BROADWAY HERITAGE PRESS OFFICE
Sally Davis, The PR Department Tel: 023 9266 1600 Mobile: 07802 436739: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
NEWS
24 June 2010
WESTCLIFF COMPETITION CHARITY CHEQUE GOES TO WESTON ARTS FESTIVAL
Winner of the 2010 Westcliff Charity Art Competition, Ann Baber, has presented her £200 charity cheque to Weston Arts Festival.
She made the presentation to Alan James, Treasurer of WAFS at Westcliff, in Upper Kewstoke Road, Weston-super-Mare on Monday.
Ann won the Charity Art Competition among stiff local competition for her colourful figurative painting depicting the frontage of the 28-home luxury residential restoration development. These luxury flats in Weston-super-Mare are contained within 5 majestic Victorian villas - they made an excellent subject for local artists to tackle.
Ann is Chair of the Weston-super-Mare Arts Festival charity so it was a natural choice for her as recipient of her winnings.
Weston Arts Festival Association in its 22nd year taking place in venues all over Weston from 18th September until 3rd October. The festival is a variety of artistic events performed by local groups and individuals for the community of Weston and surrounding villages. The programme includes music in many forms: classical and pop; soloists; choirs; bands; orchestras; instrumentalists; as well as art exhibitions; dance performances; talks; literature; film; photography; ‘scarecrows’; creative writing; flower arranging and theatre.
She said: “In order to make sure we reach all the corners of our community we need to publicise the events extremely well which is an expensive exercise. I am very pleased that Alan James, our esteemed and valued Festival Treasurer, will spend my £200 prize money on publicity material for the Festival such as posters, flyers, banners, and programmes.”
Ann’s winning painting can be seen on the Gallery of www.westcliffvillas.co.uk It is soon to be elegantly framed and then permanently displayed at Westcliff, which of all the property for sale in Weston-super-Mare is among the most stylish and historical.
ENDS
For more media information contact Sally Davis 023 9266 1600 m 07802 436739
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
8 June 2010
Former pupil of Westcliff Girls' School and member of Westcliff Old Girls Association Rosemary Warner reflects on Westcliff – past, present and future
Rosemary won third prize in the Westcliff Charity Art Competition for her picture entitled ‘Remembering’ which depicts her as a girl looking through the window at Westcliff out across the estuary.(See other item posted 8 June 2010.)
"The story starts with your organisation [Broadway Heritage plc] and your project to revitalise the properties at Westcliff.
“I suspect that there have been times in many people's lives where they have been left with an uneasy feeling of unfinished business, where time has passed and where there is no forseeable potential for a resolution. Westcliff and I have been joined in such a relationship.
“In the past, my attendance at Westcliff [Old Girls'] reunions has been very spasmodic. This year I decided I would go, partly because none of us are growing any younger and partly because I was able to secure a lift for some of the journey [from my home in Oxford]. During the afternoon, it was with some trepidation that I agreed to accept the invitation to visit Westcliff, to take a look at one of the properties and see how the development was unfolding.
“I was excited by what I saw; the ground floor flat in Highcleve is splendid. Whilst we lived [then] in a somewhat spartan environment, the finished apartment today is comfortable and well appointed with exquisite ceilings (I hardly noticed them when I was there). The view from the bay window was the trigger that reminded me of the times I spent gazing out over the estuary.
“I arrived at Westcliff [Girls’ School] at the age of ten. I was tiny and socially and emotionally immature, but I was brainy. I was put with children much older than myself. As a result, academically I was more than satisfied but I was incredibly homesick. I became a practised sleepwalker, going from building to building; the distances covered were illustrated by the objects that I found on my bed the next morning!
“Gradually the views worked their magic on me and it was during the breaks that I would find myself glued to the windows. I saw the sea and the sky in so many moods, tranquil, as in the picture, but sometimes wild and exciting. Often when it was stormy, the life boat would be summoned and it was during these moments that I could appreciate the powerful currents that whirled around Birnbeck island.
“When I was leaving after my recent visit, I picked up your notice about the Charity Art competition and set to work remembering. Whereas in the past my thoughts of Westcliff were blighted by the sadness and by the homesickness I had experienced, quite suddenly, I found that these feelings were replaced by the recollection of those powerful moments at 'the window to the world' as you so aptly described it. I am now able to look through mature eyes and recognise the gift that my parents gave to me. How does it feel to have been the catalyst in this process? I can't thank you enough.”
8 June 2010
‘WESTCLIFF CHARITY ART COMPETITION’ WINNER ANNOUNCED
Congratulations go to local artist Mrs Ann Baber of Weston-super-Mare, winner of the 2010 Westcliff Charity Art Competition. The standard of entries was extremely high. Mrs Baber receives a cheque for £100 along with a £200 cheque for a local charity of her choice, from Broadway Heritage plc, sponsors of the competition and restorers of Westcliff.
People involved in the Weston Arts Festival - as well as other local artists and former students of Westcliff during its school and college days - took part in the competition which was staged to mark the restoration of the splendid 5 Victorian villas in Upper Kewstoke Road to their original format as elegant homes. Today 28 high-specification 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments and duplexes are being created at Westcliff which occupies an elevated position with splendid high water views over the Severn Estuary.
In describing the winning painting of Westcliff’s front elevation, Michael Hodges, MD of Broadway Heritage plc, said: “Mrs Baber’s outstandingly colourful rendering of the 5 properties is striking and recognisable. It evokes the joyful, colourful and somewhat abstract former life of the buildings as homes, a school and more latterly as a college.”
On receiving her First Prize, Ann Baber said: “Winning this competition is not only a great joy for me it is also something of an amusing irony. I actually studied at Westcliff for a Fine Arts Foundation as a mature student in the mid 90s. My studio space had the magnificent view and it was a fantastic place to paint with its ever-changing sea and skies giving us an endless tapestry from which to steal ideas.” The red of the sky in her painting is evocative of the deeply moving sunsets. She said it was these which attracted J M William Turner RA - a ‘painter of light’ and perhaps England's finest Romantic artist of the time - to visit Weston in the nineteenth century. In her painting Ann also draws on the structural planting in Prince Consort Gardens as the exotic base from which she shows the striking buildings of Westcliff emerging.
The painting awarded Runner Up was by Joanne Harding of Lympsham. “Her instantly recognisable view of one of the buildings through a stained glass window is a beautifully faithful representation of Radford Villa,” said Mr Hodges.
Third place (‘Commended’) went to Rosemary Warner who is an ‘old girl’ of Westcliff School, now living in Witney, Oxfordshire. Rosemary became aware of the competition when visiting Westcliff with around 30 of her contemporaries following a Westcliff Old Girls’ Association reunion in Weston in April. Hers is a wistful, reflective portrayal. “‘Remembering’ is the title of this work and it is evocative of school days spent gazing into Westcliff's astonishing views - a distraction in many lessons on warm sunny afternoons without doubt!,” said the judges.
The competition was judged by Michael Hodges and Tim Edwards. Michael Hodges MRICS has a keen interest in art and commissioner of unique artworks for all Broadway developments, and Tim Edwards is a fellow director of Broadway Heritage.
Michael Hodges said: “We were absolutely delighted with the high standard of all the entries in the competition. In a range of different styles and media, they were all beautifully executed and all captured the atmosphere of Westcliff in unique ways.”
Mrs Baber’s winning artwork is to be elegantly framed and then permanently displayed at Westcliff.
For more information on Westcliff visit www.westcliffvillas.co.uk
To read a personal reflection from Rosemary Warner, Third Prize winner, see the second item posted today 'Remembering - a personal reflection on Westcliff'
ENDS
8 April 2010
BIRNBECK WORK TO START ON 12 APRIL
Restoration of the five Victorian villas at Westcliff in Upper Kewstoke Road continues apace, with work due to start on Birnbeck on Monday 12 April.
Birnbeck - at number 10 - is to be reconfigured into 6 luxury flats 3 of which will be one bedroom. With dual aspect, its oblique views further along the Severn Estuary make Birnbeck particularly attractive.
Birnbeck first became part of what was Westcliff School in 1923, when it was acquired to provide accommodation for the kindergarten and junior forms, with science department, handwork and domestic science. That year Miss Aldwinckle, Westcliff's first Head Mistress, wrote*: "In the new house, we have large airy rooms with sea views for our Kindgergarten and First Form, and the children in these now have ample space for work and play. The enlargement of the School premises benefits the younger girls in more ways than one, for there are two things necessary for their development, which grown-up people do not always realise; one is plenty of movement, and the other, the need for a lawful vent for their high spirits."
During the war years most of Westcliff school moved to Wales and Birnbeck was used for military purposes.
"Of all the luxury flats and duplexes for sale in Weston-super-Mare, we anticipate having our first apartment in Birnbeck ready for 1 September 2010, with the other five homes complete by mid-October at the latest," said MD, Michael Hodges. Prices range from £174,950 to £434.950.
ENDS
*Extract from 'Westcliff - Weston-super-Mare - The Story of the School' by R B Willies.
26 March 2010
WESTONIANS TREATED TO WESTCLIFF HISTORY TOUR
Today over 40 guests were welcomed to Westcliff by Broadway Heritage for a taste of local history. Some were members of Weston U3A and others from Weston Family History Society.
Following light refreshments Michael Hodges, MD of Broadway Heritage plc - restorers of Westcliff - gave a welcome talk, explaining the history of acquisition of the site and the commitment of Broadway to sensitive restoration that enhances the immediate environment.
Well known and highly respected local historian Dr John Crockford-Hawley then gave an insightful and enlightening short talk on the history of the Westcliff site which dates back many centuries.
Guests were then invited to guess the function of various finds that have been made on the site by Harry Burley of main contractor, CTS Limited. All had an opportunity to tour the Show Apartment in High Cleve and then neighbouring Dunraven.
Michael Hodges said: "It was a pleasure to welcome so many guests to Westcliff and have the opportunity to tell them about this most interesting restoration project to create these luxury flats. Dr Crockford-Hawley is a mine of local information and it was a pleasure to have him with us.
"Westcliff has stood empty for some years now and local people seem genuinely delighted at our approach to restoration. We are retaining all the character we can in the process, while integrating all the contemporary lifestyle convenience for even the most discerning home buyer."
ENDS
10 March 2010
WESTCLIFF CHARITY ART COMPETITION OPEN TO ALL
Broadway Heritage plc, restorers of former girls’ school Westcliff, in the northern part of Weston-super-mare is sponsoring a spring ‘Westcliff Charity Art Competition. The competition is open to members of the North Somerset Art Week and members of the general public. Closing date for entries is 3 pm on Saturday 24 April.
Broadway supports emerging and local artists in the communities where their developments are located, and Weston-super-Mare is no exception. The winner of the Westcliff Charity Art Competition will receive a cash prize of £100, and an additional £200 to donate to a local charity of their choice.
Entrants are being invited to portray the handsome frontage of the five Westcliff villas in Upper Kewstoke Road - in full or in part - or the view from Westcliff across the Severn Estuary.
Westcliff has a rich history, having once been a girls’ school and later, part of Weston College. The five elegant Victorian villas in are currently undergoing sensitive restoration by Broadway Heritage plc. They are being reconfigured into 28 stylish luxury flats of one-, two-, and three-bedrooms, and several duplexes. They combine Victorian grandeur with luxury contemporary living. All have stunning views either of the seascape across the estuary and landscaped gardens to the front, or across courtyards to woodland to the rear. The sunsets visible from Westcliff are stunning.
Michael Hodges, Broadway's Managing Director said: "The five villas at Westcliff are all fine examples of Victorian grandeur. All Grade-II listed and some with marvellous gothic entrances they make a great subject. We are committed to sensitive restoration and have retained the original features in the interiors, and recreated the landscaped gardens to the front. The setting of Westcliff high above the estuary means that the sunsets on view are breathtaking. To have an artistic rendition of the site will be a fitting tribute to the work of all those involved in bringing it to reality."
Entries are invited in either - oils, acrylics, watercolour, mixed media, pastels, charcoal, or pen and ink. Closing date: 3 pm Saturday 24 April. Those wishing to register to enter should contact Sally Davis This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel 023 9266 1600.
ENDS
For further media information please contact Broadway Heritage plc Press Office, Sally Davis on Tel/Fax 023 9266 1600 m: 07802 436739
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Editor's notes:
Broadway Heritage plc is dedicated to the restoration of historic buildings and the creator of high quality homes in top UK locations. It was formed in 2005 and is a sister organisation to Hill Farm Securities plc.
Broadway is committed to creating homes of high quality, sensitive to surrounding environment. They meet high construction and energy efficiency standards.
Broadway utilises the services of specialist architects and building designers, with high levels of expertise in sensitive restoration of historical buildings and the design of sustainable buildings.
Broadway developments appeal to discerning homebuyers often those who are downsizing later in life. Perhaps embracing apartment living for the first time, they are looking for generously-proportioned rooms and common areas, and high-specification interiors.
www.broadwayplc.com
www.westcliffvillas.co.uk
27 November 2009
‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ - WESTCLIFF WELCOMES RETIRED TEACHERS HOME
Retired head teachers Vivienne Stone and Christine Balson are excited to be going ‘back to school’ at Westcliff in Weston-super-Mare in 2010.
They are the purchasers of a luxury duplex home at Westcliff, one of 28 gracious luxury flats being created within what was formerly Westcliff Girls’ School and later part of Weston College. Located in Upper Kewstoke Road, the site overlooks Prince Consort Gardens and the Severn Estuary.
Restoration specialist, Broadway Heritage plc, bought the Grade 2 Listed properties in 2007 and has subsequently secured planning and listed building consents for conversion to 28 apartments. Unique pieces of local history, they are 5 of relatively few “Listed” properties in the town and because many local people have personal contacts with the place, they occupy a place of affection in the hearts of the people of Weston. Broadway is an experienced conservation developer renowned for sensitive and stylish restoration of historic buildings, and at Westcliff is effectively combining Victorian grandeur with stylish contemporary living. With high levels of acoustic and thermal insulation and state-of-the-art electronic heating it combines the best of both worlds.
The duplex that has been purchased by Vivienne and Christine is the first of 3 that have already been sold and the first to be reserved ‘off plan’. Michael Hodges of Broadway said: “Clearly Westcliff is fondly regarded locally and people are pleased to see it being restored to its former glory. We were amazed at the queue at the door on our launch weekend at the beginning of November.”
Questioned on their move to Westcliff, Vivienne Stone said: “We are absolutely delighted at the prospect. I have known the site for years as I actually once taught trainee teachers there so it’s very nostalgic for me. I’ve always loved Westcliff; it’s got real star quality. The sea views we will have from our home are spectacular and, being west-facing, the sunsets are to die for!”
The luxury flats and duplexes are retaining many original features such as stained glass, high Victorian plasterwork, grand fireplaces, exquisite ceramic tiling and sash windows which have been draught and rattle-proofed. “Architecturally the building is absolutely beautiful,” adds Vivienne. “And we particularly like the high spec finish as we hope to live at Westcliff for many years and we want our home to keep its looks. It’s a very sympathetic development all round and we can’t wait to move in.”
Westcliff occupies an unrivalled position at the northern end of the town, with uninterrupted views over the sea – even at low water – and views over woodland behind. It is located in the Birnbeck Conservation Area. Michael Hodges concludes: “Weston has a beguiling heritage and it is a great satisfaction to me personally, to play a role in conserving that for future generations. Despite the challenging economic climate, we hope that Westcliff will lead to more such restoration in the area.”
The Westcliff development comprises 28 new luxury flats of distinction. Four of these homes, in High Cleve the first of the five houses to be completed are available for immediate occupation. The next three new homes (including Vivienne and Christine’s) will be available in the Summer of 2010. Subsequent phases will follow in quick succession thereafter.
ENDS
For further media information please contact Broadway Heritage plc Press Office, Sally Davis on Tel/Fax 023 9266 1600 m: 07802 436739 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Editor's notes:
Broadway Heritage plc is dedicated to the restoration of historic buildings and the creator of high quality homes in top UK locations. It was formed in 2005 and is a sister organisation to Hill Farm Securities plc.
Broadway is committed to creating homes of high quality, sensitive to surrounding environment. They meet high construction and energy efficiency standards.
Broadway utilises the services of specialist architects and building designers, with high levels of expertise in sensitive restoration of historical buildings and the design of sustainable buildings.
Broadway developments appeal to discerning homebuyers often those who are downsizing later in life. Perhaps embracing apartment living for the first time, they are looking for generously-proportioned rooms and common areas, and high-specification interiors.
www.broadwayplc.com
www.westcliffvillas.co.uk
WHAT THE MEDIA SAYS ABOUT WESTCLIFF
Weston & Worle News
Weston & Somerset Mercury
Bristol Evening Post
