No interest in Rolling Stones pool tragedy house (From The Argus)
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No interest in Rolling Stones pool tragedy house
2:00pm Sunday 3rd February 2013 in News By Kimberly Middleton, Acting chief reporter
No buyers for Stones pool tragedy house
It is the home where AA Milne penned Winnie the Pooh and a Rolling Stones guitarist met his untimely end.
But interest in Cotchford Farm’s famous past from people around the world could be the reason why the house in Hartfield, near Forest Row, is struggling to sell.
After being put on the market last April at £2 million there have been a number of enquiries, but only one serious offer which did not meet the asking price.
Founder of the Brian Jones Memorial Fan Club, Roxanne Fontana, who has visited the house four times said people are often found lurking in the bushes.
The 53-year-old from New York said: “Fans come from all over the world and ask if they can look around. The visits aren’t often, but they’re not rare either.
“Sometimes they will knock on the door and ask to look around the grounds, but others are found sneaking around the garden because they don’t want to bother anyone.
“The owner Mr Johns has been really nice and tells potential buyers that is the situation.”
She added: “I would love to move there.”
Owner Harriet Johns, whose husband Alistair bought the home in 1970, said: “Over the years we’ve had all sorts of odd people jumping out of rhododendron bushes or taking pictures of themselves with teddy bears.
“But we don’t get that many people any longer, the real rush was about 10 years ago.
“Anyone who bought the house wouldn’t have to do this at all – they could say the house was private.”
Members of the Rolling Stones’ fan club, It’s Only Rock’n Roll, think the house’s tainted past is the reason buyers aren’t keen to move in.
Jones drowned aged 27 in the house’s pool on July 2, 1969, while under the influence of drink and drugs.
A fan club member using the alias 24FPS said: “It would spook the crap out of me to live there. I can’t imagine going near that pool on Cotchford Farm for a swim.”
Mrs Johns said: “It’s a very old house with parts that date back to the 1500s.
“There’s bound to have been births, marriages and deaths, it’s what happens, so we don’t feel it’s got a bad feeling about it at all.
“I think that 99% of people who come to see the house have not been Brian Jones or Winnie the Pooh fans, just peo- ple who would like to buy a house.”
Robert Jacobs from Savills Estate Agent is confident of finding a buyer for the Grade II listed home. No offers have yet met the asking price.
He said: “It’s still available and we’re still receiving lots of interest. We have had enquiries from all over the world.
“I am confident it will sell, as with many things we just need a bit more time.”
Comments(13)
rubberflipper
says...
3:08pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Tom V wrote:A great idea.
It's a shame that it can't be bought and turned into a museum celebrating the life and works of A.A. Milne.
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.
In the sticks
says...
4:30pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Tom V wrote:Let's see..
It's a shame that it can't be bought and turned into a museum celebrating the life and works of A.A. Milne.
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.
A museum.
Have to charge an admission, it won't run itself on nothing.
How many visitors? Maybe 10 a day on a rainy afternoon, but let's be generous and...
£5 admission?
10,000 visitors a year?
Divide that into £2m and it's an, oh...
...40 year payback time for your £2m investment.
Would you shell out £2m for that type of return?
mimseycal
says...
4:46pm Sun 3 Feb 13
rubberflipper
says...
5:07pm Sun 3 Feb 13
In the sticks wrote:The National Trust do not buy property for long-term investment but to preserve a building of heritage. Whether this property is worthy of heritage status is another thing though.
Tom V wrote:Let's see..
It's a shame that it can't be bought and turned into a museum celebrating the life and works of A.A. Milne.
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.
A museum.
Have to charge an admission, it won't run itself on nothing.
How many visitors? Maybe 10 a day on a rainy afternoon, but let's be generous and...
£5 admission?
10,000 visitors a year?
Divide that into £2m and it's an, oh...
...40 year payback time for your £2m investment.
Would you shell out £2m for that type of return?
a person
says...
7:45pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Tom V wrote:I think this is a good idea , it could also be combined with a room dedicated to Brian Jones .
It's a shame that it can't be bought and turned into a museum celebrating the life and works of A.A. Milne.
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.
Many people would go to see that.
There are still a lot of Brian Jones fans around who feel he was ripped of /unfairly treated by
Mick and Keith .
There are a lot of books / internet articles / people that
believe that Brian was murdered.
vogon1
says...
7:57pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Can anyone lend me £2m?
Tom V
says...
9:05pm Sun 3 Feb 13
In the sticks wrote:The money is in the gift shop, not just the museum and it's a great chance to preserve our heritage. A lot of people have benefitted financially from Pooh over the years so there are ways to arrange financing.
Tom V wrote:Let's see..
It's a shame that it can't be bought and turned into a museum celebrating the life and works of A.A. Milne.
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.
A museum.
Have to charge an admission, it won't run itself on nothing.
How many visitors? Maybe 10 a day on a rainy afternoon, but let's be generous and...
£5 admission?
10,000 visitors a year?
Divide that into £2m and it's an, oh...
...40 year payback time for your £2m investment.
Would you shell out £2m for that type of return?
Pooh is huge internationally, not just in the UK and a museum would attract a lot of interest - just look at book sales, TV series, toy and Pooh-related giftware sales etc to get an idea of just how popular the subject is.
There is potential to run it for a profit if done properly, including educational opportunities and writing events.
brightonian57
says...
11:41am Mon 4 Feb 13
Tom V wrote:The original Pooh corner shop in Hartfield, was always packed with foreign tourists and a lot of English families visit places connected with the Pooh stories. I think Tom V is right, it could be made to pay, if the Pooh Corner shop was incorporated into the building.
In the sticks wrote:The money is in the gift shop, not just the museum and it's a great chance to preserve our heritage. A lot of people have benefitted financially from Pooh over the years so there are ways to arrange financing.
Tom V wrote:Let's see..
It's a shame that it can't be bought and turned into a museum celebrating the life and works of A.A. Milne.
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.
A museum.
Have to charge an admission, it won't run itself on nothing.
How many visitors? Maybe 10 a day on a rainy afternoon, but let's be generous and...
£5 admission?
10,000 visitors a year?
Divide that into £2m and it's an, oh...
...40 year payback time for your £2m investment.
Would you shell out £2m for that type of return?
Pooh is huge internationally, not just in the UK and a museum would attract a lot of interest - just look at book sales, TV series, toy and Pooh-related giftware sales etc to get an idea of just how popular the subject is.
There is potential to run it for a profit if done properly, including educational opportunities and writing events.
Juleyanne
says...
10:45am Sat 9 Feb 13
Ballroom Blitz
says...
6:25pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Ask someone if they would like it for a tenner. See what I mean?
Ballroom Blitz
says...
6:27pm Sun 17 Feb 13
polegate
says...
6:56am Mon 18 Feb 13
Tom V says...
2:41pm Sun 3 Feb 13
The area could benefit financially from a museum, organised walks, tours etc instead of the current tiny signs which are easy to miss if you want to find the Pooh sticks bridge.