Working with horses in the area

And how did you manage to find that job?
Lady Dorothy Frazer got me the job, Lord Coventry’s daughter, used to live out at Carlton Curlieu Hall. Lady Dorothy Frazer, she got me the job there.

She knew that you’d left the other place?
Yes, she knew that I’d finished there

So you weren’t out on your ear for long?
Oh no. I was very seldom that I was out when I was in stables.

So you went then, straight to….?
Captain Frank Bells in 1925. And I worked there ‘til 1939. He died, when he went down to the (…..), well as we were at the Newmarket sales I went across to see him to ask him why he was sitting out. He said “Well I don’t feel too well” he said “But you’re getting married aren’t you on Saturday?”. That was the next Saturday after we come back. I said “Yes”. He said “Well there’s a £20 note for you and I’m having a house built at the bottom of the drive”. That was, I forget the exact date but early July anyhow. Then he went straight from there down to the (….) and he died on the 26th July 1927.

So he never actually went back home from Newmarket?
No, no he was buried there at (….). We all went down to the funeral.

Did he have a house on the Isle of Wight?
(……………….). Tony Bell lived at the Wight house. I don’t know much about it after he died because he must have sold it.

So he also owned the farm up here?
The Papillon Hall. He owned the Papillon Hall.

At the same time?
Yes

So when you first started working for him was he up here or did you all move here with him?
No I came up here to…

You came up here to work with him?
Yes. (………………..)