# Jimmy Blanche's cottage (South Norfolk)



## hamishsfriend (Apr 2, 2011)

When the retired London wheelwright, mechanic and body repairman Jimmy Blanche and his parents moved into the forge in the 1950s, none of the neighbours knew about the treasures that Jimmy had brought with him. After the passing of his parents about 25 years ago, Jimmy is said to have become a recluse who ventured out only to do his shopping, and every Sunday to go to church. Despite keeping himself to himself he was well liked by the locals, who remember seeing him out and about on his bike. He is described as always having worn wellington boots and a long tatty leather coat that was held together with a bit of baler twine. Jimmy passed away in January 2009, aged 80, and what followed is history.

Details as to how exactly this came about are not published in the media but one fine day in April, three months after Jimmy's passing, Aylsham auctioneer and classic car enthusiast Guy Snelling and some of his colleagues entered Jimmy's property, and when there, 'found' about 30 classic vintage cars, some of them over 80 years old. Some were quietly decaying in the outbuildings, others had been kept outside and were almost hidden in the dense vegetation.

The following pictures, taken from an article which was published in the Daily Mail, show some of Jimmy's cars as they were found 












...and here is the article
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...red-barnyard-set-fetch-thousands-auction.html

None of the cars had been driven for 50 years and some of them had trees growing through them. There were several Singers, a Lea Francis, two Swifts and a couple of Riley Monacos, a 1930s Morris Minor, a Riley Lynx and a Willys Overland, amongst others. Vintage motorbikes including two Sunbeams and a 1930s BSA were also found on the site. A team of eight men were kept busy for two weeks, clearing yard and buildings of cars, says one report. A fork lift truck had to be used to pull free some of the most overgrown vehicles. The cars were then put up for auction. Nature has since reclaimed and covered over the gaps ripped into the vegetation where cars were pulled out. 






According to media reports, Jimmy's cottage was found to be in a derelict und untidy state, with piles of soup cans and pie tins strewn about outside the windows and the rooms full of car parts. Moreover, the front of the house had started to collapse and there was no running water. 






Three years on there is, of course, no sign of the cars that once used to populate this place. In one of the smaller sheds I found this, perhaps somebody knows what it is.






The buildings are still there or rather, their remains are. It looks as if the recovery of the vintage vehicles was accomplished by demolishing the outbuildings. It looks as if the roof was taken off and one wall was pulled down for easy access to the largest shed, the shed in which many vehicles had been stored bumper to bumper. 











Some of the walls of the cottage and the adjoining outbuildings were built from clay-lump ('bricks' made from clay mixed with straw or chaff). The surface of such walls was commonly coated with tar or whitewashed to protect it from the elements but the cottage's walls appear to have had an exterior skin of red brick. With the roof in disrepair, water has trickled in and softened the clay-lump 'bricks' and one side of the cottage has now slumped. Most red bricks on this side appear to have fallen off.











Viewed from the other side the building does not look much healthier. 











A peek through the glass-less windows reveals quite a grim interior. An avalanche of magazines has cascaded down the steps, and the small rooms are so cluttered with rubbish, one has to wonder how it was possible to move, let alone live, in there. 









































Assorted paint cans, some tidily arranged on a shelf, and broken pieces of what appears to once have been a piano, are decaying side by side in an adjoining shed. I did look around but failed to find any evidence of the forge this once used to be.





















Jimmy and his cars are gone but Jimmy's coats are still hanging on their pegs, and I think I can spot his favourite leather coat amongst them.


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## dizzydebs (Apr 2, 2011)

Jaw droppng can't begin to think how jimmy managed to live there the building must have been in a bad state of repair can't imagine it would have deteriorated that much in just over two years! Thanks for sharing


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## The Archivist (Apr 2, 2011)

A very interesting, if depressing place. There can surely be few things as sad as the home of a compulsive hoarder. 
Thanks for posting.


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## hamishsfriend (Apr 2, 2011)

> ...the building must have been in a bad state of repair can't imagine it would have deteriorated that much in just over two years





> ...few things as sad as the home of a compulsive hoarder



I agree to both, also, am guessing that after the death of his parents, Jimmy had nobody to look after him and probably did not trust anybody. What I find saddest, though, is the fact that people went straight for the money (the cars) but do not appear to have had any interest in Jimmy. I suppose such is life ...


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## dizzydebs (Apr 2, 2011)

Had to pop back on to look at the pics again been thinking bout jimmy all nite it makes me so sad seeing this story


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## kathyms (Apr 2, 2011)

*sad*



dizzydebs said:


> Had to pop back on to look at the pics again been thinking bout jimmy all nite it makes me so sad seeing this story



i agree, these sad stories make us realise how lucky we are to have familys. 
he must have had no one and as he got older lived in one room with all his posetions. i wont say clutter or rubish cos this was his home, it was the place he loved with the memories of mum and dad. im sure he didnt think of the cars as money, just things he collected. very sad that people in the village didnt take an interest in him and social services could have helped make his life more comforable.
poor man.


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## Foxylady (Apr 3, 2011)

Delightful looking house. It's a fascinating story...nice find and report, H.


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## nelly (Apr 3, 2011)

Nice stuff mate.

Don't let the PC Police see that Golliwog photo or you may find your front door being kicked in early one morning


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## hamishsfriend (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks, *Nelly*. I was hoping to find a few bits and pieces of vintage cars but the people who took them away were thorough.


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## smiler (Apr 11, 2011)

Well Done H,
There isn’t much that I can add to the previous comments just add my thanks for an interesting report and pics.


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## hamishsfriend (Apr 11, 2011)

Thank you, *Smiler*. It is a grim place.


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## glass (Apr 19, 2011)

Well done on your report, really interesting Derelict houses are so poignant in my view yet so fascinating. 



The Archivist said:


> There can surely be few things as sad as the home of a compulsive hoarder.
> Thanks for posting.



My home is not so sad although I probably am.


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## kathyms (Apr 25, 2011)

*jimmy*

hi, we drove there today, my son alec and his mate chris. not to nessesarily to just take pics but to look into the life of the man i still feel sad for. i would like to find out how and were he died, i hope it wasnt on his own in that room. i spoke to people who said what a lovely man he was. who as well had the right to move the cars and sell them, were did the money go. there is more to urbex than bricks, there is the people who lived there.they say he traveled on the train regularly with his bike i wonder if his family were still in london.sad is to small a word.


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## hamishsfriend (Apr 25, 2011)

*kathyms* - There's nothing to be found in the local papers as to how and where he died, the main story appears to have been the car collection. That, I suppose, says it all. Did you find out where Jimmy is buried?


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## susanmackem (Apr 25, 2011)

Love the pictures, the externals are my favourite, so sad though


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## Foxylady (Apr 25, 2011)

Personally, I find it a bit sad that everyone's assuming that he lived a sad life. So just as an antidote to that, I thought it might be nice to look at it differently. For instance, he lived his life doing what he loved to do, collecting his old cars and enjoying his own home. As he was well-liked by the locals, then surely he must have enjoyed the odd chat or at least greeted people he met whilst he was out and about; he just chose to live his life alone...as many do. And he also kept his independancy and didn't wind up in a sad old people's home.
The only sadness here is the fact that vultures came and took his cars away afterwards. At least he wasn't around to see that. 
There's loads of positives about his life, so lets celebrate that.


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## paul leeds (Apr 25, 2011)

great read. does anyone know exactly where the house is?

also i was also wondering who gave those people the right to remove and seemingly profit from his possessions!?


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## Snips86x (Apr 26, 2011)

This is such a beauty. To think all these amazing vehicles were strewn around the premises and vulnerable to the weather were once stunning vehicles in working order. I love the article from The Daily Mail, shame they were moved. Great find. Thanks for sharing.


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## wagg20 (Jun 27, 2011)

Visited the place at the weekend and all thats left is a pile of rubble


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## dizzydebs (Jun 27, 2011)

that is just sooo sad, shame people cant keep their mitts off things!!  thanks for letting us know


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## kathyms (Jun 27, 2011)

*jimmys*



wagg20 said:


> Visited the place at the weekend and all thats left is a pile of rubble



wagg has the house gone now.


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## Acebikerchick (Jun 27, 2011)

So sad, but what a brilliant post as you got there before it went...


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## maximus (Jun 28, 2011)

wagg20 said:


> Visited the place at the weekend and all thats left is a pile of rubble



Hmmmmmm nothing for you to 'salvage' then?


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## Em_Ux (Jun 28, 2011)

An interesting report. Thanks for sharing.


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## Janey68 (Jun 28, 2011)

What a shame.....he would have been happiest living there with his memories, but i dont understand how some people can just take things away....so sad and very annoying!!


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## wagg20 (Jun 28, 2011)

maximus said:


> Hmmmmmm nothing for you to 'salvage' then?


Couldn't find anything of interest:->
Seriously though, you are beginning to get rather tedious now.


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## DrThompson (Jun 30, 2011)

It's an old well-pump. My partner's aunt (who also lives in Norfolk) has an indentical one attached to her property.

Really interesting photos, thanks.


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## hamishsfriend (Jun 30, 2011)

DrThompson said:


> It's an old well-pump. My partner's aunt (who also lives in Norfolk) has an indentical one attached to her property. Really interesting photos, thanks.



Thanks for your info re the well pump.


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