Mary Cornelius-Reid | A PASSION EXTRAORDINAIRE
Monte da Palhagueira
Another feather in her cap was the creation of a memorial to units of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force , which were stationed at the Abbey during the Second World War . When she discovered that there was no memorial in London to these units , Mary decided there should be one at the Abbey and was awarded the Australian Medal ( A . M ) for her endeavours .
“ I feel that this is even more important than being given the M . B . E . for services to the community ” she says . On the ground floor , there is a dedicated memorial to the serviceman from Australia and Canada who served in the war , with plaques of all the regiments , photographs , medals , awards and the most recent addition - a collection of brass shells recently discovered in a blocked drain ! “ People can come to visit , with prior arrangement . We show them around and include the Chinese Summer House , which I restored in the 1980 ’ s ”, she explains . The Summer House was originally commissioned by Charles , Duke of Queensbury in the 18th century and so Mary duly arranged for the present Duchess of Queensbury to open it in 1986 , in the presence of the Chinese Ambassador and his wife . The restoration received a Euro Nostra award for excellence .
Not satisfied with two successful nursing homes in the UK , Mary found and bought a third in 1986 – Sutton Manor , in Sutton Scotney . This was the former home of Lord Rank , set in 60 acres of lawned gardens just a few miles from Winchester . Sutton Manor now comprises 27 individual nursing and six residential rooms within the mansion itself , with a further 37 apartments , cottages and houses in the grounds making up the retirement village . Unusually for retirement housing , the cottages are thatched and are always in high demand .
Mary received the M . B . E . in 2000 , but her proudest moment was the completion of St . Luke ’ s Church at Monte da Palhagueira , her beautiful retirement village and nursing home in Gorjoes , near Santa Barbara de Nexe . “ The church was consecrated 12 years ago and is the only Anglican Church in the Algarve ” she explains .
Her love of Portugal started 34 years ago , when she and her journalist husband John , who died in 1997 , started holidaying on the Algarve . They rented properties for a few years and then decided to buy a holiday home . They bought an old wreck , about 10 miles from Monte da Palhagueira , and fully renovated it . “ John got to know many people in the area and everyone said , do please open a nursing home here . So we scoured the area and eventually found a derelict farmhouse in 22 hectares and set into the hillside and transformed it into the nursing home 20 years ago ” she says .
After the nursing home , Mary starting converting and building new houses for people to retire to and live in independently , as in the UK . The Village is now finished , surrounded by beautiful gardens and with a very successful restaurant , Le Marquis da Palhagueira , which was voted best in the Algarve by Diners Club magazine last year .
12 | Summer 2012 | www . portugal-life . net |