Jasmine Cottage
The name is a combination of the names of James and Minnie Bellwood who lived in the property in 1846. James worked as a woodcutter on the Darcy Wilson estate.
In 1845, according to the Tithe map, the rent for the cottage was 1 shilling and 7 pence per year plus 2 days’ labour during haymaking, 2 days’ labour during harvesting and the supply of a capon to the “Big house” at Christmas.
In 2015 the community tax is £1064.36!!
My cottage used to belong to Seacroft Hall. The Rising Sun pub was at the top of South Parkway on the corner of Stocks Approach. The pub was knocked into two houses. The Rising Sun Pub is further along York Road being the end cottage of four this closed a long time ago.
In 1845, according to the Tithe map, the rent for the cottage was 1 shilling and 7 pence per year plus 2 days’ labour during haymaking, 2 days’ labour during harvesting and the supply of a capon to the “Big house” at Christmas.
In 2015 the community tax is £1064.36!!
My cottage used to belong to Seacroft Hall. The Rising Sun pub was at the top of South Parkway on the corner of Stocks Approach. The pub was knocked into two houses. The Rising Sun Pub is further along York Road being the end cottage of four this closed a long time ago.
The Jasmin cottage was part of a farm house originally called Flowith farm and that’s in the 1940s. The cottage was called Jasmin short for James and Minnie. Not changed much. James was the wood cutter on the Darcy Wilson Estate, it’s still got the original door which was put on in 1952.
I’ve lived at Jasmin Cottage 27 years now. It was derelict when I got it. It had not been lived in for a long time. “I bought it”.
Lots of compulsory housing purchase went off in Seacroft Village. All the houses down near me were compulsory purchased.
Mine’s (Jasmin cottage) only standing because the guy next door to me refused to sell. They compulsory purchased and built all those lovely houses behind us. Village Style Housing.! My house, Darrell’s next door, then there was the Barn at the end which is now called Bumble Hall. It was sold and renovated. Then there’s a block of council flats and then behind that is Pat Bell’s cottage.
There were only the four cottages that actually remained when the council compulsory purchased. There was a small terrace of houses from the Dentist up to where Audrey lives and there was a little shop there, a row of cottages in between and they actually compulsory purchased them, knocked them down and built a council house and stuck it on the end of the terrace. That’s where Liz and Pats is.
Behind Audrey was an orchard and the remainder of what was Flowith farm which is where I live. The block of flats overlooked Pat’s cottage. Everything at that end of the village is now gone. They pulled down where the dentist is now – it was called the “Nukking” and they pulled all that down. That was all old cottages and a little dwarf lived in one of them. The dentist used to be the police house but anything in the middle has gone.
They pulled a cottage down at the side of the Cricketers’ Arms where that space is at the side and they moved one of the old ladies from there into mine (Jasmin cottage) because it was empty and they modernised it for her. They put the bath upon four bricks so that if I would have stood up in it I would have hit my head through the ceiling. They put a white bath, a green wash basin, black tiles and yellow wallpaper. And this was modernised in the eyes of the city council!. When she passed away it was left derelict and the garden was used as a tip.
Then the council decided that would cost them too much to do it up so they put it up for auction.
At the time I worked in the (Seacroft) Grange for Tertiary Education. I had the maid’s room as an office and it was like sitting in a cupboard, there were no windows; no doors. We went out to visit a student one afternoon and Kevin had always been on about moving back into the village and I said “Right” and we were going past and there was a For Sale sign. We pulled over and she said “Look Jen; there’s a For Sale sign” and I said” You are joking” and we walked on to see the student who had not been attending her classes. That’s why we had to go see her and we came back and I bumped into a Councillor. Not a Councillor for Seacroft- he just happened to be in the area.
I’ve lived at Jasmin Cottage 27 years now. It was derelict when I got it. It had not been lived in for a long time. “I bought it”.
Lots of compulsory housing purchase went off in Seacroft Village. All the houses down near me were compulsory purchased.
Mine’s (Jasmin cottage) only standing because the guy next door to me refused to sell. They compulsory purchased and built all those lovely houses behind us. Village Style Housing.! My house, Darrell’s next door, then there was the Barn at the end which is now called Bumble Hall. It was sold and renovated. Then there’s a block of council flats and then behind that is Pat Bell’s cottage.
There were only the four cottages that actually remained when the council compulsory purchased. There was a small terrace of houses from the Dentist up to where Audrey lives and there was a little shop there, a row of cottages in between and they actually compulsory purchased them, knocked them down and built a council house and stuck it on the end of the terrace. That’s where Liz and Pats is.
Behind Audrey was an orchard and the remainder of what was Flowith farm which is where I live. The block of flats overlooked Pat’s cottage. Everything at that end of the village is now gone. They pulled down where the dentist is now – it was called the “Nukking” and they pulled all that down. That was all old cottages and a little dwarf lived in one of them. The dentist used to be the police house but anything in the middle has gone.
They pulled a cottage down at the side of the Cricketers’ Arms where that space is at the side and they moved one of the old ladies from there into mine (Jasmin cottage) because it was empty and they modernised it for her. They put the bath upon four bricks so that if I would have stood up in it I would have hit my head through the ceiling. They put a white bath, a green wash basin, black tiles and yellow wallpaper. And this was modernised in the eyes of the city council!. When she passed away it was left derelict and the garden was used as a tip.
Then the council decided that would cost them too much to do it up so they put it up for auction.
At the time I worked in the (Seacroft) Grange for Tertiary Education. I had the maid’s room as an office and it was like sitting in a cupboard, there were no windows; no doors. We went out to visit a student one afternoon and Kevin had always been on about moving back into the village and I said “Right” and we were going past and there was a For Sale sign. We pulled over and she said “Look Jen; there’s a For Sale sign” and I said” You are joking” and we walked on to see the student who had not been attending her classes. That’s why we had to go see her and we came back and I bumped into a Councillor. Not a Councillor for Seacroft- he just happened to be in the area.
We told him there’s a cottage for sale there and he said “Are you interested in it?”
So I said “I don’t know; it looks bit rubbish”. So he said” I’m going down to the office; I will call down and get you the keys”. So I said “ok” and he brought them up to the office and he said” Just let me have them back when you can”
It was a huge key. So I went to have a look and thought :Yes, I could live in here. But that would have to go, that would have to go. She said “What you mean is your rebuilding it”.
You know when you just walk into somewhere and think: yes I could live here? It was knee deep in newspapers in the porch and I went in and kicked all these papers to one side. Somebody had dug a hole in the main beam and we went up stairs and they had starting pulling the wallpaper off. And I said “Yes, I suppose we could, I love the bathroom suite”.
All the chimney breast had been clad with that artificial stone cladding and it was horrible. The light fitting was hung off the main beam and the light bulbs were actually level with your chin. So to walk in you had to walk around it. When the councillor came back to get the key he brought a surveyor with him and said” Yes, it’s great, if you’ve got money to spend.
We were only talking about it and he said the bids have to be in by tomorrow at 12 o clock. The surveyor said if I had known this one was for sale I would have put my offer in instead of the one I’ve just bought over in Rothwell. I asked if it was worth doing up and he said yes. It’s obvious what wants doing to it. It needs gutting. They were asking for offers of £32000; that was the council. He said £32000 and 50p. So I said “50p” and he said “Yes, you don’t offer a penny more. That can win it all lose it that 50p”
So I went home typed a letter out with my offer, took it down to the office in town and left it and never thought anymore about it. I knew there was a young couple had been in to look at it and I knew they had offered £45.000 for it so I said “No chance!”
On the Thursday afternoon this guy rang me and said “Hello, my name is Richard and I understand you have put a bid in for Jasmin Cottage and we are pleased to tell you that your offer has been accepted”. I said ”Thank you very much” and put the phone down. He rang me back and said I think we got cut off Mrs Eastwood, and I said “Well there is a problem” and he said “What’s that?” And I said “My husband’s in Ireland and I haven’t told him”. So I said if I could have the keys I will ring him in Ireland tonight and ask him if he can come home and have a look because I didn’t dare decide on my own. He said I will let you have the keys and you can keep them until Monday but after that if the answers no or you’re not sure, we will go to the next person’s offer.
So I rang Kevin up and I said “I’ve bought a house.” “You’ve done what?” he said. “Can you come home?” He said “Not really. Don’t know if I can get a flight”
Anyway he got a flight on the Friday night. It was dark and he said you better show me where you’ve been. So we went down with torches because there was no electric. He said “What the hell have you done?” I said “Well, I haven’t done anything yet, I haven’t signed anything.” He said we will come back tomorrow and have a proper look.
We went back Saturday morning first thing, cleared all the newspapers. And he said “Well, if you want to do the work; it’s up to you, but I won’t be here” Because at the time he was working all over abroad as well as in Ireland.” If you want to tackle it, it could be worth doing.”
We talked about it some more, we told our two sons who were both married and they said it’s up to you mum and we will help you. 30 years on and I am still waiting for the help. So we decided that we would have it. So for £32000 and 50p I bought a cottage in the village.
So I said “I don’t know; it looks bit rubbish”. So he said” I’m going down to the office; I will call down and get you the keys”. So I said “ok” and he brought them up to the office and he said” Just let me have them back when you can”
It was a huge key. So I went to have a look and thought :Yes, I could live in here. But that would have to go, that would have to go. She said “What you mean is your rebuilding it”.
You know when you just walk into somewhere and think: yes I could live here? It was knee deep in newspapers in the porch and I went in and kicked all these papers to one side. Somebody had dug a hole in the main beam and we went up stairs and they had starting pulling the wallpaper off. And I said “Yes, I suppose we could, I love the bathroom suite”.
All the chimney breast had been clad with that artificial stone cladding and it was horrible. The light fitting was hung off the main beam and the light bulbs were actually level with your chin. So to walk in you had to walk around it. When the councillor came back to get the key he brought a surveyor with him and said” Yes, it’s great, if you’ve got money to spend.
We were only talking about it and he said the bids have to be in by tomorrow at 12 o clock. The surveyor said if I had known this one was for sale I would have put my offer in instead of the one I’ve just bought over in Rothwell. I asked if it was worth doing up and he said yes. It’s obvious what wants doing to it. It needs gutting. They were asking for offers of £32000; that was the council. He said £32000 and 50p. So I said “50p” and he said “Yes, you don’t offer a penny more. That can win it all lose it that 50p”
So I went home typed a letter out with my offer, took it down to the office in town and left it and never thought anymore about it. I knew there was a young couple had been in to look at it and I knew they had offered £45.000 for it so I said “No chance!”
On the Thursday afternoon this guy rang me and said “Hello, my name is Richard and I understand you have put a bid in for Jasmin Cottage and we are pleased to tell you that your offer has been accepted”. I said ”Thank you very much” and put the phone down. He rang me back and said I think we got cut off Mrs Eastwood, and I said “Well there is a problem” and he said “What’s that?” And I said “My husband’s in Ireland and I haven’t told him”. So I said if I could have the keys I will ring him in Ireland tonight and ask him if he can come home and have a look because I didn’t dare decide on my own. He said I will let you have the keys and you can keep them until Monday but after that if the answers no or you’re not sure, we will go to the next person’s offer.
So I rang Kevin up and I said “I’ve bought a house.” “You’ve done what?” he said. “Can you come home?” He said “Not really. Don’t know if I can get a flight”
Anyway he got a flight on the Friday night. It was dark and he said you better show me where you’ve been. So we went down with torches because there was no electric. He said “What the hell have you done?” I said “Well, I haven’t done anything yet, I haven’t signed anything.” He said we will come back tomorrow and have a proper look.
We went back Saturday morning first thing, cleared all the newspapers. And he said “Well, if you want to do the work; it’s up to you, but I won’t be here” Because at the time he was working all over abroad as well as in Ireland.” If you want to tackle it, it could be worth doing.”
We talked about it some more, we told our two sons who were both married and they said it’s up to you mum and we will help you. 30 years on and I am still waiting for the help. So we decided that we would have it. So for £32000 and 50p I bought a cottage in the village.