Winter/Spring 2008

Winter/Spring 2008 ● Issue No.15
HOLKHAM NEWSLETTER
H
AVING to make the
decision to close down the
Holkham Pottery factory this
summer was a sad one. Holkham
Pottery was started more than 50 years
ago by the fifth Earl’s wife, Elizabeth,
and at its peak, employed 100 people
and sold its distinctive pottery around
the world. However in today’s
competitive and global market (where
more than half the world’s pottery is made in China), it was no
longer viable to continue production. Despite its dedicated and
long-serving staff, it had been losing money. My thanks to
Douglas Codman, Jane Bray and Nancy Hipkin who, between
them, worked at the Pottery for a total of 115 years.
My responsibility is to the Hall and wider estate and I am
afraid that sometimes, tough decisions have to be made.
Holkham Pottery was one of the estate’s first attempts at
diversification away from agriculture. In the past few years there
have been many more, but agriculture — and the land — still
play a very important part in the make-up of the estate, both
visually and financially. It was therefore a huge honour for my
father, Holkham and its employees, when he was awarded the
The Bledisloe Gold Medal by the Royal Agricultural Society, in
recognition of outstanding achievement in the successful land
management and development of an English agricultural estate.
The end of an era
Holkham Pottery has
ceased production after
56 years in business, see pages 10-12
On the subject of agriculture, it is pleasing to see the return
to Holkham of South Devon cattle, which were Coke of
Norfolk’s preferred breed more than 150 years ago. It is,
however, sad that we do not have any sheep this year. Apart from
2000 and 2002 (the year after the last foot and mouth outbreak)
we have had sheep at Holkham continuously since the 19th
century, but I am confident they will return.
All the fun of the Fair
This year’s Holkham Country Fair enabled the
estate to donate more than £20,000 to a number
of charities and organisations, see page 8
I would like to record my thanks to the many estate
employees who this summer worked some extremely long and
unsocial hours. In particular, the farm men who worked for 30
consecutive days in trying conditions from 7.30am until 10pm
as they brought the harvest in: a magnificent effort. Also, our
chefs who work split shifts day in, day out and the many other
people on the estate who regularly work nights, such as those in
the hotel and pub, the Hall and of course, the gamekeepers.Your
hard work does not go unnoticed and we are most grateful for
your commitment.
The Holkham Country Fair on 21 and 22 July was, as ever, a
success. Congratulations to the team who put together an
continued on page two
www.holkham.co.uk
excellent, new and thought-provoking Holkham stand. As a
result of such a great fair, we have been able to give away
£20,000 to local charities and countryside organisations,
which will be followed by a further £20,000 next year. In
addition, we helped the Norfolk Churches Trust (of which
Lady Leicester was vice chairman at the time), to raise
£30,000 through a ‘Stately Car Boot Sale’ at the Hall.
positive letters and comments from visitors commenting on
the excellent visitor experience: “One of the best experiences
I have had in well over 150 stately homes in England,” was how
one summed it up.
Finally, my thanks to the Room Stewards in the Hall and
to the staff in the Stables Café. I have never seen so many
Viscount Coke
Archives
MANY of my extracts from the Archives for previous
Newsletters have illustrated life at Holkham during the past
400 years. Much of the information in the records relates to
other parts of the estate, so I am starting the alphabet again,
with snippets relating to various Norfolk properties.
A is for Ashill
The manor of Panworth Hall, near Ashill, about six miles
south-east of Swaffham, was bought by Sir Edward Coke in
1590 and sold by the third Earl of Leicester in 1912.
Two maps, drawn in 1581, are still in the Archives.These
are the oldest maps we have; most of the 160 estate maps are
from the 18th century but, remarkably, no fewer than 14
maps are dated before 1700.The cartographer,Thomas
Clerke, was apparently in a light-hearted mood when he
drew the Ashill map.
B is for Beck Hall
Beck Hall, at Billingford, was another of Sir Edward Coke’s
purchases, bought in 1606.The tenant, Sir John Prettyman,
left it ‘in a very decay’d condition’ in 1618 and rebuilding the
house cost £200. Another £150 was spent on repairs 20 years
later.When Thomas Coke succeeded to the estate in 1718,
his grandmother’s second husband, Horace Walpole, had a
lease of Beck Hall in return for repairing it, apparently
unsatisfactorily.
ABOVE: Detail from
Thomas Clerke’s map
of Ashill, 1581.
As his agent told Thomas Coke: ‘By the very great charges
that have attended the repairs and alterations of the manor
house at Beck Hall, you may see that great houses, unless they
are used as the mansion house of the family, are burthens
[burdens] upon the estate.’
C is for Creake
The school at South Creake, like many on the estate, was
subsidised by the Earl of Leicester and his tenants. It was
enlarged to take the Waterden children in 1874.
ABOVE: Proposed school at North Creake, drawn by S.S.
Teulon, 1846
In 1882, the vicar wrote to the agent at Holkham with
news of the school since the advent of a new head teacher.
Attendance was improving, without the need for compulsion:
‘The good sense of the people, joined with the tact & energy
of the teachers (who soon gained the love of the children)
have done all that was needful… last year we had 228
children on the books: the average attendance was 153… an
improvement on previous years.This year we have 208 on the
books and the average attendance is 163, i.e. three quarters
—2—
are daily in school… The smaller number on the books is
due to the fact that hitherto there was a residuary of dull
ones left by the old system, who had not passed the standard
to enable them to go to work. Now these are all weeded out,
or superannuated!’
The vicar lamented the fact that the payment by the
parents was only one penny a week: in his previous parish in
Westmorland they had willingly paid three pence or four
pence, ‘but there the people thoroughly appreciate education.
Here they are only learning to do so. But they are learning’.
Christine Hiskey
Archivist
CAN YOU HELP?
HOLKHAM
FARMING
COMPANY LTD
I am sure I am not the only one bemoaning the wrong sort
of weather this year, but it would seem that all that could go
wrong, actually did.
The incredibly dry start to the spring gave ideal conditions
for establishing sugar beet and spring barley. As the dry time
continued, worries emerged over poor potential yields due
to lack of water. At least with the reservoir in the Park,
revenue from irrigation could help ease the pain. But no! As
the potatoes and carrots started requiring water, the heavens
opened and it rained and rained in torrents. At least the
spring barley was saved, but the sugar beet did not like sitting
with wet roots without any sun and in some places locally,
the crop has died completely. On the lighter land it held on
but any thoughts of a record tonnage soon vanished.
As harvest began, the warm sun returned to at least allow a
relatively easy start.Yields looked about average so all was
not lost.Then the fortnight of constant drizzle in August
caused wheat and barley to sprout in the ear.This is
disastrous for malting barley, as the maltsters prefer to grow
the barley in a controlled environment, not the field. So,
virtually all the spring barley is destined for animal feed.The
wheats lost yield and also the specific weights dropped below
the magic 72kg/hl figure and deliveries are being subject to
penalties. At least the autumn has been kind and crops have
been drilled in good conditions, but now we could do with
some rain!
During the summer, the grain drier at Egmere proved
frustrating to say the least.We were hampered by an
electrician who talked a better job than he did! I quote:
“Don’t worry, I’ll have it all running 100% before you know it.
We had the same with another farm a few years ago and I’ve
never been back to it.” I wonder why?
I have just received a lovely batch of photographs from the
daughter of one of the maids who worked at Holkham in
about 1938-41.
Some of you will have noticed the red cattle in the Park
recently (see photo below). John Smith, the new herd
manager, has bought a small herd of South Devon cows and
calves.This will become the nucleus for the suckler herd at
Chalk Hill. Many of the current cows are well past their best
and the South Devon should give a bigger beefier calf when
crossed with a continental bull such as a Charolais. John has
also begun updating the housing and handling facilities at
Warham to enable
him to handle
animals more
easily and safely,
and to monitor
growth rates in
youngstock.
These photos are two of several recently sent by Molly
Kearn, nee Dunn. Her father, Bill Dunn, was the head
gardener and the family lived in The Bothy until 1950. Her
mother, nee Brenda Standen, second from left in this photo,
worked in the Hall around 1938-41. Can anyone identify any
of the other staff? If so, please contact me in the Archives.
The South Devon cattle and their
calves are settling into the Park.
—3—
Michael Turner
Farms Manager
The Hall
BLINK and another season has come and gone and what a
season it has been.We had a terrific Easter then it started to
rain and rain. I thought at one point that Phil Bishop would
be able to start picking up passengers for the lake cruise at
the Cricket Pavilion.
By the time you read this we will have finished two major
film sessions with a third underway. Colin Shearer had sole
control over the crew that came to film a TV “docudrama”
entitled “Victoria’s Men”. I was away on holiday so the full
weight of five very long working days fell on his shoulders.
It’s a tribute to his remarkable good nature that all of the crew
walked away unharmed at the end of the shoot.
A brief respite followed with me holding the fort while
Colin and his sons thrashed up and down Welsh hillsides,
pausing only to howl at England’s defeat in Paris, before we
were both back in the thick of it with the start of filming of
“The Duchess”, about Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire,
starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. I know it sounds
glamorous, but in reality it’s 10 days at a level of excitement
marginally less gripping than watching paint dry, or having Ian
Barrett sing folk songs at you all day!
All credit to Mark Taylor, Ian Barrett, Lou Bailey and Peter
Godwin and his team for preparing the house for the shoot
and for putting it back together again.Thanks also to the
unsung heroines of the Hall, Carole Cox, Pat Dickerson, Sonia
Horsman and Rosemary Turner, who have ensured that the
Hall was returned to its normal ordered state of cleanliness.
POLICE PEDAL
POWER
Holkham’s librarian, Sam Mortlock,
launches his latest book.
Some of the cleaning problems were self-inflicted of course —
Pat’s drooling on set whenever Ralph Fiennes was about will
be remembered for years to come by all who witnessed it.
The third film shoot — my aren’t we popular this year —
was for a film “My talks with Dean Spanney”, starring Peter
O’Toole and Sam Neill. Fortunately, this was a much smaller
production, which lasted just three days and only required the
use of two rooms.
Amid all the usual routine concerts, operas, guided tours
and weddings, our librarian, Sam Mortlock, and his publishers
arranged for the launch of his latest book ‘Norfolk Churches’
in the Saloon. Sam is pictured in full flow mid way through
his excellent speech extolling the virtues of the wonderful
variety of churches in the county.This, by the way, is the third
book he’s had published in the past two years.
This season saw the introduction of the ticket office in the
Pottery Yard under the control of Christine Hawkes, ably
assisted by Kerry Cave. It has proved to be a great success, in
future, all tickets to the Hall and Bygones will be sold from
here. Sadly, this meant the demise of the cashier post in the
Hall and the retirement of Christine Cardwell. Although I
know she hates the word, Christine has been an absolute
stalwart on the cashier’s desk and we will all miss her.
The way we manage the house during the open season will
change next year and we will need replacement room stewards
and someone to run the Audio Guide from Easter to the end
of October. If you’d like to know more about working at the
Hall, please contact either Colin or myself for an informal chat
on: 01328 710667.
HOLKHAM recently funded the purchase of a £700-plus
police bicycle for use in the Wells area Safer Neighbourhood
Team, which comprises three police community support
officers, a dedicated beat officer and a sergeant who together
cover 13 parishes. PCSO Andy Dixon (far right) is pictured
above with the new mountain bike, having been presented
with it by Lord Coke.Also pictured (from left) are: PCSO
Emma Hendry-Smith, PC Lee Anderton, PCSO Mike Blowers
and Holkham’s Resident Agent, Richard Gledson.
Towards the end of the season, a visitor approached the
room steward in the North State Sitting room, and pointing to
the fallow deer on the north Park, asked:
“What are they?”
“Fallow deer,” replied the room steward.
“They’re beautiful—are they plastic?”
Mike Daley
Hall Administrator
—4—
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Have you been wondering what it was like having famous actors like Keira Knightley and Ralph
Fiennes in the Hall? Mike Daley reports from behind the scenes of ‘The Duchess’
things to do is detailed and seems endless.
ANYONE going past the Hall at the
end of October and the beginning of
November could be excused for thinking
that it was undergoing major repairs —
what with the huge scaffolding towers, big
red cherry pickers, metre upon metre of
electrical cables and more lights than you
could shake a stick at that were all over
the place.
With a crew of 200, “The Duchess Film
Co” used the Hall as a location for “The
Duchess” starring Keira Knightley and
Ralph Fiennes.What will eventually end up
on the screen will be the result of hours
of dedicated work by this huge team of
technicians and artists.
The week before filming starts, it’s case of
“all hands to the pumps” as we clear the
State Rooms of everything listed in
location agreement.
ABOVE: Actresses are filmed in front of
the fountain on the terraces.
Almost all of the filming took place on
the first floor State Rooms with the
Statue Gallery, Long Library and Stranger’s
Wing being pressed into service from time
to time.
A marquee was erected by the cricket
pavilion and used to store costumes for
the cast and the 70 or so extras that were
selected from the hundreds who applied.
Incidentally, the extras included: Lord
Coke’s mother,Valeria,Viscontess Coke,
her consort, Mark Hassall, and Marit Maufe
of Leith Farm, Burnham Thorpe.Trailers for
the actors were positioned on the coach
park, and the first of hundreds of cups of
tea and coffee are brewed.
Of course, preparation for such a massive
invasion of the house takes a considerable
amount of time and effort.With big
feature films like this, the process starts
weeks before filming begins when various
members of the unit visit to assess the
location and confirm its suitability.
These visits culminate in a full-scale
technical reconnaissance when all the
team — including the directors and
producers — walk through the script and
scenes in order to plan the shoot in the
finest detail.
ABOVE: A huge battery of lights was
required to film “The Duchess”.
Negotiations then take place to make
clear what the unit may or may not do
once shooting begins; which rooms need
to be cleared of Holkham furniture and
artefacts; whether fires are allowed; what
lighting is required and which carpets need
to be removed.
The unit props dept measure light
switches and power point outlets so that
they can make shallow boxes to cover
them during filming. All the bulbs are
removed from our wall lights and
chandeliers and permission given to use
candles in certain areas — the list of
The Prop Master and his team arrive two
days before shooting starts and off load
tonnes of props and start to “dress” the
house. While all this is going on, riggers
and electricians set up numerous
scaffolding towers and massive lights, two
large generator lorries are also
positioned — one to the north the other
on the south side of the Hall. Just one of
these trucks will produce enough power
to light the whole of Holkham village.
Filming goes on for 10 hours each day,
but preparing for the shoot and clearing
away at the end of the day often adds a
couple of hours to that, so Colin and
I are faced with some very long
working days.What follows is two weeks
of the mysterious process called making a
movie that will, everyone hopes, bring
critical acclaim and of course profit, to
all concerned.
Our thanks go to a very professional crew
and in particular, the Location Manager,
Tom Stourton, who had the unenviable
task of keeping all of us to the agreed
contract at all times!
ABOVE: Hundreds of props had to be
carried in before filming could start.
—5—
These photographs, I hope, will give you
some idea of the complexity and enormity
of the task. Everyone here wishes good
luck to the feature film; and boy is it quiet
now they’ve gone!
Gardens Department
FOR us gardeners, the weather is often a problem: too wet,
too cold, too windy or too dry. But whatever it seems to
throw at us we tend to get by and carry on. However, the
wet this year did tend to get us bogged down, literally in
some cases.Then thanks to the sunny warm end to summer,
the grass just kept growing.
It’s amazing how our often neglected lawns just seem to
get on with it, even if we don’t sometimes give them the
loving care they deserve.We have purchased a tractor
mounted scarifier that should help us to get some better
quality grass. It will get rid of all the dead grass (thatch) and
rake out most of the moss and help to control some of the
wilder grasses that blow on to our lawns. At first, it looks as
though it’s ripping the heart out of the grass, as it will dig
into the ground to about 5in if needed, which does make it
look a bit rough. But, after we have given it some aeration
(run over the ground with a machine that puts a series of
holes in to the lawn) and given it some fertiliser, and in some
areas, some more seed, within a few months it really greens
up and encourages a better lawn next season.This, however,
will have to be repeated in the spring (albeit not so
aggressively) to finish the process.
FORESTRY
THE Woods Dept has been
felling dead, hollow and rotten
trees (mostly Beech) at the
South Lodge, with the intention
of doing some re-planting. Some
of the trees we have taken out
must be about 280 years old,
and have been falling down with
worrying regularity.They were
Kenny Rowe retired in
planted by William Kent, the
October after 50 years
with the Woods Dept..
designer of the Hall and early
Park, at the same time as the
foundations of the Hall were laid in 1735.
Freddy Futter and I have been to look at a firewood machine
and have two more coming to the estate for a demonstration.
ABOVE: The new scarifier will help to improve the lawns.
We should finish work on tidying up the last two front
sections of the Walled Garden this winter.This will involve
pruning the shrubs; renovating the pathways and the clearing
of the frames and the rest of the greenhouses.These areas will
then continue to be regularly maintained, giving Holkham
Enterprises a larger are in which to host wedding receptions.
As per usual, maintaining the grounds at Pinewoods has
kept us on our toes this season—for the time we had a
complaint that the grass was too short rather than too long!
At times, we had to be a bit careful about which areas we
attempted to cut due to the wet ground.We have just started
pruning the beds, which should keep us busy for around six
weeks.With the help of the new scarifier we should also be
able to improve the quality of the greens and fairways on the
pitch and putt course.
At The Victoria, we are currently clearing out and
replanting of some of the beds, not only at the hotel, but also
at some of the lodges and the staff houses as well.The new
planting should give the flower beds more all-year round
interest and topping them off with bark mulch should make
them easier to maintain next season.
Peter Godwin
Head Gardener
We have also started supplying Ilex leaves to London Zoo
again this year, for the giraffes, okapi and oryx to browse on.
When a huge Ilex falls and dies at Holkham, the main tree is
cleared away, leaving just the stump. Soon, scores of saplings
spring up around it and it is these young shoots that the
browsing animals like to eat.
Finally, Kenny Rowe (see photo above) retired on 16 October
2007 after spending all his working life working for the estate
Woods Department.We all went out for a meal to mark the
occasion and wish him well for the future.
Ian McNab
Head Woodsman
—6—
Holkham Foods
down to Lady Anne’s Drive on nice weekends throughout
the winter and I’d like to thank Eileen Heyhoe for taking on
this job with such aplomb.
HOLKHAM Foods is preparing for its winter hibernation
after the end of another summer season.
This year has been a very busy and happy one here at the
Stables Café. All the staff enjoyed the season, which has been
very successful despite some awful bouts of weather that
caused flash flooding. On one occasion, we ended up
paddling barefoot in the kitchen in a bid to get the water
out and it really was all hands to the pumps with mops
and brooms!
We enjoyed good Holkham Ice Cream sales despite the
weather, with the lavender flavour selling particularly well and
plum ripple and elderflower selling out!
I would like to thank all my staff for their hard work this
year and look forward to seeing them all at Easter next year,
for hopefully another happy and successful year.
The food trailer on Lady Anne’s drive has had a good
season back with Holkham Foods, but again, the weather
didn’t do us any favours as the rain meant many people stayed
away from Holkham Beach.We will still be sending the trailer
Outdoor theatre
productions
Wendy Mason
Holkham Foods Manager
2008
SHOWS
Peter Pan
on Tuesday, 29 July at 6pm
Mad & Merry Monarchs
on Friday, 1 August at 7pm
Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland
on Saturday, 16 August at 5pm
Charley’s Aunt
on Friday, 22 August at 7pm
Sleeping Beauty
on Wednesday, 27 August at 6pm
THIS year’s open air theatre
productions proved to be lucky with
the weather, the only hitch occurred
during Cry Blue Murder when the cast
struggled to cope with the noise of an
impromptu air display by the RAF.
The actors from Cambridge Touring
Theatre performing Wind in the
Willows were very excited to see the
pre-prepared mole hills in the Walled
Gardens, so thanks go Peter Godwin for
supplying those at such short notice! I
would also like to thank the Countess
of Leicester for stepping up to the task
of drying some sodden costumes from a
previous night’s performance.
write-up of the event several weeks
later in his column, ‘Travels with Cara’.
I was impressed by the degree of
professionalism of all the theatre
ABOVE: Mike Souter prepares to
companies we invited this summer and
execute Anne Boleyn in this summer’s
production of The Merry Wives of
especially enjoyed the guest appearance
Henry VIII.
by the broadcaster and Eastern Daily
Press travel writer, Mike Souter, as
executioner of Anne Boleyn in The Merry Wives of Henry
VIII, performed by Distraction Theatre.Those avid EDP
readers amongst us will have caught up with Mike’s brief
—7—
Audience numbers were very good
for the children’s plays; however, I hope
to improve on attendances next year.
With this in mind, we will be putting
on the programme listed above.We
hope to have your support in 2008.
Finally, I would like to wish you all a
happy festive season and thank everyone
who was ‘roped-in’ to help me this year.
Kerry Cave
Events Coordinator
Marketing Department
HOLKHAM hosted the bi-annual
Country Fair in July—who would have
thought that there could have been
such a stark contrast in the two days.
On Saturday—after overnight high
winds and torrential rain—the event
got off to a good start. Sadly, as the day
progressed, the weather deteriorated
and the rain returned; which impacted
on the first day’s attendance figures.
fishing industry and compost. It
attracted a great deal of interest, keeping
many children amused digging for the
hundreds of worms working away in
the soil bed. Elsewhere, bemused visitors
were entranced by the display of
digitally enhanced images depicting
possible future scenarios for the estate.
Photos of vineyards growing on the
slopes of the south drive and an image
of the Hall surrounded by water due to
rising sea levels certainly got peoples’
minds working on the possible impact
of global warming.
Fortunately Holkham’s sturdy
marquee afforded shelter for many and
the opportunity to peruse an impressive
display.The theme highlighted the
valuable work the estate does for
Holkham recently took part in a new
education, conservation and the
initiative called ‘TopLots’, an eBay
environment, along with our range of
auction in which various UK museums,
leisure and tourism enterprises. It was
galleries and heritage attractions went
Visitors to the Country Fair were
impressed by the estate’s display
not only colourful, but also educational
online offering a vast range of auction
and informative, using 300 photographs,
lots.This was the first auction of its kind
props and displays. Although our marquee was in the middle
and for Holkham, a rather unusual way of raising funds for
of parkland, we managed to set up two 42in plasma television
the ongoing heritage work carried out at the Hall every year.
screens to run our tourism video and a somewhat unusual
Lord Coke put forward two packages: a lifetime pass for two
presentation highlighting important dates and unusual facts
people to visit the Hall, Park and gardens and a personal tour
about Holkham. Did you know, for instance, that there were
around the Hall for four people followed by lunch in the
45 servants in the Hall in the 1840s or that the present Lord
impressive North State Dining Room.We look forward to
Coke’s batting average for 2007 was 0.66?
welcoming the successful bidders.
In the environment section, Peter Godwin’s worm farm
demonstrated an efficient method of waste disposal, which
also provides marketable products such as worms for the
Laurane Herrieven
Marketing Manager
www.holkham.co.uk WINS AWARD
diversity and modernity of the
entire Holkham operation.
One of the judging panel
commented: “I found your website
to be not only very easy to use,
but inspirational! I have never
visited Holkham Estate and
definitely intend to do so in
the future.”
IN October, the Holkham
website won the regional Enjoy
England Awards for Excellence
in the Tourism Website
Category.The results were
announced at an evening
ceremony held by East of
England Tourism at Ickworth
House, Bury St Edmunds.
Our entry will now be judged
Our successful entry identified
as a contender in the Tourism
the strength of the site—which
Website Category for the national
was expertly re-designed by
awards organised by Visit Britain.
WillisMcKenzie earlier this
Jane Haynes and Laurane Herrieven accept Holkham’s
Unfortunately, we now have to
year—with its strong clean
award from East of England Tourism.
wait until the New Year to hear
graphics and rolling imagery,
if we might be one of the finalists
highlighting the site’s valuable
— so, keep your fingers crossed!
integration with the estate’s business objectives. It assists with
achieving these objectives by pulling together all the enterprises
Laurane Herrieven
and activities that support these aims and reflects the quality,
Marketing Manager
—8—
GIFT SHOPS
AS the summer issue of the Newsletter
was going to print, we were working hard
on displays for the estate marquee at the
Holkham Country Fair in July.
The businesses in Holkham village opened
their doors again this year for late night
Christmas shopping on the evenings of the
22 and 23 November. Disappointingly, the
evenings were not particularly well
attended, with Thursday being cold and
wet and Friday again being very cold.Those
who did come along however, were glad of
the complimentary mince pies and mulled
wine in the Gift Shop. On the Friday
evening, Fakenham Town Band entertained
everyone for more than an hour with
Christmas carols and drew a small crowd
of hardy local supporters who cheered them on.
A festive feel at Ancient House.
Happily, despite the torrential rain when
we were setting up the day before the
first day of the Fair, it was an extremely
successful weekend. Many visitors to the
marquee were surprised by all that we do
at Holkham and left with a clearer vision
of what we work hard to achieve.
Both gift shops at Holkham have done well this season, which is
pleasing, despite a downturn in retail sales countrywide. However,
the season was not without incident.The Pottery Shop at the Hall
was flooded twice during rainstorms in July.While I was getting
wet at the Country Fair marquee, Julie Gould called me on the
radio to say that as fast as she was clearing the water out of the
shop, it was pouring in through the ceiling and down the walls. I
arrived to find Julie with two mops and her trousers rolled up to
her knees! The damage was so bad that part of the ceiling will be
replaced during the winter, when the shop is closed.
While doing a stocktake at Ancient House at the end of
October, Biddy Bunkle in the post office casually mentioned that
she had been working there for 25 years to the very day. Many
people come into the Post Office to ask directions to various
destinations, and I’m sure that by now, Biddy must know every
single occupant of every house in the area! We all send our
congratulations to Biddy on her 25 years as Postmistress.
The Ancient House Gift Shop and Gallery will be open right up
to and including Christmas Eve and re-opens on 27 December
to start preparing for the sale which starts shortly after, so
remember to come along and see what bargains you can find.
Finally, we were sad to see Holkham Pottery close in September
this year and would like to thank Jane Bray and Douglas Codman
for all the pottery that they have produced for the shops over
the years and wish them all the best for the future. I would like
to thank all the ladies who work in the gift shops for being so
flexible and helpful. It’s a pleasure to work alongside Julie Gould,
Margaret Chubbock, Jill Watson, Caroline Muncey and Sue Fisher.
Sylvia Daley
Retail Manager
Bygones Museum
they do to help run Bygones. Paperwork is not a strong point
here and Christine is doing a great job of sorting out the
many files and documents in the office that need attention.
THE Bygones Museum has enjoyed a successful summer
season, with visitor numbers up on last year.The new ticket
office in the Pottery Yard gave us a boost and contributed to
a lot more people coming and having a look round.
This year, Lord Coke loaned his classic Airstream caravan
for display when not in use, which has proved to be a major
attraction — especially to the many members of The Caravan
Club who have visited Bygones. I am currently giving it a
good polish, in preparation for The Caravan Club Rally at
Holkham from 23-27 May 2008.
During the season, the museum comes alive: it has spirit,
a soul of its own. It’s vibrant, dynamic and fun.There is an
indefinable link between people of the present and the
heritage of the past, which is represented in all the artefacts
and collections from history.
We all have happy memories of children climbing over the
fire engine, of the curiosity of the many visitors and the
flattering comments in the visitors book this season.We must
be doing something right! However, having less staff and with
so much to do to keep up the Museum, there just hasn’t been
the time to write for the Newsletter. So this is the first news
of Bygones for a while. I would like to say a big thank you to
Hall Administrator, Mike Daley, and Marketing Manager,
Laurane Herrieven.They are always there when help and
advice is needed. Christine Hawkes, Laura Comer and our
volunteer, Rex Vick, should also be thanked for everything
We were pleased to receive some positive comments in the
annual quality assurance report on the attractions at
Holkham, especially as the inspector singled out our staff for
praise.There were also some suggestions for improvement in
one or two areas, so, look out for Bygones staff resplendent in
their new T-shirts next season!
And, of course, listening to visitors always teaches us a lot.
Wherever suggestions for improvement come from, they are
invaluable. Not only for the sake of Bygones itself, but
because there is a deep awareness and pride that Bygones is a
part of Holkham as a whole, the heritage and experience of
Holkham, which has shaped what the estate is today.
—9—
Brian Ayton
The end of an era
Holkham Pottery closed in September 2007 after
56 years of production. Here, the Countess of
Leicester pays tribute to its staff, while Lady
Glenconner remembers how her mother
established the business
MY interest in Holkham Pottery began in 1986. It had been
reduced in size in the 1970s and had a workforce of 11
people. Reluctantly, we had to cut back further in 1991
because much cheaper imports from China and Taiwan were
beginning to affect sales.
We introduced a new range of lacquered lamps, obelisks
and urns. Cyril Ruffles (pictured right), was still throwing
superb hand thrown pots on the wheel, and he often treated
visitors to the Hall to a demonstration. It was mesmerising to
watch a beautiful vase develop under Cyril’s fingers, the
edges were so fine, and of course visitors went straight into
the shop and bought his vases. Soon, we started taking the
pottery to trade fairs again, to increase sales.
When I arrived,Wilton Elston, who trained in Stoke on
Trent, was managing and designing items for the Pottery.
Wilton’s great forte was ‘relief ’ work (this is a ‘raised and
carved’ moulding on a piece of pottery, similar to
Wedgwood). His designs were brilliant, and apart from
the large number of flower vases he designed, he created
mugs in relief for practically every cathedral in England. One
of his most successful designs was the Elizabeth range —
The talented Cyril Ruffles busy making
Holkham Pottery in the 1950s
named after the fifth Earl’s wife—and was inspired by the
‘hole in the pebble’ that is often found on the beach.The
mug, jug, teapot and sugar bowl were all cast with the
handles incorporated into the piece, creating a very modern
look for the time. More than a million of the mugs were
made. Our range was extensive and diverse: we even made
Watney Mann and Norwich Bitter beer pump handles, and
huge ashtrays for their pubs.
Many local people have been employed at the Pottery
over the years.White overalls were worn by everyone and a
team of two or three made the slip for the pottery and
DOUGLAS CODMAN
His quality control was fastidious.Time was
simply not in Douglas’s vocabulary.
DOUGLAS CODMAN started work at the
Pottery at the age of 16 in July 1963 and
stayed for 44 years. His first week’s pay was
£1.73 (of which he gave half of this to his
Mum for housekeeping).
On his first day, Douglas was assigned to
Paul Trett in the casting department, where
he had to bore holes in pomanders — in
fact, 28 holes in each pomander. Douglas
was influenced and trained by Harry Plant,
who was a former potter from Stoke on
Trent. Having worked under seven managers
during his time at the Pottery, the first being
Mr Corrigan [his son, Robin, captains the
Holkham cricket team today], followed by
Mr Russell, Mr Mcguire, Mr Sharp, Mr Mansell, Mr Jones and Wilton
Elston. Douglas took over in 1992, when Wilton retired.
Douglas Codman’s own skills are considerable: he could turn his
hand to any job in the factory, from making the liquid slip, casting the
pieces, to fettling and spongeing (removing the rough edges) to
dipping and spraying glazes, applying transfers and packing the kilns.
Every day that I have known him (21 years),
he was never late for work, he never had a
day off sick, and he has done countless
hours of voluntary unpaid overtime for the
love of the Pottery. Douglas was never
daunted, however tight the schedule. He
was often seen on his bicycle at 11pm,
cycling up to the Pottery from his home in
the village to tip out excess slip (liquid clay)
from the moulds he had filled earlier in the
day. One summer, when we were working
especially hard trying to make 4,000 mugs in
a short time, I realised that Douglas was
coming up to the factory every night to switch on the kiln at
10.30pm, and then returning at 3am to open a vent. Eventually, he
reluctantly agreed that I could do the early morning stint!
Douglas’s wife, Jean — with whom he has four children — also
worked in the Pottery as a young girl, and that is where they
first met. Jean is now head housekeeper at The Victoria Hotel.
— 10 —
barrowed it around the building in dustbins to the bottom
of the Bowling alley — the main area of the factory for
casting pottery.
When Holkham Pottery closed in September, it brought
about the redundancies Douglas Codman, Jane Bray and
Nancy Hipkin, who have worked there all their
working lives (see panels below). Sylvia Guiney and Betty
Ruffles also worked in the Pottery for many years, as did
Cyril’s wife, Eileen, who ran the Ancient House shop for
years — she loved selling Cyril’s vases! Mark Clipston
started work on the Pottery accounts straight from school.
As well as all those I have mentioned, we must pay
tribute to all the people who have worked at Holkham
Pottery. It is the end of an era, and their hard work has
produced millions of items, many of which are still used
and will become antiques of the future.
NANCY HIPKIN
NANCY HIPKIN has also worked for
the Pottery for 37 years. Although
she retired four years ago, she did
come back to the factory to work
part-time.
Nancy has seen many changes over
the years and became one of the
quickest fettlers and spongers in the
team. She also applied many
thousands of transfers to the various
mugs, lamps and vases.
ON THE ROAD
It has been a privilege to work with so many talented
and dedicated people and, I personally, have loved every
minute of it. Daily visits to the Pottery were a relief from
the domesticities of the Hall. I know them all well, and
regard them as very good friends, and will remember them
with great affection. I thank them for their support and
help and friendship over the past 21 years, and I wish Jane
and Nancy well in their retirement and am sure Douglas
will enjoy great success as a freelance gardener.
The Countess of Leicester
JANE BRAY
JANE BRAY (neé Beck) left
school and started in the
Pottery in 1963, where she has
worked for a total of 34 years.
When Jane first started her
wage was 1/2d per hour (6p in
today’s money).Wilton Elston
taught Jane the skill of hand
decorating, and in the early
days, she learned to do everyones’ tasks. She learned how
to paint the famous Snowdrop range and was part of a
team of six hand decorators who sat in a production
line—some painting the flowers, some painting the leaves.
Back then, Carol Cox was part of the team and she still
works in the house.
Jane first met her husband, Maurice, when he was sent to
repair the roof of the Pottery, after it had caught fire.They
married in 1967, and she left in 1968 to have her two
children, Kevin and Tracy, returning to her old job 10
years’ later.
For the past 15 years, Jane has concentrated on hand
decorating and gilding, and has applied literally hundreds
of thousands of transfers to the many mugs, plates, vases,
lamps and Colman’s Mustard pots, to name but a few.
ABOVE: Lady Glenconner pictured in the 1950s with just
some of the Holkham Pottery range.
MY mother, Elizabeth [wife of the fifth Earl of Leicester], came
up with the idea of starting a pottery at Holkham after
watching a German prisoner of war throwing pots at the
Brickyard at Peterstone.
During the Second World War, a number of German and Italian
prisoners of war were housed in wooden sheds near the
church in Holkham Park and put to work at the Brickyard. As
my mother watched this man create pots on a small wheel, she
was inspired to start making items to sell to visitors to the
Hall. Cyril Ruffles, who also worked in the Brickyard and later
became chief thrower at the Pottery, was taught how to pot by
the German POW.
My mother was also keen to find something for my sister, Lady
Carey, and I to do, to prevent us from moving to London. And
so, in 1951, Holkham Studio Pottery was established (becoming
Holkham Pottery Ltd) in 1961.
continued overleaf
— 11 —
I was about 16 when I first got
involved and it was a fascinating
experience. My mother was very
artistic, and having been to art
school in London before she
married, she drew and painted
very well. She used to draw ideas
and get a professional to interpret
them into pottery. In the early
days, most of the items were hand
painted, but, later, we moved on to
transfers. My sister, Carey, is also
very artistic and used to do
some of the more intricate
hand painting.
I could do some of the simpler work such as
fettling and spongeing, but I loved selling. I was in
charge of marketing and was a travelling salesman.
I used to go around all the local shops in the
winter with my case and could often be found sat
on the floor unwrapping pottery.
The chevron-design tea and dinner
service was a big hit with customers.
. . . as was the snowdrop
range, which was made
right up until the end.
no clothes. But, when I arrived in
New York at Christmas time there
were lights everywhere, including
lights in the shape of big crosses
on most of the skyscrapers — it
was just fantastic.
Then, while I was out there, I
received a telegram telling me that
I had been chosen to be a maid of
honour at the Queen’s coronation
and suddenly, my orders went sky
high! We sold a great deal of Toby
jugs with images of the Queen and
Prince Philip on the front.The Queen Mother
was an old family friend, so she was always very
supportive of the business.
I can remember coming back to England aboard
the Queen Mary and seeing my mother who had
come to meet me and waving my order book,
saying: “Look Mum, look at all the orders I’ve
got!” I was absolutely thrilled.
My father was slightly sceptical at the beginning
— he didn’t think his wife and daughters were
going to make much of a success of the business
— but he was very supportive. He financed the
refurbishment of the old laundry into a light and
bright pottery studio.
My sisters and I were rather intrigued by the whole business,
although it largely involved Carey and I, as Sarah is 12 years
younger than me. It was rather exciting and new and we enjoyed
it very much.We used to go to Blackpool and Harrogate to try
to sell the pottery and as we started off on a shoestring, we
always stayed in the attics of smart hotels and would then have
to try to persuade buyers to climb lots of stairs to look at our
wares — we used to flirt with the men!
We sold two dinner/tea services; one was the blue and white
chevron design, the other the ever-popular snowdrop design.The
chevron design (see photo above) was one of our best-selling
ranges. In those days, particularly in the years after the war, our
colourful pottery was a novelty.There was a real market for
pretty things as so much had been destroyed in the war and
people had had to go without.
Because the Coke family was so well known in Norfolk and
England, I got used to being able to go into shops and solicit
orders with ease. But, when, after an unhappy love affair, my
parents sent me off to New York on a selling trip to get over it,
I got a bit of a shock when I tried to approach Saks in Fifth
Avenue. I didn’t have an appointment, but I was confident that
they would see me, so I was rather taken aback to be told that
there was absolutely no question of making an appointment with
their buyer for the next six months. Fortunately, the cousin I was
staying with was able to pull some strings and I did manage to
get Holkham Pottery on sale in Saks on Fifth Avenue.
I just loved America. It was very exciting at a time when poor
England was so drab. At home there were no lights, no food and
At its height, Holkham Pottery employed nearly
100 people and was the biggest light industry in
north Norfolk. One of our bestsellers was the
moo milk saver: a device that you put in the
bottom of a milk pan to prevent it boiling over. People also liked
something called a wally wet tail. It was a green caterpillar with a
porous tail, which you placed in a plant pot and filled with water
and it would continue to water the plant. A number of ceramic
pint pulling handles were also made and sold to local pubs.
We had a shop in the Hall near to where the old Post Office
was located, but it was only open when the house was open.
However, it enabled us to keep the range on display at all times,
so we always had something to show potential customers.
When I look back, I consider that we were very lucky to have
had something so interesting to work at. Lots of girls had to go
off and learn to be secretaries, but we got to work in our
mother’s pottery.
I don’t like to boast, but I was rather good at selling. It was very
good training and it certainly taught me the gift of the gab! A few
years later, my experience led to a job in a small shop in Sloane
Street in London, which sold some of our range.
In recent years, it’s wonderful that Lady Leicester kept it going for
so long and improved it. I’m obviously sad that it had to close, but
it is incredible that it ran for 56 years and gave so many people so
much pleasure. I can understand why it couldn’t go on, it’s much
more difficult to run it as a profitable business now.
When we started out, my mother, Carey and I were determined
that it would be a success.We really wanted to show our father
what we could do. I think he was rather proud of us in a way,
especially as Holkham Pottery followed in the estate tradition
of self-sufficiency.
— 12 —
Lady Glenconner
BUILDING
MAINTENANCE
Holkham Linseed
Paints
WE have just enjoyed another successful trip to the
annual Historic Buildings, Parks and Gardens event in
London.This event is held alongside the Historic Houses
Association AGM and gives us a major opportunity to
speak to other similar estates to Holkham, from across the
country.We have several like-minded estates on our books
already and a set of new pictures that show how fresh
Holkham Linseed Paint remains after five years, should
increase interest and encourage more estates to use our
products.We also plan to take a small stand at EcoBuild
2008 at Earl’s Court in London in February.This year’s
event will be twice the size of last year’s and will give us a
prime opportunity to show our products to key decision
makers across the country.
I have recently carried out reciprocal visits with “The
Friends of Delapre Abbey” who are currently restoring a
large glasshouse, not dissimilar to those that Holkham
recently refurbished in the Walled Garden. I’ve also revisited Cranbrook Union Mill, where I was able to sit on
the Fantail stage at the very top with the steeplejacks! We
hope to be able to include some photographs in the next
Newsletter when the works are completed. Restoration of
another windmill, at Saxstead Green in Suffolk, is now
underway under the guidance of English Heritage
following a site visit earlier this summer.
Other projects include the painting of an entirely
timber clad church in Yorkshire; this is being re-boarded
and the painter is painting the boards inside and out with
our paint prior to installation.We also had a telephone call
from an estate near Edinburgh, which wanted to paint a
four storey high cupola.The call came in just as the
cupola was being lifted by crane into position, and,
bearing in mind the weather, we’ve persuaded them to
return it to the
workshop for
Saxstead Green
painting first!
windmill in Suffolk.
Don’t forget all
estate staff can
get 10% off all
our products —
so how about
buying a small
jar of linseed
wax to ensure
that the dinner
table gleaming
for Christmas
Day?
Amanda
Taylor
Sales Manager
HOLKHAM Building
Maintenance is in the midst
of major changes that will
make it a more competitive
and efficient department.
The developments are in
the early stages at the
moment, so I will be able
to give you all a more
accurate update in next
summer’s Newsletter.
However, I can report that
we are looking to purchase
Darren Cave helps to fit the
a new computer
new finials at Model Farm.
programme, which will help
us to improve our service
to Holkham tenants and employees. Amongst its many
attributes, the new high-tech system (which will cost more than
the estate has ever paid for a computer programme), will enable
us to book a morning or an afternoon appointment for repairs
to be carried out and to keep records of a property’s assets.
Although the department is always busy, we have not had any
major projects to work on in the past six months. In addition,
empty properties have been coming at a rate of about one a
month, which is far less than usual and means we have been able
to get on top of some less urgent jobs, which ordinarily, we
would not have had time to get back to.
Work on the new Holkham village drainage scheme is still on
going.We are due to start work just before Christmas on the
next phase — from the Adnams shop down to the main road
picking up numbers 28 to 32 in Holkham village.
This summer, we installed some new finials on the outbuildings
at Model Farm for Lord Leicester.The finials are approximately
2m high and bolting them through the roof was pretty a tricky
job, which was greatly aided by our cherry picker (see photo).
Whittle Painting has been busy completing the external repainting of about 30 estate properties, including several
farmhouses which needed quite a lot of joinery repairs. Ron
Teague and Liam Rowe have therefore had to put in a lot of
work manufacturing new joinery for the site carpenters to
install, so that we could try to keep ahead of the painters, which
has proved difficult to achieve at times.
We are continuing to fit insulation in our properties and have
only about 10% to complete, mostly at Castle Acre and in Wells.
All of the properties should be finished by spring next year,
when we hope everyone will start enjoying the benefits and
cheaper heating bills that come with better insulated houses.
Barry Turner
Building Maintenance Manager
— 13 —
Moonlit stars rock
at Holkham
Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt and Francis
Rossi take control of the stage.
WHILE champagne corks popped and the Curry House
simply ran out of curry, Holkham hosted another two
star-studded nights of concerts in the Deer Park.
The second evening’s concert commanded a totally
different audience and the atmosphere in front of the Hall
was quite literally ‘rocking’.
Being firmly ensconced in the Box Office afforded me a
bird’s eye view of the evenings’ events. Bearing in mind the
official gate opening time was 6pm, many triple-billed fans
started arriving before midday to get poll position for ‘the
stampede’ when the gates opened for prime front stage
position. It was quite a remarkable sight to see a siege of
young teenagers closely followed by their peers vying for the
best spot from which to see Girls Aloud, Jamelia and Shayne
Ward. I must confess our audience for Status Quo the
following evening proceeded to the stage in a rather more
sedate fashion!
Rock support act, Macara, was more than capable of
setting the atmosphere for the evening. Although they are
relative newcomers to the rock scene, they showed brilliant
scope and sheer power of vocals to set the stage for Status
Quo.These grandfathers of rock were able to perform to
such a wide age group of people and yet still managed to
get toes tapping and arthritic knees knocking with hits
“Whatever You Want” and “Rockin All Over”.
The first night’s concert kicked off with the fabulous
Jamelia, who set the standard for a great evening, singing
‘Superstar’, followed by the silver-tongued X-factor winner,
Shayne Ward, who wooed his audience with recent hits and
graciously thanked his venue, Holkham.
The stage and lighting proved to be a brilliant
complement to our stars and the only blip in the evening
came about when our top of the bill group, Girls Aloud, were
delayed signing autographs and meeting children backstage.
Fortunately, when they did appear on stage, they came out
with all guns blazing, singing “Biology”, shortly followed by
all their other hits. A spectacular firework display followed
and heralded the exit of our evening stars from the Park.
— 14 —
Chart topping Girls Aloud
belt out their latest hits.
THE VIP TREATMENT
nothing that you hadn’t thought of’…
‘An extremely enjoyable evening and
we felt very well looked after’ …
‘Fantastic staff – a credit to your
company’, were just some of the
comments made.
MY company, Softley Events, was
delighted to be asked to host the VIP
hospitality for Holkham’s open-air
concerts this summer.
Our guests enjoyed a thoroughly VIP
experience from their private parking
Softley Events is a Norfolk-based event
area to their own post concert party.
management company, which specialises
They were treated to chilled
in high quality, professionally run events
champagne and beautiful canapés,
primarily in East Anglia.We have
on
flower
strewn
platters
then
served
ABOVE: VIP guests enjoy a sumptuous threeorganised many events in both the
dined in our black and white themed
course dinner, prior to watching the concerts
corporate and private sectors over the
marquee on the stunning terrace of
from the terraces in front of the Hall.
years, including weddings, balls and
Holkham Hall.They enjoyed a
parties and corporate hospitality. Every two years, we also host
sumptuous three-course dinner, which included Shropham Beef,
our own event, the extremely popular and successful Think Pink
Norfolk samphire and locally caught fish. Having enjoyed the
Ball held in Norwich.This has raised in excess of £34,000 for
concert and superb fireworks from their prime position, they
breast cancer charities and is set to return in October 2008.
returned to the now candlelit marquee to enjoy Mrs Temple’s
cheeses, champagne and port whilst being entertained by our
Our aim is simply to surpass our client’s expectations whilst
jazz band.
remembering at all times that it is their event. If you would like
further details please visit: www.softleyevents.co.uk
Some of our lucky guests were even able to meet Status Quo
following their live sound check. Our staff attended to their
every need and we were overwhelmed by the number of
Sarah Softley
appreciative letters and emails that we received: ‘There was
Softley Events
The audience really responded to
Status Quo (left) and (below).
After a welcome encore, the Quo departed and again the
evening climaxed in a terrific firework display.
Exit from the car parks was handled brilliantly and the
only people who remained were Sarah Softley’s guests in
the VIP marquee, who were being entertained with further
music and champagne. I am told many of her guests had
such a good reception that they are already hoping to
return next year, even though they don’t know who will
be performing yet!
Kerry Cave
Events Coordinator
— 15 —
River Stiffkey restoration update
Patrick Rangely-Wilson sees the
effect of imported chalk on the
speed and course of the river.
WHEN the word chalkstream is mentioned, it is usually
associated with the clear flowing rivers of the south of England:
notably the Test, Itchen, Kennet and Avon. Rivers that rise in
chalk aquifers generally have clear filtered alkaline spring water
that promotes vigorous growth of aquatic plant and invertebrate
life; the bottom rung of a complex food-chain ladder.
What few realise is that the same band of chalk that gives
birth to these southern rivers actually extends up through
London and into East Anglia before continuing through
Lincolnshire and finally terminating in southYorkshire.These
rivers have a unique diversity of flora and fauna that has recently
become a source of national interest as efforts are made to
safeguard them. Increased demands on chalkstreams in the south
of England through industry, housing development and
agriculture have changed, perhaps irreparably in some cases, the
very nature of the streams themselves. In addition, misguided
practices carried out after the war, such as dredging and gravel
removal, further damaged these watercourses.
environment and the flora and fauna dependent upon it, the
river work hopes to achieve the same aim.
As the club’s founders, Charles Rangeley-Wilson and I met
with the estate and Jonathan Abraham of the Environment
Agency in Norwich in the autumn of 2006. Consent was given
to re-sculpt and “soften” what had previously been a steep bank
from the rivers edge on the Stiffkey river caused by persistent
dredging of the river channel. In addition works to create
narrow sections of the river channel at key locations to improve
spawning areas for trout and to deepen the channel directly
downstream of these locations was granted.Working closely with
the estate, the Environment Agency very kindly donated
machinery and man-hours to the project and the work is now
complete over much of the estate’s pastures below Warham
village.
BELOW: Charles Rangeley-Wilson, the BBC’s “Accidental
Angler” and James Ellis with a trout caught on the Stiffkey.
Norfolk is blessed in having several small chalkstreams and the
Holkham estate is custodian of some of the loveliest stretches of
three of them; the rivers Nar, Stiffkey and Burn.The estate’s
water on the river Nar in Castle Acre has for many years had a
successful fishing club, and the club has been very pro-active in
terms of enhancing the river for fish and wildlife alike.
Following some minor works to the river Stiffkey at Wighton
five years ago, and in an effort to increase spawning areas for the
trout in the river, the “Holkham Rivers Syndicate” was formed
as a club for members who fish on the rivers Burn and Stiffkey.
2006 was the club’s first year fishing on both rivers and
following this successful first season, the club, along with the
estate, decided to apply for a land drainage consent to carry out
a programme of works on both rivers that would enhance not
only their ability to produce sustainable wild trout fisheries, but
would also increase the bio-diversity of the riparian habitat. In
much the same way as the estate’s conservation work to improve
habitat for game has a positive impact on the immediate
— 16 —
Warham beatkeeper Mark Watson takes a
look at the work on the Stiffkey in March.
As work progresses over the
estate’s water on both catchments,
we hope to be able to report
further successes.
In August, the Wild Trout Trust
carried out a practical visit in
conjunction with Five Rivers
Environmental Contracting. Sadly,
the visit was short-lived as the
torrential rain in late summer
effectively rendered the rivers
unworkable. Further works are
planned for the spring of next year
on both the Stiffkey and Burn and
fence lines on both rivers will be resited further away from the banks to
allow riparian vegetation to flourish
and mature.
The estate and Holkham
Rivers Syndicate would like to
thank John Abraham and all those
concerned at the Environment
Agency for their invaluable
assistance in realising this
programme of works. Natural
England and the Norfolk Wildlife
ABOVE: Ned Coke assists with the works process in
Trust should be thanked too.
April 2007.
Simon Johnson from the Wild
Trout Trust was also very helpful,
Overall, we are extremely pleased
along with Jason Lovering of Five Rivers Environmental
with the work’s progress to date and excited at the prospect of
Contracting and Mark Watson, beatkeeper for Warham.
the continued restoration and enhancement of both rivers.Trout
in a stream like the Stiffkey or Burn are a vital and very real
barometer of river health.Their piscatorial inhabitants have
Nick Zoll
warmly received the works already completed and the club
members’ catches for this season are already up on last year.
Holkham Rivers Syndicate
A barn owl by the river Stiffkey, with All Saints
church, Wighton, in the background.
— 17 —
Game Department
The Earl of Leicester, headkeeper, Simon Lester, and Waterden beatkeeper, Chris Sharp, accept
their Purdey award certificates in recognition of the conservation project on the Waterden beat.
IT has definitely been a strange year as far as nature is
concerned, with all sorts of upsets and strange goings on.
I noticed blossom on one of the apple trees in my
garden in November, a partridge sitting on a nest on 12
September and young wild pheasant poults on our first
shoot days in November.
As has been mentioned several times in this newsletter
already, the wet summer weather has had a dreadful effect on
many estate businesses this year, not least the Game Dept and
we go into this shooting season with a low stock of birds. As
Holkham is mainly a wild bird shoot we really depend on
long, hot summers to help our pheasants and partridges. But
this year, the rain came at all the wrong times and we have
cut back our shooting programme in a bid to conserve the
hen birds we have got in the hope that they will enjoy a
better breeding season next year. However, the show must go
on and despite a difficult year on many fronts, we will do our
best and look forward to next season.
Conservation is very important to us, along with the
wildlife it supports.With big changes in EU agricultural
policy this summer and the loss of set aside as well as the rise
in wheat prices, there is greater pressure on the farms to
make money, which doesn’t always go hand in hand with
helping wild game. However, we have hopefully worked out
a way forward (with the implementation of additional
3m margins around most fields), whereby farming and
conservation at Holkham can deliver maximum productivity
without too much of a detrimental impact on either venture.
was started three
years ago in a bid to
boost insect
numbers and, in
turn, produce foodrich habitats for the
benefit of all arable
wildlife, especially
the wild grey
partridge.
One of David Kirkham’s
aerial images of the project.
Sadly, we did not
win as the judges
felt that our project had yet to reach its full potential.
However, we did enjoy a lovely night out at the awards
ceremony in the Purdey Long Room in London’s Mayfair in
November. I would like to thank everyone who worked so
hard on our entry. Special mention should go to Chris Sharp,
the keeper on the Waterden beat and Mike Daley for
taking a number of lovely images of the conservation
strips and wildflowers.
Our entry was also greatly enhanced by a number of
fantastic aerial shots (see above), which illustrated brilliantly
how the cropping on the farm works.We would not have
been able to get these amazing images were it not for the
generosity of the photographer, David Kirkham, who donated
his time for free and Holkham tenant farmer, Barry
Southerland, who very kindly took us up in his aeroplane in
order to get the shots. Being able to see this magnificent
estate from the air is an experience I will never forget.
Earlier this year, the estate entered the new farming and
conservation project at Waterden into the prestigious Purdey
Awards for Game and Conservation.This innovative project
— 18 —
Simon Lester
Headkeeper
CHRIS IS CROWNED KING CONKER
‘CAVE the Conker’ was clearly conquered at this year’s
Holkham Conker Championship, held at The Victoria on
Thursday 25 October 2007.
Holkham resident, Chris Walsingham, wrested Darren’s title
away with a cool, calm, yet ruthless playing style, which saw
him crowned King Conker with some ease.
Junior champ Jordan Brown
and mum Vicki, with King
Conker, Chris Walsingham
in his conker hat.
Jordan Brown took the junior title after some fierce
competition with children from Holkham Village.
Thank you to everyone who attended and made the evening
such a great success.We raised £170 on the night for the East
Anglian Air Ambulance, which Lord Coke generously made up
to £250.We hope to see more Holkham people at next
year’s championship.
RIGHT: What’s left of
Paula Minchin’s conker
after a crushing defeat
by Monica Dowson.
BELOW: Jordan Brown
and Callum Bray battle
it out for the kids’ title.
Simon Lester
Headkeeper
Lucy Wagstaffe en route to victory
over Monica Dowson.
New deer keeper zeroes in on game sales
HOLKHAM’s new deer keeper,
Glyn Ingram, started work at the estate
in October.
fallow deer and
preparing and
marketing the
venison and
game. However,
I’m not looking
forward to the
North sea winds
and there may be
times when I
wish I was back
in the garden
Born and brought up in
Northamptonshire, Glyn has worked
mainly in the south of England and
joins us from an estate in Kent.
“I expect most of you may have seen
me out and about in the Park by now,
usually on the quad bike with my dog,
Kara — she’s the better looking one
with the bigger ears,” he jokes.
of England,” he adds.
If you fancy a change from
turkey and would like buy some game
or venison for Christmas, please
contact Glyn, tel: 07825 972249/
01328 730971 or email him at:
game@holkham.co.uk
“I have worked with both wild and
park deer for about 15 years on both
private estates and for the National
Trust and I am looking forward to twin
challenges of managing the fine herd of
— 19 —
Pinewoods Holiday Park
ABOVE: Pinewoods continues to be one of Holkham’s flagship businesses with a loyal customer base.
WHERE do you start when writing an article about how the
miserable weather put such a downer on the 2007 season,
particularly when my family and I have also just returned from
a disappointing holiday abroad?
To an extent, I feel I understand what many of our
customers must have felt during the season.Who would have
thought it could have all gone so wrong when this was the
first year I have known Pinewoods take any tent income at
Easter, but we all know what happened with the weather after
that dry spell.
However, an exceptional amount of good things happened
during this season. And although we have not seen the final set
of management accounts, we know that we’ve had another
good year financially. Holidaymakers are still booking for 2008,
touring caravan owners want prices for seasonal pitches,
demand is still high for beach huts to both buy and rent and
pitch availability is still a pipe dream. It doesn’t matter which
way we look at it, Pinewoods is a seriously good holiday park.
based on many years of investment in time, money and energy.
Despite this, we are not sitting back, but moving forward and
continuing to improve the Park.We are currently working on
a new Reception, to improve customer service and provide
our customers with a better environment when they need us.
Our challenge now is to have this ready and completed in
good time for when we open next year, just ahead of the early
Easter break.
Our new coffee shop, developed during the winter of
2007, proved to be very successful during the summer. Our
customers loved the new look, the Fair Trade products proved
to be popular and one or two of us might just have had the
odd almond croissant too many.
We all hoping that the summer weather will be much
better next year: our caravan holiday home owners and
holidaymakers, many of whom are friends, all deserve better
next year, so please raise a glass over Christmas to a good 2008.
Richard Seabrooke
General Manager
This demand has not been achieved in five minutes and is
OFFENDERS HELP WILDLIFE ON RESERVE
sent to the reserve two days a week, have
had a significant impact.
THIS summer, Holkham National Nature
Reserve benefited from work carried out
by a team from the Offenders Working for
the Community Project.
The workers are involved in a Community
Payback project supported by Natural
England, Holkham and the Norfolk
Probation Service, which has been
operating since 2005 on the reserve.
Unpaid workers get to grips with
clearing some pine trees
Site manager, Ron Harold, admits to having
initial doubts as to how the project would work, but, two years
on, can see how it benefits the community and the reserve.
Teams of offenders sentenced by the courts to unpaid work and
The workers’ duties include: scrub
clearance to maintain sand and dune
grassland, litter-picking and general
maintenance to stock fencing, buildings
and pathways.
Last winter, the offenders completed a
major project by removing a number of
pine trees that were encroaching on to a
section of sand dunes.They also helped to keep the beach clean
by clearing a huge amount of rubbish.While working on the
reserve, the men and women are overseen by Derek Jarvis and
offender supervisor, Nathalie Bullock.
— 20 —
PLOUGHING MATCH AT HOLKHAM
FAKENHAM Farm Machinery Club held
its annual ploughing match in Holkham
Park on Sunday 16 September 2007, by
kind permission of Viscount Coke.
There were 24 entrants on the day,
including: reversible, classic and vintage
mounted and trailed ploughs.
Viscountess Coke presented the trophies
and a donation on the gate, raffle and
tombola helped to raise £370 for
various charities.
Philip Lambert
Results:
2 Furrow Reversible
Winner (D Cletheroe)
Runner-up (A Futter)
3 Furrow Reversible
Winner (C Tait), Runner-up (M Kelly)
3 Furrow Reversible Club Member
Winner (M Kelly)
Vintage Trailed
Winner (B Shutler)
Runner-up (N Websdale)
Vintage Mounted
Winner (P Carman)
Runner-up (B Calaby)
Classic
Winner (S Framingham)
Runner-up (M Frary)
Best Lady
Winner (J Thompson)
Overall winner
(S Framingham)
Overall winner club member
(M Frary)
Gents’ Tractor Drawing
(P Rawling)
Ladies’ Tractor Drawing
(K Rawling)
Holkham National Nature Reserve
BY the time this Newsletter is published, I will be part of the
history of the Holkham National Nature Reserve—at least as
far as its management is concerned. My 17 years as site
manager have passed quickly and retirement has beckoned, but
I will take away many fond memories of my time at Holkham
and of the many people within the estate and elsewhere locally
who readily provided me with help and advice over the years.
It’s been a privilege to work at Holkham and to be able play a
part in the successful management of a truly wonderful nature
reserve and its wildlife.The beauty now, is that as I live locally,
I will be able to enjoy the wildlife without the weight of
responsibility!
Michael Rooney will take up the reins as Holkham Site
Manager combining his new role with his current position as
the Scolt Head National Nature Reserve Site Manager.This is
a big ask, but fortunately,Victoria Francis, a full-time Assistant
Site Manager has also been appointed to share the workload.
Michael is well known locally and has worked in nature
conservation in North Norfolk for the past 20 years or so. He
was a summer warden at Holkham from 1998 to 2006 and
possesses an intimate knowledge of the reserve. He specialises
in birds, but this knowledge is complemented by a wider
interest in other wildlife and habitat management.
Meanwhile, Assistant Site Manager,Vicky, has moved to
Holkham from Walberswick National Nature Reserve where
she has worked for the past six years.Vicky is also familiar with
the North Norfolk coastline and was introduced to bird
watching at a very early age. By the age of 14 she was
working with conservation volunteers, then went on to study
for a degree in conservation and recreation management at
university.
Ron Harold speaking at his leaving party at The
Victoria on Friday 30 November.
weather hampered our grazing marsh work but thankfully by
the autumn, ground conditions had improved significantly and
we were able to press on and complete the programme of
management in time for the arrival of the pink-footed geese.
The number of summer visitors was noticeably fewer this
year and the season was notable in that it passed quietly. In
fact, it was the most uneventful summer I can remember and
we experienced very few problems associated with the general
public.Visitor numbers picked up considerably in the autumn
when the weather improved, with numbers swelled by
hundreds, probably low thousands of birdwatchers, attracted by
a good sprinkling of rare birds in September and October.
The fortunes of our breeding wildlife was very mixed with,
for example, wading birds such as Redshank, Avocet and
Lapwing producing few young, whilst Marsh Harrier, Little
Egret and Cormorant fledged smaller numbers of young birds
than usual. On a brighter note, the wet conditions positively
encouraged Natterjack toads that thrived and had a bumper
breeding season.
Although probably best forgotten, the summer of 2007 will
live in the memory as one of the wettest on record.The wet
— 21 —
Ron Harold
Site Manager
host to everything from a reception meal in The Orangery,
through to full wedding ceremonies in The Gallery. May I take
this opportunity to extend our congratulations and continued
best wishes to each of this summer’s brides and grooms.
The Victoria Hotel
WET,Wet,Wet! No, this isn’t an announcement for next year’s
concerts, but unfortunately the most accurate description of
this year’s ‘summer’!
Indeed, we have just experienced the worst summer since
records began, but despite this,The Victoria has performed
exceptionally well again, producing some excellent numbers.
We have continuously performed better than last year,
particularly in occupancy rates, beer, and barbecue sales. As a
result,The Victoria is on course for one of the most profitable
years in its history.
The Victoria has seen a lot of activity from photo shoots
this season.We have seen Vogue,Volvo Magazine and Slimming
World use the hotel for features.
Finally, a few words for Andy Bruce, our excellent Head
Chef. As I write, I have just learnt the horrific news of his
tragic and untimely death in a car crash.Words cannot convey
the shock that we all feel.To Andy’s family, our thoughts and
our deepest and heartfelt sympathy are very much with you at
this time.
Several couples brushed aside the rotten weather this
summer to celebrate their special day with us.We have been
ANDY BRUCE 1972-2007
THE estate is united in paying tribute to Andy
Bruce, head chef at the award-winning Victoria
Hotel, who was killed in a car crash on
Friday 9 November.
Andy, 35, died when his car was involved in a
collision on his way home to Snettisham after
work at about 11pm.
Andy started work at The Victoria in May 2007
and tragically died just 10 days after the birth
of his son, Jimmy. He also leaves his wife Sarah
and their four-year-old daughter, Lily and an
elder son, Daniel, 18.
Phil Lance
General Manager
His untimely death is a cruel and tragic loss for
his wife Sarah and their children and we will do
all we can to help and support them.
Andy’s funeral, which was held on 21
November at the Mintlyn Crematorium in
King’s Lynn, was a very moving and sad event.
More than 300 of his family and friends
attended (the most people that the Reverend
Nally had ever seen there), which itself is a
ABOVE: The Victoria’s head
huge tribute to Andy.The vicar gave a
chef, Andy Bruce, who was
tragically killed in November. wonderful address and Andy’s sister read a
moving poem in a service that had been
thoughtfully put together by the family.
We have lost a highly valued member of the Holkham team.
Andy only came into our lives some six months ago, but in that
short time he made his mark in professional terms as well as
with many people. He earned great respect from all the staff
who worked alongside him at The Victoria,The Globe Inn, and at
the Hall.With his colleagues he was kind, fair and a great
teacher. By taking time with staff he inspired them and gave
them confidence in their own ability.We will all miss him greatly.
Afterwards, a reception was held at The Rose and Crown in
Snettisham, his home village, to celebrate the life of this most
remarkable of men. Andy had previously worked at The Rose
and Crown and The Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead. Prior to moving
to Norfolk, he enjoyed a successful career at many high-class
restaurants in London, including the two-Michelin starred Pied à
Terre in Charlotte Street and the Atlantic Bar and Grill.
— 22 —
Viscount Coke
THE GLOBE INN
THE Globe attracted good trade
during the summer months, in spite
of the inclement weather.
A lot of people ate in the restaurant
and the bar was busy thanks to the
cricket 20-20 games and the Rugby
World Cup.Wells Carnival night was
another great success for everyone
concerned and our figures were up on
last year, which was a great result.
ABOVE: Televised sports events helped to boost trade at The Globe this summer.
Now that it’s winter, we have simplified
the menu to offer more family favourites such as fish and chips
and homemade pies, which are enhanced by a range of daily
specials.
to us by Holkham tenant farmer,Teddy Maufe. Lord Coke and
Andy Bruce sampled them all and made some recommendations
as to which ale goes best with a specific dish.
We have also added a range of bottle-conditioned ales supplied
Phil Lance
General Manager
Brothers reveal The Globe’s history
VISCOUNT and Viscountess Coke are pictured with the
Spicer brothers who visited The Globe Inn recently, which
was previously owned by their Great Great Grandfather,
Robert Spicer, who was born in 1821.
Graham and Roger Spicer visited Wells-next-the-Sea in
September. Graham is a resident of Canada and his brother
Roger lives near Tewkesbury, Glos. Both are keen
genealogists.
Their Great Great Grandfather, Robert Spicer was an
auctioneer and valuer in Wells, and at the time of his death in
1897, had acquired considerable wealth and was held in high
esteem.The family home, Pinus Villa, in the Buttlands was a
short walk across the green to The Globe. Graham and Roger
were particularly intrigued to see the name of their ancestor
beautifully painted on the main arch leading into the
building, which licensed Mr Spicer to sell beer, wine, spirits
and tobacco etc. Lord and Lady Coke showed the brothers
around the hotel and entertained them to dinner.
Graham and Roger presented Lord Coke with a framed
playbill of a revue in aid of the Wells Life Boat Fund.This
revue took place in the Assembly Rooms in 1870, which
were also owned by Robert Spicer located in the courtyard of
The Globe.The playbill was an appropriate gift to Lord Coke,
as until retirement, Graham was active in all aspects of
professional theatre, ballet and opera across Canada, eventually
becoming Executive Director of Canadian Actors’ Equity
Association.
Roger Spicer is a painter, potter and sculptor whose work
is in many private collections and who has also exhibited at
the Royal Academy. He trained at Norwich Art School in the
1950s. Roger and Graham’s Grandmother, Marion Mackley,
ABOVE: The Spicer brothers and Viscount and Viscountess
Coke outside The Globe, which their Great Great
Grandfather ran in the late 1800s.
who lived to be 100 was a fellow student of Sir Alfred
Munnings in the 1890s also at Norwich Art School.
Robert Spicer exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit of his
times and made a considerable contribution to the town of
Wells. Although an extremely astute businessman, his love of
the Arts, particularly music and the theatre did not conflict
with his commercial interests but complemented all that he
undertook.The establishment of a fine posting inn where
theatrical and all other manner of cultural events took place
in his adjoining Assembly Rooms showed him to be a man
ahead of his times.
— 23 —
ESTATE RECYCLING GATHERS PACE
THE estate’s environmental Business Objective Group has set up
recycling facilities at several Holkham businesses.
We have worked with Norfolk County Services at The Globe in
Wells and the Stables Café at the Hall and I am pleased to
report that the system has not only recycled more items, but
has also reduced refuse disposal costs.
For instance, the Stables Café previously used two general 1,100litre capacity rubbish bins, but now has one 1,100-litre and one
660-litre bin for general waste and the same for recycling. Just
like recycling at home, there is no need to sort out different
waste. It is all placed loose in the bin and then sorted at the
recycling depot. Currently, we are unable to recycle paper and
cardboard as the recycling centre cannot deal with it, but a new
facility will be open within the next two years.
The new system currently saves the Café approximately £350 a
year, as the recycling collections are cheaper than general
rubbish collections.
We are also planning to install a bottle bank at the Hall at the
beginning of next season, which can be used by café customers,
staff and picnickers in the Park.This, along with the other
projects’ recycling, will generate an income that will be donated
to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Likewise,The Globe used to have three 1,100 litre general waste
bins, now they have two 1,100-litre bins for general waste and
four 1,100-litre recycling waste bins, which means the pub is
now recycling a significant amount of waste. Apart from helping
the environment, recycling more rubbish is saving The Globe
more than £2,000 a year.We aim to develop a similar system at
The Victoria in the future.
recycling area within the Park.The project is in the planning
stage at the moment, but we hope to have an area with bottle
banks, cardboard and paper banks, plus an area for mixed general
recycling, such as empty aerosols, aluminium and steel, food and
drink cans and plastic bottles. It is envisaged this area will be
ready for the beginning of next season.
We have also been looking into other options for getting rid of
our garden waste: weeds and pruning material, wood-based
building waste such as pallets that cannot be sent back, doors
and windows etc, along with cardboard and shredded paper
from the offices and the wood shavings from the carpenters.We
have looked at worm farming, which would get rid of the waste
and give us a good compost that we could use around the
estate.We can sell the worms to fishermen and they can be used
for other projects such as bank stabilisation and soil restoration.
We have also looked into traditional composting, but on a much
larger scale than you would at home.
However, as you can appreciate, each of these methods involves
cost, such as purchasing a shredder which breaks down the
material before it’s composted.Therefore, we are not rushing
ahead with this yet as we have some more research to do and
want to ensure that we get it right first time. At the moment,
we take most of the shredded paper and the smaller cardboard
boxes to the linseed paint department where it is used to
pack paint.
So, as you can see, the estate is taking its recycling
responsibilities seriously, which is in some cases, saving us money.
These measures are also helping to reduce landfill, conserve raw
materials, create less pollution and save energy.
At Pinewoods, we are going to develop a dedicated central
Waging war on fly tipping
HOLKHAM Country Fair in July seems a long time ago
now, but part of the Game Dept’s display was a pile of old
rubbish — literally.
We collected various bits of rubbish that had been dumped
on the estate to show how badly some people are prepared to
treat the countryside.
Every year, a staggering amount of rubbish is dumped
here. I don’t understand why this continues to happen when
there is such a great waste disposal facility in Wells-next-theSea. Holkham is a beautiful estate — let’s keep it that way.
Simon Lester
Headkeeper
— 24 —
Peter Godwin
Head Gardener
CHRISTMAS
CHURCH SERVICES
ON Sunday 23 December 2007 there will be a Christingle
Service for all the family at St Withburga’s Church in
Holkham Park, starting at 12noon.
Then on Tuesday 25 December, everyone is welcome to
attend the Christmas Day service in the Holkham Hall
Chapel, beginning at 10.30am, by kind invitation of Viscount
and Viscountess Coke.
The Reverend Tony Douglas
JAYNE Cooper of the Finance Department gave birth to
a mini Cooper of her own, when her son, Morgan Ray,
arrived on Tuesday 30 October 2007, weighing in at 8lb
1oz. Mum and baby, who live at Peterstone, are doing well.
Finance Department
I am pleased to be able to report that the most recent annual
results for Holkham, show (in Finance Director’s parlance)
strong like-for-like growth and that shareholders, partners,
directors and other stakeholders are delighted with the trading
performance. It is an especially commendable performance
given that our tourist-facing businesses were clearly affected by
poor summer weather. It is gratifying that the Holkham now
has a turnover approaching £18 million.
HOLKHA
MUCH
M
A STATELY
HOME
DID YOU
KNOW TH
AT
HOLKHA
M STAFF
CAN
EARN MO
NEY OVER
AND ABOV
E THEIR
WAGE?
HOW? BY
MAKING
NEW BUSI
SUGGESTI
NESS
ONS THAT
COULD HE
TO DEVE
LP
LOP THE
ESTATE
IF YOU HA
VE ANY NE
W BUSINE
IDEAS, PL
SS
EASE APPR
OACH TH
ESTATE’S
E
FINANCE
DIRECTOR
,
MIKE WYA
RD
TEL: 0132
8 713107
EMAIL: m.
wyard@ho
lkham.co.uk
AND YOU
COULD EA
RN YOUR
A FINANC
SELF
IAL REWAR
D!
We are budgeting for further improvement in the current
year and the early signs are quite promising, particularly with
increasingly strong performances from our various leisure
businesses.They now account for more than 50% of our trade
and continue to develop — witness the success of this year’s
open-air concerts.
This autumn, I took the opportunity to present the
combined results to business managers, as well as providing a
greater insight into some other financial issues that impact on
the estate.This appears to have been well received and will
become an annual exercise.
MORE TH
AN
www.holk
ham.co.uk
ABOVE: Coming up with a new business idea for Holkham
could earn you some cash.
The Finance team, which has changed over the past few
months, is also doing very well.We have some interesting
challenges ahead in the Building Department with the
implementation of some new IT solutions and financial
processes.There has also been good progress in improving
accounting and control in Holkham Enterprises and The
Victoria Hotel.
The estate’s staff suggestion scheme has the potential to
reward staff for identifying better and more efficient ways of
working and allowing them to share in the financial success
that arises.You may have previously read articles or seen
publicity on notice boards about this. I recently challenged the
Finance team to deliver £10,000 of annual savings by next
August and after a sharp collective intake of breath, and an
occasional mutter, they got together to think of ways of
achieving this. I am delighted to report that they achieved the
target within two weeks and they are now seeking to add to
that total! It will make a difference to their pay packet, as it
will to others who use the suggestion scheme to help the
estate become more efficient.
— 25 —
Mike Wyard
Finance Director
LORD LEICESTER WINS RASE AWARD
around.Today the farms are
profitable and complement an
excellent and pioneering wild
pheasant and partridge shoot.
HRH The Countess of Wessex
presented the Earl of Leicester
with the The Bledisloe Gold
Medal, awarded by the Royal
Agricultural Society of England
(RASE) at the RASE Royal
Show charity auction dinner
in Warwickshire on
Monday 2 July.
The estate runs to some 25,000
acres and has 25 farming tenants.
Some 4,500 acres are farmed in
hand and 2000 acres of woodland
are managed. Around 3,500 acres
of marshes are leased to English
former
president
of
the
A
Nature.There are a number of
Historic Houses Association,
listed buildings including Holkham
Lord Leicester was presented
Hall and 330 houses and cottages.
the award for his outstanding
Only three are let to ‘secondachievement in the successful
homers’ and the estate has a
land management and
policy of providing affordable local
development of Holkham Estate.
housing. Holkham Hall boasts a
huge range of enterprises: a game
RASE chairman of the awards
ABOVE: Lord Leicester receives The Bledisloe Gold
Medal from the Countess of Wessex.
department, gardens, holiday park,
committee, Humphrey Salwey,
two hotels, a development
said: “Holkham is a privatelycompany, retail operation and a business importing linseed-based
owned traditional estate that has not been afraid to encompass
paints from Sweden.
change. Lord Leicester has taken full advantage of opportunities
to develop this premier estate and the RASE is proud to reward
The hall is open five days a week during the season and the Park
his achievements.”
is freely available to the public to walk in at any time, provided
they do not unduly disturb the herd of 700 fallow deer.
The RASE acknowledged that progress at Holkham had been
driven by Lord Leicester and was being continued by his son,
One of the latest initiatives is a nature trail round the park.
Viscount Coke.When Lord Leicester arrived at the estate in
The estate supports the local school both financially and in
1973, only a minority of the houses had bathrooms or lavatories.
offering job placements. More than 1,500 schoolchildren visit
He modernised them at the rate of two per month.
Holkham each year to learn how the countryside is farmed
and managed.
The farming showed little return but this was soon turned
GAME ON
WITH Christmas
fast approaching,
Holkham’s game
recipe book
makes an ideal
present.The
book explores
and explains
Holkham’s rich
shooting history, alongside recipes for mouthwatering dishes such as wild duck with curly
kale, plus Rick Stein’s pot-roasted partridge with
cabbage and chestnuts. Priced at £10 each (£9
each for Holkham staff), the books are on sale
at The Victoria,The Ancient House Gift Shop,
The Marsh Larder Tearoom and the Adnams
store in Holkham village. It is also possible to
purchase copies of the book by mail order for
£10, plus £2 packing and postage. Please tel:
(01328) 710783 to order a copy.
Anthony marries
Nadja in Germany
JOHNNY and Carolyn
Coke’s eldest son,
Anthony, married Nadja,
daughter of Helmuth
and Sigrid Magers, first
in a civil ceremony on
15 December 2006, and
then at Sankt Nicolai
Church in Hagenburg,
near Hannover,
Germany, on 16
December 2006.They
have settled in Port
Elizabeth, South Africa,
where Anthony works
as a designer for
Volkswagen and Nadja
is an industrial lawyer.
— 26 —
Lady Glenconner’s granddaughter
christened in Coke family robe
LEFT: May Creasy and her daughter, Honor, who was christened in
August, in the same robe as her grandmother.
ABOVE: Lady Glenconner at her christening at St Withburga’s church in
September 1932, pictured here with her mother and father, the fifth
Earl and Countess of Leicester.
HONOR Rose Creasy is pictured with her
mother May, at her christening at All Saints church in
Burnham Thorpe in August 2007 wearing the same
christening robe as her grandmother, Lady Glenconner.
Lady Glenconner, the first daughter of the fifth Earl and
Countess of Leicester was christened at St Withburga’s in
Holkham Park on 10 September 1932.
Lady Glenconner’s daughter May married Anton Creasy at
St Withburga’s in April 2005.The couple initially moved to
the West Indies, but now live near Cambridge.
RICHARD TAMES THE WILDERNESS
extreme poverty, and the HIV/AIDS
epidemic.The group raised more than
75,000 Botswana Pula (about £6,000).
LAST year, Johnny and Carolyn Coke’s
youngest son, Richard, successfully
completed The Duba – Duma Wilderness
Challenge in Botswana from 25 to 31
October.
They trekked at the hottest and most
difficult time of the year before the rains
came with temperatures up to 40 degrees
celsius, through swamp, arid woodlands
and through an area with possibly the
densest free-roaming elephant populations
in Africa.
Richard and three friends—all guides
working for Wilderness Safaris—crossed
on foot the remote wilderness gap
between Duba Plains in the Okavango
and Duma Tau in the Linyanti, a distance
of 127km.
Roughing it sleeping under the stars, they
used their trail experience and guiding
abilities to steer clear of predators,
scorpions and snakes which were at their
most prevalent in October. Emergency
water supplies, dehydrated food and medical
supplies were carried with the guides.
The object of the challenge was to create
further awareness of the Children in the
Wilderness Programme, which is dedicated
to helping and educating children whose
childhoods have been disrupted by lifethreatening conditions such as illness,
— 27 —
Holkham People
Welcome to:
Welcome back to:
Farewell to:
Congratulations to:
Births:
Deaths:
GAME DEPARTMENT: New Deer Keeper, GLYN INGRAM, who joined us in October from
an estate in Kent. HOLKHAM ENTERPRISES (Gardens): DANIEL BERESFORD who
started in December. HOLKHAM ENTERPRISES (Hall): Lady Coke’s new Polish mother’s
help,WIOLETTA SEWERYN-KLIMIUK. THE VICTORIA HOTEL: LUKE WHEELER, ANNA
JANEK, MEGAN HENNIG, ROBIN BLOMQVIST, JAMIE ST JOHN, MALWINA PIATYSZEK,
NICK BRITTON and LUKASZ NOREK. THE GLOBE INN: SAM JOHNSON as a chef.
HOLKHAM ESTATE OFFICE: LEANDER SWIFT, Lord and Lady Coke’s new PA. Leander
previously worked for the NHS and has enjoyed a career overseas for the past three years.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT: HAYLEY JONES, SALLY CUTTING and ALISON WARREN who
is covering Jayne Cooper’s maternity leave.
THE GLOBE INN: CHAI FAIMA, MATT HAWKINS and VERA GLEADELL. THE
VICTORIA HOTEL: INES CRUZ and congratulations on her promotion to Duty Manager.
HOLKHAM ENTERPRISES (Hall): KASIA CZULAK, Lady Coke’s Polish mother’s help.
Cashier CHRISTINE CARDWELL who left at the end of the season and will always be
remembered for her phrase: “Can you hear me Mr Daley?” on the radio. Room Stewards, STAN
and CORAL WHITEHOUSE and BRIAN and TONI WHITEHEAD. “All excellent stewards, who
will be hard to replace,” adds Mike. HOLKHAM ENTERPRISES (Gardens): OLLIE
FORREST who has left after 4 years. HOLKHAM ENTERPRISES (Gift Shops): Sophie
Woodhead who left at the end of October and was a real asset to the shops. HOLKHAM
ENTERPRISES (Pottery): DOUGLAS CODMAN, JANE BRAY and NANCY HIPKIN.
HOLKHAM FOODS: Seasonal workers, LEANNE PAGE, DOT COOPER, ADRIAN WELLER,
SIMON WELLER,TARQUIN BIX, JAMIE HEPHER,VICTORIA SMITH, JOAN EMMS,TAYLOR
HAMMOND, BETHANY MAHON, ANDREW FEATHERSTONE,VANESSA DACK, EMILY
GOULD and BECKY FOWLE, plus MATT DURRANT, ANITA PARQUAY, ALICE ROWLANDS
and MARIE HENNING, who all who left during the late summer. LEENA HARPER is
transferring to The Victoria for the winter. GAME DEPT: Deer Park and Game Sales Manager,
JULIAN STOYEL, who left after two years to take up a similar post at nearby Houghton Estate.
THE VICTORIA: MAREK VLK, STEPHANE GNAHORE, ADELA KAMENIKOVA, DOMINICA
WILK, ALEX CURTIS, MANUEL PALMA and Assistant Manager, JOHANNA BUREMO, who has
left after a year. Special wishes also go to ALEX THOURY and SIOBHAN COOMBE who have
moved to Australia. THE GLOBE INN: AMANDA JENKINS, GOIRGIE LEESE, SANDIE
POYSER, GRAEME ALDRIDGE,WILL DAVIES, MATTHEWS DOMS, RICHARD HAYES, SAM
MOORE, BARTEK SZCZESNY and RAFAL TOJA. Particular thanks goes to STEVE LOAKES
who has left for pastures new, we all wish him well in his new position. HOLKHAM
NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE: RON HAROLD, site manager of the reserve, who is
retiring after 17 years. HOLKHAM BUILDING MAINTENANCE: Plumber MARK
FULLWOOD who has left after six years. PINEWOODS HOLIDAY PARK: Maintenance
man SIMON SCOTT who has worked at the Park since August 1997. WOODS DEPT:
KENNY ROWE retired on 16 October 2007 after 50 years with the Woods Dept.
HOLKHAM FARMING COMPANY: Farm Manager MICHAEL TURNER who married
SALLY HARVEY, former assistant curator of Bygones, on 28 September 2007. PINEWOODS:
BECKY KING who has been promoted to Reception Manager and former seasonal worker,
YVONNE JAMES, who is our new Retail Manager. Park Manager, JACKI RAMM, who is engaged
to be married to ROSS FULFORD, formerly of Hector’s Housing Ltd. HOLKHAM
BUILDING MAINTENANCE: RON and ANGELA TEAGUE have just adopted a 20-monthold little girl, ELLIE MAE. THE VICTORIA HOTEL: RICARDO VAZ on his promotion to
Assistant Manager, ALAN CLARKE on his promotion to Duty Manager and FRED MESTRE on
his promotion to Duty Manager at The Globe.
JAYNE COOPER from the finance team, who gave birth to a boy, MORGAN RAY, on Tuesday
30 October 2007, weighing in at 8lb 1oz. PAUL MATTHEWS of the Woods Dept and his
partner CLAIRE are proud to announce the arrival of their son, REECE DAVID JOHN
MATTHEWS, born on 17 June 2007. Fellow Holkham woodsman, FREDDY FUTTER and his
wife, CAROLYN, became proud grandparents again when their son RICHARD (now
headkeeper at Barsham) and his partner, CATHERINE, welcomed MEGAN FUTTER on 21
August 2007. A son, JIMMY BRUCE, to ANDY and SARAH BRUCE on 29 October 2007.
ANDY BRUCE, head chef at The Victoria Hotel and The Globe Inn, who died in a car accident
on Friday 9 November 2007 (see tribute on page 22).
Please note all contributions for the next Newsletter need to be submitted
to the Editor, Paula Minchin, by 1 May 2008. Email: p.minchin@holkham.co.uk