A ride with the late Queen’s coachman!
It’s always great to hear from people, who log onto my website to read the daily blog, and even more of a pleasure when their words – and pictures – evoke a memory or two.
Julie Turner has been in touch – and what a nice surprise it was to hear from her!
She writes:
“In the 1970’s I was the Manager at Dodington House, Park & Carriage Museum (Julie Dickenson).
I have a few photographs taken of you when reporting for HTV, including a great one of you sitting next to the coachman, Colin Henderson (later to become head coachman to the Queen), on an (almost) runaway stage coach!
I seem to remember grabbing the back of your jacket to prevent you from falling off!
You were a great favourite with the staff at Dodington, always pleasant and down to earth, not arrogant like some of the reporters! I can remember you saying to me that you wished the reporting could be less frivolous.
It was a great job for me (I was the first woman to manage one of Britain’s top ten most visited privately owned stately homes – what a mouthful – along with a great team, especially Polly & David Wilson who ran the catering side of things).
Organising Stagecoach Runs, Air Days, Tattoos, Horse Shows, Hot Air Balloon Meeting with Don Cameron (the forerunner of the Bristol Fiesta) etc.
I went to Dodington as assistant to the former manager, James Cairns Boston, and when he left was fortunate to be offered the job, along with Polly as the Catering Manager.
I’ve been going through my papers and have so much “stuff”. Apparently Glos Archives might be interested in some of it.
I hope you’re keeping well and enjoying life. I see that you live in Bath, how lovely. My husband Jeff and I live about 12 miles away in Wiltshire.”
Thank you so much Julie, for your memories and for the pictures!!
