What a stunning property mate. I love looking at the old and new pictures but I could stare at old pictures all day. I hate the way things have become. This is a picture I found online of our street from we think around 1930. You can see a fella walking with his sandwiches in the direction of the coal mine that used to sit at the rear of our house. Ours is the one with the horse and cart outside.
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As for the ivy as much as I like it it will destroy your roof line and more. Rip it down and kill the source. It'll peel off like a carpet once you get started.