History on the High Street

Marlborough has a wealth of historical buildings from The Merchant House’s tudor origins to contemporary offices. With its entrance tucked off the High Street behind a no longer used façade is Ailesbury Court, one such office complex, home to Withy King Solicitors and the Hills Group. The story really lies in the impressive frontage with its wide rising stone steps and supporting columns. The heading across the front of the building is “Ailesbury Court”, but actually what you are looking at is the former Ailesbury Arms Hotel. The hotel has enjoyed a long tenure on the High Street with noted references to it being the host to the Marlborough Club (a Tory gentleman’s club) in 1846 and also as hosts to the American GIs in WW2. A veteran recalls that General Patton’s XX Corps camped on Marlborough Downs. The soldiers had to make do with wooden huts, whilst officers enjoyed the Ailesbury Arms Hotel and the commanders were happily ensconced at Ogbourne Maizey Manor. It was not the only inn in the town in the 1800s. On the south side of the High Street, were found the Angel, the Black Swan and, on the north side, the Antelope, later to be called the Castle and Ball.

The name Ailesbury hails from the Earls and then Marquesses of Ailesbury who were lords of the borough until in 1930 George, Marquess of Ailesbury, sold the lordship of the borough to Marlborough Borough Council. The county town of

Buckinghamshire to which the title refers is spelt “Aylesbury”, but it is believed the letter from the King confirming the new title wrongly spelled it “Ailesbury”, and nobody wanted to correct the King.

Thanks to : ‘The borough of Marlborough’, A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 12: Ramsbury and Selkley hundreds; the borough of Marlborough (1983), pp. 199-229. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66528&strquery=ailesbury Date accessed: 31 October 2013.

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Support for renewable energy is not to blame for the recent jump in energy prices. That is the view of Thomas McMillan, Renewables Specialist at Smiths Gore, who says that Fergus Ewing MSP was absolutely right at the recent SNP Conference to assert that green policy is in fact keeping energy bills down. He says:

“The fact is that the renewable obligation and feed-in tariff which are the main subsidies for renewable electricity make up 3 per cent of the average household bill. Other green and ethical measures such as the Warm Home Discount for vulnerable and low-income households and the Energy Companies Obligation that provides energy saving measures for those in fuel poverty make up 5 per cent. So the calls for all green subsidies to be cut or dropped completely to reduce energy bills are grossly misleading.

“A number of the green initiatives are for energy saving measures such as roof and cavity wall insulation schemes that, when adopted, will result in energy savings and

lower fuel bills for many households in the future.”

A further consequence says Thomas McMillan is that continual denigration of the support structures agreed and in place for green energy development may in fact drive investment away from the sector. He says:

“The renewables sector at all levels has invested heavily to date, has ambitious Government-set targets to meet, and has an absolutely crucial part to play in delivery of our future energy needs. Current finger pointing will serve very little purpose apart from possibly putting future investment in jeopardy.

According to the Renewable Energy Association in 2012 in the UK the £12.5 billion renewables industry supported 110,000 jobs across supply chain, and could support 400,000 by 2020.

Marlborough NewsNovember 2013

Wholesale energy prices ‘not going up’

but Profits are!Wholesale prices are not going up in the energy industry, according to the head of a small energy firm, despite British Gas and Npower following SSE’s rises with increases of over 9% in their dual-fuel bill

price. Whereas EDF’s increase is less than 4%.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, MD and founder of Ovo Energy, said he had not seen wholesale prices rise for about two years. On Monday, Ofgem published data showing that profit margins in the industry had risen from 2.8% in 2011, to 4.3% in 2012 with Centrica, the owner of British Gas, having the highest profit margin, at 6.6%

Disagreement over green energy prices could put future investment at risk

UK house prices in a see saw!

Despite the Nationwide, the Halifax and the Land Registry all reporting increases in year on year house prices, the ONS (Office for National Statistics) have recently suggested that house prices across the UK have dropped back slightly. Last month, they reported prices were at their highest since records began in 1968, however its house price index fell from 186 in October to 184.9 in November.

Annual house price inflation rates • England+4.2%• Wales+1.4%• Scotland-1.1%• NorthernIreland-1.5%

Curb AppealThe trick is to fi nd the areas where improvements are needed, then work on them as best you can. Think about:• Nice Landscaping: Some colour goes a

long way from the curb. Planting some annuals and ground-cover around trees looks great. A home with no landscaping looks uninviting.

• Fresh paint: A freshly painted front door is inviting and freshly painted clean walls and trim make a house look very sharp and clean.

• Clean Windows: Make them shine. Dirty windows in springtime (or anytime for that matter) make a home look unkempt.

• De-cluttering the Home: This is a huge impact for no money at all. A de-cluttered space looks roomy and

inviting. If you have to lift more than three items on a single shelf or top for dusting, then you have clutter!

Imagine, imagine!

Rightmove imagined an ‘X-Factor Street’ and asked people to rate

which judge they would most expect to carry out a range of activities as

neighbours.

Highlights of the results were:

• 81% thought that Simon would be the person most likely to challenge their planning permission

• Louis would be the person most people would ask to look after the house and feed the fish while they were on holiday, with 40% of the vote

• Cheryl is the person that the public would expect to overhear singing in the shower (40% of the vote)

• Over 3 out 5 people (63%) think Simon would be the judge most likely to ask them to keep the noise down!

• And Cheryl seems to be the most popular judge among the British public as 43% said they would be most likely to pop a Christmas card through her door

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Featured Property Vine Cottage Chilton Foliat

Vine Cottage is a handsome house with a façade in a Georgian style, full of character with a sought after location, ideal for commuting.

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Sitting Room, Dining Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Garden Room, Study, Snug, 5 Bedrooms & 3 Bathrooms (2 ensuite), Double garage & Stores. Garden of 0.34 acre. A one-bedroom annexe (438 sq ft) with sitting room, kitchen and bathroom lies at the end of the drive. A gated access provides excellent walking to the rear of the property.

Vine Cottage sits in the heart of the much sought after downland village of Chilton Foliat, convenient for Hungerford, Marlborough and schooling at Pinewood.

Guide Price £995,000.

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Mini Gallery in Marlborough

Smiths Gore’s Mini Gallery in Marlborough plays host to a new artist this month. On display are arresting pictures using black oils on canvas by Andrew Taylor. Andrew’s penchant for animals derives from a moment in a French attic when a back copy of Paris Match featured a commanding cockerel with a martial eye. The picture was so extant, that this Napoleon Bonaparte of the animal world became the inspiration for capturing strangely humanlike characteristics within the art subjects. Edward Hall of Smiths Gore who offered the gallery space to local artists non-gratis said “It is fantastic to work in an office with truly inspiring paintings on the wall. Smiths Gore is a byword for service and this is just one of the ways we try to help. We welcome any chance to further support business and commerce in Marlborough.”

“Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed by them.”Henry David Thoreau

“Your house shall be not an anchor but a mast - It shall not be a glistening film that covers a wound, but an eyelid that guards the eye.” Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet