7 minute read
CLUBS & SUNSHINE
Neil Maxwell
We have some outstanding properties on the market at the moment, one of which is the premises of the former Royal Naval Club & Royal Albert Yacht Club. The Club had been struggling with membership for several years and the COVID downturn, was as for many hospitality venues was the final straw, despite the gallant efforts of several board members. The history of the club is an incredible tale. The current premises in Pembroke Road were opened in 1867 following the purchase of a tavern called the Three Tuns and the premises of the Hampshire Bank. The fronts of both buildings were removed and replaced by the current frontage unifying both buildings and adding the tower. This was initially paid for by a group of naval officers who recognised the need for officers and their ladies to be able to have entertainment away from Naval establishments. The Royal Naval Club subsequently merged with the Portsmouth Corinthian Yacht Club and then the Royal Albert Yacht Club of which Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s husband) was a founding member, their racing yachts being distinguished by a green painted hull. The story goes that Royal Naval Officer Club members returning on their warships would make a signal to the club as they entered Portsmouth Harbour with their meal requests. The officers would then arrive for lunch once their ship was safely alongside in the Royal Dockyard. There has been much interest in the building including international enquiries, with several different parties interested with various plans including conversion to residential premises. The closing date for tenders is in early August. Elsewhere the market is entering the time of year where many people’s thoughts are on holidays rather than houses and its been a pleasure to see the seafront so active given the recent warm weather with many hundreds of people enjoying large family barbeques. The activity levels remain good, and the numbers of properties being sold and rented is consistent with previous years. Meanwhile, I’m sat in the office wondering what to have for lunch, but if I order something in advance, I think I’ll just use my mobile phone.
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CRANESWATER PARK, SOUTHSEA - £2,200,000
• Magnificent six bedroom detached Edwardian residence situated within the highly desirable
Craneswater Park conservation areat • At over 3,700 sq.ft (349.3 sq.m) spanning four floors plus a basement, this substantial and beautifully presented family residence occupies a fully enclosed secluded plot with delightful gardens and approached via secure pedestrian and vehicular gates leading to ample off-road parking • The top floor features a self-contained suite comprising the 25ft sixth bedroom with seating area, lower level snug and separate bathroom. • EPC Rating D
LOWCAY ROAD, SOUTHSEA – GUIDE PRICE £595,000
• Outstanding four bedroom Victorian family home situated in one of Southsea's highly requested roads located just a short walk from the seafront, recreational park, main shopping precinct and excellent schooling • Beautifully presented throughout incl. a newly fitted kitchen with Bosch oven & microwave, gas hob, fridge/freezer, Hotpoint dishwasher plus plumbing for washing machine and vent for tumble dryer • This bright and spacious layout spanning over 1,500 sq.ft (141.6 sq.m) will be very sought after, your earliest viewing is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment. • EPC Rating TBC
PEMBROKE ROAD, OLD PORTSMOUTH - £799,000
• Three bedroom end of terrace town touse situated in a fabulous residential location within the CONSERVATION area of Old Portsmouth • At just under 1,400 sq.ft (128.2 sq.m) spanning 3 floors, the accommodation features; 23ft x13ft living room with
French doors to the garden and a fitted kitchen/breakfast room complete with integrated appliances. The master bedroom also features a southerly facing balcony • Enclosed courtyard garden and rear door access to a single garage. EPC Rating TBC
SOUTHSEA’S CREATIVE CORNER
Southsea Lifestyle talks to Rick and Helen Steenhuis about their beautiful White Dog Gallery and their plans to move on
“Southsea is such a friendly and creative community, I think it’s fair to say we are at the heart of the local creative community and probably know about 60% of our customers by name’, said Rick who along with his wife Helen has run White Dog Gallery (WDG) for nearly 20 years. Rick and Helen are the 4th owners of the gallery, since the shop was founded over 50 years ago. They changed its name from Hiscock to White Dog Gallery 6 years ago. Changing the gallery’s name wasn’t their only innovation, over the years they have introduced a popular range of greetings cards and some very desirable giftware, including items that are exclusively available to WDG.
“We like to say we have 4 pillars to the business; gifts, picture framing, art materials, plus the work of our local artists that is displayed in the shop’s large windows on the corner of Stanley Street — enroute to Waitrose. It means that if one area of the business goes quiet, we have other income streams to call upon,” explained Helen. “We
have seen many external changes too of course, we were initially worried about the closure of Knight & Lee and how that would impact on smaller businesses – but, as with other Southsea shops we have been able to help fill that gap with some of our own products. Also, the internet might have been seen as threat to us, but we came to realise that our customers really appreciate the individual service we provide, and people also recognise our support for local artists and artisans”.
“Picture framing of course is a service that is difficult to offer on-line and we have become well known for the quality of our framing,” explained Rick. “There is so much potential to grow the business further and we are always coming up with new ideas, but we are at a point in our lives where we’d like to slow down and do other things. Consequently we are now looking to pass the business to someone else who, like us, will continue to offer creative and artistic products and services to the local community with the same enthusiasm and zest for life as we feel we have done for so many years. Whilst it won’t be easy to say goodbye, it’s an exciting challenge to find the right person/couple to take on this amazing opportunity”.
White Dog Gallery 11 Stanley Street, Southsea PO5 2DS t: 023 92 825330 e: southsea@whitedoggallery.co.uk www.whitedoggallery.co.uk
02392 754217 5, Clarendon Road, Southsea
For the second year in a row Charlotte Cornelius Jewellery was voted Best Jeweller in Hampshire and IOW. “A massive ‘THANK YOU’ from all the team, Charlotte, Claire, Rob, Saskia, Lucy, Lara and Jo - we love working together creating one of a kind jewellery in the heart of Southsea. Without our amazing customers there would be no us!” said Charlotte.
One of the reasons Charlotte Cornelius Jewellery has been so successful is a willingness to innovate and to constantly meet customer’s high expectations. Something that Charlotte has always been concerned about is the environment. “Knowing where and how our precious metals and gemstones are sourced has always been of the upmost importance to us. We use only Fairtrade, Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold or recycled gold, platinum and silver. Our mission is creating ‘Jewellery for Life’. “With this in mind, we are working towards The Butterfly Mark accreditation by Positive Luxury. The Butterfly Mark certification is a globally respected trust mark, independently verified by evidence that we meet the highest standard of sustainability best practices across Environmental, Social, Governance and Innovation (ESG+) across the worldwide luxury industry,” explained Charlotte.
Left to right - Charlotte and Claire
From left to right - Saskia, Lucy and Rob
Come and meet us at our Boutique and Workshop! 87A Marmion Road, Southsea PO5 2AX charlottecornelius.co.uk
