Henry Wrigley on Harbours

Well, when I came here, I suppose one of the most famous people was a person called Sir Max Aitken, who was the son of Lord Beaverbrook who in wartime was the Minister of Arm and all the rest of it, Canadian, and of course he ended up … well he was, he owned the Beaverbrook Trust thing, the Express Organisation, wasn’t just newspapers of course, and what was so important, there were in those days some special yacht races called the Admiral’s Cup and they used to change the rules so these well-known owners, they would get new yachts built to meet up … this produces a lot of work for a lot of people.

It was wonderful what these people did by pouring lots of capital into the industry which produced a lot of work etc. And of course, these people loved to come here.

I can remember having to go to a meeting in London and Max Aitken and several other rather famous people and Sir Max says, “Henry, you look worried.” I said, “Yes, you’re not the same here as you are in Cowes.” He said, “Why’s that?” I said, “When I see you in your jeans covered in a bit of oil and the dust and the odd tear or two, you’re different people to what you are here in your pin stripe suit.”

Well, when I came here, I suppose one of the most famous people was a person called Sir Max Aitken, who was the son of Lord Beaverbrook who in wartime was the Minister of Arm and all the rest of it, Canadian, and of course he ended up … well he was , he owned the Beaverbrook Trust thing, the Express Organisation, wasn’t just newspapers of course, and what was so important, there were in those days some special yacht races called the Admirals Cup and they used to change the rules so these well-known owners, they would get new yachts built to meet up … this produces a lot of work for a lot of people. It was wonderful what these people did by pouring lots of capital into the industry which produced a lot of work etc. And of course, these people loved to come here. I can remember having to go to a meeting in London and Max Aitken and several other rather famous people and Sir Max says, “Henry, you look worried.” I said, “Yes, you’re not the same here as you are in Cowes.”

He said, “Why’s that?”

I said, “When I see you in your jeans covered in a bit of oil and the dust and the odd tear or two, you’re different people to what you are here in your pin stripe suit.”

So, they all chuckled away at that, but in a way this is what Cowes and the Island does. It gets people to relax and enjoy themselves no matter who they are and yes, inevitably you do meet a lot of people and that’s the fun of it. I think you asked me that question earlier, but the fun of people from all walks of life.