Remembering Sir Edward

Seeing the Wiltshire police in front of Sir Edward Heath’s old house in the close at Salisbur y prompted Whispering Galler y to take a tour of Arundells. Home to Sir Edward for the last 20 years of his life, the house stands near the cathedral where the former Prime Minister went to church ever y week and where he is buried. The front exterior makes the house seem to be an neat, 18th Centur y edifice but viewed from the back it can be seen it is a mixture of styles and periods going back to the middle ages set in two acres of garden. Inside models of five yachts, artefacts presented by Mao Tse Tung, photos of world leaders and a good collection of paintings (including two by Churchill) make the house seems like a museum but the guides (many of whom worked in the house when Heath lived there and have fond memories of him) claim there has been little change since Sir Edward’s time. There is large collection of music cassettes as well as a grand piano but the librar y has few books, with most devoted to music or art. The most impressive room is the dining room where Sir Edward entertained a range of guests from politicians and clergy to musicians and celebrities. Once a year he held a garden party to raise money for the cathedral spire and on five occasions conducted concerts inside the cathedral itself. At the time the Dean and chapter were not pleased that Heath took advantage of a legal loophole to gain the freehold and the future of Arundells is far from secure but for the time being Salisbur y has a unique historic home next to its cathedral.