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poliphilo ([personal profile] poliphilo) wrote2006-05-17 09:25 am

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Well, it seems like I just agreed to move to the other side of the country.

My sister has a house she wants to sell in Faversham and we've said we want to buy it. Faversham is one of my favourite places. When I was an undergrad in the early 70s I discovered it on one of my Larkinesque church-crawls out of Canterbury and decided it was where I'd like to retire. I saw myself taking long crepuscular walks along the tow path by the reedy, rushy river, stick in hand, labrador at side, making my peace with the universe. Who'd have thought it, but perhaps that's what I'm really going to end up doing.

But without the labrador. I'm not trading bunny for a dog.

Back in the 70s Faversham was an undiscovered country of perfect Georgian houses (recently spared from the wrecking ball) and Shakespearian associations (Arden of Faversham- groovy little film noir of an Elizabethan tragedy is one of the worthier items in the Shakespeare apocrypha). Now the yuppies have found it and they've built nice apartments (out of our price range) along the tow path by the reedy, rushy river and Umbrian entrepreneurs are selling exotic, garlicky foodstuffs in the street market. Never mind, it's still next door to Heaven.

And now things are going to start getting intense.

[identity profile] treehavn.livejournal.com 2006-05-17 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
Did you go to uni in Canterbury then? A dear friend of mine lives in the most amazing house in Faversham, built around a medieval hall. It's all crazy angles and creaking floorboards. I recall visiting around the millennium and finding the town rather chavtastic and depressing; however, I went back last autumn and the place is just gorgeous. I'm very happy for you.

[identity profile] jackiejj.livejournal.com 2006-05-17 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, wonderful! See, Tony? This was meant to be.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2006-05-17 09:35 am (UTC)(link)
Well that settles it! The most haunted town in Britain; how could I even think of living anywhere else?

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2006-05-17 09:33 am (UTC)(link)
That's right. I was at UKC from 69-73.

When I visited Faversham in the 70s it was at the very edge of the map. Very sleepy.

I'd love to live in a medieval hall.

[identity profile] treehavn.livejournal.com 2006-05-18 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
I did my undergrad at UKC, 1999-2002, although I lived in Herne Bay.

My friend's family bought the hall for a ridiculously cheap sum, since it was in a state of disrepair. It's one of the historic buildings of Kent. Apparently they have an open day of all the cool old houses in Faversham at some point in the year.