Harkness – MacGillivray Stories

This photo is from the album showing a weekend trip we had to Surrey, where we camped in a wood outside the walls of John Paul Getty III’s Sutton Place. My parents were in their forties – so this was a kind of ‘Indian summer romance’ weekend trip for them. My elder brothers were too old to go on picnics, and they wouldn’t have fitted into the small Ford Anglia anyway. My parents slept in a small tent with Gavin, whereas I had an uncomfortable night’s ‘half-sleep’ on the narrow back seat of the Anglia (which I can still remember!). 

I remember climbing over the wall of Sutton Place, the 72-room mansion and residence of John Paul Getty III, who was the richest man in the world at that time. Of course, I didn’t know this at the time. 

After climbing over the wall, it was like walking into a romantic, adventure novel, as Sutton Place is located in an enormous park with a large lake and woods. I found a wishing well, and to my amazement there were lots of shining coins in the bottom of the well; while pondering if I should fish some of them out, I saw a man come cycling in the distance who had spotted me. I quickly tried to hide, but he quickly found me. He was quite polite and just led me out of the park – this time by way of the large park gate!