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Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
The man who lives in a £3m Welsh party pad you can only reach by boat or helicopter
The man who lives in a £3m Welsh party pad you can only reach by boat or helicopter Total silence, surrounded by nature, tides not traffic and a perfect place for parties and celebrity visits - island life in Wales Boat is the easiest form of transport to and from the island (Image: Staying on an island means no neighbours other than the bird and wildlife but the owner of the truly incredible Thorne Island, Mike Conner, says it does have a frequent and awe-inspiring visitor - the wild, Welsh weather. Mike explains what it's like staying on the Pembrokeshire island in a storm, saying: "Probably one of the most exciting things that happens on Thorne is the winter storms-when they hit Thorne, it's incredible. The spray goes over the top of the island, the gutterings get blocked up with shrimps, windows can get blown out. When we hear a storm is coming in, we just lift the boats out and wait for it to come in, and it is just awesome. "You know, a day at Alton Towers can be exhilarating, but this is like next level, you know, wind gusts that change direction, waves hitting the courtyard. It's really exciting, it's incredible!". But surely even more incredible is the fact that this one man took on the renovation of the empty fort on the island - and it's been an epic journey. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here. READ MORE: Inside the most amazing home for sale in Wales sat on an island with its own helipad and private jetty YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Couple who rescued a chapel they loved have converted it into stunning home Very few people can tell you what it's like to stay on a private island in a historic fort (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) Mike has owned the island that is crowned by the historic Grade II fort since 2017 and it's been arguably one of the most challenging restoration and renovation projects in Wales by an individual for many years. Across Wales at this moment people are in the process of saving and restoring buildings of all shapes and sizes - there are standard renovations, large renovations, epic renovations and then there's saving the historic fort on Thorne Island. Thorne Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire is for sale for offers in excess of £3m (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) While other renovators might moan about late deliveries and the increase in price of materials, current island owner Mike's challenges included organising delivering materials by helicopter, building a crane on a rocky landscape to lift deliveries by boat, and trying to find tradespeople who were happy to stay on the island and work and not go home at the end of each working day. While other people working on renovations needed to sort out walls that were unstable and about to keel over, Mike was tackling a whole cliff face under the huge stone gatehouse tower that was becoming unstable and needed attention. The island has a mooring but more crucially a crane to do the heavy lifting (Image: It has taken many years and over £2m of Mike's hard earned money to turn the historic Grade II fort on Thorne Island from an empty shell beginning its inevitable slide into dereliction, save it, revive it and transform it into a simply stunning home. See inside the completed, renovated fort here. Some people find taking on a renovation project a sea of stress but it wasn't worry that kept Mike awake at night - it was excitement for working out the process of how to save the fort, the logistics, the challenges and the problems to solve. The Grade II listed fort looks imposing as you climb the cliff steps from the mooring (Image: Mike is no stranger to diving into a challenging project and turning it into an impressive success - he started his own tech company from a garage and has worked hard to build it into a worldwide business. When he saw Thorne Island and the state of the fort Mike felt compelled to save it and could visualise the incredible home it could become, even though the challenges have been constant and, in some cases, unique to restoring and preserving a piece of Welsh heritage on an island. Mike Conner has spent of £2m of his own money to save this Welsh historic building from inevitable dereliction (Image: Adrian White Photography) Thorne Island fort was originally built in the 1850s, one of twelve forts that were constructed around the entrance to Pembroke Dock as part of 'Palmerston's Haven defences' to protect against Napoleonic invasion. Where people in towns and cities need to consider busy road routes and commuter traffic, for Mike and his family travelling to the island it is all about tides, boats, and shipping lanes and being a 'townie' Mike confesses that at the start of this epic renovation he knew nothing about any of it. Mike says: 'Y ou need to know when high tide is, when low tide is, when slack tide is - the range of the tide each day. You then need to become very aware of the weather and wind directions and swell directions and, you know, these things that eve ry seafarer knows inside out." Stormy seas and wild wind that batter the island Mike says are 'incredible' (Image: Mike Conner) Obviously there are no neighbours other than the bird and wildlife and, coupled with the weather, Mike says the island teaches you to slow down, observe what is around you, and feel truly blessed to feel surrounded by nature. Mike says: " I think one of the things I really enjoy about the island is the fact that it's got its own ecosystem. Because, as it's an island, the birds know no predator, so there's a robin that follows me around and there's a seal at the island at the moment that, when we first got here, was a pup, now she's now had her own pup. You get to feel very close to something much, much bigger than yourself. The substantial formal dining room with lounge area at one end (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) "I think it's like being part of the sea, you know, we get woken by gulls, we get visited by dolphins and porpoises too, I had no idea any of this stuff kind of went on. It's like Mother Nature screaming, 'look at all the stuff that's going on' and I think that's just good for you, gives you a bit of peace. "It's completely silent inside the fort because the walls are so thick and it's double glazed. You know, it can be kicking off outside and you won't hear anything. The former soldiers' barracks, where trademen also slept as they worked to save the fort, is now a spacious 'dormitory' (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) "How often do you experience total silence? You know, you always hear a car in the distance, you know, but here it goes properly silent and, yeah, that's pretty special. I sleep like a baby when I'm there." Every now and then though the island is not silent or cloaked in birdsong, sometimes there's a party and they are arguably as epic as the island and fort itself - with no neighbours to complain about noise and guests arriving by boat and sometimes even helicopter. Mike says some visitors opt for hiring a helicopter to get to the island (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) The unique location has attracted attention from TV programmes and companies with Mike saying filming has occurred with Dizzie Rascal and Jason Fox, and Channel 4's property programme 'Hugh Dennis Huge Homes' also a visitor, as well as Red Bull as a potential base for an athletes' retreat. Perfect place for a party with no neighbours to complain (Image: Mike Conner) Mike says the fort works very well as a place to party as he's built a roof top bar and there's a dance floor downstairs, a substantial internal outdoor courtyard, as well as a one of the bedrooms being a dormitory, that was once the soldiers' barracks and with tents too, the island has slept around 80 guests. But you have to be organised with the supplies you need as it's not like you can pop down to a mini supermarket at the end of your street when you run out of milk. When Mike, now aged 52, was working on saving the fort it was these added island complications that had to be considered, and it was more complicated and expensive than running out of milk. The roof top bar is a special spot with amazing views of the sea, the coast, the sunrise and the sunset (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) Mike says: "I t's been a development project and you know, I guess having the odd party there is upside of that. But most of the time, you know, I'm there with different trades, fixing stuff, and it's not that glamorous." For more property, renovation, and interior design stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here. Of course the challenges have been many, Mike says: "I think the initial logistics of just helicoptering everything on to the island was actually a brilliant idea but it relies on a very specialist helicopter and skilled pilot who was willing to do 360 drops over two days. Hugh Dennis arriving for filming for Channel 4 TV series 'Huge Homes with Hugh Dennis' (Image: Mike Conner) "You've got to do so many loads because you're taking rubbish off the island like broken baths and fridges and old generators. So you have to plan every one of those rubbish packages and trips - emptying a skip can take a day. "The staff at Travis Perkins were really helpful. They weighed all the bags of materials to make sure that everything was in 500 kilogramme loads, so when the helicopter came, we knew it could pick it up and take it over." Ample space for a badminton court too (Image: Mike Conner) Mike says he used local tradespeople, skilled crafts people, local businesses and suppliers, and boat companies as much as possible but the team working on the fort every day had to see his vision too. He explains: "Getting skilled labour at the fort who want to go home in the evening isn't really an option, I had to find like-minded people who are probably a bit unhinged and get really passionate about projects like this." But he did find those people to create the team and the result of their hard work is nothing short of spectacular. The only neighbours are the bird and wildlife, the weather and the occasional passing ship (Image: Mike has always had in the back of his mind the struggles of the original builders too. He says: "The fort is made from massive granite, which would probably be about 10 tons a block. How on earth did they get this stuff up there? Wow! Before hydronics and electric winches and all that sort of thing? Because it would have all been block and tackle and blokes pulling ropes. "So from the outside, the fort has got a kind of Stonehenge sort of aura, you know, how did they do that? A thousand men over two years - that really is remarkable" But Mike is not the only one to have spent time living on Thorne and there's one past islander that he has extra admiration for, he says: "Mary Pearson was a well heeled debutante who just was fed up with post-war London living and so moved to Pembrokeshire and bought the fort from the Ministry of Defence. The internal courtyard and bespoke built roof terrace are perfect for social gatherings and have seen some parties - with no neighbours to complain about the noise (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) "All the windows in the external walls were cut by her - an unbelievable effort because those walls are about three feet thick - and she had children at the fort and used to get them to school by boat -incredible." Mike is a very busy entrepreneur and his business takes him around the world so he and his family don't get to Thorne Island as much as he would like and so, with a heavy heart and a pinning for the inspiring 360 degree panoramic views he will miss, he has put the island and fort on the market for offers in excess of £3m with Strutt and Parker. Options for a new owner include a home or a business, or both, from corporate events and weddings to exclusive holidays, with Mike saying in the past he has rented the island and fort out to private individuals for around £10,000 without doing any publicity at all. Thorne Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire includes the fort built in the 1850s and now Grade II* listed (Image: Strutt and Parker, National Country House Department) Article continues below Mike says: " It will be a wrench because I bought the fort because I didn't want to just let it fall apart, to become derelict, and I've put so much into it, I will really miss it. It's such a great place but it just doesn't get used enough. " I think it could be turned into you know, something touristy that sort of helped drive the local economy that would be amazing. Yeah, it would be a shame if no one gets to see it. I think it's got to be one of the most interesting buildings in Wales, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more interesting place to visit or stay maybe in the world, not just Wales."
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Picturesque Scots island with stunning views and private ferry hits the market
Read on to find out how much the island is being sold for ISLE TAKE IT Picturesque Scots island with stunning views and private ferry hits the market Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PICTURESQUE Scottish island with stunning views and private ferry is up for sale. Inchmarnock is an exclusive island estate which sits in the Firth of Clyde, just off the west coast of the Isle of Bute. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A picturesque Scottish island has been put on the market for £2million Credit: Strutt & Parker 4 Scattered across the island are a number of traditional stone farmhouses Credit: Strutt & Parker 4 The listing includes a four-bedroom shorefront house on Bute Credit: Strutt & Parker The 662-acre island includes a working farm and a private harbour. It boasts stunning views of the Kyles of Bute, Cowal Peninsula, the northern part of the Kintyre Peninsula and the mountains of Arran. And on a clear day, you can see the coast of Ayrshire. The island is just five miles from Rothesay, 37 miles from Glasgow Airport and 46 miles from Glasgow. Inchmarnock is on the market from £2million, and the listing includes a four-bedroom shorefront house on Bute. The estate also includes a private harbour, slipway and purpose-built ferry - which is designed to transport vehicles and livestock from the island. Included within the ownership is an area of pasture currently used as a paddock, convenient for holding cattle when they are being transported from Inchmarnock for sale. There is also an operational agricultural shed with cattle handling facilities. The farm consists of a fold of Highland cattle. And scattered across the island are a number of traditional stone farmhouses and redundant steadings which are currently uninhabited. I left iconic UK seaside town to live on tiny Scottish island with just 60 people With planning permission, these have been described as having potential for residential or tourism-related redevelopment. Another particular feature of Inchmarnock is its many metres of drystone dykes which date from the 18th century. The entire estate is being offered for sale as a single lot. Estate agent Strutt and Parker dubbed Inchmarnock as a "peaceful and historic private island" that "combines an attractive shorefront house with a 660-acre island". They added: "Its location offers magnificent views in every direction and, whilst peacefully situated, it is under 40 miles and less than two hours' journey time from Glasgow city centre."
The Courier
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Eight-bedroom Perthshire home with River Tay views, tackle room and wine cellar on sale for £1.1m
An eight-bedroom Perthshire home with views of the River Tay is up for sale. Summerhill fishing lodge, on Perth Road in Stanley, is on the market for offers over £1.1 million. The sale includes the 'unique home', plus a cottage and a garage with an apartment above. The property has most recently been used by the family of the current owners and let out to groups as a fishing lodge. The fishings are being sold separately, with details available on request. The house underwent a major refurbishment in the late 1990s and enjoys an elevated position over the River Tay. Estate agents Strutt and Parker describe it as 'a unique home' that 'enjoys a lovely, elevated setting overlooking the Tay'. The property is accessed via a sweeping private driveway. The main house has an open hall with doors to the principal rooms, which have original features. The rear hall leads to the kitchen, breakfast room and utility rooms. The eight bedrooms are located on the first floor, with five of them featuring en suite bathrooms. The large conservatory has a snooker table and lounge area. In addition, the lower ground floor features a tackle room and wine cellars. The sale also includes Garden Cottage, a self-contained home within the grounds. Built in 2009, it's currently used by the housekeeper and has an open-plan sitting room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. The apartment above the garage is named Cook's Cottage and has a large sitting room with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Outside, the property is set within maintained gardens and grounds extending to around two acres. A large terrace to the east of the house overlooks the river, while there is also a small kitchen garden and greenhouse to the south. Elsewhere in Perthshire, a boutique hotel just minutes from Gleneagles is on the market for offers over £2.5 million. And a Victorian mansion in Aberfeldy with planning permission for eight flats has been put up for sale.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Hindu
From The Hindu, June 4, 1925: Origin of cricket
The stoolball: Stoolball gave us cricket, the earliest wicket for which was probably adapted from the upturned stool used for the parent game, but, as cricket developed, Stoolball declined, and became almost extinct, except, according to Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, in the north of England, says Major N.W. Fraser writing in an English contemporary: In 1917, however, Mr. Grantham revived it as a game for disabled officers and men, for whom cricket or football was too strenuous. It admirably fulfilled that purpose, and in doing so took on a wider popularity.
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Supermarket giant acts on 'appalling' worker conditions
Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19. Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19. Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19. Migrant workers who have lost limbs or been blinded in Australian workplaces fear they will be deported if they seek medical treatment, an inquiry into modern slavery has been told. Workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme were particularly vulnerable due to their strict visa conditions, which stop them from changing employers, lawyer Joshua Strutt said. "PALM visa holders are one of the most exploited temporary visa holders in Australia," said Mr Strutt, the chief executive of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. The PALM scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire people from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, usually to work in agriculture and meat processing. The legal service has heard from PALM workers who have been severely injured in workplace accidents, but are too scared to seek medical care. "There's this really huge power imbalance that exists through this system that needs to be fixed," Mr Strutt told the inquiry in Sydney on Monday. The NSW parliamentary inquiry is examining the risks of modern slavery in rural areas, investigating the extent of forced labour, violence, sexual servitude, labour trafficking and wage violations. Supermarket giant Woolworths took on a labour hire company after being told migrant workers in its Queensland supply chain were living in poor conditions. "We did a site inspection and the housing conditions were indeed appalling and unliveable," Woolworths group's human rights general manager Rachel Elliott said. "The workers had raised this with the labour hire provider to no avail." The unnamed labour hire organisation was booted from migrant worker schemes, but there have since been reports of the company attempting to operate in other states, she said. Woolworths conducts 1000 workplace audits in its supply chain each year, revealing about 5000 incidents of non-compliance that range from fire safety issues to underpayment. The underpayments were often the result of labour hire companies failing to pass on entitlements to workers, Ms Elliott said. After audits in NSW over the last two years, Woolworths has worked with suppliers to repay $50,000 in the meat industry and $48,000 in horticulture. Overcrowded accommodation was another pressing issue, with regular reports of 10 people living in one house and paying $170 per bed, Australian Workers' Union organiser Jonathan Cook told the inquiry. "It is a clear and obvious exploitation of farm workers," Mr Cook said. Several agricultural industry bodies cited an independent survey conducted by the Australian National University and the World Bank that found 98 per cent of PALM workers would recommend the scheme to others. But workers were not in a position of power to be open about their conditions, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association industrial officer Bernard Govind said. "We know migrant workers ... have a visceral fear of speaking up against workplace exploitation for fear of visa cancellation and deportation." The inquiry is due to hold a hearing in Griffith on June 19.
