Monday 24 October 2011

Extraordinary Les Oakes

Les Oakes was the extraordinary man who owned this extraordinary house, Hales View Farm (near Oakamoor). I say was, because, sadly, he was killed in a road accident a few years ago.

This eccentric (but very shrewd) operator picked up anything and everything from demolition sites – from old statuary to chimney pots to ancient doors – and sold them on from this former farmhouse. He had a terrific eye, and wasn’t afraid to be wide-ranging in his selections.
He wasn't afraid either to keep the stuff that he personally liked for himself: as you can see, he had a liking for lions and teelphone boxes! The farmhouse itself became his huge personal jigsaw too...

Some of his wonderful and strange personal collection is kept on the site now as a private museum by his family.

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