party, with the step-by-step guide due out this autumn.
The Middletons’ fortune is estimated at around £30 million by analysts, who say the couple’s link to the Royal Family could boost the value of their business even further by opening up lucrative new markets in the United States.
However, the family was not always wealthy. Mrs Middleton, a builder’s daughter who spent her early years in a council flat in Southall, West London, first began making children’s party bags in 1981 when she was pregnant with her eldest daughter Kate and unable to continue working as a British Airways air hostess.
With newlyweds Prince William and Kate Middleton set to move into Kensington Palace, the Duchess's family are also upgrading their surroundings
She and her husband Michael, a former flight dispatcher at Heathrow Airport, then formalised the hobby into a business six years later. Their income from Party Pieces helped them to send their children – Kate, Pippa and son James – to expensive private schools.
The Middletons also contributed towards the cost of last year’s Royal Wedding.
They reportedly paid £97,000 for Kate’s dress, which was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Pippa’s maid of honour gown, hotel rooms and the couple’s honeymoon ….
Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou loved Vancouver and has two homes worth at least $18.2 million
Long before her arrest in Vancouver triggered a diplomatic standoff, Meng Wanzhou was simply a tourist who fell in love with the city.
As a 2019 BBC report related, Meng’s “main home may be in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, but the 46-year-old, Huawei's chief financial officer, has been visiting Vancouver for 15 years”.That’s far back as 2004, and about five years later, Meng’s husband Liu Xiaozong bought the first of two homes by the family.
Based on tracking by real-estate site Redfin, the then newly built Dunbar residence at 4005 West 28th Avenue was bought for $2,738,000 in October 2009.
“Some of her four children—three sons and a daughter—were educated in Vancouver,” the BBC reported in 2019.
Meanwhile, her husband Liu “worked on a master's degree here”.
“While her children were at school in the city, the grey house became Ms Meng's main home,” the BBC reported, referring to 4005 West 28th Avenue.
“At one point, she became a permanent resident of Canada, a status since relinquished,” the news outfit recalled.
Vancouver certainly made another home for the family.
“Her extended family, including her in-laws, were regular visitors,” the BBC reported.
“The family also made a good impression with at least some local residents, to whom Ms Meng is known as Cathy or Sabrina,” the news agency related.
“Her husband, who describes himself as a self-employed venture capitalist, goes by the name Carlos.”The Straight asked Vancouver realtor Tom Choy for his opinion on how the two properties may likely fare should these be placed on the market.
Choy, an associate broker with Royal Pacific Realty, agreed that Meng’s association with the two homes may appeal to some buyers.
However, Choy doubts whether the history of the two homes will either enhance or reduce the value of the properties.
Haidilao’s Other Co-Founder Shi Yonghong Snaps Up $50M GCB On 19 Cluny Hill
There’s no denying that steamboats are like kryptonite to many Singaporeans, and having a meal at Haidilao, specifically, is an experience in itself. The hotpot brand’s popularity has resulted in many successes for the brand such as an explosion of outlets islandwide, and huge monetary gains for its two co-founders.
Earlier in June, we covered Haidilao co-founder Zhang Yong’s 2 Good Class Bungalows in Singapore, worth nearly $70M combined. Now, Haidilao’s other co-founder, Shi Yonghong, is making waves in Singapore’s property market with his purchase of a GCB for a whopping $50M.
Price aside, what’s also notable about his recent purchase is who he purchased it from: Dr Lee Wei Ling, otherwise known as the daughter of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
According to reports online, the sale and transfer of ownership was made official just a couple of weeks ago, on 6th September. The GCB is located along Cluny Hill, which is just next to the Bukit Timah side of the Botanic Gardens.
One of the main reasons this area is so highly coveted for its properties is because of its location. For one, it’s right next to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which is a renowned site given its UNESCO heritage status and how many in the property market consider it as prime housing land. In case you’re unfamiliar with the area, this is where quite a number of highly-priced GCBs are found.
Speaking of Gallop Road, what you might find interesting to know is that the GCB that Shi just bought is not too far away from his fellow Haidilao co-founder’s home. Fellow co-founder Zhang Yong’s family owns 2 GCBs along Gallop Road – the first of which is a $27M GCB purchased back in 2016, and the other a $42M GCB just next door, purchased by his son.
One of the possible reasons for the lower-than-usual price might be due to the need for a considerable amount of renovation of the area. From what can be seen from the street view, all that sits on the plot of land is an old one-storey bungalow; a stark contrast from the exquise and awe-inspiring homes in the vicinity. It’s likely that Shi will redevelop the entire site, possibly demolishing the current house and building a brand new one in its place.
13th March 2023 – (Hong Kong) Michelle Yeoh, a 60-year-old actress from Malaysia, has made history by becoming the first Chinese actress to win the “Best Actress” award at the 95th Academy Awards for her performance in the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Throughout her career, Yeoh has invested in properties, including a luxury apartment in Hong Kong, which she purchased during her early years in the local film industry. The apartment, located in Vivian Court, a residential building on The Peak, was purchased in 1992 for HK$6.2 million and has appreciated significantly over the past 31 years, with its current market value estimated to be over HK$75 million, marking a twelve-fold increase in value.
Vivian Court, which is 62 years old and has a total of 23 units, is popular among politicians and celebrities, including former Secretary Food and Health Dr. Ko Wing-man, who also owns a unit on the same floor as Yeoh’s. In 2017, Mani Fok, a high-ranking executive at Emperor Entertainment Group, set a record when she purchased a 2,301 square-foot luxury apartment on a lower floor for HK$72.8 million.
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