FEATURE | The Big Interview
The drawing room at Hound Lodge
Although optimistic about the estate ’ s future , Williamson does have concerns about the world at large . “ I ’ m pretty depressed by how much fear is being wrapped around the changes we are going through at the moment ,” he says . “ Whether you agree with Trump or Brexit to my mind the greatest risk is to dominate the political agenda with the spin of fear . It is bad news . What it does from a corporate perspective is give people the excuse not to do anything and that slows things down for everybody . I worry that over the next six or seven months as the Brexit agenda builds , we might all put our foot on the brake as we wait to see what happens . It takes a long time to rev the whole thing back up again . If the political agenda is constantly to terrify everybody , that has got to be wrong .”
Back to the present and Williamson is clearly passionate about the estate and the people who work there . “ We have 12,000 acres and if we don ’ t look after it properly it will become tarmac and houses ,” he warns . “ We have to run the business successfully to protect it otherwise it won ’ t be here and that would be the ultimate failure . This can ’ t become a housing estate . It must be maintained and improved for generations to come , not only for the family who own it , but also for the team who work here and for
the community who live around us .”
Time is ticking by and Williamson has , as usual , a busy schedule ahead of him , so time for one final question . In , say , five or ten years ’ time , in what state would you like the business to be ? What would signify success ?
“ It would be amazing for Lord March ’ s son Charlie to inherit an estate that has good liquidity and a strong balance sheet .
All good businesses have options and for him to have them would be significant success for me .”
As I drive away from Goodwood House , past those stunning cedar trees and along the road outside the house which has seen the best drivers in the world race up it during the Festival of Speed , I get the feeling that young Charlie will not be disappointed . Q
The hallway at Hound Lodge
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