Herry's Archives

Herry and Piers with Patrick in the orchard at Stocks c.1955 with Danny the spaniel For the first ten / twelve years I doubt that I paid much attention to what I was wearing. Early photos show me in shorts, and we certainly wore shorts at St Ronan's (1953-1958), though I think that we may have been allowed into long trousers as we turned twelve. I can remember my delight, though, on getting my first pair of proper football boots - made by Adidas - instead of the heavy round-toed boots that we wore in those days. But 'PT' shoes were still plain white plimsoles and we had to wear a grey felt 'squasher' hat outside in summer and Airtex shirts. I became more interested in clothes when at Winchester (1958 - 1964) where the early fashion was for 'drain-pipe' trousers. I had mine taken in to a ridiculous 13". I can also remember getting green and black check jacket and some 'oxblood' shoes at Basticks, the best of the local high-street shops (...

Setting off on a career was different in the 60s, and the concept only applied to men. When the boys left their (single-sex public) schools, one or two went to university, but most did not. Those with connections to the land went to Cirencester (like my brother Fuff ) while others joined their father's businesses ( Nick Duke and James Duke and Sons ) or followed their father into the navy ( Johnny Cooke ). One started his own successful fishing business ( Ian Hay and The Rod Box ) and another became a restaurateur ( Charlie Skipwith and Cobbetts). School friends at Winchester were all destined either for the City, the services or one of the professions - and mostly went to university first, not to learn anything in particular, but to have a good time. Oxford was favoured because of the school's links with New College. Interestingly, absolutely no one went into the sciences, manufacturing or engineering, though one or two brave souls went into IBM. None of the girls went to u...

Miss VM (Violetta Maria) Sprules was a teacher at one of the first secretarial schools in London and had as her student, Miss Aristea Glyka (born 1914), who had been educated on the continent and spoke both French and German. When in 1933 Miss Sprules decided to set up on her own, she invited Miss Glyka to join her and they began a secretarial college teaching typing and shorthand. The first school was in Victoria and had five pupils. During the war they evacuated to Oxford and the school had its premises first in an old rectory and then in The Carfax. The school became too large for their Oxford premises and when the lease came up for renewal in the 1960s they decided to move to Winchester because it had a similar 'college' atmosphere. The Barclays Bank building had just been built and they moved to the second and third floors of the chambers above the bank and Ms Iris Rigg and Mrs Eileen Sealey joined them, the school remaining there before moving to Northgate in 1987 when...

Some the family's photo albums are on Flickr and this page provides an index to them 1960s - Prue's 1960s photos 1970 - Bordeaux Accompanying Charlie and Lucie to the boat to Australia 1975 - Nick's Wedding to Jay Jay at Wickham Church 7th June 1975 1975 - Harvestgate 1975 - Danegate and St Ronan's 1975 - Windlesham Manor July 1975 1975 - Holiday in France with the Martins and Hays Aug-Sept 1975 1975 - Penny and Peter Crittle at Harvestgate August 1975 1978 - March - August Mostly at Harvestgate 1980 - La Lointaigne, Roquebrune with Mel and Beatrice and the Allez's 1980 - Castell Howell - with Annie Sept 1980 1989 - Jess's Wedding Return to Archive Index Return to Harvestgate Farm

05.53 Wake and rise almost immediately. Ayako wakes too and worries about the cats. It's 12C outside and they come inside as soon as the front door is opened. Koko sleeps on unaware on the floor beside Ayako even as Cecil creeps into the bedroom. He slips up onto the bed and curls up beside Ayako. She's happy and murmurs as she goes back to sleep. 05.55 Open the curtains and make coffee. Fill Koko's water bowl. Bring the coffee back to my study and sit quietly. Pranayama. Prayers of thanks to Baba for me, my family and friends, and requests for help (and today thanks for having helped) those who are ill or suffering. Several Gayatri Mantras. Loka Samasta Sukino Bhavantu. 06.09 Finish prayers and then coffee. Start laptop up (which has been in sleep mode; it's rarely turned off.) Determine to write a day's journal. Watch the light come up (sunrise today is 06.08 according to the iPhone. Sunset at 19.58. The glass is high: 1038). The sun gilds the magnolia lea...

Sir Alfred Herbert (second from left) at a shoot in 1950 Sir Alfred loved the country pursuits of shooting and fishing . His greatest love was fishing, and he wrote a monograph on the subject in about 1935 which can be read here . He was also a fine shot and particularly loved grouse shooting on the moors of Scotland and the North of England. My father Patrick's Shooting Book also records Sir Alfred as a frequent guest at Litchfield (which of course is the estate next to Dunley). This monograph on Sir Alfred's shooting experience was written in about 1950 Of the three British game birds - grouse, partridge and pheasant - the grouse must, I think, take the first place in his home among the moors and mountains of the North. The red grouse is a truly wild creature found nowhere else but in these islands and those who are fortunate enough to enjoy his pursuit find themselves surrounded by some of the most delightful scenery in the country. The grouse may be shot be wal...

Motor Cars by Sir Alfred Herbert. This monograph, the original of which is corrected in his own hand , was probably written in the mid 1930s. The last car he mentions owning - the Lancia Astura 27hp - was being made in about 1935. A copy has been provided to the Coventry Transport Museum The first self propelled vehicle I can remember was a motor bicycle. The Coventry Humber Co. made some experimental machines of this kind, with two long tubular horizontal cylinders. We were called upon, at the works , to bore out the first of these cylinders as the Humber Co had no machinery that would do the job. About the same time, a small single cylinder motor was introduced. It was clipped to the front fork of the safety bicycle and drove the front wheel by a friction roller engaging with the tyre. This was probably the precursor of the outboard motor now used for boats. I think the first motor of this type was made by Werner. Leon Bolle, a Frenchman, was among the pioneers of the motor bicycle....