• Reference
    AU10/102/2/3
  • Title
    Typewritten letter
  • Date free text
    2 November 1967
  • Production date
    From: 1967 To: 1967
  • Scope and Content
    Letter headed: "Kingsgate Castle, Broadstairs, Kent. Thanet 63256." "Dear Andrew, Many thanks for your letter received this morning. I think the best place to apply to for information about the Riviera English churches will be the S.P.G., 15 Tufton Street, S.W.1. The Bishop of Gibraltar is, I believe, a Suffragan of the Bishop of London. I do not know S.Raphael very well. My connections are with the other end of the Riviera ... Menton and Monte Carlo. There is an English church at Menton, and another at Monte Carlo: but they are both in very low water nowadays. They were built in the early years of the century when there was a considerable English population in those parts, swelled enormously in the winter months when wealthy people wintered there. (It was before the days of flying to the Bahamas, the Canaries, and luxury cruises). The English exodus from the Riviera took place in the 30s when Britain went off the Gold Standard. My French grandmother had a villa at Menton, and when her English husband died in 1900, she retired there. As a child, I used to be taken out there by my parents every winter, and this went on until the Great War of 1914-18. We continued to visit her periodically until 1937, when she died in her 90s. My mother succeeded to the villa: but the Second War came, during which my mother died. I then inherited the villa ... an enormous house with green marble staircases and whatever. Fortunately my French cousin (my mother's sister married a Frenchman) took it over from me, and he and his wife are living in it now. I go there occasionally, and sleep in the room I slept in as a child 60 years ago! But all this is by the way. As my grandmother was a Roman Catholic, we did not attend the English church, but went to the old parish church of Menton in the old town. I am, of course, very interested in all that is happening at Ampthill church. But isn't it a pity that clergymen of the Church of England have to spend their energies raising money to keep up these mediaeval buildings? In my time at Ampthill, I was constantly having to raise money for this and that ... the Church Schools, the tower (this was the first thing I had to tackle), and goodness knows what else besides. In Italy, the State gives grants. I saw a letter from Houfe in the "Telegraph" some time ago on this subject, with which I heartily agreed. We also at Kingsgate have our troubles. One side of the Castle is on the edge of the cliff, and all along this coast there is constant erosion, and this has rendered our terrace, and the adjacent flats, unsafe. We have called in experts ... engineers, architects and what not ... and they have drawn up a plan for buttressing up the cliff which will cost at least £30,000 (£1000 for each flat). We have a meeting about it this month. We appealed to the Minister for a grant, in view of the historical value of the Castle (it was built by Lord Holland in 1760, though there have been additions). But this was refused, as the Castle is in private occupation. All the flat owners contribute £100. a year to a central fund, which covers fire insurance, the Porter, a Manager, and exterior repairs. But we are always having to shell out extra money for this and that. I am enclosing three oddments for your photo collection which I have routed out from a box I was looking into recently. Exhibit A is a quaint group which I think was photographed at the Du Sautoy house I should think shortly before, or about, 1900. The seated lady on the right is Mrs.Eagles, the great-aunt of Miss Florence Eagles who is seated on the ground. The other lady is Mrs.Barton, mother of the Misses Bartons whom you will remember at the Old Gates in Church Street. Standing behind Mrs.Barton is I believe Mr.Pierre Du Sautoy, Mrs.Eagles' grandson. (Mrs.Eagles' only daughter married a Reverend Something Du Sautoy, Vicar of Wrotham in Kent). The other gentleman in moustache and blazer is Mr.Willie Barton, who (if I remember rightly from what Miss Florence Eagles and Sir Anthony Wingfield used to tell me) was an alcoholic, and "died of drink" as they used to say. His name was never mentioned by the Misses Barton! I daresay your grandmother will be able to identify them. I have no idea how I come to have this photo in my possession. Exhibit B (a photograph of a view of Houghton House by Richard Wilson). This charming picture I saw at an Exhibition of "Treasures of Woburn Abbey" which was held at the Royal Academy many years ago ... in the 30s probably. I daresay you can see the original in Woburn Abbey. The towers of Houghton rise up above the woods, all pink and red in the setting sun. I have always wished I could get a coloured reproduction. I was much intrigued by the church in the distance, and wondered if it could be Ampthill. I imagine you already have Exhibit C, a press photograph taken at the consecration of the Churchyard extension in 1947(?). The other clergyman is the then Vicar of Clophill. You will note Massingham behind me. The acolyte on the left is David Holder. If you already have this photo, don't bother to return it, as I have a duplicate. The Bishop is Bishop Lloyd, who followed Furse. Did you ever see the book "Town and Country" that Sir Anthony's butler, Cooper, wrote? It appeared in 1937, with a foreword by Lennox Boyd. I will let you have it, if you haven't seen it. Most amusing. It has occurred to me that I have a weekend free (Nov.10/12.) before I leave for Antwerp early in December. Would you like to come here? I could then hold forth - reminiscences of Ampthill 40 years ago! - at length. Let me know. As for tape-recording my piano playing ... Adam Stavert did one at Hoscote some years ago when I played for two solid hours (from memory). but what has become of it, I don't know. He was at Sandhurst then, and is now a Captain of KOSB in Germany. I imagine it is very worn. I couldn't possibly play now, as I am desperately out of practice, what with these winter voyages and summer visits to Italy and France. And I rarely get time to play when I am here. A pity ... but there it is! Yours sincerely, J.G.Hillam"
  • Level of description
    item