The house that Massoud built

WORK is expected to begin again shortly on renovating the remains of the 17th century Stanley Hall Farm, Cheadle Hulme.

All that is now left of the old farm, which was built two years before Charles II's restoration to the throne, is the black and white timbered frontage.

Stanley Hall Farm's owner, Mr Massoud Halimi, bought the house and the acre of land in which it stands, in August 1972. He had never actually been inside the building when he bid £16,000 for it at an auction.

After the sale, when the hall continued to stay empty, he was besieged with offers to “name his own price”.

At first, Mr Halimi planned to extend the cramped three bedroomed accommodated offered by the old cottage to house himself, his wife and three children. He received permission to demolish part of the kitchen which is newer approximately 150 years old) than the front.

But the house was not in excellent condition when it was sold and during its long period of standing unoccupied had deteriorated still more.

In accordance with permission granted by the Planning Department and Department of Environment, Mr Halimi recently demolished the back half of the house, leaving only the front. In its place he has built a modern house at the rear of the black and white timbered frontage which is in a very dilapidated condition.

This he hopes to restore shortly when his buildings contractors resume work.

But as yet he still does not know when he and his family will be moving from their current home in Wilmslow Road, Cheadle. In the meantime Stanley Hall Farm is half-hidden by corrugated Iron in an attempt to stage off the vandals who have done so much damage there in the past.