Tribute at Beaulieu House, UK
David visited Beaulieu House (The national Motor Museum, UK) in 1973. Sharron L worked with Lord Montagu of Beaulieu House to have David remembered there for his visit in 1973. Lord Montagu kindly offered to place an information board near the location on the riverbank where David went fishing with his mum. David later had tea with his mum, his sister also remembers the visit, but Lord Montagu was at boarding school at the time. (See message from Lord Montagu below)
Message from Lord Montagu:
I have Sharron Liddle to thanks for re-igniting my interest in David and commemorating his visit to Beaulieu. Sadly, I never met him myself as I was at boarding school, a most frustrating state of affairs for me. My sister does remember David and tells me that he always spoke in a whisper to save his voice. How he came to stay at Beaulieu is a bit of a mystery as we hadn’t met him before. I suspect someone from his management knew my father who offered Palace House as a retreat. Notwithstanding the privacy which he was seeking, we must assume that he agreed to be photographed at Beaulieu as the images in xxx magazine could not have been taken without his agreement. I am so glad they were, as it is the only record of what was otherwise a low-key visit.
Any fans visiting Beaulieu can see the 1914 Prince Henry Vauxhaul which David was photographed in, and gaze upon the river in which he is apparently fishing with my mother (I’m sure they didn’t catch anything!)
The Strawberry leaf china which can be seen in the picture of my mother serving tea is still in regular use and we own the original of the cartoon because my father approached the newspaper afterwards to buy it.
I was not particularly interested in David’s music at the time of his visit but have come to appreciate it in more recent years. I am only sorry that I was never able to welcome him back to Beaulieu myself.
