Watchtower to become family's dream home

WHEN people see the Tynemouth Watchtower looking out over Longsands Beach, few will envision it as a living space.

- By DANIEL HALL

However, a North East couple have seen the potential to transform the seven-storey building into their dream family home.

Roly Glancy and wife Jaemi have swapped their semidetached house in Cullercoats for the Grade-II listed building, initially built as part of the UK's coastal defences in World War I. But now, instead of soldiers looking out to sea to spot enemy craft, the Glancys and their three kids soak up views of the North Tyneside coast.

After a year of living there with their dog, Kya the watchtower whippet; the family are about to get their hands dirty - or at least covered in paint - as they update and modernise the interior. And the couple, who used to run an architecture firm, say that they have designed over 2,000 house extensions but this is set to be their biggest challenge.

Roly told The Chronicle: "We were on the lookout for a property with character, something that was a bit interesting and unique.