Latest news with #StMargaretsBay
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I bought Ian Fleming's incredible UK beach home for under £1million – now I'm selling up because it's ‘too small'
A JAMES Bond superfan who snapped up Ian Fleming's former seaside home for less than £1million is putting it back on the market – because he says it's no longer big enough for his family. Mermaid Cottage, the striking 1920s Art Deco house in St Margaret's Bay, Kent, was once owned by both Bond creator Ian Fleming and legendary playwright Noel Coward. 7 7 7 It's now up for sale with a guide price of £1.75million. Fleming is believed to have written part of Moonraker at the property between 1951 and 1957, taking inspiration from the surrounding cliffs and coastline for the novel's dramatic setting. Its villain, Hugo Drax, constructs his deadly Moonraker rocket just outside Dover, near Deal. Coward had owned the house previously and renamed it 'White Cliffs' after restoring it following wartime damage by British and Canadian troops preparing for D-Day. He spent around £2,000 reinforcing the chalk cliffs and reportedly found his love of painting during his years there, according to Dover Museum. The house passed to Fleming in 1951, becoming his weekend and holiday escape. It remained in private hands until 2008, when current owner Mark Sawyer spotted it during a visit to Kent with his then-partner. The 56-year-old, who works in private equity, first glimpsed the village while swimming the Channel in a team relay: 'I distinctly remember the captain of the boat saying, 'There's St Margarets, it's a really pretty village'. I saw it from the water for the first time.' Although the house wasn't officially on the market, the couple fell in love with it and persuaded the estate agent to take it off the books immediately with a £20,000 deposit. They bought it for £800,000 and have since spent around £1million on renovations, including buying land to extend the garden. 'I'm a massive Bond fan. For me that was the cherry on the cake,' Sawyer said. 'Most people say when we're down there: squint and you could be in the Mediterranean,' he added. 'In the winter, the bay is so much quieter. "You sit there with the log-burning stove roaring with a storm blowing outside. 7 "You're immersed in nature. "The only land you can see from our living room is France.' His partner Lara Jewitt, a Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist, helped design the garden, which echoes the style of Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage. The couple bought land from the council in 2014 to create it, but soon ran out of space. 'We developed every square inch down there, and we just wanted a bit more room,' Sawyer said. 'I never thought I would sell it, to be honest with you. It has three bedrooms, and that is too small to have both of my children back, potentially in the future with their partners, and my family to stay.' Not everyone is pleased about the decision. 'My daughter is still not talking to me since I told her I am selling it,' he admitted. 'She'll get over it eventually.' Strutt & Parker, who are handling the sale, describe Mermaid Cottage as a 'breathtaking location' with a 'rich history of famous connections.' 7 7
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
White Cliffs house where Ian Fleming wrote James Bond for sale
A 1920s art deco seafront house in Kent, once owned by James Bond author Ian Fleming as well as playwright Noel Coward, is up for Cottage is one of four homes located directly under the White Cliffs at St Margaret's Bay and has a guide price of £1.75m. Fleming is believed to have written several of his Bond novels at the house between 1951 and 1957, including Moonraker. A spokesperson for estate agent, Strutt & Parker, said the house was "set in a "breathtaking location" with a "rich history of famous connections". Between 1945 and 1951 Noel Coward owned the home, formerly known as White Cliffs. The house was damaged by British and Canadian troops as they trained for D-Day and restored by the playwright and composer soon after he bought spent £2,000 pinning back the chalk cliffs behind his house, according to Dover Museum. It was during his time at White Cliffs that Coward discovered a love of sold the property to his friend Ian Fleming in 1951 and moved inland to used it as his weekend and holiday home for several years. He was so inspired by the dramatic White Cliffs of Dover and the picturesque surrounding region that he used the region as the setting for Moonraker, according to Dover Museum. Fleming enjoyed using his beloved Dover area as the location for the 1955 novel, his third Bond book. Its villain, Hugo Drax, built his Moonraker rocket just outside of Dover, near the seaside town of 1979 film bore little resemblance to the novel, with the action taking place in the United States, Italy and the Amazon Fleming died in Canterbury in 1964 aged 56.
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
First St. Margaret's Bay Pride festival aims to connect 2SLGBTQ+ people and fight hate
Social Sharing What began as a small group of friends looking to connect 2SLGBTQ+ people in their community has turned into a 15-person organizing committee for St. Margaret's Bay Pride's first festival. The Pride organization was formed earlier in 2025 and serves communities in the St. Margarets Bay area just outside Halifax. "One of the things that we've noticed since living here is that there isn't a lot of visibility around 2SLGBTQ Pride," said Tania Cheng, one of the organizers, who moved to the area about four years ago and previously lived in Toronto. "Especially in rural areas … folks can feel potentially more isolated." Cheng, along with their wife and friends, wanted to change that. The new Pride organization has been inviting businesses and groups in the St. Margarets Bay area to be involved in the Pride festival. They've received many positive responses, said Cheng. "It just goes to show that there is a need and an interest for this here." More than a dozen events are planned for June and July, with most being free and family-friendly. A trail walk to the Hubbards Barn, which will host a picnic and market, will close out the festival on July 26. The organization is being supported by the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia, a registered charity that recently launched a Rural Pride Fund. The fund allows new Pride groups that are not formally incorporated to receive individual donations and sponsorships through the foundation, without the need to try to administer the money themselves. "That introduces a lot of extra challenges," said Erika Rolston, executive director of the foundation. As examples, she pointed to questions around whose bank account money would sit in, or potential issues with the Canada Revenue Agency. "This helps put some of that infrastructure in place so that those … groups can just set about the business of organizing the Pride activities," said Rolston, who is also queer. "Ideally, it will give … organizers sort of the breathing space to build the momentum that they need to in their community activities." Rolston said the goal is for organizations to eventually become incorporated, with the fund serving as a support in the early stages. For Cheng, fighting escalating hate toward queer and trans communities is another reason to do the work of starting a Pride organization and staging events. "St. Margarets Bay … can be a welcoming and inclusive place for folks to live," she said.
