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Walk Around The Clock
Novello House at 2 Ladywood Road is a very substantial house in its own grounds. It was run as a theatrical boarding house by kind hearted Basil Hartley and his mother, who on second marriage had become Mrs Hatch. Basil had a second career as a shop window display artist. He was very talented and while still the youngest display artist in Yorkshire had won many competitions
They were gregarious and had often taken lodgers at their very
appropriately named ‘Vaude Villa’, 183 Roundhay Road at Harehills
Basil moved to 34 Wetherby Road in 1950 and Basil’s mother later joined him. It was named ‘Novello House’ in 1951 honouring the late composer, playwright and actor Ivor Novello. He had stayed at 34 for several weeks while performing at the Grand Theatre. He often played Basil’s baby grand piano
In the late 1970s Basil and his mother moved to nearby 2 Ladywood Road taking their business name ‘Novello House’ with them. When his mother died Basil stopped providing meals and installed a small kitchen for guests. This meant that Oakwood residents would often have the pleasure of seeing famous people in their local Shops
Basil had many memories of his visitors and literally hundreds of signed photographs. When he died in 1997 Novello House continued for several years in the capable hands of his niece Mrs Kavanagh
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Oakwood Church Leeds
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Jeanne Wrigglesworth “I bought a business on Oakwood Parade in the 1970s and it ran until 1990. I named it ‘Upper Crust’. One of my customers was Basil Hartley. He owned Novello House... He sent his clients to me to buy a snack before an appearance in the theatre... Honor Blackman was as strikingly glamorous a person,
as she was as the Bond girl and in The Avengers... Bill Owen was impeccably dressed...and he had such a nice speaking voice...”
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