The Swanage - From Phoenix

((Originally posted by Swanage on 11/24/07))

Hi, cora! I'm glad you wrote about the Manor. I am interested in large houses.

As Phoenix Renee, I am the twin sister of Dorian Michael Swan. I was named after my mother, Mary Ellen radi Swan, whose stage name was phoenix. My middle name, Renee, means "reborn" and I think they named me that because I look like her.

Anyway, we live in the Swanage. It has over 50 rooms, but the one you see in the stories is usually the living room. I think we have also seen the dining room, the back hallway, the Grand Gallery, the great staircase and one of the bathrooms. I've lived in the Swanage all my life but I've never seen it because I became blind when I was only about 4 weeks old. But I still know every inch of that house and never ever get lost in it.

I'll show you some pictures. The one below is a painting of the whole house. Isn't it beautiful?

Phoenix Renee

The house in the painting above is a real house and it was ther exact same hyouse that was featured in that film "Phantom of the Paradise" that was the movie about my and Dorian's father, Swan. In case you haven't seen it, the movie told about how Swan was murdered by a composer whose music the film says he stole. That isn't true, by the way. When we were growing up, we asked and they told us that Mom and dad were having their wedding at the Paradise and got burned badly when a fire broke out.

Our parents were badly hurt when they tried to save people's lives. Mom went insane and was placed in protective care and Dad came back to the Swanage and hid out because he had been paralyzed. Winslow Leach was trying to kill him and stabbed him in the spine. To this day, he is in a wheelchair because of it. Anyway Leach died in the fire, Mom went into the hospital and Dad made sure that when she had us, Mom would get the best care and that we would be raised by the best servants money could buy.

Below is the Paradise Theater that Dad built.

Anyway, after the fire, what a mess! Dad was so worried that people would think he was a poor cripple and ugly, that he had the back end of Swanage walled off and he moved in there!

He made a vow that until he could walk again, the world would think he was dead. Kind of like Christopher Reeves, but he was a complete recluse and everybody (including his kids, us!) thought he was long dead!

Here is the paradise after the fire. It's horrible.

I am told that the upper right top of the building was untouched by the fire. That was Dad's office and his will and papers and stuff were all there.

Anyway, the Swanage was kept clean and tidy and after Mom gave birth to us in the hospital, we were taken to a ranch in New Mexico to be away from the paparazzi. Paparazzi are reporters that stalk famous people and they are wicked! I found one taking my picture when I was in the bathroom once! How RUDE!

Anyway here is another view of the Swanage

When Dorian and I were old enough to go to school, we had tutors instead of going to regular school. They decided to move us to New Yourk to live in Swanage because the terrain around our New Mexico home was full of hills and canyons. I almost fell into an arroyo once so they panicked and moved us. I learned the layout of the house and I love it here.

Here's the huge staircase! Or part of it. That woman with the music is Mary Ellen (Phoenix) our mother. Dorian tells me that I look a lot like her, but I'm prettier than she was. I inherited her voice, though.

Here's a better view of the stairs. I'll stop for now, but I'll do more pictures later when Dorian can help me sort them out. He's doing the descriptions for me.

Hope you are doing well!

Your friend
Phoenix Renee Swan

Okay, just one more because Dorian is bugging me to add it!
This is the picture of Dad's bedroom before, and after his stuff was moved out. It had mirrors on the walls, and a round bed and a sauna next to it so he could go in and out through a hidden door. He liked that kind of thing.

Before

This is the same room today. It's really really big, with a balcony and stuff. They took out the furnishings. Right now it's vacant. Swan is thinking of moving back into it, though.