Brothers recall 50 years of memories working at Weston Park

Brothers Roy and Richard Kirby have seen just about everything during five decades working at Weston Park in Staffordshire.

In that time they have witnessed a G8 summit, the final pre-split Oasis concert and dozens of other big events.

The estate was gifted to the nation in 1986 by the 7th Earl of Bradford and it is now owned and cared for by the Weston Park Foundation, an independent charitable trust.

The pair have been sharing their memories as the Weston Park Foundation as the charity celebrates its own 40th anniversary.

The pair grew up in the nearby village of Weston-under-Lizard and played on the estate as children because their grandfather worked with horses locally.

Roy Kirby, 70, started work there in 1970 and now serves as a gardener.

He recalled six days of talks which took place there in July 2001 to try to save the Northern Ireland agreement.

They were attended by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, Irish premier Bertie Ahern, Northern Ireland secretary John Reid, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party David Trimble and Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.

Bill Clinton was also reportedly on standby to intervene if it was felt it would help the proceedings.

Roy said: “The security for that was insane. There were snipers everywhere, up at the temple, in the grounds, on the roads and on the roofs.

“They had line of sight across the whole estate, it was amazing.”

Rich, who is 66 and works as Park Operations Supervisor, said another memorable moment was the G8 summit in May 1998.

Some of the world’s most powerful men arrived at Weston Park including Blair, Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, the German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and French President Jacque Chirac, among others.

Rich said: “I was living in a lodge on the estate at the time, and there were security everywhere including in my garden, and SAS on the rooftops. It was unbelievable.”

After the talks had finished he said: “We were ready to clear up, but Bill Clinton decided he wanted to watch the football – it was the FA cup final between Arsenal and Newcastle. So we all had to wait until the football had finished.”