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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Seigfried Sassoon


Tim Birch

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Heres a link and an interesting story to go with it...

http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/property.../17/psass17.xml

£800 000- maybe the National Trust or something similar should buy it before someone else does and sticks an open plan Ikea kitchen- diner in.

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£800,000 works out at £214.25 per Pal. How about it Pals? That would give us a Conference Centre/Mess/Weekend retreat and somewhere for our overseas Pals to base themselves when visiting the UK. Channel Tunnel and Ferries to France within a few minutes drive - Battlefields on your doorstep. At great place for partying! We could even get an income opening it to the Public...

Tim

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£800,000 works out at £214.25 per Pal. How about it Pals?

What with rates, gas and electricity etc., then I don't suppose there would be any reduction for country members, would there? Neveretheless it sounds a bargain when put like that Tim

Count me in

Michael D.R.

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Count me in as well!

Although just put the idea past the wife and shes not too keen...

Would you take cash?

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Paul: stats prove - the market always does better under a Democrat

RichardH: yes, folding only - no cheques on the housekeeping account

We must keep this quiet!!!!!!

Michael D.R.

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Sassoon himself in the end had no feelings for Weirleigh. When his mother died in 1947 he "'couldn't face the funeral' or a return to Weirleigh; as he explained in his diary, it would only cause him 'the needless pain of emotion. I just resolved not to indulge in feelings'"

He was pleased that he would no longer 'have to pay his mother her £400 annuity and bringing the promise of money from his half-share in the sale'. 'The furniture would help fill the empty paces left by the removal of Hester's [his divorced wife] belongings from Heytesbury'.

Some lines from Jean Moorcroft Wilson Vol 2 - The Journey from the Trenches. Doesn't sound like someone who would look forward to the NT owning the house.

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I would think that the house in Wiltshire would be more relevant as a memorial. I remember going there as a kid to play with this two ?nephews who were my schoolmates at a nearby school.

Ron

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Sadly, Heytesbury House in Wiltshire was converted into a variety of "luxury apartments" some 8 or 9 years ago. Furthermore, the house and part of the surrounding park, which had been clearly visable from the A36 Heytesbury by-pass, was hidden behind a set of enourmous earthwork banks presumably to protect the privacy of the new owners and shield them from traffic noise. However, it does nothing for the landscape and must give the impression from the house side of living underneath a huge dam This development occurred after the house was sold following a serise of tragic disasters that befell the family which included a hugely destructive house fire at Heytesbury and the death of several of Sassons grand children or great-grand children in a car crash. It was all a great shame and really signalled the end of Heytesbury House as an intact Sasson entity.

David

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Simon Bull

Slightly off topic I know -- I was amazed to read recently that Sassoon's brother was Haig's Private Secretary. I should think that must have led to some interesting conversations around the dinner table!

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Slightly off topic I know -- I was amazed to read recently that Sassoon's brother was Haig's Private Secretary. I should think that must have led to some interesting conversations around the dinner table!

I thought Sassoon's only brother was Hamo, who was killed at Gallipoli.

I think you will find this is another Sassoon family?

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Hi,

As well as Hamo, there was another older brother- Michael- but Haigs secretary wasn't SS brother- it was his cousin Sir Philip Sassoon. He went on to be parliamentary private secretary to Lloyd George after the war, and later Under-Secretary of State for Air.

Regards

Richard

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Haigs secretary wasn't SS brother- it was his cousin Sir Philip Sassoon. He went on to be parliamentary private secretary to Lloyd George after the war, and later Under-Secretary of State for Air.

I seem to remember reading recently where someone refered to him as the first 'Spin Doctor' and said that he had a hand in getting his former boss his financial reward from a grateful nation

Michael D.R.

I think that it was in a book review; was biography of PS published recently?

Edited by michaeldr
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Sassoon- the Worlds of Philip and Sybil was published April 2003-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0...2284509-5775658

Excellent social commentray on "the nobs" in the first half of this century, actually. He was amazingly wealthy (and related to the Rothschilds as well). Was an MP at 23 too...

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Thanks Richard; yes that must be what occasioned the review which I saw. April 2003; recent eh? That must say something about my mental timescale

regards

Michael D.R.

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Guest Simon Bull

Sorry gents - my mistake. I was reading a book which included information about Phillip Sassoon whilst on holiday in Greece a few days ago, and the sun must have caused a mental aberration - the book does say Siegfried and Philip were cousins but I had "improved" this to brother in my own mind. Must have been the hot sun baking my brains!

Simon Bull

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