ME & MY HOMES
Mark's favourite - the oak-
covered dining room.
Y
Stunner - Mark's home shines
in the village of Elton.
ou might imagine that a certain
flamboyant singer-songwriter with the
surname John might like the sound of
Elton Manor as his home.
Instead, this fine mock Tudor property, in the
quiet village of Elton, which boasts 18 rooms and
seven bedrooms, belongs to another behemoth
of the airwaves, Teesside's very own Mark Page.
While Mark – the Boro's matchday PA
announcer for more than 25 years – doesn’t
recall any connection to Sir Elton, he does
remember an impromptu visit from a baron, no
less. That's Baron Hague of Richmond, better
known as former Conservative leader William
Hague.
“He borrowed my studio once,” explains Mark.
“I used to do a world-wide show for the armed
forces from Catterick and he'd pop in and see me
regularly as the local MP.
“I got a call one Sunday morning saying
William is on TalkRadio and his ISDN line isn't
working at home, so any chance he can call over?
“Twenty-five minutes later there is a knock on
the door and it’s William Hague with his minder.
“They go upstairs and I let TalkRadio dial in
while I sit downstairs having a coffee.”
I’m shown around the property – built in 1912
by the Ropner family of local shipbuilding fame
– and learn that during the Second World War
it was turned into a NAAFI where servicemen
flying from nearby Middleton-St-George would
socialise.
Mark also tells me how former England
cricketer Charlie Townsend moved here in the
1950s.
The dining room is Mark’s favourite,
overlooking the extensive back garden with its
balustrade terracing. It features a dining table
to seat ten that he had made by a joiner in
Balk, near Thirsk, and a Welsh dresser which
previously belonged to his granddad.
Every room is different, but there is lots of
wood everywhere – some oak – on wall panels,
on beams on the ceiling, along with original
fireplaces.
A games room has a pool table as its
centrepiece, while a photograph of former Boro
striker Bernie Slaven celebrating his last goal for
the club hangs on the wall.
Mark, also a former Radio 1 DJ, still does a
lot of pre-recordings from home, but his studio
has gone. Also flown the nest are his two, now
grown-up boys, although his daughter still lives
with him.
“The kids have grown up here, there have
been some good parties along with radio shows
and music sessions with live musicians,” he says.
“We have certainly made the most of it over the
years.”
Upstairs, the master bedroom has a pleasant
view of the surrounding woods at the back,
while one of the three bathrooms boasts a free-
standing tub of the type you typically see in
boutique hotels.
“When we moved in. it was almost a swinging
‘60s type place, full of quirky colours,” says Mark,
who recently hosted Teesside Philanthropic
Foundation's Annual Charity Ball.
“I turned it back into something more
traditional, in keeping with the age of the house.”
Despite the hard work Mark has put into the
place over the years, he isn’t, however, intent on
hanging onto it in the long term.
“Maybe it’s time someone else came in to
see how they would do it,” he muses. “It needs
a fresh pair of eyes to do something different
and new, but that's up to whoever has the house
next.”
Elton Manor is available for sale through
EazyMove on 01642 495200 or for rent through
My Property Box on 0333 358 3676.
tees-life.co.uk
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