Perranporth Beach © Photo: Simon McBride
Jean Graham,
née Williamson
Winston
Graham
Life and times continued
The call of Cornwall was strong for all the family and for many summers Rosamund
and Douglas and the grandchildren joined Winston and Jean at West Pentire for a
re-injection of Cornish air at the Crantock Bay Hotel, owned by the Eyles family.
The Eyles remain good friends to this day and hosted the Centenary Celebration
party at the hotel in 2003.
and Douglas and the grandchildren joined Winston and Jean at West Pentire for a
re-injection of Cornish air at the Crantock Bay Hotel, owned by the Eyles family.
The Eyles remain good friends to this day and hosted the Centenary Celebration
party at the hotel in 2003.
In 1966 at the age of 54 Jean suffered a severe stroke. Never daunted, she and
Winston continued to travel extensively – visiting thirty-two countries over a
period of twenty-five years as well as entertaining their many friends at the house
in Sussex. Jean died in December 1992.
Winston continued to travel extensively – visiting thirty-two countries over a
period of twenty-five years as well as entertaining their many friends at the house
in Sussex. Jean died in December 1992.
Winston remained very much alive and well for a further 12 years. He continued
living in their Sussex home and the beautiful garden they had created together,
writing and enjoying the company of friends including many of the stars of Poldark.
Even into his nineties Winston maintained his routine of a once a week trip to
London for lunch at the Savile Club or at The Beefsteak, regaling all with his vast
memory store of poetry, anecdotes and stories. And he continued to answer the
call of his beloved Cornwall with regular visits to friends old and new.
living in their Sussex home and the beautiful garden they had created together,
writing and enjoying the company of friends including many of the stars of Poldark.
Even into his nineties Winston maintained his routine of a once a week trip to
London for lunch at the Savile Club or at The Beefsteak, regaling all with his vast
memory store of poetry, anecdotes and stories. And he continued to answer the
call of his beloved Cornwall with regular visits to friends old and new.
Winston lived on, active and writing, enjoying the company of friends including
many of the stars of Poldark, and regaling all with his vast memory store of poetry
and anecdotes. He died in his home at Abbotswood, Buxted, East Sussex on 10th
July 2003. He was 95 and had continued writing and publishing to the very end.
Most of the obituaries, unsurprisingly, got the date of his birth wrong as Winston
never talked about his age and, as he grew older, made increasing efforts to
conceal it. When asked, he replied that if publishers knew how old he was they
would be less interested in his work and less willing to publish him.
many of the stars of Poldark, and regaling all with his vast memory store of poetry
and anecdotes. He died in his home at Abbotswood, Buxted, East Sussex on 10th
July 2003. He was 95 and had continued writing and publishing to the very end.
Most of the obituaries, unsurprisingly, got the date of his birth wrong as Winston
never talked about his age and, as he grew older, made increasing efforts to
conceal it. When asked, he replied that if publishers knew how old he was they
would be less interested in his work and less willing to publish him.
Winston Graham‘s legacy of tales and stories, which new generations delight in
reading suggest that in this, at least, he was quite wrong.
reading suggest that in this, at least, he was quite wrong.
Crantock Bay Hotel view
Winston, Virginia Wetherell
and Angharad Rees
Book signing at Ottakar’s in Truro
(Waterstones). Andrew, Rosamund,
Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees
(Waterstones). Andrew, Rosamund,
Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees
Abbotswood, Buxted