Nutrition award: Three Ways School Food Technology teacher, Rosalie Forde (pictured) has today been awarded a British Nutrition Foundation Education Award, recognising their dedication to food and nutrition education. The British Nutrition Foundation Education Awards were first established to highlight food qualifications and recognise the achievements of top students – originally at GCSE and later at A-level (or equivalents). Unfortunately, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on examinations over the last two years, it hasn’t been possible to award students. However, in 2021, the Education Awards have been given to six outstanding teachers from across the UK who have consistently championed food and nutrition education. Rosalie received the certificate, as well as £200 to support food education in her school. Well done from all at Bath Voice.
Book at the Bear: There’s an exhibition until 27 January at the Good Bear Café in Bear Flat featuring images and words from a new book, B is Two Bubbles by Jonathan Hope. The book is a take on the attractions of the city of Bath, and is a collaboration between local writer Jonathan Hope and Italian illustrator Riccardo Guasco. The book is on sale at the cafe.
Toilet news. A new Changing Places toilet and disability-compliant unisex toilet opened at the new community pavilion in Sydney Gardens last month. The toilets are open from 7am until 6pm during the winter months and are managed by the council’s contractor Healthmatic. There is a 20p charge to use the loo. which also has a contactless card reader. The pavilion is being created on the site of the former park toilets and will be used in conjunction with the Gardeners Lodge to offer a space for the community, schools, art and health outreach programmes.
Adopt a Goat: If you’ve always wanted to have a farm animal like a goat or a pony then you can without having to do all the work. You can adopt any animal at Bath City Farm which helps to pay for their upkeep. Adoption (not ownership) costs £10 for a duck, rabbit or chicken and costs £20 for a goat, pig, sheep or pony for a year. For further details visit http://bathcityfarm.org.uk/get-involved/adopt-an-animal/
Fire death: On December 5th, in the early hours a woman died in a flat fire at Pera Road, Walcot, Bath. Avon Fire and Rescue said that crews from Bath, Hicks Gate and Kingswood responded to reports of a flat fire which was well alight – the woman was pronounced dead after rescuers using breathing apparatus tackled the fire.
Bath Rugby: An away fixture against London Irish on January 3, in the Gallagher English Premiership kicks off the New Year when a repeat of the same fixture in 2019 would be appreciated when Bath ran out 10-38 winners. Irish are struggling alongside Bath so this is a crucial one for the Blue Black and Whites to win. On January 9, Bath have their first home game at the Rec with another premiership clash this time with Worcester Warriors, while on January 15 they are away to La Rochelle in the European Championships Cup. Another cup game sees the team welcoming Leinster to Bath on January 22 with a league clash with Harlequins at the Rec on January 28. It is crunch time for the team as if things continue to slide then relegation to the Championship is a looming possibility.
Bath City FC: The Romans play in the Vanarama National League Division South with a series of games this month that could define their season. First up is local rivals Chippenham Town on January 2, with an away game on Saturday January 8 against chelmsford City. They head off up the M4 agains to Hemel Hempstead Town on January 15and again on the 25th January when they square up to Hampton and Richmond. There are also home games on January 22 with Eastbourne Borough and January 29 when they play Braintree Town at Twerton Park in what is a very busy month. If you’ve never been then pop along to the park for a game every bit as exciting as the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool but with a distinct Bathonian flavour and cheer on the Romans to victory.
Bear Flat FC: The Bears look to consolidate their position in the third division of the Bath and District Sunday League. In January they play at home at the Sulis Club on the 9th against Lansdown Reserves and on the 16th when they entertain Heritage United Reserves. There’s an away game at Tormarton CC when they face Heritage United reserves on the 30th and a sort of away game back at Sulis Club when they play Two Weir Town.
Netball: Team Bath face up to Surrey storm a the Team Bath Arena on February 18th as the new 2022 Vitality Superleague gets underway. The competition is reverting to a home and away format for the new campaign and season and individual match-day tickets are now on sale. See https://netball.teambath.com/2021/11/03/vitality-netball-superleague-tickets/
Hockey: Team Bath Buccaneers Hockey Club is a club for everyone whose strength is built on the diversity of its playing membership, its partnership with Bath University and the quality of the coaching and facilities that it has access to. the club has strong representation amongst Club, Student and Youth players and has strength in depth in playing numbers with 8 Mens, 5 Ladies, 2 Masters, 2 Indoor, 5 Summer League and 17 Junior teams. The Buccaneers are based at The University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY. See https://www.teambathbuccaneers.co.uk/about-the-club/ to join and pick up a stick and hit a ball.
Swimming: Based at Bath Leisure Centre and established in 1899, Bath Dolphin Swimming Club (BDSC) is one of the oldest swimming clubs in the South West.
Tennis: Bloomfield Tennis Club founded in 1927 and is located at 98 Wellsway in Bath. Members have full access to club facilities, those who are Adult British Tennis members are also eligible to enter the club ballot for Wimbledon tickets that takes place each year. All funds from club memberships go directly into the running of the club. Bloomfield offers a wide range of membership options including: Senior, Family, Junior and Student, along with Daytime only versions. to join visit https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/BloomfieldTennisClub
Cycling: Bath Cycle Club have several are informal rides, mostly organised on email. If you want to join the group please contact Mark markpearson99@hotmail.com to be added to the Email list. To join visit www.bathcc.net and start cycling.
Bath Lacrosse Club: There are no games until January 15th when the team play Bristol Bombers in Cotswold division 1. They play at Odd Down Playing fields, Bloomfield Road, Bath BA2 2PR and to join see http://bathlacrosse.com/wp/
Bristol City Women Footballers: Their next home game is on Sunday, January 9th against Coventry United in the FA Championship when they hope to consolidate their mid table position in the second tier of the league. On the 23rd they entertain Charlton Athletic at home while on the 16th they make the long journey to Blackburn Rovers for a league clash. The club also has an under 23s team who share the ground with the first team at the Robins High Performance Centre at Failand which has won the 2021 Northern Design Award for its design and facilities.
Bristol Rugby Women: Unlike the men the Bristol Bears Women play in the top flight of the sport in the Allianz Premier 15s. The team have been sweeping all before them this season with impressive wins agains Exeter, Gloucester, Durham and Wasps. The team play at Bears High Performance Centre, Beggar Bush Lane, Bristol, BS8 3TF. For details visit https://www.bristolbearsrugby.com/teams/bristol-bears-women/
Bristol Rugby Men: The Bristol Bears have two tough fixtures this month in the Gallagher Premiership with an away game against in Devon against Exeter Chiefs on New Year’s Day and on the following Friday they take on Sale at Ashton Gate in an evening fixture when they will seek to use the game as a spring board to the season that’s disappointed so far. They have two European Champions Cup games on at home on the 15th against Stade Francais in Bristol and another away in Wales on the 22nd against Scarlets.
Bristol City FC: The team are at home at Ashton Gate in the championship on Sunday, January 2, when they play Millwall. Hopefully the Robins will prevail and move away from the wrong end of the league table. They also play at Ashton Gate on the 22nd when they face arch rivals Cardiff City – in an earlier kick-off at 12.30pm. They hit the road on the 15th when they travel to Fulham and on the 29th when it’s a long drive to Preston North End.
Cricket: Bedminster Cricket Club is based in the heart of South Bristol and is one of the premier clubs in the South West. And although the season is now over until next spring it’s worth reminding everyone of this successful and friendly cricket club. They offer both senior and youth cricket iwth five Saturday senior teams, with the first XI in the West of England Premier League Division, right down to the C XI in the Bristol & District League Division 13, we can truly offer cricket for all.
Hockey: Firebrands Hockey Club is the home of hockey in Bristol. Since 1947 the club has not only been hugely successful on a national and local level, but is also highly inclusive, family friendly and fun.
Tennis: South Bristol is blessed with a number of tennis clubs. These include the Greville Smyth Park Tennis Club, Knowle Lawn Tennis Club, Victoria Park Tennis Club and the David Lloyd Centre in Ashton. With the success of Emma Raducanu in the USA Open there is an expectation the sport will get a boost. With hard courts, tennis can be played all year round. Greville Smyth Park has a thriving junior section with prices frozen at the 2018 level meaning for an adult the fee is less than £1 a week – a lot less than a gym.
Broad Plain Rugby Club: the first team play in the Gloucester Second Division South. The second XV play in the Wadworth 6X Bristol & District Second Division. The teams train on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm. New players always welcome.
Lacrosse: Formed in 2007 by a handful of enthusiasts, Bristol Bombers has now grown into one of the biggest men’s and ladies’ lacrosse clubs in the country. The ladies have been league champions for the last three years and Division 1: National Champions for the last two. To get up to speed with stick and net enthusiasts visit https://www.facebook.com/BristolBombersLacrosse/
Croquet: Established in 1897, Bristol Croquet Club maintains an excellent reputation as a leading club. We are home to several national and international players as well as lots of members who love just playing at the club. For details and to join visit http://www.bristolcroquet.org/
Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall, Oldfield Park Ward, with Student Community Partnership (SCP) Community Warden, Tom McGarth, on Third Avenue door knocking in the summer during the ‘Moving Out’ campaign
Tidying up the streets with the new community wardens
By Harry Mottram. Expect a knock the door in Oldfield Park if you’ve left your recycling bins unfilled and your trash littering the pavement outside. It’s not the police and it’s not the local residents’ association but something new that is likely to be repeated across the city in the years to come. Meet the new Community Wardens. Well, Community Warden as there’s only one at the moment – but as the man behind the scheme Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall said – it’s a start. “Tom McGraff is the first Community Warden to work the patch,” he said, “and he has routes around Oldfield Park to work with the residents and also the university to improve things especially where there are concerns about litter, a lack of recycling and some of the issues associated with Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs).” To use the modern parlance the wardens ‘will act as ambassadors for the council and the universities across the whole of the city but especially where there are greater numbers of students in the local community.’ The idea is to build communication links and being on hand to support all residents if issues arise will be important elements of the role. One of the gripes of residents in most areas of Bath is the increase in HMOs over the years as the student population has swelled along with a rising demand for accommodation in general amongst the population. Essentially traditional family homes are bought up by developers and builders and then converted into shared accommodation for up to six or so couples or single people. The result is often more cars requiring parking space in residential roads and complaints about untidy front gardens as recycling is ignored and rubbish dumped – along with anti-social behaviour such as loud music. “Tom used to be a student,” said the ward councillor, “he works full-time and is there to resolve problems like bins and clutter left on pavements impeding wheelchair users and those with impaired vision.” Working with the University, the council and the recycling teams the warden can give advice to residents on recycling and what to do with unwanted furniture and everyday objects when tenants move out – sometimes leaving the items in the garden. Tom can contact charities such as the British Heart Foundation who may be able to make use of excess furniture or recycling teams who can process the items. And with leaflets in hand he has been knocking on doors and chatting to residents about issues raised in the area and trying his best to sort them out convivially. He has no legal powers but does have the backing of the council and many residents seeking improvements to their streets. To fund the pilot scheme Cllr Shaun Stephenson-McGall pressed for a budget of £100,000 over three years to employ two part-time or one full-time warden from September last year.
By Harry Mottram. Last November planners turned down plans by the owners Bar Wars to convert the empty Windmill Hill pub into flats. It led to a bad tempered outburst by Mike Cranney of Bar Wars who suggested the decision by council planners was bordering on ‘the corrupt’ according to a report in Bristol Live and he claimed councillors had already made up their minds about the plans. Cllr Lisa Stone said because the application for change of use had been turned down it didn’t follow that he had to turn it back into a pub. She told South Bristol Voice in an exclusive interview: “There’s no law to say he has to do anything. He could just sit on that land for another five or ten years and let it go into rot and ruin. “The local community got together and fought against the plans to turn it into flats so the planning was turned down unanimously by the council’s planning committee.” The landlord of the pub also didn’t pull his punches over the decision with the locals who had objected to the plans and persuaded the council to reject the change of use. In an article on Bristol Live he said the locals felt they were ‘entitled’ to keep the pub. Windmill Hill Green Party Cllr Lisa Stone said she had a conversation with the community group campaigning to keep the pub. She said: “I explained that just because the plans were rejected doesn’t necessarily mean he has to sell it to the locals as a community pub. “They seemed to think though that the owners would be fair and come up with some compromise. “There are people in the background who are negotiating with Mike Cranney but we have to wait and watch this space.” The planning decision is another chapter in a long running battle to retain the pub on Windmill Hill and in broader terms it fits into a picture of pub closures across the country prompting locals to challenge the decision of the owners to throw in the towel and redevelop the often highly valuable properties into accommodation. Writing for the website mypropertypowerteam.co.uk Graham Phelps said the fact the pub is up for sale is a likely indication that it is not profitable. He said: ” However, it is worth finding out why a particular pub is up for sale or ceased trading.” He lists issues with the brewery, high overheads and simply the wrong landlord. But he continued: “However, if the pub was popular but not profitable, this is easier to fix. Clean the place up, define your market and rent or lease to a suitable ‘personality’ landlord with a low rent and profit share. A change of personality can really make a difference.” Around the corner from the Windmill pub is the Rising Sun community pub which perhaps shows one potential future should the Windmill ever return to being a hostelry. An online fundraising campaign to raise cash to buy the pub ultimately failed to raise anywhere near the £500,000 asking price, while earlier last year a landlord of pubs in Wells and Chew Magna wanted to buy it for around £400,000 had his bid turned down according to Bristol Live. “Nothing is guaranteed,” said Cllr Stone, “it doesn’t now follow it will become a pub again. It was turned down for change of use but it will probably go to appeal.” She thought it could still be sold as a pub or leased as a pub – possibly by the local community if the price was right.
There are certain moments in economic history that stand out for their sheer horror. Black Thursday in 1929 which heralded the Wall Street Crash and a worldwide depression. Black Wednesday in 1992 when John Major’s Conservative Government were forced to withdraw the pound from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism costing the nation more than £3bn and hiking interest rates to 15%. Then there was August 9th in 2007 when there was a run on the bank of Northern Rock triggered by the sub-prime mortgage scandal in the USA. And who can forget 9/11 on 2001 then global markets plummeted in the following days after the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York were destroyed by terrorists.
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 saw economic ruin for many
And there are others closer to this year. The Brexit referendum in June 2016 has seen a major hit to a range of sectors including haulage, farming, fishing and hospitality – although politicians in the two main parties are not keen on talking about it. The Government tends to blame all the problems caused by Brexit on Covid although its own experts in the Office of Budget Responsibility estimates Brexit is a 4% hit on GDP compared to 2% from Covid. Perhaps the lesson is to never again allow referendums to be decided on a simple majority – but rather a minimum majority of 60-40% – including the potential Scottish Indi-ref 2 as they are so divisive.
Another day the economy took a turn for the worse without realising it was on January 20th, 2020, when Peter Atwood from Kent died of the Covid-19 virus. It was only months later that covid was identified as the main factor in his death but within weeks the numbers of patients succumbing to the virus rocketed, prompting the first lockdown. And that was another dark date in the UK’s economy – when the Government implemented the first legally-enforced Stay at Home Order on March 23rd, 2020. Suddenly whole sections of the economy had their business and cash flow halted. The knock-on effect was felt by taxi drivers, airports, airlines and tourist industries, train and bus operators and the countless firms who supply offices, factories and places of work with everything from sandwiches to paper clips.
John Major and Norman Lamont at the time of Black Wednesday
The economic problems of Brexit are now well documented from a shortage of labour to harvest crops, to healthcare workers returning to their home countries and truck drivers from Europe preferring to work nearer to home. And there is the massive drop in trade from Northern Ireland due to the bungling of the Government’s EU Trade Agreement that has left the province adrift of the UK in all but name. It will take years to sort out the economic problems it has caused but neither the Government or the Labour Party seem interested in re-joining the EU or striking a more liberal trade deal. My prediction is within 10 years or so there will be a change in attitude in Downing Street and a more cooperative policy with Europe will emerge with potentially renewed membership in the decades to come. I say this not as a fan of the EU but from the point of view of business and the UK’s social and economic wellbeing.
The effects of Covid on the economy are obvious but just as the so-called Spanish Flu that killed millions around the world from 1919 to 1923, it will pass. Doomsters predict it will be around for many years but that seems unlikely based on past epidemics. Not because it will naturally die out but because modern medicine and vaccination programmes will dent its effects and create immunity for most. Nobody doubts the lockdowns have changed society and the economy. Some sectors have boomed – from PPE manufacturers to courier companies – while others like pubs and high street shops have been hit badly. I suspect that when the virus disappears people will return to the saloon bars of Britain and their High Streets as we are essentially a social species.
From the point of view of business one of the talking points of the year has been the uneven help given to companies. The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak was quick to dish out cash to the private sector at the start of the pandemic, but his generosity seems to have been curtailed this Christmas with his less than generous help for hospitality. Retailers appear to have been left out as have many businesses associated with the high street as the public have opted to stay at home. There are countless tales of firms abusing furlough payments, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and bounce back loans with the Government predicting it will lose at least £7bn to fraud. That is incredible. Especially when most freelancers and self-employed workers got nothing – other to claim benefits – as their work was taken away by the lockdowns. Actors, photographers, musicians, designers were given zero help – and they number in the millions.
Figures are yet to come in, but the recession caused by the Covid crisis has created six consecutive quarters of economic contraction in the UK from Q1 in 2020 to Q2 in 2021. There has been a recovery this summer but again the economy is stalling. It is longer than any slump in the 20th and 21st centuries. The way the Government has (and still is) trying to stimulate the economy is by printing money through quantitative easing (QE) and helping sectors with investment such as new infrastructure of grants and loans.
And the economy has not been helped by the hike in energy and fuel prices which universally affect everyone and every business.
The long-term effects of Covid and Brexit on the economy are unknown but in the short term they have seriously hit Britain, led to a fracturing of the United Kingdom and produced a Government that spends much of its time arguing with its own MPs. Whether it can get its act together in 2022 remains to be seen but right now for many in business the outlook is a question of survival. Someone once said to me back in the teeth of the early 1990s recession that if you can survive in business during a downturn then when things pick up you should be fine. On that optimistic note may I take this opportunity as business editor for ICSM to wish you all a healthy and solvent New Year.
About ICSM Credit
ICSM Credit has more than four decades of experience as a credit intelligence group whose members gain inside information about firms in trouble allowing them to avoid bad debts and rogue traders. To join costs less than a tank of fuel – while at the moment there’s a special free temporary membership offer during the Covid-19 crisis which gives access to free legal letters. ICSM also has an effective debt collecting service which has a global reach – ask for details from Paul.
For details about ICSM Credit call 0844 854 1850 or visit the website www.icsmcredit.com or email Ian at Ian.carrotte@icsmcredit.com on how to subscribe and to join the UK’s credit intelligence network to avoid bad debts and late payers. Follow ICSM Credit on FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube and Ian Carrotte on LinkedIn.
To keep up to date subscribe to the FREE ICSM Credit Newsletter to hear all the latest insolvency news and to see who has gone out of business click on the orange panel on the top left of the home page of the website www.icsmcredit.com or send an email to Ian.carrotte@icsmcredit.com
ICSM’s Ian Carrotte has criticised the failed business run by Petra Ecclestone’s accessories business after it was wound up with liabilities of £4.3m.
He said: “It’s another case of a wealthy person thinking they can start a high end business and make a success of it just because they are famous. There’s always been doubts about Mrs Beckham’s fashion house and is it really in profit – and then the case recently of Kate and Pippa Middleton’s brother James’s confectionary company Boomf crashing with millions in debt. There is only one way to succeed in business and that is to use some basic housekeeping rules. Don’t run up debts, don’t pay yourself more than the business can afford and have a sound business plan complete with a cash flow forecast. But above all create a business around something you know really well.”
Named Stark, Petra Ecclestone called her handbag business the unusual name after apparently her billionaire father, Bernie, said the idea was ‘Stark Raving Mad’. The firm that sold handbags made from snake and crocodile skin at £1,000 a go had net liabilities of approximately £4.3 million, and was removed from the Companies House register and dissolved this autumn. It’s the second time she has seen a business fail having seen the demise of clothing firm Form previously.
Ian Carrotte said: “Lady Gaga went bust in 2009, but she bounced back with a successful string of music hits. Donald Trump famously has seen six companies go bust including a casino despite all his father’s money and celebrities like Martine McCutcheon and Kerry Katona have hit the skids because of their lifestyle expectations – it other words they have lived beyond their means – which is essentially what happens with failed businesses. Cut your cloth this winter to suit the situation your business finds itself in.”
About ICSM Credit
ICSM Credit has more than four decades of experience as a credit intelligence group whose members gain inside information about firms in trouble allowing them to avoid bad debts and rogue traders. To join costs less than a tank of fuel – while at the moment there’s a special free temporary membership offer during the Covid-19 crisis which gives access to free legal letters. ICSM also has an effective debt collecting service which has a global reach – ask for details from Paul.
For details about ICSM Credit call 0844 854 1850 or visit the website www.icsmcredit.com or email Ian at Ian.carrotte@icsmcredit.com on how to subscribe and to join the UK’s credit intelligence network to avoid bad debts and late payers. Follow ICSM Credit on FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube and Ian Carrotte on LinkedIn.
To keep up to date subscribe to the FREE ICSM Credit Newsletter to hear all the latest insolvency news and to see who has gone out of business click on the orange panel on the top left of the home page of the website www.icsmcredit.com or send an email to Ian.carrotte@icsmcredit.com
By Harry Mottram. The Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade is perhaps more like a Somerset carnival parade – but without the light bulbs – rather than a parade of children and their parents with paper lanterns. It is a major community event through the streets of South Bristol involving thousands of onlookers, participants and performers – all blessed by every section of Bristol society. And it all started almost by accident over ten years ago as one of the founders Malcolm Brammar explained to South Bristol Voice: “We were originally involved in a one off event run by ACTA the community theatre group who put out an appeal for volunteers to help marshal their parade in Bedminster.” Stef Brammar explained that the parade was the closing event of an arts festival – and that was the seminal event of the current lantern parade. She said: “We had just moved here and we thought that’s a nice thing and so we volunteered and went along to help marshal it.” Organiser Naomi Fuller said the first parade took place in 2011 after the Brammars decided to stage a parade which they called The Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade. Stef said they managed to raise the £9,000 required to stage it compared to the £21,000 needed for this year’s event.. Naomi said: “Some people don’t realise the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes throughout the year to make it happen. “And also they don’t realise that it takes a lot of money to put on an event that brings so much joy, that lights up the streets and is so inclusive. “There are workshops, materials, artists to be paid for and lots of logistical costs such as paying for the road closures, traffic management and insurance.” Malcolm said: “The first one was a short circular walk and we didn’t even stop the traffic. “But as it got bigger and more popular we thought we’d better have a rethink and stop the traffic to make it safer. “At that point the business group BID was established and they said they would support it but asked us to change the route to support the traders.” The tie up was agreed and the traders chipped in with sponsorship cash. The parade on Saturday 8th January sees local roads closed to traffic from 3-7pm so the parade sets off along North Street, Cannon Street, British Road and part of South Street with the parade beginning at 4pm near St Francis Church. If the weather is bad the event is moved to another Saturday with details given out to everyone. For more details of the parade visit https://www.lanternparade.org/
Scandals, Royalty and the extraordinary life of one of Widcombe’s most famous residents of the 1960s
By Harry Mottram. Writing in 2005 the photographer Robert Whitaker described Jeremy Fry as, “an entrepreneur, an inventor, an engaging host and the saviour of the Theatre Royal, Bath; he was also a close friend of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon.”” Certainly Jeremy Fry was all of those and much more as well as being the owner of Widcombe Manor where he entertained the Royals and a wide spectrum of friends and business associates in the 1960s. Born in 1924 in Bristol Jeremy was a descendant of JS Fry, the chocolate manufacturer, which left him a useful inheritance which he later invested in Rotork his own electrical and mechanical engineering business that serviced the oil industry. The business continues today in Brassmill Lane in the city. One of his employees a was James Dyson who he worked with on a number of projects including a marine vehicle and theatre auditorium inside the Roundhouse. Gossip columnists were perhaps rather more interested in Jeremy’s private life and his friendship with Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Lord Snowdon) who married Princess Margaret. And there hangs a tail as such was his friendship with the future Lord Snowdon that he was set to be his best man at the Royal wedding in 1960. Today it would not have proved an issue but in the 1960s having shall we say an flamboyant bachelor’s life signified something that the Establishment couldn’t accept. He had been convicted of ‘importuning’ – a serious offence at the time. Ditched as best man Jeremy and the Royal couple remained good friends and they regularly visited Widcombe Manor where Jeremy even installed a juke box for their amusement. Jeremy was the youngest of three children in a wealthy family and attended the top public school Gordonstoun, before studying at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, after which he joined the RAF during the war. Later he was accused by the sculptor Lynn Chadwick alleging adultery with Chadwick’s second wife, Frances, causing his wife Camilla to walk out on their marriage. Frances Chadwick took her own life and Jeremy had to pick up the pieces of an unholy legal mess ending with his divorce to Camilla in 1967.
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