interview
Island Life - June/July 2010
Photos: Peter and his new bride Gillian pictured at Freshwater Church 15th June 1968.
Right: Peter pictured at riding stables in Cobham, Surrey, 1957.
generation. This year sees the 150th
Cavendish Hotel, Jermyn Street . While
Co, presided over Newport’s Tuesday
anniversary of the Army Cadets, as well
Peter was attracted to the Island, she
cattle market. “It was good fun,”
as the centenary of the Girl Guides, and
was hesitant about coming back. So
recalls Peter. But when Pittis was taken
such organisations, he believes, should
when, married and happily living near
over by an insurance company in 1986,
be celebrated for providing lasting
Hampton Court, she took a call from
Peter saw the happy, friendly firm he’d
friendships. He believes strongly in the
Bob Cheek, offering Peter a job on the
known begin to change. “Staff were
work of the Ocean Youth Trust, which
Isle of Wight, she wasn’t as delighted
being treated unjustly,” he says, “and
had just celebrated its 50th anniversary,
as he was.
I wrote a strongly worded letter to the
chairman telling him where they were
which takes children who may have
“You can blame Woolworths,” says
low self-worth and by giving them
Peter. “I used to go on about the Isle
going wrong, then Gill said ‘You do
challenging tasks, sees them blossom.
of Wight at work, so when my firm
realise the next letter you’ll have to
write, don’t you?’” So I resigned.
The latter is particularly close to
was valuing all the Woolworth shops
Peter’s heart because it was sailing
I was sent to do those on the Island.”
which first brought him to the Isle of
However tempted she might have been
former partner, they set up Kingston
Wight. “I grew up in Surrey, and came
not to pass on the message of the
& Grist. Gill agreed to “type a few
down to the Island sailing in 1962.
resulting headhunter, Gill did and the
letters” for them to get them started:
While at school I spent summers down
move was made. It meant Peter, who
fifteen years later she was still the
here. We met, and got married in ‘68 in
was barely seeing their six-month- old
office manager for the firm. Despite
Freshwater church.”
son, was able to throw himself into
being the new kid on the block,
fatherhood.
Kingston & Grist became quickly
Freshwater is the church where Gill
was also baptised. She is of a farming
In April 1972 he joined, the elegantly
In January 1990 with Ken Grist, a
established: it possibly helped a great
family in Freshwater and had always
named land agency Sir Francis Pittis
deal that they were operating from
told her parents that the last person she
& Son and became a partner in 1974.
offices that Ken Grist’s father had run
would marry would be a farmer, having
At that time the firm was a mixed
as an estate agency since 1947.
seen what a tough life it was. Gill went
practice, managing farms, running
to college in London and worked in the
auction rooms and with Way Riddett &
42
If anything could, being his own boss
only served to cement Peter’s love for
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