A Sawyer & Co. Publication
FATBOY SLIM INTERVIEW
A quick trip through history St Ann’s Well Garden’s Film Studios See inside for details...
Your Local Multi-Award Winning Property Experts
01273 77 88 44
www.sawyerandco.co.uk
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WINNERS BEST ESTATE AGENT IN THE SOUTH EAST
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Dear Reader
I
n this issue we catch up with Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim in an exclusive interview, we travel back through time to learn about St Ann’s Well Garden’s film studios, we have a handy guide on buying New Build Homes and also give you our regular property market update. We hope that the first few months of 2017 have treated you well, they’ve certainly been busy for us. We’re very proud to announce that already this year we’ve won the prestigious title of Best Estate Agency in the South East 2017 at The Guild Awards, which are the most important property industry accolades.
immersive tours, bespoke property descriptions and stunning professional photography are all part and parcel of our services available to everyone who trust us to sell their property for them. If you’d like us to come and value your property pop into the office and say hello or contact us now on 01273 77 88 44 to arrange a time that’s convenient for you. Chris sawyer Director
If you read the property sections of the national newspapers you might also have noticed that our Sawyer & Co. properties have been getting plenty of editorial exposure. When The Sunday Times wanted to know all about Hove for their ‘20 Best Places to Live’ feature they simply came straight to us and asked. They also featured one of our properties in their list of the UK’s ‘Best Homes to Live In’.
Contents
Features like these show that when we market our properties we don’t just put a sign up in the front garden and hope for the best. We make sure we reach the widest possible audience to achieve the best possible outcome.
Property for sale and rent................................. 09
This month we....................................................04–05 5 Reasons to buy a new build house...... 06 Property market.........................................................07 St Ann’s Well Garden’s Film Studios.........08
Fatboy Slim Q&A...................................................10–11
It’s not only our successful local and national press marketing that sets us apart - exclusive interactive
Recently sold or let in your area
We’re always keen to discuss any future ideas for features, reviews or advertising as well as hearing about new charity events or community projects. Pop into the office and say hello or contact us now on 01273 77 88 44 or email jenny@sawyerandco.co.uk No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers.
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this month
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...we love
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Addison Road TO LET
Elegant 4 Bedroom House with South-Facing Garden Near to Seven Dials. Sash windows, wood floors and generous proportions combine with a fantastic kitchen/diner, large master suite and an elegant sense of style to create a beautiful example of modern family life in a period property. Available from the beginning of May 2017. Unfurnished.
Contact us now on 01273 77 88 44 and find out more about this property
this month...
...we’re looking forward to
Sponsoring Hove is where the Art is
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Hove Arts is busy preparing for another year of open house exhibitions of exemplary quality and variety from award winning artists and venues in Hove Arts. Stunning exhibitions, working studios and curated shows will provide inspiration and delight for all ages, and children’s interaction with the arts is encouraged with the Hove Trotter Children’s Passport. The Artists’ Open House Festival will run during the Brighton Festival in May and houses will be open four weekends from 6th May until 29th May. Detailed information and images for all venues will be available on www.hovearts.com from beginning of April.
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this month ...we’re enjoying A little something we like to call Irene’s Insalata. Our new professional in-house photographer hails from the beautiful Italian island of Sicily and moved to Brighton after falling in love with our vibrant city. With spring finally here it seems only fitting that we share her own take on a healthy Mediterranean salad. Roughly grate 8oz of carrots, 4oz beetroot and 4oz of Gala apples and mix together in a bowl. Thinly slice 4oz of fresh celery and add to the mix. Gently squeeze the juice of a lemon onto the mixture together with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and stir. Finally, add a handful of fresh mint leaves and opal! Buon Appetito
…we’re listening to Monday mornings can always feel like a chore after a long weekend. However, as the great Bob Marley once said “one good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain” and with that in mind here’s an eclectic sample of what we’re listening to on our way into work at the moment: Sweet Southern Comfort – Buddy Jewell Thick As Thieves – The Jam Ordinary People – John Legend Beautiful Thing – Stone Roses Darkness Rolling – Lo Fidelity Allstars Show You – Duelle
Listen to our Sawyer & Co playlists at find out more at: https://open.spotify. com/user/sawyerco
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Property Market Update One of the most important things that a good estate agent knows is that relationships with sellers and buyers need to be based on trust. That’s why at Sawyer & Co. we place a big value on our honesty and the fact that we will always tell it like it is. There may have been plenty of talk of uncertain times for the property market however, we are now seeing the usual upturn in activity that we always expect to see at this time of year. Money is still cheap to borrow, mortgages are a little easier to come by and a weak sterling is good news for overseas buyers. Sensibly priced properties have been selling swiftly already this year and the best weeks are ahead of us now.
high. The newspaper feature highlighted the fact that from up and down-sizers, commuters and investors to those looking for second homes or just wanting to relocate, we continue to be popular with a wide range of buyers. During these months when the sun starts to get higher in the sky and we venture out onto the beach and into our gardens, everything looks so much better here in our fair city. Never underestimate the way that people visiting our city walk along the seafront, around the lanes, up through Kemp Town or around Hove and then decide they want to move here from outside the area.
Of course, that’s where we think our accurate and realistic valuation skills really come into play, and our track record of a low percentage of price reductions on our properties compared to our main competitors backs this up.
Our exclusive Matterport 360 degree viewing service has attracted interest from out of area and overseas buyers who then go on to view in person, making it a vital addition to our services and yet another aspect of the way we do things that sets us apart.
Consistent kudos for our area as seen in the recent Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Live’ feature means buyer interest is consistently
Contact our property experts now on 01273 77 88 44 or pop into our branch at 52 Church Road and allow us to get things moving for you.
For Sale £525,000
Stunning and Spacious 2 Bedroom Garden Flat in an Elegant Period Property Near to Seven Dials. Osmond Gardens Available NOW Contact us now on 01273 77 88 44 for more details. Sawyer& Co_Hove Living Issue 2017.indd 7
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Hove’s own Hollywood a quick trip through history
In a cinematic world now dominated by Netflix as much as it is major movie blockbusters, it might surprise some people to find out that there have actually been four successful film studios in the Brighton & Hove area. Perhaps even more interesting is that St Ann’s Well Gardens in Furze Hill could lay claim to being Hove’s very own Hollywood. Between 1900 and 1904 George Albert Smith, a true pioneer of the moving image, ran his GAS Films studios. In fact Smith leased the St Ann’s Well pleasure gardens between 1892 and 1904 from the estate of financier and philanthropist Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, and before becoming fully involved in the fledgling film industry he staged public exhibitions in the park consisting of hot air ballooning and parachute jumps. There were entertainments such as a monkey house and a hermit living in a cave, but it was the magic lantern shows of a series of dissolving views to show changes
in time, perspective and location that pointed towards future developments. Smith began making films in the winter of 1896-7 and used the Pump House in the grounds (‘The Chalybeate’) as his main location and built simple sets around the rest of the gardens. In 1900 the early movie mogul gained financial support from the Warwick Trading Company, run by Charles Urban, and constructed a small purposebuilt studio. Once again Smith was at the cutting edge of film-making for the era, as his new studio was made up of a specially designed glasshouse, set over a 30 feet wide by 16 feet deep stage. The construction included wooden doors at one end of the building allowing the stage apron to be pulled forward between them. GAS Films studios left St Ann’s Well Gardens in early 1904 when Smith moved to Southwick to take part in yet another innovative film development, namely working in colour.
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AS FEATURED IN THE SUNDAY TIMES
Elegant 3 Bedroom Bay Fronted Maisonette with Landscaped Rear Garden. Conveniently situated on a quiet road in the heart of Poets Corner, near to the shops of Portland Road and within walking distance of Hove train station, this stylish home is ideal for both commuters and families alike.
For Sale £440,000
A beautifully presented interior balances contemporary design features with period details, benefiting from a large living room, separate open plan dining room/large modern kitchen as well as an easy to maintain rear garden. This spacious three storey home comes with the freehold for the entire building. Contact us now on 01273 77 88 44 for more details.
Stylish One Bedroom Garden Flat with Modern Patio in Poets Corner.
For Sale £219,950
Conveniently situated on a quiet road in the heart of Poets Corner, near to the shops of Portland Road and within easy walking distance of Hove train station, this stylish home is ideal for commuters. Presented to an impressively high standard, if you’re looking for a modern interior that effortlessly balances contemporary design features with period details, this one bedroom flat will take your breath away. Sitting on the lower ground floor of an elegant bay fronted property with its own street entrance, its generous proportions include an open plan kitchen/living room, double bedroom and modern shower room as well as an easy to maintain private patio. Contact us now on 01273 77 88 44 for more details.
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FATBOY SLIM – EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW From headlining this year’s Wildlife Festival to the Electric Daisy Carnival in Japan, Brighton & Hove’s favourite adopted son Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim looks set to have a busy 2017. Sawyer & Co. caught up with him to talk about all things Brighton & Hove…. Q. The old music industry cliché used to be about becoming successful and buying an old medieval mansion in the countryside. There’s plenty dotted around Sussex, why did you choose the beach front instead? A. Tee hee. I’m not a country boy and have always felt the lure of the sea. The beach has always drawn and inspired me. More importantly though, in my partying days and with a recording studio in my house it was important to have no near neighbours! Q. You must have travelled pretty much everywhere in the world by now. What’s so special about Brighton and Hove that keeps you calling it home? A. Well mainly because it is just that...home... I love the relaxed and tolerant atmosphere here, the slightly eccentric. I have lived here for 35 years now and all my hopes and dreams seem to come true here. Q. Was the legendary ‘House of Love’ the first property you owned, what made you choose it, whereabouts was it and do you still own it? A. My brother in law lives there now. It wasn’t a special house, a Victorian end of terrace backing on to the railway tracks, but it had very tolerant neighbours, a basement lounge that seemed to be perfectly soundproof and that was where our most infamous parties went on. When the party ended I would fall into the studio, watch the trains go by and record tunes for the next week’s party
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“I would sign Neymar, we could do with more Brazilian flair...”
www.sawyerandco.co.uk
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Q. When you first moved to Brighton was Western Esplanade as famous as it is now and did you ever think that one day you’d live there? A. I didn’t know it even existed before an estate agent told me about it (after living here for a good ten years...). As I began the process of moving in I quickly learnt of its rich eccentric celebrity history, with tales of Frank Sinatra, Joe Orton etc. all staying here. It still remains kinda ‘Stella Street’. Q. The i360 still seems to be a Marmite moment for local residents, people either love it or hate it. What does it mean for you and how important do you think it is for the city? A. I love it. I think it reflects our forward thinking, slightly eccentric attitude and will become as iconic as the Pavilion or the piers whether you like it or not. It will attract many more visitors to the city (again some people think this is a negative but our economy relies on visitors, love them or hate them). I bet when the Pavilion first opened not everyone said, ‘my, what a tasteful piece of architecture that blends in with its surroundings’... Q. You’re famous for using different pseudonyms, one of which is of course the Brighton Port Authority (BPA). Are there any others using local names/ areas that we might not know about? A. I’ve always wanted to use the name Jesus Martinez. Nothing to do with Brighton, he was a character in Hill St Blues. By the way the Brighton Port Authority was supposed to be called Shoreham Port Authority but we didn’t want to upset the real one! Q. Are we going to see a Big Beach 6? A. Never say never.... Perhaps a party to celebrate the Albion finally reaching the Premiership??? Q. Speaking of which…What do you think of the Seagulls’ chance of promotion this season? Do you get to many matches these days and if you could sign any player in the world for them who would it be?
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A. I go to every home match that I am in Brighton for, which is normally about half of them. I think every year we inch closer to the Prem, last season we were about as close as you can be so the only way is up! I would sign Neymar, we could do with more Brazilian flair... Q. With so many bands doing reunion tours at the moment are you ever tempted to pick up the bass again and play as the Housemartins? A. Not a rat’s chance in hell. We made a pact that we would only reform if the Smiths did... Q. You own The Big Beach Café and it has a great local reputation for its food. Are you a dab hand in the kitchen yourself and do you ever venture into the Café’s and do any cooking there? A. I do enjoy cooking but I don’t have the chops for a professional kitchen! I take my hat off to the two Danny’s who sweat their hearts out in there... Q. Other than the Big Beach Café, where’s your favourite place in Brighton and Hove to go for coffee, Sunday lunch, late breakfast? A. I love both Riddle and Finns, The Set, 64 degrees, Silo and any of the Gingers (pig, dog, man, fox...take your pick...) Q. When you moved to Brighton in the 80’s the club scene here was pretty legendary. What do you think of the local club scene these days? A. Sadly I don’t get out much these days. Bit of a busman’s holiday when my job is spent in clubs and festivals. When I relax I eat rather than dancing... Q. When can we expect to hear a new Fatboy Slim album, any time soon? A. Not in the immediate future but I do have a cheeky little single up my sleeve... Q. If you could change one thing what do you think would make Brighton and Hove an even better place to live? A. Obviously I would restructure the crazy road and parking system. It patently doesn’t work!
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WINNERS BEST ESTATE AGENT IN THE SOUTH EAST
Hove 52 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FN 01273 77 88 44
Silver BEST
BEST
ESTATE AGENT
LETTING AGENT in Brighton And Hove
in Brighton And Hove
2015 for
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
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Sawyer & Co. Small Estate Agency of the Year
2015 for
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
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