From the time we first went to have a look at Cliftoria we have had friends interested in seeing it too. A local couple of friends (who live around a corner and two blocks away) came with us to see it on our very first inspection before the auction. While we have had a few other people drop by for visits we decided a few weeks back to have a “Before Afternoon Tea Party”. The idea being that any of our friends who wanted to see Cliftoria could turn up and wander through the place before any major work had taken place. That way they would have an idea of what it was like before we had made our mark upon it. We would provide an afternoon tea on the balcony with a BBQ for dinner.
That day was yesterday and we had quite a few people turn up. There was even a car that came all the way from Sydney, braving the possibility that the bushfires might cut the Hume Highway again. The air was filled with thick smoke from those fires. I hope that all those firefighters out there trying to control those conflagrations will be ok.
I kept wandering around the building with people who had just arrived while Sharen stayed up on the balcony plying those who had finished a tour with tea, coffee, and cakes. It was interesting seeing how people reacted to different aspects of the place. Gardeners liked the layout of the garden. Others were interested in the period elements that had survived. Some were interested in the possible commercial aspects. I even opened up the cellar with its couple of inches of new water. Some people made it down to the bottom of the stairs to peer into its damp darkness.
At 6pm I discovered that the new BBQ I had bought wasn’t simply folded up in its box, as I had assumed from seeing the display one. After a short time I had assembled it and the late stayers had a nice BBQ on the balcony as the evening darkness fell. We got to use the lights for the first time and the rooms took on a different character from seeing them in daylight. We packed up and left about 8:30pm.
I think it was quite a successful event and I hope that all those who attended had a great time. I know I did while showing off Cliftoria.
Cliftoria, an adventure in restoration 