The Duke of Richmond has passed away
Discussion
He was a lovely charming old buffer.
At his invitation I was privileged to spend many conversations over morning coffee because he was president of a charity I chaired & liked to be kept up to date on matters & he always chaired the AGM.s . He was especially welcoming because as he once admitted many organisations offer him a presidential role just because of who he was but never bothered to make any other contact with him.
Come the day of our meetings I would make myself known at the Goodwood House Reception desk & upon knowing of my presence he would come bounding into the room, offer a warm handshake & address me by my Christian name. My response was of course a polite "Good morning Your Grace". We would then repair to a room in one of the round towers that flank the façade of the house & upon coffee & biscuits being delivered insisted on 'being Mum'. A chat of two hour duration was the norm.
He had little or no interest in cars or motoring, horses being his thing. Not having the same level of business expertise as his son (he was old school landed gentry where money is just so vulgar a subject) he readily admitted that without the vision & entrepreneurial skills of his son developing Goodwood then the estate may well have finished up as ghastly as Longleat in order to survive.
In his world I sensed that he wished it was not so & that the estate could have made money without the cars.
RIP Your Grace for we shall not sure the likes of you again for your son is of a different era.
At his invitation I was privileged to spend many conversations over morning coffee because he was president of a charity I chaired & liked to be kept up to date on matters & he always chaired the AGM.s . He was especially welcoming because as he once admitted many organisations offer him a presidential role just because of who he was but never bothered to make any other contact with him.
Come the day of our meetings I would make myself known at the Goodwood House Reception desk & upon knowing of my presence he would come bounding into the room, offer a warm handshake & address me by my Christian name. My response was of course a polite "Good morning Your Grace". We would then repair to a room in one of the round towers that flank the façade of the house & upon coffee & biscuits being delivered insisted on 'being Mum'. A chat of two hour duration was the norm.
He had little or no interest in cars or motoring, horses being his thing. Not having the same level of business expertise as his son (he was old school landed gentry where money is just so vulgar a subject) he readily admitted that without the vision & entrepreneurial skills of his son developing Goodwood then the estate may well have finished up as ghastly as Longleat in order to survive.
In his world I sensed that he wished it was not so & that the estate could have made money without the cars.
RIP Your Grace for we shall not sure the likes of you again for your son is of a different era.
I forgot to add......
One day at one or our meetings I shared my concern as to the difficulty in finding a venue for my charities AGM (as mentioned he always chaired them) the usual hotel having been booked up. Glancing out the window towards the front of Goodwood House I remembered the famous a very grand Indian Room full of priceless antiques & paintings. Turning to the Duke & with a cheeky grin & a tongue firmly in cheek I said "Your Grace any chance of borrowing your front room, the Indian one?". Blow me down he said yes. The result roaring log fires in the entrance. flunkies serving drinks & a fabulous setting for an AGM. And no charge. What a guy.
Say the same thing to his son, even if cars were involved & a metaphorical thick ear would result plus a hefty bill.
One day at one or our meetings I shared my concern as to the difficulty in finding a venue for my charities AGM (as mentioned he always chaired them) the usual hotel having been booked up. Glancing out the window towards the front of Goodwood House I remembered the famous a very grand Indian Room full of priceless antiques & paintings. Turning to the Duke & with a cheeky grin & a tongue firmly in cheek I said "Your Grace any chance of borrowing your front room, the Indian one?". Blow me down he said yes. The result roaring log fires in the entrance. flunkies serving drinks & a fabulous setting for an AGM. And no charge. What a guy.
Say the same thing to his son, even if cars were involved & a metaphorical thick ear would result plus a hefty bill.
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