Thursday 6 May 2021

It's all in the Name.


Back in the UK, we are often encouraged to buy Georgian style light switches, Regency style kettles, or Victorian style TV's. Why not a Medieval style Smart-Phone?

I have heard of a Scottish railway Co that boasts a 'Jacobean Steam-Train', and I've even seen an advert for a 'Tudor style' electric door bell; what on earth was that?

Some avoid all this nonsense by referring to 'Heirloom style', or 'English Country style'.

But it does become a little far-fetched when an American home, for sale, was described as 'Queen Anne Tudor style'.

Our own small 1960's Brighton mews type house (above), was, of course, sold as 'Georgian style', simply because they had added a faux-Georgian portico and bay window to the façade. Otherwise there's not a scrap of Georgian about it.

Are the 'Trades Descriptions' chappies not concerned about such things?

28 comments:

  1. The clue lies in the wording.

    "in the style of" doesn't claim it actually IS Tudor, Queen Anne or whatever. As such it complies perfectly with the Trades Description Act.

    To put it another way, if you whitewash the outside walls of your abode in the Outer Hebrides and put a few pots of red geraniums on the outside you may claim it to be "Greek style". And when a friend of mine kitted out their dining room with "Shaker style" table and chairs none of us expected those bits were made by a Shaker's own fair hands in Shakerland.

    Anyway, nice town house you've got there in Brighton. Will you live there or rent somewhere else for the brief periods you'll sample the delights of Blighty again?

    U

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    1. We'll live in that house, it's perfect for a couple of oldies. Not sure what I'll do with the bigger one.

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    2. Mon dieu,ami cro,quellejolie maison,vous etes chanceux,ET dire que vous n etiez pas tres enthousiaste d y retourner quelques temps! amities

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    3. We are actually rather looking forward to spending time back in Brighton. I'm anxious to see what has changed!

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  2. Replies
    1. Your life-philosophy is correct. Hatred destroys people.

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  3. Reminds of Greek salad recipes which have couscous and lettuce. They used to make me mad. Just not the traditional recipe you know. Anything with lemon juice and oregano is Greek, if it's got basil it's Italian 'style'.
    I wonder what we advertise our house as . Rural Greek cottage corruption. But a part of it is made from breeze blocks so that bit is authentic

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    1. I've seen recipes for Hummus that didn't even contain Chickpeas.

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  4. It's the same with people, I never say that someone looks like someone else. It hs to be that they remind me of someone else. You can't argue with that.

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    1. When we're out we often see someone who resembles either someone famous or someone we know, and we say "Look, there's X's sister or brother etc". It keeps us amused. There's a check-out girl at a local supermarket who's known as Freida Kahlo's daughter.

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  5. "I have heard of a Scottish railway Co that boasts a 'Jacobean Steam-Train',"
    That's a bit far fetched Cro... you are clutching at straws.....
    It is The Jacobite.... usually pulled by a Black Five.
    https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/steam-train-trip
    They also run the Scarboro' Spa Express which is often pulled by an A4... the run we had on it, it was pulled by Union of South Africa... both are wonderful rides!!

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    1. Jacobite or Jacobean, it's all the same to me. Couldn't they have called it 'The Caledonian'?

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    2. The Caledonian already exists as a mainline train fron London to Edinburgh... so a small steam excursion company couldn't use that!
      Besides the line runs from Fort William to Mallaig.... through Jacobite country!!

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  6. On the flip side, when we sold our 17th century cottage , it was referred to as ' cottage style ' in the blurb. Why couldn't it have been cottage because that is what it was .... a genuine 17th century cottage !!!!!I often wonder if some estate agents know much about houses ?!!!!! XXXX

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    1. The only qualification to become an estate agent, is to own an ill-fitting suit, and kipper tie. (I jest, of course).

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    2. I just remember the estate agent's description of a house in Barry I looked at..."with fitted gas geezer in the kitchen".... they can't spell either...but it does conjure up a humourous vision!!

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    3. "The only qualification to become an estate agent, is to own an ill-fitting suit, and kipper tie. (I jest, of course)."
      You jest not, Cro.... you jest not....
      I used to work for an independent estate agents' monthly magazine... the vast majority of them fitted that exact description!!

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  7. I remember that the first house that we bought down in Sussex was advertised as "cottage style" just because it had leaded pane windows. It was just a 1920s brick house really, not a cottage.

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    1. I think Estate Agents speak more 'bull' than most professions. When I sold my very first house, they described the fireplace in the sitting room as a 'Bread Oven'.

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  8. Round here - we are almost in The National Park - only a mile or so outside - what is built is firmily controlled to fit in. Trouble is that whatever is built is always far too expensive for young people to buy - no low cost - which means they have to move away to get on the 'housing ladder' (how I hate that phrase). Also anything 'cottage style was usually built long before the days of cars which means all cars are parked on the side of the road in the evening. Some villages are a nightmare to drive through after 6pm/

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    1. I wouldn't like to be a first time buyer these days. Even thinking about it makes me nervous. My first house cost me £2,000; it was a big stone house in Wales, with a large garden, and an orchard with planning permission.

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  9. Wouldn't want to live in a rustic Chernobylian villa.

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  10. Very strange indeed, especially when house builders omit to use the name that most accurately describes their work - cavalier style.

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  11. My daughter and son in law both worked in a university in a war zone for years. It was dangerous but well paid and they managed to save quite a lot of money during that time. They are house hunting. A realtor showing them a home openly doubted they could afford it.

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  12. Real estate agent speak. I doubt home owners come up with these descriptions themselves.

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  13. I am partial to Victorian style homes which are in abundance where I live. They have so much charm.

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