Glendowie: Heart and soul

So much family history is tied up in a home that has had only two owners in its 56 years.

322 Riddell Road, Glendowie.

There are so many stories to tell about this house, it's hard to know where to start. The property has had two owners - Arthur Turner, the man who built it in 1950, and the current owner, Fred Grove, who has owned it for the best part of 40 years.

Arthur Turner's grandson, Robin Vernon, lived in the house while it was being built, when he came to Auckland from Raglan in 1948 to go to school.
``There was no expense spared, I can tell you,'' he remembers. ``My grandfather was quite well off, and he did everything to a high standard.

``He actually went to court for using too much cement to build the place. It was rationed at the time and he got fined. He only built about two-thirds of the top floor at first, as you could only build to a certain size then. He added on the fourth bedroom a year or so later.''

As chairman of the Tamaki National Party, Arthur campaigned heavily for Rob Muldoon, who was a frequent visitor to the house. Robin says the original clock is still above the fridge in the kitchen, and the squabs on the bench seats in the kitchen diner are original, too.

``Even the standard roses up the driveway are planted as they were back then, so some of those are probably original.''
Arthur sold the property in the mid-1950s to Fred and Peggy Grove, who needed the space for their growing family.

Jenny Brown is the oldest of their five children, and she takes up the tale.
``This has been our family home in every sense,'' she says. ``We grew up here, four of us got married from here, my sister actually had her wedding here, and by the time we'd all had children of our own there were 30 of us around here for birthdays, christenings and other gatherings.

``My father would sit in his favourite sunny spot in the lounge handing out the Champagne; he loved it.
``The younger children would play on the lawn and roll down the little slope, the teenagers would be in the rumpus room playing table tennis, and the adults would be in the lounge or out on the terrace enjoying a drink.

``My son's first word was cow, because we would look at the cows over the fence in Churchill Park.''
The ground floor comprises a large living room, a dining area, the kitchen, laundry and a toilet.

Upstairs, there are four north-facing bedrooms - all with built-in vanities and wardrobes - and the bathroom.
Three of the four bedrooms open to a balcony and, like the living area and kitchen, enjoy tremendous harbour views across to Browns Island, Musick Point and Waiheke.

The self-contained, one-bedroom cottage in the back garden has been a temporary home to the children when they've been between houses, as well as a sleepout when they were teenagers.
``It was lovely staying in the cottage. We've stayed there with our children when we've been moving house, and mum would come down with apple tarts; it was great.''

``My father used to feed the birds each day at 5.30 in the evening, so mother had to get an orang-utan-type cage built over her vegetable patch to protect her vegetables.''
Underneath the house, beside the rumpus room, is a large storage space where Jenny's father kept the garden tools. It has a safe set into the concrete, which is where Fred stashed his coin collection.

So much of Jenny's family's past is tied up in this house, it's hard to say goodbye, she says.
``There's no doubt it needs modernising, but it would be lovely to think that the new owners would retain some of the heart of the place.''

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 1

GARAGES: 3+

SIZE: Land 2049sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $2 million-plus. Tender closes June 22.

INSPECT: Sun 12-12.30pm, Weds 12.30-1.30pm.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz/341805

CONTACT: Wayne McCarthy or Trevor Wyness, Barfoot & Thompson St Heliers, ph 575 9079 bus, 021 744 134 (Wayne), 021 976 906 (Trevor).

FEATURES: Large, elevated family home on vast near-level section bordered on two sides by Churchill Park. Fantastic views of Waiheke Island, Musick Point and Browns Island, plus a self-contained cottage in the garden.