Ashton

Ashton Community Review results reported

No result found, try new keyword!ASHTON – The results of Phase One of the Ashton Community Review are in. The city council met on Wednesday where council members discussed the results, and its plans to continue to Phase Two of the re...

Dean Ashton talks up Gary Madine

2 minute read 21/2/2019 | 09:21am

In an exclusive interview with Football League World, EFL on Quest pundit and once-capped former England striker Dean Ashton has given his verdict on Sheffield United frontman Gary Madine.

What he said

Madine joined the high-flying Blades on loan from Premier League outfit Cardiff City in the recent January transfer window, as reported by the BBC.

Chris Wilder’s side are currently in the thick of the Championship title hunt, along with Leeds United and Norwich City. The arrival of the powerful 28-year-old forward could give everyone at Bramall Lane an all-important boost ahead of the final few months of the campaign.

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Madine opened his account for Sheffield United with a well-taken brace against Reading last time out. With those strikes under his belt, he should now be feeling a lot more comfortable and confident in the Steel City. 

Ashton certainly believes he has plenty more to give, saying “he gives them way more physicality for when they clear the ball as he can hold it up and win the headers…He’s the sort of player that Chris Wilder likes to work with too where they’re not having a great time, he feels if he can bring him in, build their confidence and utilise him for what he’s got then that’s why he’s been signed.”

A masterstroke?

Ashton is right to note that Madine is arriving at Bramall Lane off the back of a difficult period in south Wales. The striker barely featured for the Bluebirds in the first half of the season, which must have knocked his confidence. 

However, he has the qualities to be an asset for United, as well as a very welcome rotation option to the likes of Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick, who have both been in fine form this season but are now 33 and 31, respectively, and could be about to show signs of fatigue.

If Madine can give Wilder’s side the boost they need to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League, then his capture will have to be considered a masterstroke on the manager’s part.

Galveston's historic Ashton Villa a popular event venue

Ashton Villa's Harris Garden creates a stunning event atmosphere.

Ashton Villa's Harris Garden creates a stunning event atmosphere.

Photo: Courtesy GHF

Ashton Villa's Harris Garden creates a stunning event atmosphere.

Ashton Villa's Harris Garden creates a stunning event atmosphere.

Photo: Courtesy GHF

Galveston's historic Ashton Villa a popular event venue

One of the growing trends with today's bridal couples is the selection of a venue that offers a rich history along with a memorable setting. Galveston Historical Foundation's Ashton Villa is one of these high-demand, historical sites that is making the island a popular wedding destination.

"Today's couples seem to have a great appreciation for historical venues," said Lauraleigh Vogel, rentals manager for Galveston Historical Foundation's landmark venues, that have found renewed popularity, not only for weddings, wedding showers, bridesmaid's luncheons and rehearsal dinners, but also for corporate meetings, faith-based activities, birthdays, anniversaries and family reunions.

Reminding that James Moreau Brown joined other Galveston business leaders in founding what was then known as "the Galveston Historical Society," and is now the Galveston Historical Foundation, Vogel said the foundation's primary mission is to keep history alive. "For that reason, all of the foundation's venue rental fees are extremely affordable."

Ashton Villa, built in 1859, is known as one of Galveston's "Broadway Beauties" and was patterned after Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan's design, "Suburban Residence," a plan Galveston business James Moreau and wife Rebecca selected from Sloan's book, The Model Architect.

In historian Kenneth Hafertepe's A History of Ashton Villa, he wrote, "the home was described as a three-story country mansion made of brick with a low-hipped, tin roof. To enhance the appearance of the flat-arched windows, Brown — a mason by trade — added cast-iron window moldings derived from Sloan's Designed VIII, 'An Italian Residence.'"

But the greatest deviation the Browns made from Sloan's original "Suburban Residence" design was to eliminate the one-story side verandas and adding the two-story, three-bay, cast-iron veranda to the main facade. A cast-iron fence surrounded the house was likely imported from Philadelphia because one of the remaining gateposts is stamped, "Woods & Perot, Phila."

Inside, today's brides and others will find an elegant ballroom, easily seating 180 guests with room for a dance floor. They also have the use of two downstairs parlors, one on each side of the grand foyer, an entry that has been welcoming party guests for not quite two centuries.

According to Hafertepe's history, the Browns entertained lavishly during the 1870s and 1880s, with all of Galveston opening their doors to callers every New Year's Day.

"Those calling at Ashton Villa were expected to attend the annual ball, held that evening," the historian noted.

"Guests are allowed to bring vendors they select," said Vogel, the Foundation's veteran venue rental specialist, "and bridal parties may want to use the upstairs bedrooms — once the Brown family's living quarters ... and the gardens next door are the perfect setting for outdoor vows before guests enjoy dining and dancing inside the historic home."

The property, after the last generation of the Brown family sold their home, has been remodeled, and furnishings that fell victim to Hurricane Ike have been replaced. "This magnificent setting is the perfect place for successful gatherings, complete with indelible memories to last a lifetime," Vogel said.

For additional information about historic rentals from Galveston's Historical Foundation as well as guidance for a Galveston destination wedding, contact Vogel at laura.leigh@galvestonhistory.org.