The King of Sunlight: How William Lever Cleaned Up the World , I wrote about the Victorian philanthropist's extraordinary home at Thornton Hough on the Wirral, which was then being redeveloped:
"I met two builders in overalls who greeted my trespassing with the insouicance cultivated by years of casual contracts, and wre happy to chat about what was going to happen to Thornton Manor in the twenty-first century: 'It's going to be a hotel, and luxury apartments, like.' The local paper preferred to call it an 'upmarket health spa', and said the new owners had promised to hold classical concerts and summer camps for children in the grounds, so I suppose there's a chance Lever would have approved. But I hope his ghost will stride up and down the corridors banging on doors if he feels the guests are staying in bed too long in the mornings."
Well, the new owners can expect some serious poltergeist activity at the end of this month. Coleen McLoughlin's having her 21st birthday party there.
(Warning: gratuitous plug coming up)
Can't get an invite? Why not buy a copy of the book instead? It's terribly good!
No comments:
Post a Comment