His book brought back my own memories
Memoir/Name dropping101/Timothy Bentinck MBE
Timothy Bentinck will be well-known to followers of the popular eternal BBC radio program ‘The archers’ in which he has played a character for thirty years.
He writes about it in his funny and engaging book Being David Archer, which I highly recommend if you follow the programme, have an interest in acting, film or theatre.
Or if you just want to know what a British Earl is doing when he is not being an earl on a country estate. Seems he is being David Archer.
I guess both share the same pair of wellies*, which is how this story began:
In the course of doing more research I had the good fortune to contact a member of the family, the aforementioned Timothy Bentink MBE, and he kindly gave me some links to very useful information. In the course of following these research leads I came upon the Amazon book site with the book, ordered the audio version, nd got thoroughly sidetracked.
I was writing a piece for you about the occasion when my Dad met Tim’s Ancestor, the last titled Duke of Devonshire in the underground ballroom on his local estate – Welbeck Abbey.Dad and the Duke of Portland
Meanwhile the Duke of Portland is still sitting comfortably on the back burner.
This was Timothy Bentink MBE, who proved to be just as fascinating as his ancestor, with some noticeable family traits perhaps? I hope there is a a sequal coming. Put my name down for an audio copy.
Welbeck Estate, outside Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK, featured as the original family Estate mentioned in Tim the Actor’s book, which triggered up so much deja vu. I had already written a short memoir of visiting HMS Bentink as a landbound Sea Ranger Story here.
Bentink was the name attached to several edifaces around Worksop. My boyfriend had gone to Bentink School.
As for Welbeck Estate? Well over the past years, in the process of making the Estate pay for its upkeep, some very popular businesses and events on the Welbeck Abbey Estate have featured in my life.
As a local you couldn’t take your gardening seriously without regularly visiting the plant nursery- which was attached to the Garden Centre, situated just inside one of the two adjcent classy brick gateways.
And every October onwards you couldnt miss the Xmas Shop display within the Garden Centre Shop. Rooms of Xmas Lights, displays,cards, gifts, wrapping paper, without all a the ggro of the commercial centres.
But I digressed – as you do – because beside the plants and through the greenhouses was the cafe’, in part of the old building and leading into a large lean-to glass former greenhouse where, at least twice, we enjoyed the best traditional turkey dinner lunch, all locally sourced.
Which leads me to the Farm Shop. Oh how I miss that Farm Shop. The locally-produced cheeses were divine. The meats cut to order. Packets of so many delicacies.
Poor ‘Earl Timothy’ says he had only been to the Estate a couple of times in his youth. “hey were very distant relatives” he asserted. The story of his Father inheriting is in Becoming David Archer
Deja Vu again. Tim’s reply reminded me of a short romantic story I wrote around a graphic done from a photo featuring Mum’s friend Joyce in the Harley Gallery, which is a lovely art gallery on the Welbeck Estate. Here it is:
https://www.harleygallery.co.uk/event/autumn-seeds/
Timothy Bentinck MBE inShowreel: bit.ly/timb19
Website: timbentinck.com
Autobiography: beingdavidarcher.net
Mee Memoirs -and other stuff 