Habitues of the Old Manse my have a problem recognising these images taken as prepared for a visit by a professional photographer who is to produce a Glossy Brochure as part of the sales campaign being launched by Knight Frank whose clients presumably include Middle Eastern British ex-pats, Russian oligarchs, senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party, Mumbai Call Centre Magnates, retired arms salesmen and a cross section of WAGS are just dying to get their hands on a Des Res in the dynamic Borders. Anyone who wants pretension and Pillars we will direct towards Fishwick-on-Tweed and its neo Sunningdale McMansions.

The wife is most anxious that the house will not fall into the wrong hands: the ideal purchaser is a caring, Guardian reading, bird loving, organic gardener who will not have the windows cleaned or the gutters cleared until the last migrating bird has vacated its nest and headed south, and the final lingering Starling has moved into winter quarters-nor will ever contemplate using Agent Orange on the driveway in preference to picking up the grass and dandy lions, lovingly, by hand.The ideal is for the RSPB and Borders Organic Gardeners Inc is to join forces and use the Old Manse as their Scottish HQ. The stable block would make a good alternative quarters for the Hutton Think Tank who are away in arrears with their rent having invested too many resources into their own glossy publication: Hutton: Globalisation and the Environment: the Next Ten Years It has not sold well and is already being remaindered by Amazon.

We did such a good job of titivating four main rooms in the Old Manse we almost get the impression that we have moved already into unfamiliar surroundings.

When I awoke from a deep sleep this morning, for a moment, I had no idea where I was.

It was rather nice, actually

Labels: Hutton Think Tank, Sellg the Manse

  ¶ 10:53 AM