This could have been my home

Almost 20 years ago, I viewed the first floor flat in this building, beside the River Ness. I liked the large rooms with big windows overlooking the river. But I noticed that the gable end needed re-pointing. My then farther-in-law, a chief architect, advised me against it. I've often wondered if my life would have been different, had I lived there. But the bush growing out of the guttering tells me that communal repairs are still not a priority. I now have a large, modern cosy flat, close to a canal, rather than rather than a river.