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This must be what Charles Dickens had in mind in 'Great Expectations' as Satis House, where lived the haughty but sad, Miss Haversham, left at the alter all those years earlier. This terrace is one of many similar in the area, and was probably built in the 1880s when many similar terraces were also built in nearby Paddington.
This is the corner of Ruthven & Gowrie Streets in Mill Hill. Surely, no one resides behind this vine! However, the vine looks to be alive, so I shall return in the spring.
Yesterday, I was telling you the story of Henry Hough's 10 acre Hope Farm, and its windmill. Thanks to a very recent research paper by the Local Studies Librarian at Waverley Library, here is the last standing windmill of its type in Sydney, demolished about 1885. The sketch is by Samuel Elyard and is dated 1868.
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Here are the opening scenes to the 1946 Lean 'Great Expectations' film, with the wonderful Finlay Currie, who scared the living daylights out of me the first time I saw the film in the early '60s. Lots of scary wind in the opening scene but, alas, no windmill.
14 comments:
Wow! That is quite the undertaking keeping up with all that vine! The neighbor has clearly been persistent in keeping the vines regulated... that's funny.
Absolutely amazing wall! Please go back there in spring, it must be awesome as well. Clever association with Dickens, Julie.
Such a chocolate wall!
If there really is a person living behind that vine, I just know he or she will be someone whose portrait you'll want to take, Julie. I know you can't resist eccentrics.
Meanwhile, how wonderful to find a sketch of the windmill, to know its image has been preserved.
—Kay, Alberta, Canada
truly i love the way your mind works.
and i never can see enough windmill images. this one is quite compelling.
I love a good literary connotation. Maybe Magwitch lived here during his time in Sydney? or at least passed by. I am also sure that the David Lean film of G E has a very similar windmill ominously rotating in the beginning of the film.
I reckon the wicked witch of the west lived in that hairy looking house :-).
Must be quite a site when its green. Was that the John Mills version of Great Expectations. Wonderful film.
The vine is a bit trimmed at some windows and doors. I think someone lives there.
That looks freaky. I'd really be interested to see whether its really green in spring.
I reckon the vine will be alive with wee birdies building nests in it/capturing insects in it in spring, it could be a seething mas of tweets and chirps :)
Miss Havisham was inspired by an Aussie chickybabe who was dumped at the alter....maybe she's still living behind that vine.... ;)
I always worry about vines ,., being a constant batter with them in their various guises in my garden. Vine covered walls look great but really quite scary if you wanted to paint the walls.
Amazing to have let the vine go so far and the mystery added to by the bars on the door and the ground floor windows.
Something tells me I've seen this house before but perhaps in my imagination. Will look forward to seeing it again, green. Quite extraordinary.
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