THE VAST majority of houses on the 1930s Whitley estate were built to two or three designs, but a few stood out.
The house featured this week was one such property. Located on Long Barn Lane, it was owned by the council until 1975 when it was sold to bricklayer Ron Woodroof.
Described by Whitley Community Museum curator David Turner as a “perfectionist”, Mr Woodroof made it his business to transform the building into a spectacular home which would be referred to as the Place of Whitley.
The owner subsequently gained the nickname of the king.
Mr Turner said: “Over the years, the house became somewhat of a tourist attraction. What you see on the outside is only part of the story in its transformation.
“The inside included features that were firsts in housebuilding and appeared on nationwide TV and the Evening Post local newspaper. The improvements included a walk-in wardrobe, spiral staircase and a kitchen to die for.
“On the outside the features included a flagpole, a Dickens Cameo, a lion and eye-catching brickwork, such as a garden entrance arch. It certainly was a house that taste forgot.
“There was a rumour at the time that Mr Woodroof had won on the lottery but that was untrue. It was down to sheer hard work. The house was sold in recent years and is now under multi occupancy of university students.
With over 4,800 followers on Facebook, the Whitley Community Museum is an accessible online and in-person resource.
The group serves as a platform for residents past and present to share memories through photographs and comments.
It also allows group members to reconnect, with members reacquainting themselves with friends and schoolmates from decades ago.
The museum held a Whitley Way Back When event at the Community Cafe on Northumberland Avenue earlier this year to showcase its photographs and exhibits in-person.
For more information, search: Whitley Community Museum on www.facebook.com
