Four out of five cottages lie empty on High Street
Village Elder Islwyn was out and about this morning.
He and his brother were out with their wheelbarrows doing jobs about the village.
Winnie and William saw them coming and both sat down in the lane, they knew a long chat was in order.
I like bumping into Islwyn, for there is no one in Trelawnyd with such a forensic grasp on local news.
He doesn't do the " Victoria Sponge" news , like the stuff I collect.....oh no...Islwyn has a firm grasp upon the " underbelly news" of Trelawnyd.
He told me about the recent break in robbery at the pub, the apparent disappearance of paving slabs from the Churchyard ( wheelbarrow marks in the grass! ) as well as other more juicy gossip snippets that are a little too personal to share here.
I told him that the village seemed quiet at the moment as many of the rented properties and those for sale are presently empty and he agreeed. I counted at least 16 cottages and houses within a three street radius of the village green.
Such is the slump in the housing market at the moment.
Anyhow our conversation was interupted by a phonecall to Islwyn's phone. Probably another intel source ringing in with some news! The dogs clambered to their feet and we left him to it.
The village was quiet save for some irate shouting coming from the house which formerly had the bin bagged windows.
Hey ho
The newly renovated houses next to the village hall...still empty
Trelawnyd from the East
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ReplyDeleteI recently read something about how English villages are struggling and dying. Of course I must immediately mention that you are not in England. Do the younguns go to the big smoke of Cardiff or London? Or backpacking and fruit picking in Australia?
ReplyDelete"Juicy Gossip Snippets" sounds like an appealing title for another blogpost. The mind boggles. You could always put in symbols (*!&*!+) in place of proper names or instead use the names of Carry On actors.. Up on Gop Hill Sid James was seen canoodling with Hattie Jacques etc..
ReplyDeleteSad statement of affairs but not isolated to your side of the world. In my area, many small towns and villages have 'gone the way' due to major economic changes. We were the Steel city for so long and the surrounding suburbs supported those blue collar families. They left when steel left and in turn left their homes fell derelict. Now these little burgs are fighting for grant dollars to tear down blighted areas. New housing has been developed but quite frankly will likely end up just as neglected in a period of time. Rental properties do not fare well in these areas. Interestingly, other areas have seen real estate prices skyrocket because they cater to the medical and tech crowds that now dominate the city. The circle of life...and real estate!
ReplyDeleteSteel and industry are swear words in the UK currently. Sadly were going the same way.
DeleteIs his other name Google?
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your quaint village and the cottages. Great source of information, Elder Islwyn. Our small country towns are becoming derelict too. We're very lucky; the town in which we live: Marquard has a very big cattle feedlot adjacent to it. So it and a very wealthy farming community has kept it alive and prosperous. I posted an aerial view of the town earlier this week; not sure if you saw it. xx
ReplyDeleteMissing slabs . . . wheelbarrow marks in the Churchyard grass . . . Islwyn and his brother "out with their wheelbarrows doing jobs about the village" . . . put on your deerstalker, Sherlock!
ReplyDeleteHaha ... well spotted. John should be asking some question!!
DeleteWho owns the vacant properties?
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame the new homes next to the village hall weren't built a bit more in keeping and small one bed cottages might have been more saleable than the large house they have put there, although they are very reasonably priced .... and handy for the Flower Show.
ReplyDeleteThe little cottage that has just been renovated on High Street on the other side of the hall, with the lovely turquoise front door is really lovely inside and out.
Those High Street cottages look pretty nice! It's a shame they're empty. Do they rent out in summer, at least?
ReplyDeleteYour blog is probably attracting home buyers as we speak. Who wouldn't want to live in the charming village you describe! You should negotiate a broker's fee.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same as Shawn!
ReplyDeleteSo was I
DeleteThe county in which we live is currently enjoying an agriculture renaissance, but I fear it is a result of the poor country wide economic strength. Land once used for grain crops or pasturing cattle is now being transformed into vineyards and wineries. And any weekend throughout the year there is a wine festival going on somewhere in the State. I will admit that The Jim and I enjoy a lazy Sunday of puttering from winery tasting room to winery tasting room sampling the latest designer vints alongside some of the classics. But is the increase of alcohol production a sign deeper issues country wide. For centuries tobacco was the king cash crop here in Virginia, now the grape seems to be ascending to the cash crop throne.
ReplyDeleteThings are slow in our whole continent (N. America) as well ... maybe you'll see a few places bought or rented after school closes for the summer. That's a busy time in my area for real estate sales and moves. People don't want to move their children out of school until they've finished their year.
ReplyDeleteI hope all those empty properties don't mean Trelawnyd is slowly dying like so many other villages. I suppose a lot of people prefer homes by the sea rather than a few miles inland?
ReplyDeleteYou need to snap up those houses and offer them as rustic vacation rentals to your far-flung fans and groupies. Charge extra for "excursions" including tours and workdays in an authentic Ukranian village, a chance to wield the world-renowned fanny rag, and a foraging expedition in search of Albert's proprietary brand of rodent remainders. Tea in the garden and a Scotch egg come with the premium package.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
DeleteMy daughter and I are strategizing a way to buy a cottage in Trelawnyd... we want to be your neighbors!
ReplyDeleteI wish real estate market would calm down in California. When a house is placed on the market, you can expect multiple offers above the asking price! Lunacy! Perhaps I need to consider relocating to a quieter venue...
ReplyDeleteThat does seem like a lot of empty properties. Not good.
ReplyDeleteYour blog certainly has raised awareness of Trelawnyd. Maybe one of these days there'll be a boom in tourism as a result... and Islwyn can give insider tours.
ReplyDelete