The Twitchell Rowland Homestead Museum at 60 Towner Lane will be open on a regular basis beginning Sunday, May 20, from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Oxford Historical Society plans to open the 1755 saltbox’s doors to the public on the first and third Sunday of each month.

Current exhibitions include antique maps of Oxford dating to the 1850’s, a “first look” at the museum’s holdings including antique wrought and cast iron from the S. P. Sanford home, photos of local barns and a collection of milk bottles and caps from local dairies.

Tours of the restored house and a brief overview of its history will be given throughout the afternoon.

Originally located on Christian Street and built by Revolutionary War soldier Joseph Twitchell for his children, the home stayed in that family for several generations. It was purchased by Philip and Elizabeth Rowland in the early 1900’s and was part of their farm for 3 generations.

By 2004, the house was slated for demolition to make way for an over 55 community. The Oxford Historical Society moved the building in 2006 and has worked ever since to renovate it as Oxford’s first museum.

from valley.newhavenindependent.org

AN award-winning blacksmith will see his work on screen in a TV documentary tomorrow night.

Simon Grant-Jones is a contributor in the BBC4 programme ‘The Blacksmith’s Tale’ and a piece of ironwork that he made recently will feature in the film.

The Kingston Maurward College blacksmith and forgework tutor said: “When the BBC first called me, they just wanted information.

“They had no idea I was making this wrought iron screen.

“It was made for Kingston Maurward Gardens as a commission and is to reflect the period of Kingston Maurward House, around 1720.

“It just so happens that this fitted perfectly with the programme that the BBC was making on wrought iron.

“Traditional techniques are used throughout and everything is contemporary to the early 18th Century style of working.

“My inspiration for blacksmithing is a man named Robert Bakewell, who was working around 300 years ago.

“One day the producer called me again and said they would be reviewing a Bakewell piece in Derby, would I like to go?

“So we went to Derby and I reviewed the piece and hopefully that will be shown during the programme.

“The crew also came to another event at Finch Foundry, a water-powered forge in Devon, and that should be featured too.” The screen took around 450 hours of work during two years to complete.

Mr Grant-Jones was named Show Champion with the piece at the North Somerset Show last week.

He said: “This was the first of ten shows which will take place this year. At each show, the champion receives ten points and the reserve gets four. The points are added up over the whole series of shows and whoever has the most points will be named National Champion.

“I was National Champion in 2010 and I’ve been Reserve Champion twice. I’ve got off to a good start and it would be really nice to win again.”

The screen will be used as a show piece until September, when it will be permanently installed in the formal gardens at the college.

The programme is the third in the ‘Metalworks!’ series and will be shown tomorrow on BBC4 at 9pm.

from dorsetecho.co.uk

THIEVES have made off with the century-old wrought-iron gates from Murringo Cemetery (pictured right) – and locals reckon it’s an act as crook as Rookwood.

The gates went missing from the Catholic entrance to the village graveyard, near Young, between April 22 and May 2, according to reports.

“We can’t have a cemetery with no gates,” Mayor of Young, Stuart Freudenstein, is quoted.

“Mind you, we’re not trying to stop anyone getting out.”

Murringo resident Frank Baker, whose wife Helen is buried in the graveyard, has slammed the gate thieves.

“I hope the ghosts eat away at your conscience,” he’s told the crooks via regional media.

Murringo Community Association president, Heather Ritchie, says the thieves probably used angle grinders to remove the gates.

“Anything associated with the cemetery, when it’s interfered with, is taken very personally by people who have relatives there,” she says.

Murringo Cemetery dates back to the early 1850s and attracts many visitors who are tracing their family history or view the historic graves and pay their respects, says Ms Ritchie.

“If your conscience has gotten the better of you – just drop them back at the site and no questions asked – we just want the gates back,” she says.

Wagga Wagga antiques dealer, John Wigg, says the gates may be sold on, possibly at Sydney or Melbourne auction houses.

from cowracommunitynews.com

BY BRUCE DIAMOND

In recent weeks, workers at the United Palace Cathedral in Washington Heights have dismantled nearly 500 feet of wrought-iron gate surrounding the building’s square-block perimeter.

Over the upcoming month, the hulking, 3,300-seat auditorium at W. 175th St. and Broadway will serve as the site for the opening of the annual Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Uptown Arts Stroll and host a public screening of a documentary film, “To Be Heard.”

Those associated with the UPC say the events are both a symbolic and literal prelude to a development that — if their plans come to fruition could see this 32,000-square-foot complex transformed into a community arts center, a change that could provide badly needed space for upper Manhattan and introduce programs to benefit thousands of children.

They’re calling it the “next chapter” in the life of this former vaudeville house and Loews movie palace, which has served for the last 43 years as the base for the late minister Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II — better known as Rev. Ike — and his multimillion-dollar televangelistic United Church Science of Living Institute.

It would share the building with what remains of Rev. Ike’s church congregation, and a third operation that handles commercial bookings.

The auditorium has been rented as a concert venue for years recent performances by the likes of Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop and Adele have helped keep the UPC afloat.

The plans are being driven by Xavier Eikerenkoetter Eikerenkoetter , Rev. Ike’s son and sole heir, who lives in Malibu, Calif., and says that since his father’s death three years ago, he’s been searching for a way to realize his own artistic vision for the United Palace.

“It really just seems like the next step for me on a personal level,” says Xavier, 47. “And I really feel the space calling for the next phase of its evolution, because it’s got such great potential.”

In California, Xavier works with delinquents and other minors who are wards of the state, introducing them to traditional African drumming.

Rev. Ike purchased the UPC from Loews in 1969, and painstakingly restored the stylings of its Moorish/Rococo motif.

At its peak, the United Palace drew nearly 5,000 congregants each Sunday — few from the neighborhood while their pastor reached many millions more over the airwaves.

As executor of the building and head of his father’s ministry, Xavier assumed control of the Palace. He had worked in his father’s church for most of his life, but had no intention of trying to assume his mantle.

to be continued

from nydailynews.com

JOHN LORINC

On Bloor Street’s Mink Mile this week, landscaping crews began chopping down more than 20 dead street trees, leaving a series of waist-high stumps poking out of the high-concept black marble planters and wrought-iron grates on the widened sidewalks.

With hundreds of red, yellow and purple flowers now in full bloom along Bloor, this latest horticultural repair job is yet another embarrassment in a long-delayed project that dragged on over four years and cost the local business improvement area more than $24-million.

Merchants who support the costly beautification project are disappointed. “It’s unfortunate they’ve had some problems,” said Larry Rosen, chairman and CEO of Harry Rosen, adding that it’s “critical” for the city’s premiere shopping district to look its best. “Let’s get it fixed up as quickly as possible.”

Don Knight, general manager of Frank Stollery Ltd., observed that his staff complained to the Bloor Yorkville BIA as far back as last year about a dead tree that had been left standing in front of Holt Renfrew, sometimes with stray plastic bags caught in its branches. “No one came to clean it out,” he said. “That [says] the street doesn’t give a damn.”

That tree has not yet been cut down.

The dead London plane trees, mostly located on the block between Yonge and Church, died because they were planted at the wrong time of year, against the advice of city arborists, following numerous construction delays and a strike. The Globe and Mail counted several more dying or dead street trees still standing west of Yonge, a few as far west as Avenue Road.

The deciduous species can grow up to 40 metres, has a smooth, grey-green bark, and is not indigenous to southern Ontario.

“When a professional landscaper tells us the appropriate season is not upon us, perhaps the learning is that we follow their advice,” said Kristyn Wong-Tam, the local councillor.

The trees, installed in 2009 and still under warranty, died because they were planted in the fall rather than the spring, said Briar de Lang, executive director of the Bloor-Yorkville BIA. “Essentially, they were put in the ground too soon and now they’re being replaced.”

The maintenance of all the new landscaping is the responsibility of the BIA, and Ms. de Lang stressed that no public funds have been spent on this latest repair.

Ms. Wong-Tam added she’s confident the organization, which has 1,700 members, is moving quickly to deal with the problem. “The BIA has every interest in making sure the street looks great,” she said.

The BIA and its architects worked hard to create an elaborate network of soil trenches specifically designed to sustain trees and a rotating assortment of annuals.

Many freshly planted street trees in Toronto succumb because they are inserted in tiny apertures in the sidewalk under heavy slabs of poured concrete. The trees die because the soil beneath the concrete becomes too packed to allow nutrients and water to circulate through the root network.

On Bloor, however, the trees were planted in “silva-cells” constructed beneath the sidewalk and engineered to resist compaction as well as the freeze-thaw cycle. During the reconstruction of Roncesvalles Avenue, the city relied on a variation on the theme, using pre-cast concrete pavers that sit on supports instead of resting directly on the soil.

Both Bloor and Roncesvalles were pilot projects, said urban forestry planner Peter Simon, noting that such specially designed structures are costly to install, unless the street is already being dug up for other reasons, such as the burial of hydro or gas lines.

The goal, said Mr. Simon, who will deliver a lecture next week on boulevard trees, is to provide roots with 30 cubic metres of soil. The current average is about half that, while the old so-called “tree coffins” – the old concrete planters that can be seen in areas like the Annex – have little more than three cubic metres.

from theglobeandmail.com

Woodard, an innovative outdoor furniture manufacturer, is being featured in a major exhibition sponsored by the Shiawassee Art Center in Owosso, Mich.

As an American-based, pioneering manufacturer of wrought iron, aluminum and all-seasons wicker outdoor furniture, Woodard is being honored and recognized for its important and historical contributions to the American furniture industry for the past 146 years.

Focusing on Woodard’s time-honored tradition of quality and innovation, the exhibit will run for two months from June 1-July 29 on the main floor of the Shiawassee Art Center in Owosso. The exhibit will display three centuries worth of designs, spanning from the original wood chairs that were made in the late 1800s to today’s current wrought iron furniture. The exhibit will also include Woodard designs that are currently part of the permanent collections in both the Smithsonian and Cooper-Hewitt Museums.

“We are excited to be a part of this exhibition and see it as an opportunity to share with others the roots of Woodard as well as the growth and change that have been a part of our heritage over the past 146 years,” said Matt Weiss, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Woodard.

The exhibit is a source of dignity and esteem for a company that has been proudly based in Owosso since its founding in 1866, according to a company announcement. Woodard looks forward to continuing the Made in America ideals, traditions and craftsmanship implemented by its founders in Owosso all those years ago and is excited to share its history with the community and the industry alike.

from casualliving.com

By R. Scudder Smith

It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the Antique Garden Furniture Show & Sale bowed into the New York Botanical Garden, formerly known as the Bronx Botanical Garden. Here is an event that has kept its focus and, under the direction of show manager Catherine Sweeney-Singer, improved with age and shied away from some of the questionable objects that have worked their way into other shows as vintage garden elements. A vetting crew, with limited time keeps an eye on the objects being shown and makes corrections to age dates when necessary.

This year several of the regulars dropped from the show, but four new faces joined the remaining 26 exhibitors and put on a fine display. Catherine altered the floor plan slightly, giving some of the dealers more space, and the final look came off pleasing to the eye. And it was obvious that the dealers brought their best, from a great variety of planters and urns to statues in all manner of materials.

And while the inventories varied from booth to booth, so did the success of the show, with some of the exhibitors experiencing the “best show ever at the garden,” to those who are looking forward to a better time next year. The show is generally staged the last weekend in April, so 2013 dates will be preview on Thursday, April 25, and running over the following three days. This year the show opened to a very well-attended preview on Thursday, April 26, and continued for the next three days. Buying at the preview was not as strong as in years past, but things picked up in the days following, with some excellent sales on Sunday.

A pair of cast stone frogs, circa 1920-1930, fashioned as fountains, acted as greeters from the corner of the booth of Howard and Linda Stein of Solebury, Penn. At the other end of the booth a large three-dimensional sign, tin letters, spelled out “SEEDS”, and the center of the booth was dominated by a large flower sorting table from a shop in Galveston, Texas, gray painted with a 2-inch lip around the top, circa 1946.

Flower frogs, in all shapes, forms and material, numbering more than 100, filled a half-dozen shelves in the booth of Bob and Debbie Withington, York, Maine. Turtles, fish, birds, swans, ducks, frogs, starfish and ceramic shells were among the forms offered. The booth was designed in two parts, with a 14-foot wrought iron fence and swinging gate separating the two, but not obstructing the view of the entire booth. The fence, circa 1930, was French origin and decorated with brass leaves. An impressive statue, “The Tempest” by Milton Hebald, circa 1955, was cast in bronze and from the Sharon, Conn., estate of George T. Delacorte Jr of Dell Publishing.

Bruce Emond of Village Braider, Plymouth, Mass., never ceases to come up with some show-stopping objects. This year great interest was paid to a 69 inches high and 63 inches in diameter thick pottery jar that was on the grounds of Vinland (Twombly House), next to Ochre Court. It is reputed to have been recovered from a 30-foot deep excavation at St Paul’s Church in Rome and presented to Catherine L. Wolfe of Vinland in Newport on June 22, 1884. It is of the age of St Paul himself, 2,000 years. It attracted attention from just about everyone at the show, including Martha Stewart, but sold very early at the preview to a New York City resident who is taking it to his home in Washington, Conn.

Other objects in the booth included a large child and swan fountain, probably Fiske, in zinc that came from a Newport estate. Dating from the Seventeenth Century was an Italian marble fountain or water niche, Rosso Verona, measuring about 6 feet tall.

Red Horse Antiques of Bridgewater, Vt., brought an early porch table in the original paint, English, circa 1775, with a five-board top and breadboard ends, along with a pair of garden stands, circa 1920, round with flared tops and in wrought iron.

A pair of large cast stone lions, French origin, early Twentieth Century, with a wonderful weathered patina, rested at the front of the booth of Schorr & Dobinsky, East Hampton, N.Y., flanking a three-tier round fountain set in a large basin. Across the back wall of the booth was a set of five cast iron planters, or urns, on footed stands with dragon handles.

Fleur, Mount Kisco, N.Y., had the largest cast stone planter in the form of a basket, 36 inches high, 32 inches in diameter, with an old white painted surface. It was of French origin and dated from the early Twentieth Century. A French metal birdcage on table filled a corner of the booth, circa 1840–1850, measuring 84 inches high, 42 inches wide and 24 inches deep.

Frogs seemed to be popular this year, and were in a number of booths, including a 36-inch-tall one with Eleanor and David Billet of New York City. This cement figure, painted white, was American and dated 1950. An American cast stone swan, white painted, circa 1930, measured about 4 feet long and could hold a good number of plants.

An English sundial, circa 1825, of handcarved York stone, with bronze plate on top, stood 5 feet tall at the front of the booth of Finnegan Gallery, Chicago. It rested on an octagonal base and came from the grounds of Biddulph Old Hall in Staffordshire. A large table in the Chinese Chippendale taste featured a base made from Eighteenth Century wrought iron panels, 31 inches high, with a top of slate measuring 35 by 78 inches.

Jeffrey Henkel, Pennington, N.J., offered a bronze sculpture of a rolling horse, mounted on the original limestone base, by Franz Fischner, and a turn-of-the-century cast zinc and iron heron fountain from an Oyster Bay, Long Island, estate. It dated circa 1910.

Salterini, from New York City and maker of early garden furniture, was represented in the booth of Joan Bogart, Oceanside, N.Y., by a dining set, including four chairs and a 48-inch-diameter table, Mount Vernon pattern, and a pair of wrought iron armchairs dating circa 1930. A large pair of cast stone eagles, facing each other, early Twentieth Century, was shown, along with a statue of two cherubs holding grapes, with a dog, from Kenjockety, England. It was shown under a wooden garden arch and dated from the early Twentieth Century.

Francis J. Purcell, Inc, of Philadelphia offered a Nineteenth Century alabaster sculpture in the ancient Greek manner, with four ladies supporting a font, signed by the artist, and a pair of natural-form tree stump bases, 39 inches high and 28 inches in diameter, circa 1890, by J.W. Fiske. A tier cast iron fountain was marked with a patent date of April 11, 1871, with the base stamped C. Hitzeroth, 3124 Market Street, Philadelphia. It measures 72 inches in diameter and 6 feet 8 inches high. Eight pieces of white painted cast iron garden furniture, all in the fern pattern, were shown and marked to sell in three groups, including a pair of chairs and two sets of a pair of chairs and a bench.

A pair of Nineteenth Century lead spread-wing entry eagles, mounted on octagonal bases, 28½ inches high, was in the booth of R.T. Facts Antiques, Kent, Conn., along with a Nineteenth Century fountain of marble, with marble bowl, Italian, circa 1870, showing three cherubs.

A wooden floor showed off well the contents of French Country Living Antiques, Ltd, London/Mougins, France, including a French limestone center piece, circa 1880, measuring 72 inches in diameter. A pair of French Nineteenth Century Versailles orange tree planters, stamped “Roueir,” measured 28 inches high with a 28-by-26-inch base.

Hamptons Antique Galleries, Stamford, Conn., offered a three-shell fountain made from an iron plant stand, Spanish, circa 1920, and a handsome General Electric industrial ship’s light, circa 1940. An Eighteenth Century chair, carved from a single log with old patina, was of Swedish origin.

The lighting is always top-notch in the booth of Dawn Hill Antiques, New Preston, Conn., showing off a blue painted dining table, all metal construction with cast iron base, 67 inches wide, 33½ inches deep and 29 inches high, dating from the late Nineteenth Century, and a pair of self-watering cast iron urns on the original bases, 46 inches high, 32 inches wide and 17-inch-square base. The pair dated circa 1920 and was by the Stewart Iron Works Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Four fancy watering cans were available, as was a collection of 11 lawn sprinklers, including a large one that was driven by the water passing through.

If an award was handed out for the best-looking booth, it would probably now be in the hands of Antique American Wicker, Nashua, N.H. “We wanted to do a complete room setting this time,” James Buttersworth said, “for every so often a client will come in and want the booth just as it appears at the show.” This time the large room setting had two sofas, six armchairs, all in a bright red fabric with green and cream stripes, as well as a large table in the center of the room and all the appropriate lamps, both floor and table, creating the right lighting. Side tables were plentiful for the drinks, and the walls were hung with decorative pieces and just the right paintings. It was a room setting one could easily take home.

Judith and James Milne, New York City, showed a metal willow tree sculpture with three painted cast iron birds in the branches, circa 1920, that just came out of a private collection. A set of six lady musicians in terracotta with the original painted surface, found in a garden in Yunnan, China, were in line on the right side of the booth, and across the front was a 7-foot-long cast iron bench in the Regency style.

Barbara Israel Garden Antiques, Katonah, N.Y., showed a bronze figure of a standing goat playing the pipes, signed A. Spadini (1912–1983), Italian, with the provenance listing the Delacorte family. A cast iron fountain with the figure of a girl with and overturned jar on her knee, plumbed for water, was marked “Durenne Sommevoire,” French, circa 1870. A carved Vicenza stone wellhead, square tapering form, the corners punctuated with large acanthus leaves and the whole surrounded by a wrought iron overthrow, dated circa 1890 and was Italian. It measured 82½ inches tall with a 20-inch-diameter opening.

A large carved marble bench with double lion base, circa 1890, one of two available, was from the Edward A. Schmidt estate Weltvreten in Saint David’s, Penn., and offered by Aileen Minor of Centreville, Md. Helene Marie Schmidt was heir to the Schmidt Brewery in Philadelphia. A pair of dragon sculptures, cast stone with fine detail, resting on cut-corner plinths, measured 14½ inches high, 39 inches long and 11 inches deep, came from a Main Line estate in Philadelphia. An iron garden table with a white Italian Carrara marble top was shown at the front of the booth, the top measuring 26½ by 47½ inches, old salmon painted base, possibly French and dating circa 1920.

A pair of fan-tailed lead pigeons, 12 by 11 inches, circa 1900, was in the front portion of the booth of Kate A. Alex & Co., Warner, N.H., to the right of a cast iron swan base table with marble top. It was also circa 1900. A vanity mirror found in York, Maine, 44 by 71 inches, circa 1890, had a surround painted with a mountain scene including a brook, trees, birds and a rowboat.

So after you have made a complete tour of the show once, and possibly worked your way around a second and third time, selecting objects to enhance your garden, there is also the splendor of the botanical garden to be enjoyed. It’s a great combination, all for the price of one ticket. Mark your calendar.

from antiquesandthearts.com

by John Pfeiffer

When you listen to Michael Janus, the first thing you notice is his abundance of progressive ideas. His wide-open sound brings forth the particle charged imagery of Chris Isaak and the Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward. Wrought Iron Soul solidifies Michael’s winding stroll through life’s claustrophobic bramble and the expansive rose spattered gardens that celebrate our best victories.

Janus builds his musical fortress with purpose and pre-meditated design. No beam has gone unsecured in his solid construction of Wrought Iron Soul. Mixing the lazy, summer day feel of America with the mystical musings of the performers mentioned above, Janus takes his fans on a round trip of melancholy, sunshine daydreams.

Michael’s eight-song production is a smooth drive through the mind of a writer who has a good handle on his musical GPS. Perfectly placed instrumentation never gets in the way of the lyrical theme and his voice rides each piece above the compositional curl of their rolling movements. Janus makes good use of dynamics and the overall quality here is lush without being too saccharine.

“The Girl With Sunshine In Her Eyes” rolls off the disc like a waterwheel turning slowly on a creek. Rambling, fluid and rhythmically soft, the song utilizes raw and empathetic vocals to rotate it into the deep and clear lyrical direction of Janus’ mind. Harmonicas are melodic and simple, a great change from the dirty, blues bleating blasts that are famous on the shore. Electric guitars gurgle up warm and subdued, ringing out pounds of feel from the single chord strums.

“End Of Summer” is a minor chorded look at the end of the golden days of the season and disillusioned look into the future. Once again, I love the way harp is utilized here. Janus uses a call and response method, moving around the trumpet player within the songs mourning dove feel. This well thought out song is what I consider the disc’s standout piece.

“How’s The Weather” uses acoustic guitar melodies to set up the tune. Steady and simple, the hook is set before you realize what is going on. The chorus comes on strong but seems to lose steam as it continues its repetitive and lengthy existence. Melodic choices could be the culprit here. The verse straightens everything into concise structure and it goes quite well until the melodically short chorus hits again. It may also be the juxtaposition of the minor chorded bliss of “End Of Summer” and this song. A small complaint that could be rectified with a song order change.

Janus is back on track with the quickened pace of “She Likes To Sing.” Horn arrangements are unrestrained, reminding me of ‘80s kingpin Phil Collins and his big band. Guitar upstrokes are dagger sharp and accentuate the lyrics quite well. Janus is in great, melodic form here as chorus-tinged guitars flow around and under the current of organs. Once again, Janus shows us that he has the ability to affect the minds interpretative mechanism for celebrating life.

“Chrome Poem” has a genuine, psychedelic vibe that is hard to top. Spoken word wizardry spills down the rabbit hole of magical mayhem as bongos report sharply and guitars pluck mixolydian scales of trance-like passage. The rhythm spirals into a galloping gait of determined finality as Janus wails away like a reverb-splashed banshee.

“Brilliant Girl” pulls the dynamic trigger, utilizing percussion and acoustic guitar pads to accompany Janus’ atmospheric vocal. “Brilliant Girl” uses simple theme and melodic tipsiness to work itself into a middle eight melee of spoken code. Poetry and expression are the rule of the day here and Janus does a good job of drawing you into his journey.

“Once Upon A Time” closes the disc and is probably the most memorable cut after “End Of Summer.” Janus chooses to end this dark, atmospheric record with his most upbeat of numbers. Acoustic guitars set up the vocals with their three-chord cycle. Drums remain rhythmically sporadic, shooting in for effect and staying out of the song’s path until the second verse, where they come in to remain until the end of the song. Cymbals splash brightly as Janus bashes away at acoustic guitars, creating a melodic foundation that builds with intensity.

Michael Janus demonstrates his best interpretations of storytelling and poetic prose on Wrought Iron Soul. In a format where he could have easily filled each track with instrumentation filler, he has chosen the stark and simplistic approach of keeping his message crystal clear.

Wrought Iron Soul is not a pop record. It does not follow a pre-determined formula for making hits and, as is usually the case with original music, runs the risk of the masses not getting the meaning of its overall message. But then again, many famous performers have gone that very same route and succeeded. Janus has the talent and style to push musical mountains and Wrought Iron Soul just might be the metal he needs to move them. For more on Michael Janus and his latest record, go to reverbnation.com/michaeljanus.

to be continued

from theaquarian.com

Driving the winding country roads leading to Glen Aros estate, you could be forgiven for wondering if you’d taken a wrong turn. The rolling hills and sheep-filled paddocks look more rural station than five-star luxury lodge. But passing through the wrought-iron gate into grand manicured gardens, it quickly becomes apparent things are different here.

Late on a Friday night it’s getting dark and starting to drizzle, but as we pull up to the beautiful building our host Meg Bremner is ready and waiting with an umbrella. After a quick greeting we step into the lobby, all gleaming natural woods and crystal chandeliers. Soon dinner is ready, a superb feast cooked up by Glen Aros’ resident executive chef, Nigel Marriage.

Too pooped after a long drive, we soon retire – but not until we’ve forced down fresh fig and vanilla icecream at the insistence of our hosts. The next morning we wake a little later than planned thanks to super- comfortable beds. Nigel is patiently waiting in the kitchen. Homemade muesli with poached white peaches off a nearby tree? Or a cooked breakfast with local organic bacon?

This is as tough as decisions get at Glen Aros – in the end it’s irrelevant: the food standard never drops below melt-in-the-mouth.

Originally part of the Maraekakaho Station run by Sir Donald McLean, the property got its name after being split between two station managers who bought it. One named his half Glen Aros after a valley in Scotland.

The land was eventually sold to Hilton Glavish and his wife Barbara in 2002. Hilton, a nuclear physicist, studied at Auckland University before moving overseas. After settling in the United States and raising a family, he decided he wanted something special for his children and grandchildren to come back to in New Zealand.

The couple spent a year rebuilding much of the house. It was re-piled, re- roofed and re-wired, with the entire inside stripped and replaced. Bathrooms were added to each room, air conditioning and heating system installed, and a billiards room added.

Also installed was one of the most impressive features of the property – a luxurious spa and infinity swimming pool that usually hovers around 28C.

The Glavishes opened the house to the public in 2008, and engaged Meg and her husband Rob, who were looking for an opportunity to move to Hawke’s Bay.

The couple soon realised that to compete at the top end of the market they’d need a top-end chef. On the other side of the world, such a chef just happened to be browsing.

Englishman Nigel had spent several years living in New Zealand previously and was after a change.

“I was working in West Wales in a 100-year-old cold slate cottage and it was cold and I was dead bored.”

He’d worked at several two-star Michelin restaurants, including Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire, the only English restaurant to open with two stars. He was a perfect fit.

Since arriving at Glen Aros, Nigel has focused his culinary attention on creating a food experience that is as local as possible.

Many of the fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs come from Glen Aros’ garden and there is oil created from the Glen Aros olive grove. Seafood and meat is sourced locally and from the farmers market; hand-harvested gourmet snails are even available from neighbour Silver Trail Snails.

The goal of Glen Aros is to provide a “destination in itself”, somewhere guests can completely unwind, so after breakfast it’s a tough choice between the spa and pool, some billiards or a game of petanque. The sun comes out, so water activities win out.

Mid afternoon brings a platter of gourmet cheeses and wine that we devour poolside, and before we know it, it’s time for pre-dinner drinks and canapes in the sitting room, and another astounding dinner.

“What we’re trying to do here is let the guest have a real experience, taste some really good food, try local produce and enjoy a high standard stay,” Meg says the next morning.

from stuff.co.nz

By Jill Connors

On a recent Friday evening, as the sun was casting an orange glow over the ocean waters a few feet away, two tradesmen, working from a cherry picker and their Lodi Welding pickup truck, hoisted a large, intricately crafted piece of wrought iron into place. The piece dangled in mid-air, then settled into place. The men sighed, and then one said with a grin, “We’ve been working on these for two years.” And, at last, the splendid gates are back.

Renaissance-meets-Gilded-Age-industrialist grandeur. Wrought-iron scrolls meet beneath a wrought-iron arch whose swirls of urns and acanthus vines reach their zenith in a crested oval containing the initials CV, rendered with calligraphic aplomb.

The northern gates are one of several sets that guard The Breakers, and all had suffered from years of exposure in the marine environment when, in 2009, The Preservation Society of Newport County — owner of The Breakers — enlisted master metal workers from Lodi Welding of Hackettstown, NJ, to repair and restore the gates. Grants from the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust and the Loebs Family Foundation have supported the project.

All gates bear a similar design. The front entry gates along Ochre Point Avenue were restored first, removed in April 2009 and reinstalled in late 2009. Next, the north entry gates along Shepard Avenue were removed in mid-2010, and have just now been reinstalled. Two final sets marking the property’s northeast and southeast corners along the Oceanside path known as Cliff Walk are currently being restored.

Bringing the gates back to their glory was a demanding task. They had to be dismantled and the wrought-iron pieces sandblasted to remove paint and rust, then every piece was repaired, galvanized in liquid zinc, and re-painted.

from BOSTON.COM