TWO MEN AND A DUCHESS AT HOME IN THE WYE VALLEY
Navigating Herefordshire’s bucolic landscape to meet Toby Simons and Deniz Aslan, I am struck by a recently visiting Australian cousin’s observation that there is a feeling of ‘compactness’ in the county’s narrow country roads, thick high hedges and tumbling fields and woodlands. Then I understand that this is the very warmth of feeling that attracted Toby and Deniz to the area.
Before meeting, both had lived all over the world, moving with work, relationships and thriving on the cultural richness that these far-flung experiences gave them. More recently, here in the UK and living together in Kent, home was a beautiful period property with three and a half acres, into which they poured much energy, but something was missing.
Toby’s global HR careers and Deniz’s occupations predominantly in the Care sector, certainly cements their people-oriented commonality. Though their working worlds are vastly different. Toby’s corporate environment couldn’t be more removed from Deniz’s very hands-on charity-led role.
“When the pandemic hit and working patterns changed, we realised, as did many international companies, that we really could operate effectively remotely” Toby reflects, as his employment became predominantly home based. “Suddenly the air flights across the continents for a few hours meeting were no more. It was sensible for many reasons beyond the Pandemic, yet also had other impacts.”
However, even though ensconced in their vast and enviable south eastern ‘Garden of Eden’, while Covid brought more digital connectivity, they started to feel a little isolated. As the world opened up, the couple visited more often with Toby’s friends in the Wye Valley and made a realisation … here could be home.
The property search began. Deciding to downsize, but still with a period tick-list, first to pique their interest was a Georgian manor house in Herefordshire’s Golden Valley. After many, many other viewings they succumbed to their initial feeling about it and in 2024 moved into their five bedroom, three bathroom, 18th Century abode.
79
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
LOCAL PEOPLE TWO MEN AND A DUCHESS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
