Friday, May 6, 2011

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Royal wedding: get your souvenir copies of Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, who has been given the title of The Duchess of Cambridge, kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (Pic: PA) Image 1 The kiss... Will and Kate share a kiss on their wedding day

It was a day to never forget.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wonderful wedding will live long in the memory.

Enjoyed by an estimated global audience of two billion, it didn't disappoint.

Two young people in love, the best of British, a sunny day - it had it all.

Now you can cherish those memories with souvenir copies of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror.

Relive the royal wedding for the rest of your life with our commemorative collection.

For just £5.99 plus postage and packing you will get our Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror royal wedding editions.

Click here to get your own slice of royal wedding history

Click for more Royal Wedding news
Download the Daily Mirror's 'Wills & Kate A Royal Love Story' souvenir mobile app for iPhone, iTouch, iPad or Nokia smartphone here


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Pippa's bum a hot topic online

But it's not the ceremony, the kisses or even That Dress that have caused the biggest buzz on Facebook and Twitter ? but Pippa Middleton's BOTTOM.

Kate's stunning younger sister, who was maid of honour at yesterday's historic event, emerged as one of the unexpected attractions.

Her perfect derriere even has its own appreciation society on Facebook ? attracting more than 36,000 members in the first 24 hours.

In contrast, only 33,000 people on Facebook "liked" Kate's dress.

Party planner Pippa, 27, who works for her parents' business Party Pieces, has been one of the most popular "trending" topics on Twitter since yesterday.

AS all eyes were on Kate, take a closer look at her stunning bridesmaid sister

Her figure-hugging white dress, designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, wowed the worldwide TV audience of an estimated TWO BILLION.

Comments on the Facebook group have ranged from flattering to ridiculous.

Lynn Norton McLeran wrote: "I just love the way she looked in that dress. It would make a lovely wedding gown all by itself."

Meanwhile Steve Torrie wrote that Pippa's rear is "like two skinny otters fighting to get out of a sack".

Andy Waters called Pippa's role "the highlight of the day, without a doubt".

Fashion blog fashionista.com even published an article entitled "In Praise of Pippa (Especially Her Bum)".

Her bum has even become one of the top search suggestions on Google.

Simply typing "Pippa" brings up the search recommendation: "Pippa Middleton a***".

Best man Prince Harry couldn't resist trying his luck with the bride's sister yesterday, whispering: "You do look very beautiful today ? seriously."


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World tunes in for Kate and Wills

People turned out across Britain's streets, squares, pubs and churches to hold a variety of bashes.

And because of the Royals' popularity overseas - millions of people across the globe were glued to their screens to watch the nuptials.

Royalists in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and China all flocked to celebrate the wedding.

In New Zealand, they celebrated the Kiwi godmother to Kate Middleton's father and in Hong Kong, there was Chinese-language TV commentary from a well-known wedding designer.

In India - once the jewel of the British empire - they sat transfixed in front of millions of televisions.

The Hindustan Times, one of India's largest-circulation English-language newspapers, had an entire page of glowing stories about the Royal couple.

British troops in Afghanistan gathered round televisions to catch the Royal spectacle - and a team of British scientists battled 40mph winds and freezing conditions to toast the newlyweds at the South Pole.

Even crew members at the International Space Station (ISS) sent the Royal couple a congratulatory message.

Members of the Russian-US-Italian crew wished the British Royal couple a happy life and said they will also celebrate in space.

At Tsinghua University in China nearly 200 couples tied the knot at a collective wedding ceremony that coincided with Kate and Wills' big day.

But the biggest parties were reserved for back home in the UK.

Several hundred gathered in the sun in Manchester city centre, turning an open-air event into a blaze of colour as the wedding was shown on a big screen.

Well-wishers, young and old, were decked out in red, white and blue, shouting and waving Union flags.

As the Royal couple were pronounced man and wife, a huge cheer erupted.

Gill Armstrong and her husband David, from Preston, Lancs, brought their two children, Joseph, aged 18 months, and Ruby, aged four, to the event.

Gill said: "We have come down to Manchester because there was nothing going on in Preston and we wanted to watch it on the big screen. It is too nice a day to watch indoors."

Elaine Lowe, 22, from Manchester, who came with a group of friends to watch the event in the city, said: "The rain has held off, the sun is out and we are all having a great day.

"Kate looks stunning and her wedding dress is fabulous. What's not to like about today?"

Joe Atkins, 27, also from Manchester, added: "I thought I would come and show support and the atmosphere here has been great. I wish them both well. It's a great day for the whole nation."

Scarlett Smith, 23, and Chloe Kerr, 22, both from Manchester, and Elle Davies, 22, and Lara Richards, 22, both from London, were each dressed in identical skimpy dresses emblazoned with Union flag sequins.

The four Liverpool John Moores University graduates decided to meet up at the event in Spinningfields, Manchester, for a reunion and to celebrate the Royal wedding.

Ms Smith joked: "We wanted to dress up and show our grandchildren what we were wearing on the big day."

Ms Davies said: "We got here at 8am and thought everybody would be dressed up - but we were the first! We've had a few comments but everybody has been complimentary.

"We've even had some French people taking photos of us."

Ms Richards said: "I got quite emotional when I saw Kate and William. I said 'Oh it's a love story!'.

"We don't get much of a chance to be patriotic as well, so today is a great occasion."

In Somerset, hundreds of people gathered on the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare to watch the marriage ceremony.

The pier was gutted by fire in 2008, reopening late last year.

Its owner, Kerry Michael, said: "It is buzzing here. The atmosphere is electric. The first people got here at around 6am for a champagne breakfast. By nine there were hundreds here."

In Exeter, celebrity chef Michael Caines was hosting the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink in the grounds of the city's castle, where 2,000 guests stopped to watch proceedings on a 25 square metre screen.

Mr Caines, who has two Michelin stars for his restaurant at Gidleigh Park in Devon, said the atmosphere was "amazing" at the event, with many wedding-themed products.

One company, Just Us Organic, produced a sausage called William's Wiener, in honour of the groom.

Mr Caines said that the wedding ceremony was not the only thing going smoothly this morning - the kitchens where the food was being prepared for the reception would be a hive of organised activity.

He said: "Timing will be everything, to get all the food to the reception hot at the same time.

"There is a lot of pressure on the chef but they will be working with military precision right now."


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Streetscapes | Upper Fifth Avenue: Way Uptown in Hospital Country

The northern limit of mansion building was a topic of concern after Andrew Carnegie built his big house at 91st Street in 1903. In 1913 The Real Estate Record and Guide predicted that Mount Sinai, then held in check between 100th and 101st Streets, would form the barrier. Any hospital, it said, was “objectionable to the best type of private families.”

The mansion builders didn’t go past 96th, and apartment house construction swept up Fifth Avenue in the 1920s — but how far up was again the question. In 1924 Arthur Brisbane, a columnist for the Hearst newspapers, bought the northeast corner of Fifth and 102nd, a block north of the hospital. His initial purpose is not clear, but The New York Times predicted that a garage would be erected on the site. Simultaneously, Mr. Brisbane was developing the Ritz Tower, at Park Avenue and 57th Street.

Notwithstanding The Times’s suggestion of an impending garage, in 1926 the developer Nathan Raisler built 1212 Fifth Avenue at the south corner of 102nd. A Romanesque thing of brownish brick and terra cotta, it is nothing remarkable, with apartments more modest than in the usual Park or Fifth Avenue type of building. Then, in 1928, Mr. Brisbane hired Schultze & Weaver, hotel specialists, to design the medieval-style 1215 Fifth Avenue, with its agreeable contrast of light masonry and caramel-colored brick, on his plot on 102nd.

A year later, the developer Joseph Ravitch retained Emery Roth to put up 1200 Fifth, a pleasant beige brick design with some Classical engaged columns and a colossal roof tank house, at the 101st Street corner. By this time, the adventurous three were boxed in by Mount Sinai to the south and the New York Academy of Medicine to the north.

At 1200 Fifth, the tenants included Walter Hochschild, an industrialist whose penthouse had an outdoor dance floor. One of his neighbors was Walter Seligman, who worked as a laborer in Montana before joining his family’s long-established banking house. Interior photographs of the Seligman apartment are on the new photograph Web site of the Museum of the City of New York. A third resident was Philip Truex, an actor who played the much-traveled corpse central to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 movie “The Trouble With Harry.”

Allen W. Dulles lived at 1212. In 1926 he had been a rising diplomat when he left the Foreign Service, saying that he could not live on $8,000 per year. He then came to New York and joined the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. He returned to government work in the 1940s, became head of the C.I.A. in the 1950s and was a key influence in the 1961 invasion of Cuba, known as the Bay of Pigs.

Mr. Brisbane moved into 1215 Fifth Avenue, taking a triplex at the top befitting a star columnist who ultimately earned $260,000 a year. His aerie had 30 rooms with 7 fireplaces, 18 baths and a private entrance on Fifth leading to his own elevator.

He was an early 20th-century Tweeter, writing short, aphoristic columns, with simple observations like: “Who makes the drunkard? His enemies? No. The drunkard is made by his friends.” (That’s only 64 characters.) He wrote on nudists, Upton Sinclair, Hitler, the Jewish New Year, crime in Oklahoma, the Paris stock market and hundreds of other subjects. The Times said he had 30 million followers, which is what we once called readers. (His grandson Arthur S. Brisbane is now the public editor of The Times.)

In the three Fifth Avenue buildings, as with others of their class, black people had a minuscule presence; the 1930 census records only two, both housemaids. But in 1954 the magazine Jet said 1200 Fifth had become the “ultra-ritzy residence of Harlem’s top-drawer society,” mentioning Dr. George Cannon, a radiologist and civil rights activist, and Juanita Hall, the actress who played Bloody Mary in “South Pacific” beginning in 1949.

Marian Anderson moved into 1200 in the 1950s. She was the first African-American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, performing in Verdi’s “Ballo in Maschera” in 1955.

The Brisbane building, 1215, was converted to co-ops years ago. Mr. Brisbane’s apartment has been subdivided, but his sealed-off private elevator shaft is visible on rental plans of the building. When 1200 was converted to co-ops in 2006, studios started at $767,000, two-bedroom apartments at $3 million. If there was a discount for location, it was not much.

By the 1970s, Mount Sinai owned 1212 Fifth Avenue. The 1926 building was recently gutted and rebuilt as condominiums, a joint venture of the hospital and Durst Fetner Residential. As part of the deal, the developer is constructing a residential building for Mount Sinai’s use on an adjacent site on 101st Street.

The hospitals are closing in on this little outpost.

E-mail: streetscapes@nytimes.com


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Pippa Middleton's bum: Watch funny Royal Wedding music mash-up of her best bottom bits


Pippa Middleton's bottom is set to become a massive YouTube hit after jokers posted this cheeky music mash-up on the internet.  

Set to the song Shake Ya Ass by Mystikal, the video highlight's Pippa's best bottom moments from the Royal Wedding.

In one clip it appears as though a clergyman is nodding in approval of Pippa's derriere.

Pippa's bum already has its own Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The Twitter account, @pippasass, which was set up on the day of the wedding, is dedicated to the maid of honour's rear and has just under 800 followers.  

It's first tweet after the Royal Wedding read: 'Wow what a wedding. What did people think of my Bum? #royalwedding #pippsarse.'

Pippa caused a real stir with her bridesmaid dress and a Facebook group praising her assets has already attracted more than 10,000 fans.

The Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society is full of fans extolling the virtues of Prince William's sister-in-law.

While many of the comments are crude, one fan wrote simply: "I GET IT! this is why everybody was excited bout the wedding!"

Click for more Royal Wedding news
Download the Daily Mirror's 'Wills & Kate A Royal Love Story' souvenir mobile app for iPhone, iTouch, iPad or Nokia smartphone here


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Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding celebration made Prince Charles lose his voice

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Britain's Prince Charles arrive at the West Door of Westminster Abbey (Pic:Getty) Prince Charles and Camilla arrive for the wedding

PRINCE Charles yesterday told how his vocal chords took a battering during the raucous celebrations at William and Kate’s Palace wedding reception.

The 62-year-old lost his voice after chatting away to the newlyweds and their pals during the boozy party that went on until dawn.

Charles and Camilla left at midnight, but the damage had already been done. The croaky prince shared his experience with a crowd ­of 350 gathered at the revamped Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon.

Asked how he was by visitor Andrew Mosley, 23, from Solihull, the prince replied: “Actually, I lost my voice after the party.”

Charles, who is president of the Royal ­Shakespeare Company, also chatted to royal fan Karen Reid about his son’s big day on Friday.

She said: “We told him we had enjoyed it very much and he said he had enjoyed it as well.”

While Charles was still trying to recover from Friday’s fun and frolicking, newlyweds William and Kate returned to their cottage in Anglesey, North Wales, to begin their lives as a married couple at home. The prince is due to resume his duties as an RAF rescue helicopter pilot today.

The pair stayed out of the limelight as they prepare for their honeymoon, which they have postponed in the hope they can slip away ­unnoticed at a later date.

They are believed to have spent a quiet weekend at Windsor Castle. William and Kate will not have servants at their cottage as they hope to live a normal life as possible.

Courtiers plan to ease Kate into royal life with just a few public engagements. The only trip so far announced is a short one to Canada in July.

William’s aides last night denied reports he would be leaving his wife behind for 10 weeks in September while he serves in the Falklands.

Queues yesterday formed around Westminster Abbey to get a glimpse of Kate’s wedding bouquet which is on display for a week. Her dress will also go on show, Clarence House confirmed.

- ONE London punter was £2,500 better off last night after betting £100 at 25-1 that the couple’s first dance would be to Ellie Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s classic Your Song.

Click for more Royal Wedding news
Download the Daily Mirror's 'Wills & Kate A Royal Love Story' souvenir mobile app for iPhone, iTouch, iPad or Nokia smartphone here


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Royal wedding: Mirrorman's fancy dress for London street party

Royal Wedding: Mirrorman Steve Myall with the crowds (Pic:DM) Mirrorman Steve Myall joins the royal wedding party

CROWDS from around the world hit the London streets in colourful fancy dress to celebrate Wills and Kate's big day.

Joining them was the Daily Mirror's wannabe wedding guest Steve Myall complete with top hat and tails courtesy of Moss Bros.

Outside Buckingham Palace were the Lavekau family who had jetted in from Fiji.

Lance Corporal Ana was joined by aunt Wakesa Tora, 47, who said: "I am so pleased to be here. It is such a wonderful occaision.

"Kate is so beautiful."

Royal Wedding: Mirrorman Steve Myall with the crowds (Pic:DM)

From Michigan, USA, came Christine, 58, and Olivia Wofford, 22, who had slept out in the open opposite the palace since 11pm the night before in order to get the best view.

Olivia said she still hoped William would be happy and had her heart set on his brother as she clutched a placard reading "Marry me Harry".

Closer to home were the Smith family from Colchester, Essex, who had bought pensioner Rene Cousins, 80, to watch the big day.

Her daughter, Miriam, said: "We are stocked up on ham and pickle sandwiches which should keep us going.

"It will be worth it though to see that kiss."

Outside Westminster Abbey among the periscope sellers and flag wavers there were smiles at every turn.

Winitta Ruangperm-Pool had brought the three generations of her family all the way from Thailand for a week long holiday and a chance to see the Royals.

She said: "Britain is good. William is handsome."

Beverley Smith, 51, from Mansfield, Notts, a nursing home assistant, had been given a trip to London as a Christmas present so she could soak up the Royal experience.

She said: "It's the best present.

"I am here with a friend for three days and we are loving it."

Pretty student Isobel Crowley, 18, from Carshalton, Surrey, was having a champagne picnic on the green in Parliament Square.

Royal Wedding: Mirrorman Steve Myall with the crowds (Pic:DM)

She donned a Kate Middleton mask and looked the double of the future Queen in a cream dress and hat.

She said: "We have been here since 5am and will be here all day.

"It is so wonderful to be able to toast William and Kate.

"I feel part of something great."

Louise Llewellyn, originally from Swansea, travelled from Southampton with daughter Megan, 15, to wish the couple well.

The 43-year-old said: "We caught the 6am train to be here.

"We thought we'd get dressed up and wave the Welsh flag for Prince Charles.

"I expect he will be so proud."

Royal Wedding: Mirrorman Steve Myall with the crowds (Pic:DM)

From further afield came Josef Alberts, 60, from Dussledorf, Germany, who dressed in a Union Jack policeman's hat.

The retired Reki teacher said: "Today we all united whether we are Germany or English.

"We are going to have a laugh and drink together.

"In Germany we love Wills and Kate."

- On May 12 Moss Bros are opening a new concept in suit shopping in Canary Wharf where customers can take advantage of the made to order service Moss Bespoke which uses the iPad to process orders.

Click for more Royal Wedding news
Download the Daily Mirror's 'Wills & Kate A Royal Love Story' souvenir mobile app for iPhone, iTouch, iPad or Nokia smartphone here


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Prince William & Kate Middleton give crowds a drive-past

The Prince drove out of Buckingham Palace with his new wife at his side in the convertible with the number plate 'JUST WED'.

The couple left their reception and headed to Clarence House in the open-top car ? decorated with heart-shaped balloons and an 'L' plate.

The beaming couple smiled as those still lining the Mall let off a roar as they went past in the dark blue sports car.

It is the same Aston Martin that 28-year-old Wills' father Prince Charles had driven Princess Diana in in 1982.

MARRIED couple leave Palace in Aston Martin with "JU5T WED" registration

William drove Kate, 29, the short distance to Clarence House as his colleagues from the RAF flew overhead in a yellow rescue helicopter.

Best man Prince Harry, 26, and other family and friends had tied the balloons to the back of the Prince of Wales's car.

A St James's Palace spokesman said: "It was Prince William's idea to drive his new bride away from the official reception on their first journey as a married couple to his family home."

The Seychelles blue Aston Martin was decorated with patriotic red, white and blue ribbons tied from the windscreen to the bonnet.

RAF pilots from 'B' Flight 22 Squadron, of which William is a member flew overhead in the Sea King helicopter as a special surprise for the bride and groom.

It was in honour of William's job as a RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot.

The new Duke of Cambridge - who had switched from his scarlet wedding ceremony attire in to a black frock coat of the Irish Guards- smiled broadly as he drove his wife, still in her bridal gown, through the Privy Purse.

Wills and Kate emerged from the palace at 3.35pm in the Aston Martin Volante DB6 MKII.

The convertible was a gift to the Prince of Wales from the Queen in 1969 for his 21st birthday.

A St James's Palace spokeswoman said: "The Prince of Wales was more than happy to loan the car to the couple for this special journey."

In 2008, at the request of environmentally-friendly Charles, the car was converted to run on E85 Bio-ethanol which is made from English wine wastage.

Well-wishers lining the route reacted to the choice of car with delight and disbelief.

Claire Bull, 52, from Flimwell, East Sussex, said: "It was quite a surprise, I thought it would be another carriage or something.

"They both looked very happy and relaxed."

Pamela Anderson, 66, from Bridgend, South Wales, said the car was "a real surprise" and was "wonderful".

She said: "I was expecting a Rolls-Royce."

She added the choice showed they were "at one" with the people and the country had "taken them to their hearts".


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Thursday, May 5, 2011

On Location: In France, a Home Nestled in Nature

“I remember I walked up the hill and I said, ‘Wow, I want to live here,’ ” said Mr. Besnard, 40, recalling a landscape that included lush greenery and in the distance the Marly-le-Roi aqueduct, an old conduit that brought water from the Seine River to the Chateau de Versailles.

Mr. Besnard and his wife, Julie, had been longing for some time to leave their three-bedroom loft in the Parisian suburb Levallois-Perret. “We wanted to be in the green,” said Ms. Besnard, a stay-at-home mother of two sons, ages 5 and 7.

And Mr. Besnard said it was a dream to be surrounded by nature and only 30 minutes from the Concorde metro stop near his office in Paris where he is a brand manager for Clinique, the American cosmetic company.

Their rustic residence, which sits on about an acre, was constructed in the 1870s as an outbuilding to a larger estate that had been divided up long ago. A beautiful, rough-hewn stone retaining wall framed the eastern edge of the property, adding a nice touch of Old World charm. The building is nestled between the fruit orchard and a thicket of chestnut, oak and beech trees.

Although the old stone building was immensely appealing with its wrap-around balcony and buff-colored stonework, it was a tight squeeze for a family of four. But Mr. Besnard said he was brimming with all sorts of ideas on how to renovate and expand the roughly 900- square- foot structure.

Ms. Besnard, 35, recalled that her husband came home that day in 2007 and told her excitedly that he had found the perfect place, but there was a complication: it might be unbuildable. A chat with the seller had dashed cold water on Mr. Besnard’s plans.

The property sat within a protected zone of both natural and historical significance — any alterations to the old structure and grounds would need the approval of a government board that oversees such matters. The property owner, who lives nearby, had recalled two previous deals involving enthusiastic buyers coming to an abrupt end when building plans were rejected.

“He didn’t know if it would be possible to do anything with the property,” Mr. Besnard said.

The Besnards forged ahead anyway, hoping to devise a plan that would satisfy the government and create an idyllic home for their family. “We had a really nice flat and we didn’t want to leave it for a house that was just so-so,” Ms. Besnard said. “This was a rare and fantastic place.”

Friends put them in touch with Philippe Barbier and Henry Barton, partners in an architectural firm based in Paris. Since they were obliged to keep the original structure intact, the architects looked to the old greenhouse for inspiration.

“The guideline was to make it very natural, it needed to be inspired by the area, and integrated into the existing environment,” Mr. Barton said.

It took about eight months to obtain the much-coveted building permit — a welcome relief to the Besnards, who bought the property in the fall of 2008 for 700,000 euros (about $1 million) only weeks before they received the final go-ahead to build. “It was risky,” Mr. Besnard said, “but it meant that we had to succeed.

Construction started the following spring: the new L-shaped footprint of the home expanded the existing rectangular-shaped structure, creating 2,500 square feet of living space. But the project came to a halt the day the digging crew, hard at work on the foundation, struck a natural spring; it was an expensive surprise that required the use of long, concrete pilings to stabilize the ground. All told, the restoration of the old structure and the new construction came to about 550,000 euros (about $700,000).

Today passing through the property’s ivy-covered fence has the feeling of entering a sanctuary, and the airy home seems to be embraced by the landscape rather than set apart from it. The warm, tawny-hue of larch planks — both inside and out— complement the original light-brown stonework, creating a cohesive flow between old and new.

The house is filled with glass panels, large and small, paying homage to the old greenhouse and adding a sense of nature light throughout the house. This is especially evident upstairs in the master bedroom, a bright lofty space with large windows looking out onto treetops and squirrels scampering through them. On one side of the bedroom are two wash basins and a spacious glass shower shaped like a cube.

“In Paris flats you are stuck with small bathrooms,” Mr. Besnard said. “I wanted a large shower.”

Elements of the original stone building have become striking design features on the first floor. A large entryway, soaring two stories high with a glass-paneled ceiling, uses an exterior stone wall from the gardener’s residence. The stone wall is now adorned with a white-resin, moose head lamp by a Norwegian design company. A doorway, carved from the old wall, leads to the adjoining children’s bedrooms. The entryway also opens up to a large kitchen, where a portion of stonewall is now the base of a kitchen countertop.

Off the kitchen, the living and dining area is sleek and sparsely decorated, highlighted by a futuristic black metal fireplace, by Focus, suspended from the ceiling. The floors are a soothing light-gray concrete. Once again, nature gets the spotlight. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open onto a wrap-around wooden deck overlooking the lawn and orchard. Surveying the home and property with a mix of relief and satisfaction Mr. Besnard said: “Now we don’t need to go away for the weekend — we just want to stay here.”


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Prince William joked the royal wedding was 'just a small family affair'

As billions watched the historic scenes on TV and VIP guests packed magnificent Westminster Abbey, the Prince seized on the humour behind the occasion.

Turning to Michael Middleton and his dazzling daughter, he quipped with mock innocence: "I just thought it would be a small family affair!"

The comic aside - moments before the ceremony began - set Kate and her father at ease, surrounded as they were by centuries of tradition and the solemn majesty of the event.

William had arrived 40 minutes earlier with best man Prince Harry - entering the Abbey at 10.20am.

Before that a hushed chatter had filled the air as, one by one, the rich, famous and worthy filed in - slowly taking in the sheer scale and significance of the venue.

It is the final resting place of 18 monarchs - and was hosting its 15th Royal Wedding since being rebuilt by Henry III in 1245.

All around them, the Abbey's statues and memorials to Great Britons past served as a reminder that the lucky 1,900 inside had a front row seat to watch history in the making.

Guests included 40 foreign Royals and 200 members of Government, Parliament and Diplomatic Corps.

Kate arrived just after 11am, running 20 seconds late. Passing the "avenue of trees", she moved on past the nave and intricate golden quire screen and on into the quire.

She then walked to the Lantern, where she finally met William at the Sacrarium steps.

The strains of the first hymn, Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, soon rose high into the nave - the singing led by the choirs of the Abbey and Her Majesty's Chapel Royal, St James's.

SEE the key moments from the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Poignantly, the hymn was the last at the funeral of Wills' mum Diana.

Nineteen minutes after Kate's arrival the Archbishop of Canterbury uttered the immortal words: "I now pronounce you man and wife."

To make it official, the couple later entered the holiest part of the abbey, the tiny enclosed Chapel of St Edward the Confessor, to sign the register.

d.larcombe@the-sun.co.uk


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International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Prague

$1,056,890 (17,600,000 Czech koruna)

This two-bedroom rooftop apartment in a restored neo-Classical building is close to the center of Prague in the Vinohrady neighborhood, which is named for its 19th-century vineyards. The unit has 1,345 square feet over three levels; it is entered on the sixth floor of the building, which has an elevator. The terrace commands views of Prague’s red-tiled rooftops.

The entry foyer is on the second level, the site of the main living space, which has wood floors, a high ceiling, and walls of concrete and exposed brick, as well as a horizontal gas fireplace recessed in the wall. The kitchen, a contemporary room on a raised platform of old pine, is adjacent to the living space. Countertops and table surface are made of polished black granite; cabinets and table base are of cherry wood. A bath off the kitchen has a radiant-heated floor, copper-tone metallic wall tiles, a glass rain-head shower by the German designer Hansgrohe, and a basin by the Italian designer Ceramica Globo.

The second level has its own terrace, of nearly 100 square feet; it is reached through custom doors framed in dark meranti wood from Southeast Asia, which slide and fold like an accordion.

A curved staircase of cast concrete unwinds like a ribbon to the third level, which has an exposed brick wall and a large skylight that can be opened electronically. This level — which mimics a balcony, looking down onto the living room — houses one of the bedrooms.

The first level has the other bedroom and the bath, which has a heated floor and is equipped with a wall of white cabinets and a ceramic bathtub with chrome claw feet by Roca, a Spanish company. A round mirror with an ornate gilt frame hangs over a pedestal sink by the German designer Keramag.

The apartment has central air-conditioning and is being sold furnished except for the chairs, said Jiri Eyberger, a broker with Home Sweet Home, the Prague brokerage that has the listing. A flat-screen television is also included (satellite TV service costs $35 a month; Internet and telephone fees are $20 a month).

The immediate area is quiet and abuts a large park, Riegrovy Sady, which has a beer garden. The Vinohrady neighborhood is popular with young professionals and international residents for its numerous pubs and cafes, shopping centers and restaurants. The area is within easy walking distance of Wenceslas Square in central Prague and has convenient bus and Metro service. Ruzyne-Prague Airport is about half an hour by car, 40 minutes by public transportation, Mr. Eyberger said.

MARKET OVERVIEW

Home sale transactions in general dropped 40 to 60 percent after the economic downturn in 2008, and the market has been largely stagnant since then, Mr. Eyberger said.

However, the apartment inventory most popular with foreigners — in neighborhoods in the historic center of Prague or close to it — has not been as hard hit. This is because owners of renovated apartments are typically not selling, said Michal Bukovecky, a co-owner of the brokerage iReality.

“They’re trying to keep the prices very high, and that’s why they don’t sell,” Mr. Bukovecky said. “They’re expecting the market will get better, but so far the market is very slow.”

This apartment costs about $786 per square foot and has been on the market since February; it would be more likely to appeal to foreign buyers than Czech natives, Mr. Eyberger said.

“The price is quite high,” he added, “but it’s due to the unique character of the apartment, the materials used and the location in the city center. This is more for expatriates, because Czech buyers would prefer a house and garden for this price.”

From a foreign investor’s point of view, the price would be about right. Mr. Bukovecky says that homes bought by expatriates typically range in price from about $335 to $1,115 a square foot, with some in more expensive areas like the Old Town selling for as much as $1,725 a square foot.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: April 28, 2011

An earlier version of this article misstated a market statistic. It was home sales transactions in Prague that fell off 40 to 60 percent after the global economic downturn in 2008, not real estate prices.


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Pippa Middleton's bottom gets its own Twitter account

Pippa Middleton behind shot (Pic:Getty Images) Pippa Middleton's bottom has become an internet hit


Pippa Middleton's bottom has got its own Twitter account.

The account, @pippasass, which was set up on the day of the wedding, is dedicated to the maid of honour's rear and has just under 800 followers.  

It's first tweet after the Royal Wedding read: 'Wow what a wedding. What did people think of my Bum? #royalwedding #pippsarse.'

Pippa caused a real stir with her bridesmaid dress and a Facebook group praising her assets has already attracted more than 10,000 fans.

The Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society is full of fans extolling the virtues of Prince William's sister-in-law.

While many of the comments are crude, one fan wrote simply: "I GET IT! this is why everybody was excited bout the wedding!"

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Pippa Middleton and Prince Harry just wouldn't work

Pippa and Harry (Pic:Getty) Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton

ONE THING you don’t want on your wedding day is to be upstaged by your sister. That’s why in pantomimes the lead actress always insists on ugly sisters.

I knew a pantomime actress whose husband was cheating on her behind her back.

In fairness I and several members of the audience did try to warn her.

Just one day after Kate and William’s wedding and there’s a Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society page set up on Facebook which has amassed more than 130,000 followers.

It makes you wonder whose backsides these people are now neglecting.William Hill are speculating on whether Prince Harry, the world’s most eligible bachelor (in the royal family), will marry his sister-in-law Pippa after complimenting her during the nuptials.

Hills are offering 25-1 on an unlikely Prince/Middleton double.

I can’t see Harry and Pippa working as a couple. Pippa is smart, hard-working, and attractive. She undermines everything the royal family stands for.

Besides Harry is still with on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy, a woman who looks two parts regality, three parts Readers’ Wives.

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Royal wedding reception party a surreal gig, says singer Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding (Pic:Getty Images) Ellie Goulding sang for Prince William and bride Kate Middleton at Buckingham Palace

Ellie Goulding has described serenading the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a "very surreal, incredible experience" after being asked by the couple to perform at their wedding.

The singer-songwriter played to 650 guests at the after-dinner party hosted by the Queen and was honoured to sing for William and Kate's first dance.

Describing the poignant moment on the BBC's The One Show, the chart-topper said: "It was a very surreal, incredible experience. I'll never forget it. It was amazing."

Asked by presenter Alex Jones if she had been nervous, she said: "I get nervous quite a lot generally so yes, I was."

When Jones enquired if the Duke was "a good mover", Goulding dodged the question, replying: "It was a good night. Everyone was having fun."

Among several numbers performed by the singer, guests enjoyed her hit version of Your Song, a piece written by Sir Elton John, a close friend of William's late mother, the Princess of Wales.

The 24-year-old said that she could not remember how many songs she had played but added there were "quite a few".

The star said she could not believe it when she was asked to perform at the royal wedding after being introduced to William and Kate last year.

"I met them at a festival last year. Quite strangely I was introduced to them by Tinie Tempah who is also a friend of mine," Goulding said.

"It was very bizarre but that's when I met them and then I found out a while ago that they wanted me to sing."

Goulding, from Kington, Herefordshire, got her big break when she was tipped as the act to watch last year by industry experts in the BBC Sound of 2010 list.

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Royal couple cut wedding cake

The confectionery masterpiece covered in cream and white icing and decorated with up to 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers was centre-stage at the Buckingham Palace reception.

The project has left cake-maker Fiona Cairns exhausted but elated after working for FIVE WEEKS on the project which has tested her skills and those of her team to the limit.

Ms Cairns, 56, whose confections are sold in Harrods, Selfridges and Waitrose, was contacted by St James's Palace in February and asked if she would make William and Kate's wedding cake.

Speaking at Buckingham Palace after she had put the final touches to the cake, she said: "Catherine did not want it to be seven feet tall, she didn't want it to be towering and thin, and I think we succeeded.

"We reflected some of the architectural details in the room so the garlands on the walls were reproduced loosely on the fourth tier - we've used roses, acorns, ivy leaves, apple blossom and bridal rose."

The bride wanted elements from the Joseph Lambeth technique of cake decoration, where intricate piping is used to make three dimensional scroll work, leaves, flowers and other adornments.

The cake was served at a lavish lunchtime wedding reception at Buckingham Palace for 650 close friends and family.

The chosen few picked from the wedding congregation - representing the couple's "official and private lives" - were treated to sumptuous canapes and quaffed on Reserve Champagne.

Some of the canapes on offer at the bash included Cornish crab salad on lemon blini, quails eggs with celery salt and miniature watercress and asparagus tart.

But next to the more exotic nibbles were some more recognisable offerings - like grain mustard and honey-glazed chipolatas and miniature Yorkshire pudding with beef and horseradish mousse.

For the sweet toothed among Wills and Kate's guests the menu offered rhubarb cr?me brulee tartlet, passion fruit praline and dark chocolate ganache truffle.

All the ingredients for the canap?s were carefully sourced from Royal Warrant holding companies and used ingredients from the four corners of Britain.

These included English asparagus, Welsh organic celery salt, langoustines from the North West Coast of Scotland and pork from the Cotswolds.

Guests at the royal reception also indulged in a multi-tiered chocolate biscuit cake at the request of Wills, who is said to have developed a soft spot for the treat.

The newlyweds commissioned biscuit maker McVities to craft the chocolate creation after the Duke of Cambridge enjoyed eating the sweet treat as a child.

The flawless square sweet rose up three tiers above its golden stand and was offered as an alternative to the official wedding cake.


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Kate Middleton wedding dress replica to be rolled out by Faviana

A copy of Kate Middleton's wedding dress (Pic:AP) A copy of Kate Middleton's wedding dress

Now every bride can have a fairytale wedding and get married like a princess thanks to a New York fashion house.

Two knockoffs of the wedding gown worn by Kate Middleton have been completed by Faviana and are ready for production, bringing royal fashion to the high street.

Called the Princess Kate, the gown is made of satin with chiffon French lace and available in ivory and satin shades.

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First look at official royal wedding pix with Prince William and Princess Kate

In the first, above, Wills and Kate are seen happily side-by-side in an image portraying the perfect married couple.

Then there's one for the whole family with the Queen and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, along with Best Man Harry, Kate's sister Pippa and family.

And to whet the appetite of Brits awaiting royal offspring, the bride and groom posed playfully with the page boys and bridesmaids, who larked around smiling for the cameras.

The Prince and Princess were seen leaving London in a helicopter this morning, heading to a secret location for their long-awaited honeymoon.

Earlier today, Kate's bridal bouquet ? which touchingly included sweet William ? was left at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, in accordance with Royal tradition.


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Voice Recorder in 2009 Air France Crash Found

French investigators may be closer to solving the deadly 2009 crash of an Air France flight after the recovery early Tuesday of the cockpit voice recorder from deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

The recorder was hauled up hours after investigators located it, according to France's air accident investigator, the BEA. The plane's flight-data recorder was pulled out on Sunday after its discovery by a submersible working at 12,800 feet (3,900 meters) below the ocean's surface.

Experts have said without the two recorders — commonly known as "black boxes" — there would be almost no chance of determining what caused the June 1, 2009, crash of Flight 447, which killed all 228 people on board in the worst disaster in Air France's history. The flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris slammed into the Atlantic northeast of Brazil after running into an intense high-altitude thunderstorm.

"If the black boxes are readable, in three weeks we can hope to know part of the truth," Transport Minister Thierry Mariani said on RTL radio.

BEA chief Jean-Paul Troadec said that the two pieces of equipment could allow experts to piece together a timeline of what happened to the plane system's, and the crew's reaction.

He said that other aircraft debris, possibly including the cockpit, would be raised from the ocean floor for study, to further shed light on what went wrong.

By putting everything together, "yes, we think we can understand this accident," Troadec said.

The condition of the recorders was not immediately clear. BEA officials have warned that the recordings may yet prove unusable, considering they spent nearly two years under high pressures.

Automatic messages sent by the Airbus 330's computers showed the aircraft was receiving false air-speed readings from sensors known as pitot tubes. Investigators have said the crash was likely caused by a series of problems and not just sensor error.

Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon called finding the cockpit voice recorder "yet another decisive step forward in the inquiry."

Determining the cause of the crash took on new importance in March, when a French judge filed preliminary manslaughter charges against Air France and planemaker Airbus.

Air France and Airbus are financing the estimated $12.5 million cost of the current search effort, but the French government is paying for the recovery of anything that is found. Some $28 million was spent on three previous, largely fruitless searches.

———

Jenny Barchfield in Paris contributed.


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Kate looks like Grace Kelly in wedding dress

Many fashion experts spotted similarities with the outfit worn by US beauty Grace to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.

Kate's gown had been a closely kept secret for months - but when the 29-year-old future Queen finally walked down the aisle wearing it, no one was disappointed.

She oozed class in the bespoke lace appliqu? creation by Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton.

The dress, with a train nearly 9ft long, was made with ivory and white satin gazar. Its skirt echoed an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats.

The ivory satin V-neck bodice, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, drew on the Victorian tradition.

The lace design was hand-worked, using the Carrickmacross technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.

ROYAL bride wore a dress designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen

British bridal designer Suzanne Neville said Kate had chosen a timeless look. She added: "It's very Grace Kelly.

She brought out that classic British look. It is beautiful, absolutely stunning. It's made beautifully. The workmanship shines through."

Couture designer Caroline Castigliano said the bride looked "absolutely fabulous", adding: "It was Grace Kelly, and the silhouette of the dress was very much like Princess Margaret's."

Harriet Quick, fashion features director at Vogue, said: "It has lots of echoes of Grace Kelly's wedding dress. But I think Sarah created something really beautiful for her - a very simple veil, incredible lace and that prettiest of neck-lines. She looked the picture of loveliness."

And Jenny Swire, fashion director of Wedding magazine, added: "The whole thing is a nod to Grace Kelly. Kate does wear that plunging neckline quite often, that V, so she knows it suits her."

Grace, who died in 1982, starred in hit Hollywood movies like High Society before her marriage.

Her outfit was designed by Helen Rose, the wardrobe designer at MGM studios.

Clarence House said yesterday: "Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing.

"Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design. The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom."

Cheshire-born Sarah, 36, took over the label as creative director when top British designer McQueen killed himself in February last year.

She started as an intern in 1996 and became McQueen's most trusted adviser.

Speculation began in March that the dress would be by McQueen. But, sworn to secrecy, they denied it.

The truth emerged when Sarah, was spotted at the Middleton family's Goring hotel the night before the wedding. She was even seen making last-minute finishing touches as Kate walked up the aisle on her father's arm.

Chief bridesmaid Pippa Middleton, Kate's 27-year-old sister, was also wearing one of her creations. It was of a heavy, ivory satin-based crepe, with a cowl front. The button detail and lace trims were the same as on the bride's dress.

Sarah, who is married to photographer David Burton, said: "It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress.

"I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was such an incredible honour to be asked. I hope we have created a beautiful dress."

s.brook@the-sun.co.uk

THE bride's veil was held by a Cartier "halo" platinum and diamond tiara lent by the Queen.

It was made by the French jewellers in 1936 and bought by the Duke of York, later King George VI, for his Duchess, who went on to become the Queen Mother.

The tiara was given to the Queen for her 18th birthday and signified Kate's "something borrowed".

THE diamond earrings from society jewellers Robinson Pelham were a gift from Kate's parents - and were her "something new".

They have an oak-leaf outline and an acorn-shaped diamond suspended in the centre, inspired by Kate's new coat of arms which includes both.

KATE played safe with her hair, asking stylist James Pryce from regular salon Richard Ward in London to leave it very simple and close to her normal style.

There was a hint of the classic "bridal up-do" with a demi-chignon, the top scooped to the back.

The veil was made of layers of soft, ivory silk netting with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers made by the Royal School of Needlework.

Kate did her own make-up.

THE bouquet was shield-shaped with myrtle, lily of the valley, sweet william and hyacinth.

The flowers all have links to either the Royal Family or the Middletons. Myrtle is the emblem of marriage and love.

The bouquet included stems from a myrtle planted by Queen Victoria in 1845. Another sprig came from a plant derived from the Queen's wedding bouquet in 1947.

THE lace for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) - using the Carrickmacross technique, to represent something old.

The applique lace, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s, was also used for Di's gown.

The RSN workers, based at Hampton Court Palace, washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep Kate's lace and thread pristine.

And to ensure needles were sharp and clean they were replaced every three hours.

Individual plants - the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock - were cut from lace and applied by hand on to ivory silk tulle. English lace and French Chantilly lace were also used, and blue ribbon sewn in. The back fastened with 58 buttons.

THE train was 8ft 10in, (2.7 metres), modest compared to the 24ft 11in train (7.6 metres) Princess Diana chose. It also displayed the talents of the RSN.

THE shoes were made by the team at Alexander McQueen from ivory duchesse satin with lace embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.


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Sun bus heads to Kent street bash

On board were Page 3 girls Peta and Rosie, plus face painter Liza Cooper, 29, and balloon artist Cat Potter, 31.

PAGE 3's Rosie and Peta join the fun in Sevenoaks for Wills and Kate's big day

Our bus headed for Swanzy Road, Sevenoaks, from our East London HQ loaded with goodies.

Organiser Pat Humphey, 72, said: "It made it extra special to have the bus and girls here."


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Living In | East Amwell, N.J.: Altitude’s a Variable, Roominess a Constant

In recent years the preservation of farmlands and open space has become a top priority for towns throughout densely populated New Jersey. But East Amwell in southeastern Hunterdon County was well ahead of the curve, laying the groundwork in the early 1980s for what has remained a largely rural community. At a time when other towns were “chasing ratables” in the form of housing developments and commercial growth, Mayor Larry Tatsch said, East Amwell was creating a master plan that “promoted agriculture and recognized the unique and delicate nature of the Sourlands.”

Through restrictive zoning more than a third of the 28-square-mile township is now preserved. Another third remains as open space, consisting in part of 296 farms — some are home to alpacas, others to retired horses — that range in size from half an acre to 261 acres. The open space also includes a 350-acre golf course, and swaths of privately owned mountainous land too rocky for development.

“We could well have gone the way of neighboring townships if we hadn’t had the visionary perspective way back when,” Mayor Tatsch said.

The township became a case study in farmland preservation 12 years ago when it increased minimum building lots to 10 acres from 3. A group of farmers sued, saying the ordinance would reduce the value of their properties and create a patchwork of 10-acre gentleman farms. In 2005 an appellate court upheld the new zoning. It was about that time that minimum building lots in the mountain region were increased to 15 acres, from 5. The current plan allows for “cluster development” — combining smaller building lots with contiguous open land — but no developers have built in the last decade or so.

The emphasis on preservation has altered life for the 4,013 residents of East Amwell, who have a single schoolhouse and limited public services, and who often rely on volunteers. The town has no water or sewer service; all houses use wells and septic tanks. There is no police force; public safety is provided by state troopers. Two weeks ago, roadways were cleared of litter by dozens of families taking part in the 24th annual roadside clean-up.

It was this slower lifestyle that appealed to James Rizza and his family when they moved here from Franklin Township five years ago. And though moving at that time meant “paying high and selling low,” Mr. Rizza said, he doesn’t regret the $565,000 he paid for his four-bedroom house on two acres.

“My 13-year-old son now leases a cow that he’s going to show at the county fair,” said Mr. Rizza, a landscape contractor. “He wouldn’t be doing that in Franklin.”

When Joanne Hall and her husband paid $175,000 for their four-bedroom colonial in 1986, Ms. Hall recalled, they predicted that in 5 to 10 years the township would be built up. “And here we are, 25 years later, and it’s the exact same as when we moved in,” said Ms. Hall, a broker with Weidel Realtors. Her husband, a computer software consultant, regularly travels into New York City via buses that Ms. Hall describes as crowded with commuters.

“Everybody’s relaxed,” she said. “They’ve got their iPads and laptops, and they’re there in an hour and a half.”

WHAT YOU’LL FIND

Most visitors are struck by the stunning vistas, particularly when coming from more congested neighboring areas like Flemington or Raritan, or from Princeton, which is also nearby.

“People are astounded when they see there’s this much open space in this part of New Jersey,” said Cynthia Bruning, an agent with Weichert Realtors who has lived in East Amwell for 13 years. “If you’re interested in rural living, but still want to be close enough to everything, it’s feasible here.”

The housing stock is as varied as the terrain. In the valley section of the township, where farms dominate the landscape, older farmhouses with two or more outbuildings crop up here and there. In recent years, horse farming has grown in popularity, and there are several large farms where one can board a horse, ride or take lessons. The Amwell Valley Trail Association has pieced together 75 miles of private trails where East Amwell residents can ride or hike for a nominal annual fee.

Smaller farms come on the market fairly regularly, as do houses on 10 to 15 acres. A 12-acre horse farm with a four-bedroom house and stables is on the market for $599,000, as well as a 1998 four-bedroom colonial on 15 acres, listed at $649,900. Scattered throughout the valley are a handful of small developments of 20 to 30 houses, mostly built in the 1980s before new zoning laws took effect; each is on 1.5 to 2 acres.

The Sourland Mountain section, on a ridge 500 feet up, offers a mix of modern architecture, older farmhouses and contemporary log cabins. The former Lindbergh estate, now a boys’ home, is in this area. (In 1932, the 20-month-old son of the aviator Charles Lindbergh was taken from the house by kidnappers. The child’s body was found in the woods two months later.)

The township’s more historic houses can be found at intersections in some of the four or five hamlets that fall within its boundaries — Wertsville, Hamilton’s Corner and Reaville, for instance — and in the village of Ringoes, an unincorporated section of East Amwell with a few stores and about 250 residences. Historic markers note the house on Old York Road where during the Revolution Lafayette convalesced from an illness, as well as the site of the 19th-century Black River and Western Railroad station, which still runs tourist rides on the weekends. There are no rental or multi-unit properties.

WHAT YOU’LL PAY


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Prince Harry decorated William and Kate's car with balloons and JU5T WED plate

But trust fun-loving Prince Harry to come up with the classic comedy moment - arranging for bride and groom to drive off in a traditional old banger with party balloons and a JU5T WED number plate.

OK, so this old banger was actually Prince Charles's ?350,000 open-topped Aston Martin.

But the time-honoured best man's prank delighted the thousands waiting outside Buckingham Palace - and had millions more watching on TV in fits of giggles.

Wills and Kate grinned broadly as they slowly drove 500 yards down The Mall to Clarence House - to cheers, laughter and applause.

MARRIED couple leave Palace in Aston Martin with "JU5T WED" registration

To complete the happy picture, a yellow Sea King rescue helicopter piloted by Wills' RAF colleagues flew overhead in tribute.

Harry had warned his brother he had a surprise in store. The bonnet of the 41-year-old classic motor sported red, white and blue ribbons and giant bows.

Balloons fluttered from the bumper - some bearing the newlyweds' initials and others shaped as hearts.

With the novelty number plate and an L plate, it was the kind of cheap and cheerful joke seen at ordinary weddings all over Britain - and would have been unthinkable at a posh Royal occasion even a few years ago.

Harry's exuberant prank - and Wills' good-natured response - is typical of the brothers' down-to-earth nature.

They have a lack of stuffiness that has endeared them to Royal fans everywhere - and is a touching reminder of the way their mother Diana won the hearts of millions the world over.

Wills wore a red Irish Guards tunic as he tied the knot but swapped it for an Irish Guards frock coat as he and Kate drove from the Palace in the Aston Martin after a buffet reception for 650 guests.

The helicopter fly-past was a surprise treat for Wills from colleagues in the RAF's Search and Rescue team.

The chopper, which had an RAF flag slung underneath as it circled The Mall, carried crew members from B Flight 22 Squadron, where Wills is a pilot.

It was flown by New Zealand-born squadron leader Holly Steel. Her co-pilot was Flight Lieutenant Lee Turner, awarded the Air Force Cross in March 2009 for helping to save crew members from a stricken ferry off Blackpool.

The fly-by was described as "a fitting tribute to acknowledge Prince William's role as an RAF Search and Rescue Pilot".

Charles's blue 1970 Volante DB6 Mk II was a present from the Queen on his 21st birthday.

He and Diana were pictured enjoying a ride in the car in 1984, three years after their wedding. The Aston Martin has been converted to run on bioethanol distilled from surplus wine by environmentally-conscious Charles. It is kept at Highgrove and clocks up just 300 miles a year.

St James's Palace said: "The Prince of Wales was more than happy to loan the car to the couple for this special journey."

Met officers policing the Royal Wedding arrested 55 people. In the most serious incident a man of 38 was nicked for allegedly indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the Mall crowd.

Others were held for theft, being drunk and disorderly, possessing drugs and criminal damage.

More than a dozen anti-monarchy protesters were arrested for allegedly planning an invasion of a Crown building.

And three people from an anti-capitalist group were seized on the eve of the wedding for plotting a mock execution of a dummy dressed as Prince Andrew.

Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens said: "I am delighted with the way it has gone. We set out to make this event happy and safe. We have achieved that.

"It was extremely good-humoured and the public were brilliant."

A HORSE called Royal Wedding stormed to victory hours after Wills wed. Millions backed the 4-1 chance at Fontwell. Corals' David Stevens said: "The payout could be up to ?10million across the industry."

b.flynn@the-sun.co.uk

By RYAN SABEY

PRINCE Charles paid tribute to Kate yesterday - telling guests at the reception how grateful he was to have her join the family.

Her ex-headmaster Dr Bob Acheson revealed: "He said he was very lucky to have a daughter-in-law like Kate."

Charles also cracked jokes about son William's bald patch at the Buckingham Palace do right after the wedding. A guest said: "He joked about his own bald patch and his son's thinning hair, saying it must be hereditary.

"Everyone found it funny, including William and Kate."

William delighted guests by serving up a chocolate BISCUIT cake - made at his request- alongside the traditional eight-tier wedding cake.


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Square Feet : Evan Stein

J.D. Carlisle manages about 600,000 square feet of commercial space and nearly 2,000 apartments citywide. Its developments include Morton Square, the Cielo, Gramercy Green, and the Beatrice.

Q Are you the de facto C.E.O.?

A Yes, absolutely. There’s no C.E.O. The chairman is my partner, Jules Demchick. Our chairman is responsible for assemblage of the property, financing, and usually the initial plan. Once the acquisition is done, he moves on to the marketing and we move to the development. M.D. Carlisle Construction is the vehicle that physically builds the projects. With buildings like the Beatrice you almost need to know the end of the movie before you begin.

Q Will the Beatrice, your newest and biggest project, have a happy ending?

A I hope so. I put my grandmother’s name on the building.

Q Was this your most difficult development?

A It’s by far the most expensive, and this was the most complicated. We have several uses in this building, so that takes a tremendous amount of management to understand how all the pieces work together: how the restaurant is working with our hotel, how the residential building complements the hotel. And we have a garage.

We’re certainly not in the black yet, because the building is in its infancy, but from an economic view we’re pleased with the results.

Q What is the occupancy?

A We are 99 percent. Of 300 rental apartments, we have left four penthouses that we are just allowing for occupancy May 1. All the penthouses start at $20,000, up to $23,500 monthly. We’re already getting a lot of activity on them. And the hotel’s doing well; it’s exceeding our expectations.

Q Why rentals and not condos?

A We cut our teeth on rentals. In the ’60s and the ’70s, we built probably 60- or 70-plus rental projects. The rentals are scattered all over Manhattan. Our recent history was condominiums — we had three or four projects that were a function of the times.

It’s hard to put your heart and soul into something where at the end of the day you don’t have a tangible asset anymore.

Q Would you ever consider converting the Beatrice, if, say the market soared again?

A I hope not. I’d be lying to you if I told you I haven’t been asked that before. We have several rental buildings that have gone through four or five real estate booms, but we like rentals.

Q What’s your assessment of the New York market now?

A In the long-term perspective we’re very bullish, but you’re going to have short-term challenges — whether they be economic, political or availability. There are still tremendous opportunities here, and we’re seeking them out.

Q Do you have any other projects in the works?

A We do have three or four projects that we’re excited about. Unfortunately, we can’t talk about them because we’re under confidentiality agreements.

They’re going to be some rental, some condo; three are ground-up and one is a gut renovation. We’re looking at a couple in the outer boroughs at this point in time, and certainly in Manhattan.

Q So why doesn’t J.D. Carlisle have a Web site?

A We get asked that a lot. We’re low-profile people; we don’t usually have to advertise who we are.

Q You knew at an early age that you wanted to be involved in real estate, didn’t you?

A Yes, because my hero was my grandfather, who founded this business — my maternal grandfather, Beatrice’s husband.

He has been my hero since the minute I could understand who he was, and I would have done anything to be with him — to be him. When I was graduating from college, he asked if I would consider coming to work with him. I jumped at the opportunity and 17, 18 years later, here’s where we are. He’s since retired.

Q What was your first job there?

A I went to school for accounting so I started off computerizing their accounting systems, and I got bored very, very quickly. I made the request for an assistant superintendent’s job. I went to work with a hard hat climbing into the demolition. Just being on a construction site every single day helps me to understand how things wind up working, all the nuances that you need to understand.

Q Do you live in any of your buildings?

A I live in Morton Square. One of the advantages of developing is you get a good price.


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Romania Agrees to Be Base for U.S. Missiles

Romania's president said Tuesday his country will host missile interceptors as part of a planned U.S. shield over Europe.

Traian Basescu announced that Bucharest had agreed to build the interceptor site at the Deveselu former air base near the Bulgarian border, in a remote agricultural region. Romania already had agreed to host the interceptors, but the location had not been decided. The president, a staunch ally of the U.S., said it would give Romania "the highest security level in its history."

The announcement prompted a strong complaint from Russia, which sees European missile defense as a potential encroachment.

Basescu earlier met with U.S. undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher and she traveled to the site, some 125 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Bucharest.

Romanian and U.S. officials later held a ceremony at the air base, which is no longer in use. It was built with Soviet help in 1952, when the first MIG 15s landed there.

"We are confident that Deveselu is an excellent site and it will prove to be the optimal location for" the missile defense system "to perform its critical mission," said Lt. Gen. John D. Gardner, deputy commander of the U.S. Forces in Europe (EUCOM).

An average of 200 troops will be based at the site, which can host a maximum of 500, Basescu said. The base, which will remain under Romanian command, is a few kilometers (miles) outside Deveselu, a town of about 3,000.

Basescu said the site was approved late Monday by the country's Supreme Defense Council. Local officials were informed and gave their agreement, he said.

Basescu said the remote base was chosen because it fulfilled all of the 120 requirements needed to guarantee the full security of the system.

The Romanian site is part two of a four-part plan that the Obama administration outlined in 2009, when it shelved a Bush administration plan to use long-range interceptors based in Poland to counter a threat from Iran and North Korea. That plan was opposed by Russia, which worried that the system could target Russian warheads or undermine the Kremlin's deterrence strategy.

The Obama administration has said its plan — designed to counter the threat of short-to-medium range missiles — would be more effective and able to counter a threat from Iran earlier. But critics have said that the new plan caved in to Russian demands and have doubted whether the administration could build an effective shield in the timetable promised.

Russia's foreign ministry criticized the Romanian decision sharply.

"Regrettably, we find that practical steps in the creation of the European segment of the U.S. global missile defense are being taken regardless of the Russia-U.S. missile defense dialogue," the ministry said in a statement reported on Russian news agencies.

"Moscow is monitoring the events very closely, as, in our opinion, the prospective missile defense system may create risks for the Russian strategic nuclear deterrence forces in the future," it said.

The Czech republic is also negotiating a plan with the United States to place a warning center to gather and analyze information from satellite sensors "to detect missiles aiming at NATO territory," Prime Minister Petr Necas said last year.

Defense Ministry spokesman Jan Pejsek said Tuesday the negotiations with the U.S. have not been completed yet and it's not clear when that could happen.


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Watch: Osama Bin Laden by the Numbers

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A numerical breakdown of the life and death of Osama bin Laden. Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Royal Wedding reception included jokes about balding William and tables named after key places

At 7pm on the evening of the Royal Wedding, 300 of William and Kate's closest friends and family arrived for a booze-fuelled knees-up that would have had Queen Victoria turning in her grave.

The reception started quite calmly as the guests in one of the Palace's state apartments found their tables - each named after locations linked to the couple's life including Anglesey, St Andrews, Bucklebury and Highgrove.

The top table was named after a village near Wills and Kate's Welsh home: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Shortly after 8pm, guests were ushered into the Palace's Ballroom - with two thrones at one end and an organ at the other - for dinner.

One guest said: "It looked stunning. There must have been at least 30 round tables, with ten people on each, decorated with beautiful white flowers and candles."

As every guest was deemed "equally important" to the newlyweds, the tables were a mix of royalty, family members and friends.

They tucked into a meal created by legendary chef Anton Mossimann - a crayfish, crab, salmon starter and a main of Sandringham lamb with veg from the estate, followed by a mix of small puddings.

The bride's father Michael Middleton then delivered a measured speech filled with anecdotes about the couple and Kate's childhood.

A guest revealed he joked about an "awkward" conversation with William when the Prince asked for his daughter's hand in marriage.

Mr Middleton recalled the day William landed a helicopter in the garden at his family's home in Bucklebury and nearly blew his roof off.

And he spoke of how brilliantly William fitted into HIS family.

The future king praised his bride in his speech - saying she "made him whole" and was his "rock".

But any thoughts this was to be a dignified evening typical for Buckingham Palace vanished as Harry, 26, stood up to give his speech.

Placing a Tommy Cooper-style fez on his head, he launched a tirade of mickey-taking at the groom. Addressing the couple as the "Dude and Duchess", Harry ribbed his brother with swipes at his thinning hair. He suggested that when Wills becomes King he rename Sandringham "Baldringham".

For the time being he said the newlyweds should be known as "Duke and Duchess of Hairlosshire" - with his brother being known as the Balding Baron.

As if this wasn't enough, Harry then said sorry to Kate for the fact she was marrying such a bald man.

Harry then turned his attention to William's military career - a constant source of lighthearted rivalry between the two serving brothers.

In a reference to his brother's stints in the three services, Harry went on: "He has served in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force - but only for a week."

He added: "Now that he is a helicopter pilot he thinks he's a real-life Rambo." Harry even cracked a close-to-the-knuckle gag about William "looking great in a thong".

A guest said: "He played it perfectly. He made jokes about being beaten up by William and shot with air rifles - it was a classic."

Another friend said: "Harry was so unbelievably funny that by the end he had most of the room crying with laughter."

Then William's two best mates James Meade and Thomas van Straubenzee delivered a surprise SECOND best man's speech - mocking him for his love of dressing up.

And, in a reference to his love of water polo, pal "Vans" added: "She beats him at everything - especially sports - except when he adores getting dressed up in tight Speedos and playing in a pool full of boys."

From then on the evening descended into a drinking binge worthy of the fun-loving princes.

The state apartment next door had been transformed into a nightclub, supervised by the Royal brothers' "court jester" Guy Pelly.

The room had been decked out with a huge circular bar covered in Haribo sweets and candles.

Instead of sipping champagne, Harry reached straight for the jaeger-bombs - shots of the spirit dropped into a glass of Red Bull.

The Palace rocked as revellers - led by cheeky Harry - quaffed Laurent Perrier champagne, knocked back mojito cocktails and downed sambuca slammers.

Wills, 28, and Kate, 29, had their first slow dance to a live performance of Elton John's Your Song, by chart star Ellie Goulding, 24.

Harry barely waited for the first verse to finish before pulling Kate's sister, bridesmaid Pippa Middleton, 26, on to the dancefloor.

With his on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy looking on, he held Pippa in his arms and shuffled his feet to the romantic classic.

Even Charles and Camilla were spotted enjoying a smooch to the tune. They left around midnight. Harry was later seen on the dancefloor with one of Ellie's blonde backing singers - and dancing on the window sills.

A source at the reception said: "Harry was on fire all night. He couldn't wait to get Pippa on to the dance floor. He dragged her on to the floor within a few chords of the song. Later he looked very drunk and spent ages dancing with one of the girls from the band.

"He barely spoke to Chelsy and because he was best man they didn't even sit together. By the end of the night she was sitting at the bar looking sorry for herself."

At one point a DJ played the Beatles' classic All You Need Is Love - and Wills and Kate were surrounded by guests who chanted: "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!" During another tune they were hoisted on to pals' shoulders and paraded around the room waving their arms.

At 2.45am cheers could be heard as guests were treated to a fireworks display in the back garden.

At 3am the party drew to a close before guests piled into mini buses.

Harry sat just in front of Pippa gripping a microphone and pretending to be a tour guide.

The gang headed off to London's Goring hotel, which had been hired out by the Middletons, where the party continued until dawn.

Additional reporting: SEAN HAMILTON and DAVID WILLETTS


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Kate's folks leave London hotel

Michael, Carole, Pippa and James Middleton posed briefly for photographs in casual clothes.

Pippa, who wowed a worldwide audience yesterday in her stunning bridesmaid dress, was wearing a blue blazer, cream buttoned shirt and tight white jeans.

They looked happy and relaxed, bearing no signs of the after-effects of last night's celebrations when they appeared at 1.45pm.

Mr Middleton told the gathered crowd: "We had a wonderful time."

They then got into a people carrier and drove off.


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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Special prayer from Royal pair

Kate and Wills, who were married at Westminster Abbey, also asked for spiritual help to maintain focus on the things that mattered, and to be "generous" with their "time and love and energy".

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, read the words penned by the Royal couple ? a declaration of intent for their new life together.

The senior cleric spoke the prayer at the end of his address to the wedding congregation of around 1,900 family, friends, associates and dignitaries.

He told those gathered in the Abbey: "I pray that everyone present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today will do everything in their power to support and uphold you in your new life.

"I pray that God will bless you in the way of life you have chosen, a way which is expressed in the prayer that you have written together in preparation for this day:

"God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.

"In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.

"Strengthened by our union, help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen."

The bishop has close links to the groom and his family, becoming a trusted friend of William's father the Prince of Wales when they were students at Cambridge University.

WATCH the moment William and Kate officially became husband and wife

The cleric, appointed in November 1995, is said to have counselled William and Prince Harry following the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.

He was assigned as one of the trustees of Diana's will and also delivered a sermon at her memorial service in 2007.

Along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the cleric is said to have given the couple pre-wedding advice on marriage.

Speaking from the Abbey's great pulpit, the bishop began by telling the newlyweds that becoming husband and wife would ultimately enable them to become their "deepest and truest selves".

He acknowledged the thousands who were wishing the couple well, both in this country and abroad, saying it was good that people on every continent were able to share in the celebrations as today was "a day of hope".

Dr Chartres added: "In a sense, every wedding is a Royal Wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them to the future."

He also stated that wedlock would "transform" partners for the better just as long as people did not try to "reform" their spouse.

The bishop said: "Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art.

"This transformation is possible as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner.

"There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase: 'Whan maistrie (mastery) comth, the God of Love anon, Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon'."


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New-Home Sales Increased in March, but Stayed Low

Buyers signed contracts in March at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 300,000, an 11 percent increase from the month before but down from 384,000 in March 2010, the Census Bureau said Monday.

In March 2005, when a lack of income or savings was no deterrent to getting a dream home with granite countertops and a walk-in pantry, families and investors flocked to new homes at an annual rate of 1.43 million houses.

The millions of homes built during the boom have created a drag on the current market as the owners surrender them to foreclosure. Builders cannot compete against relatively new construction offered by banks for large discounts.

The March sales numbers modestly exceeded analysts’ expectations but nevertheless did not impress. “Still miserable,” concluded Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist for MFR Inc. While February sales were revised up to 270,000 from an initial 250,000, it was still the lowest of any month since records were first kept in 1963.

Builders told potential buyers in March that they might want to make a deal before new rates came from the Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees many loans. That probably contributed to the rebound.

In a separate report issued Monday, the HousingPulse Tracking Survey indicated that nearly half of the housing market is distressed properties. Because banks generally pulled back on foreclosures over the last six months, the survey underlined the long-term pressures facing the market.

If the banks start processing foreclosures faster, that will create further downward momentum on the housing market. A coalition of state attorneys general and the Obama administration is negotiating with the lenders to persuade them to do more loan modifications instead.

Home prices have been falling for the last six months, and the release on Tuesday of the Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index for February is expected to show another decline. Before that release, Morgan Stanley lowered its forecast for prices by an additional 4 percent. Morgan Stanley analysts now say prices will drop 6 percent to 11 percent from their levels at the end of last year.

The drop in home construction and sales is in some ways good news for would-be sellers, because it means new supply is not coming to a market that already has excess inventory. But lackluster construction is a drag on the larger economy, contributing to high unemployment and weak consumer spending.

It would take about seven months to find buyers for all the new homes now on sale, a period only slightly longer than normal. Builders are clearly skittish about anything for which they do not have a contract.

No relief is in sight.

“Sales remain very low by historical standards and, considering that a number of home builders reported large drops in orders recently, there is likely more weakness ahead,” wrote Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.


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In the Region | Long Island: East End Homes Prepare for Guests

“It goes a long way to paying our taxes locally,” said Mr. Stoecker, a senior vice president of Town and Country Real Estate in East Hampton, “and it’s a positive experience all the way around.”

So goes life as summer approaches in the Hamptons. Happy for a windfall, homeowners are cleaning out kitchens and closets in anticipation of paying guests. The homeowners then decamp  for less pricey accommodations or  take vacations with their bounty. In some cases investors are sprucing  up their well-appointed houses, enticing renters willing to pay $15,000 or $50,000 or $100,000 for a month — or  more than $600,000 for a Memorial Day to Labor Day stay (and that’s not including the maid, the pool boy, the gardener or the electric bill).

“We have very few hotels,” said Gary DePersia, a senior vice president of the Corcoran Group in East Hampton. “Renting a house has become a convention out here.” It is also something of a race for the most suitable property, with “people in a frenzy trying to find the right house,” whether that’s a $35,000-a-month rental, or a $300,000-a-season rental.  “Each renter has their own idea of what their Hamptons experience should be,  have a location in mind, a bedroom count in mind and a price in mind,” Mr. DePersia said.

From Westhampton to Montauk, Shelter Island or the North Fork, there are 5,000 to 7,000 rental listings on the market at any given time, Mr. DePersia said, but “in any location, there are only a finite number of good houses.” With prices higher than last year’s and places renting at a faster pace, he said, the winners are houses with amenities like  flat-screen televisions, DVD players, wireless Internet access and fresh-looking furnishings. “People expect the same amenities out here as when they stay in a fine hotel,” he said.

Fifteen years ago, he recalled, most Hamptons rentals were taken for the entire summer. As the economy dipped in recent years, the two-week rental became more popular, as well as options to rent for August only, or for July through Labor Day, to coordinate with children’s day-camp schedules. People “are not going to downsize the house,” so instead they book a shorter stay, he said.

Lawrence Citarelli Jr., the president of First Hampton International Realty, has a $395,000 listing for anyone interested in spending July in a 12-bedroom 12-and-a-half-bath mansion on six acres — with pool, tennis and eight fireplaces (in case it gets chilly).

Mr. Stoecker and Jennifer Wilson, who work as a  team for Town and Country, have an inventory of 93 homes for sale and 785 summer rentals. So far, Ms. Wilson estimated, about 60 percent of rentals have been scooped up, and more than last year are being rented for the whole season.

Indeed, Mr. Stoecker said, this season seems more like the days before the market took a nose dive — with renters who started shopping on Thanksgiving weekend and trudged through the ice and snow, then “pulled the trigger” in January.  He also said that houses south of Route 27 usually rented first and that communities “with the  most inventory are the woodsy sections of East Hampton, Amagansett and Sag Harbor.”

But despite Mr. Stoecker’s enthusiasm, perusals of sites like Craigslist turn up a wealth of options for single-week stays, or even long weekends. One recent example is a historic house on a Peconic Bay inlet in Sag Harbor with “lots of lounging areas,” according to the advertisement. Weeks in May and September are $3,200, in June and July $3,800. Cleaning and utilities are included. (When stays are longer, utilities, housekeepers, swimming coaches, landscapers and pool cleaning services can add 15 percent or more to a tenant’s bill, brokers say.)

One of Mr. Stoecker’s properties, a 3,000-square-foot North Haven house on two acres with a waterfront pool and a private beach on Sag Harbor Bay, belongs to Shannon Such and Howard Deutsch. It is listed for $295,000 for the summer. For the last 25 years it has been rented out for the summer — for 23 of them to the same family.

Ms. Such, a lawyer in Manhattan, says that in the fall, winter and spring her husband spends most of the time enjoying the “almost spiritual” water views at the “light and airy and informal but fun” cottage, while she comes out to the East End on weekends.

Summer is “a beautiful time, but it is a crowded time,” Ms. Such said. “It gives us an opportunity to travel”   — this summer to Peru — and the presence of tenants easily covers the annual cost of maintaining the house. “It is a bit of an annuity.”  

Dee Kerrigan Perfido, a broker-owner of First Hampton International Realty in Westhampton Beach, said she had seen a “nice uptick” in rentals for the first time in three years. Waterfront homes for rent are “going very quickly,” partly because many that sat out the downturn as rentals have now sold. Former tenants are among the buyers. “Renters have decided they liked it here and they’ve bought,” Ms. Kerrigan Perfido said.  


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