A house that is a tribute to the musical gifts of the woman that lived there is now being sold by her grieving husband.
Pete Wilkinson said that he hoped Carpenters Cottage, in Trescott, near Wolverhampton, would go to a family with children who love to create music as much as his wife Gail, who died last year, did.
Known by her professional name of Gail Graye, she was a familiar face in local community theatre. She had performed with local bands too.
When she and her husband Pete bought Carpenters Cottage, which is in Bridgnorth Road, in 2001, they extended the house to create rooms where she could rehearse and record music.
“Gail started performing when she was about 10. She played one of the children in the King and I,” said Pete.
“She played for Muscom, which stands for musical comedy, at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre, and for a company in Birmingham.
“And she did a bit of extra work on television and had some small professional parts.”
The house itself was a personal production for Gail, who put her creative stamp on every room.
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“I think it was built in the late 1600s and was the home of the carpenter for the Wrottesley estate,” revealed Pete. “We added about a third to it, putting on a dining room and en suites for the two bedrooms upstairs. But we did it so it matched exactly with the older parts of the house.
“I couldn’t have done it without Gail. Design was her forte. She painted the kitchen walls in different colours. All the rooms were themed.”
The results were so impressive that Gail was asked to show off the cottage for a new television series.
“Somehow ITV got to know about her doing the house. They were doing a programme called May the Best House Win. They came, saw it and used it for the very first programme.
“The funny thing was Harry Hill did a skit about it on his show TV Burp.”
The overall effect of Gail’s efforts are charming and her interest in music is evident throughout, from the musical notes still hanging in the walls to receptions rooms that are large enough to accommodate pianos.
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“She had two, an upright in the study and baby grand in the dining room.
“There were more keyboards in the office above the garage. She could play the guitar but professionally she would play keyboards.”
The garage itself has been converted into a very impressive studio, complete with sound proofing to the walls.
“Gail was in bands, she was a member of Casting Stones,” said Pete.
“In her youth she was actually in rock bands. She would use the studio to record CDs. She knew people in the music industry and would let them and their bands record there.”
It is this room that Pete believes will appeal to aspiring young musicians who need somewhere to make as much noise as they need.
Without Gail’s personality and her music to fill the space, Pete sadly feels the cottage has become too big for him.
“I am on my own here and just rattling around. It is a house for a family, especially if they have children who are musically inclined. I would like to see it go to someone who could really use it.”
Carpenters Cottage is a detached cottage that is believed to date from 1670.
Full of warmth and character, it has many original features, including quarry tiled floors, an inglenook fireplace in the living room and exposed beams.
An extension to the property has increased the reception rooms to three.
They include a sitting room and a study/library with brick fireplace that are both part of the original house.
The large dining room is a modern addition and has parquet flooring with heating underneath.
There is a country feel to the kitchen with its quarry tiled flooring, oak worktops to the units and a Belfast-style sink.
Upstairs there are three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The en suite to bedroom two includes a dressing room and a roll top bath.
The garden reflects the cottage style of the house, with its attractive lawns bordered by colourful shrubs and plants. A small pond can be found to the side of the house while a patio and summer house are pleasant spots to enjoy the sun.
There are a number of outbuildings, with the garage being by far the largest. It has the fully soundproofed studio on the ground floor, which could also make a cinema room or a den for teenagers.
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AGENT: Andrew Grant
TEL: 01905 734735
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GUIDE PRICE: £485,000