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Award winning restoration in East Yorkshire |
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The former Post Office in High Street, Old Town, won a Bridlington Civic Society award for the sympathetic refurbishment of the original shop front By Alan Brook - Bridlington Free Press The couple, who have run businesses in Bridlington for around 30 years and live in York, run the Julie Howard Partnership, a company specialising in the restoration of Victorian and Edwardian buildings. "The post office was a bit older than that but it was crying out for someone to do something with it," said Mr Duckworth, 50, who still has property lower down High Street from the days when he ran Just Beds. "Quite a few local people have approached me saying how grateful they were that someone has taken it on and restored it." Since they acquired the old post office a team of plasterers, joiners and painters have brought it back to its former glory. It was not without its problems as dry rot and other forms of decay had to be put right and at one point most of one of the upper ceilings collapsed. But painstakingly, it was put back together even down to restringing ancient sash windows and uncovering carved faces on the shops facade which had disappeared beneath years of paint. "I understand it opened as a bank in about 1808 and went bust around 1908 owing around £16,000 which in those days was a great deal of money," said Mr Duckworth. During the restoration he found an ancient case of champagne in the cellar. "I don't know what it will be like but I think we might crack a bottle to celebrate its completion," said Mr Duckworth. All it now needs is a new tenant looking for a ground-floor shop with a three- bedroom flat above over three floors  |
