Herry's Archives

  Patrick Lawford and John Spreadbury in the early 90's John Spreadbury, came to Stocks aged 19 when we first arrived there, and became headman on the retirement of Reg Whitear in the 1960s and remained on the farm while it expanded with the purchase of Harvestgate Farm from the Biles's in the 60's and Little Stocks Farm from the Henderson's in the 70's, until Patrick Lawford retired from the day to day running of the farm when he reached 80, and John also retired, though he continued to do jobs on the farm, such a spraying for Stephen Horn who was contracted to look after the farm from his own at Bushey Down. John had been gifted Little Stocks Farm in Meonstoke in the 80's, so that he could build houses for himself and his family - his wife Peggy, and children Andrew, Rita and Shaun. John lives there still, but very sadly his son Andrew, who also worked on the farm from an early age, died in May 2021, and is buried in Meonstoke Churchyard. This photo, in a silv...

Draft                                                   Herry with the boys from Zadar including Peter Kragic   Herry and with Dusko Kacina, Peter Kragic and Herry with Jenny Kacic and the children including Zdravko  Herry, Justin More, Harry and Jenny Kacic at their house in Dingac  Although my first trip abroad on business was to Genoa in 1969, to help investigate a number of cases of condensation damage to grain shipments from Argentina, I was next asked to accompany Frank Ledwith to Split for a lecture he was giving on General Average to a group of shipowners and local insurers. The visit showed me the Yugoslavs at their hospitable best, ending long meals of delicious local fish (which often had different names in each port on the coast but was usually dorade) and local wine (Postup or Dingac) with philosophising and singing. One of their favour...

  Francis Frost 1945 - 2022 Francis in Stockbridge 2021 [Part of a letter to Lies Frost, July 2022] I always thought that I had first met Francis when we joined Millers together in October 1967, but in fact we discovered much later that we had each spent a few early months of 1967 living at Mrs Knott’s boarding house in Ashburn Gardens mugging for our bar exams and that we most probably met there at breakfast, although it wasn’t a place at which one fraternised and I don’t think we would have even known each other's names. As you know, he spent his first years at Millers in Frank Ledwith's training room, which was permanently in state of barely- suppressed uproar, as we played practical jokes on each other and particularly on the luckless Nigel Lindrea, who was a year senior to us.   During that time, and for some years afterwards, we would be invited - with you and in my case with Prue - to Frank Ledwith’s excruciating moral-reamament plays, or for ‘drinks’ at his flat w...

                                                   Martin's Summer Lunch at Hill Farm 1994  Will and Belin Martin had the brilliant idea of holding an alfresco summer lunch for their friends and their children beginning in 1974 in Farringdon with the tradition continuing until the 80s with the final one being held at Hill Farm in 1994. The lunches played an important role in maintaining friendships and creating memories for both the parents and the children.  Summer Lunch at Farringdon 1980. Carol and Martin Ashby, Sandra and Terry, Val and Chris Pile, Denise and Ian Hay, Penny Lawford, and John Lushington, Prue, Nick, Charlie, Jay-Jay, ...., Belin, ...,Tony and Jeanne Ashforth,  Martin and Rosie Lowry, Lucie, Johnnie Cooke, Patricia and John Wedderburn.  Photos of some more summer lunches are  here   Return to  Archive...

I have enjoyed some lovely things over the years, particularly several given to me by Prue, but it seems to me that they should be passed on to my children so that they can enjoy them now, rather than 'inherit' them at some date in the future.  Initially, I am passing on four items, as follows: To Radha/ Porcupine - Four Mughal Paintings bought on my trips to India in the 1970s and framed by Gibello. Prue has another four in Sydney. Radha acquired her name from my interest in India generated by Prue's mother 'Timmie' Watson, so it seems appropriate that these should go to her.  To Edward - a portrait of Edward Lawford  (1787 - 1864) probably by Udon Upton Eddis and painted in 1842. It should go with an etching of Edward, who was Solicitor to the East India Company and Clerk to the Drapers' Livery Company   The painting was repaired by Kiki Duke after it was damaged in the saleroom.  Edward Lawford of Eden Park (1787 - 1864) by Udon Upton Ellis  Edward ...

I began my chemo regime of eight cycles of three-weekly torture on 15th December 2021. The side-effcts were horrendous, and I stopped taking chemo the end of the 2nd cycle on 10th January, although some of be effects lasted well beyond that date. I wrote a note to the oncology team in Winchester and the nurses in Basingstoke on 18th January, updated on 25th, as follows: I hope this is helpful to the team and others and explains why I’m not going on with the chemo. Herry 25th January 2022 During the 1st Cycle:  1. General lassitude and feeling yuk - lying by the fire as much as possible. Going to bed at 8pm. Feeling a bit like having radiotherapy from the inside.  2. No appetite and incipient nausea - weight 75kg at the outset (stable for months before) down to 72kg by the end of the 1st cycle (and 68kg by the end of the 2nd).  3. Tingling sensations like strong pins and needles when you touch anything cold. Also makes cold food taste/ feel like straw in the mouth. Very od...

Rosita Lau at the Three Tenors Concert in Beijing 2002  Rosita Lau Awarded then Madal of Honour by tve Hong Kong Govt 2021 This Medal of Honour recognises Rosita Lau’s work as a maritime lawyer as well as her personal contribution to actively promoting the development of all aspects of Hong Kong’s maritime industry locally, in Asia, and internationally, since the 1990s.  The Hong Kong Government complimented Ms. Lau as follows: "Ms Lau is awarded Medal of Honour in recognition of her contribution to the development of the maritime industry and reinforcing Hong Kong's status as an international maritime centre." Amidst her busy legal professional career, Ms. Lau has also enhanced Hong Kong’s status as an international maritime centre in her position as an ambassador of Hong Kong’s maritime industry in missions to overseas countries. These included promoting the all-encompassing maritime services that Hong Kong offers, speaking at and moderating international maritime forum...