Hailstone
In Conversation with...Tim Hailstone, Chairman of Dart Caring Trustees and Owner of Dartmotuh Castle Tea Rooms
By The Dart met the avuncular Tim Hailstone at the Castle Tea Rooms perched high above the Dart Estuary. It’s a great place to while away some time and indeed we happily chatted about publishing and our respective histories in the industry. Tim’s career in publishing has been particularly long and successful and he’s clearly shown great entrepreneurial flair allowing him to happily bask in retirement. But retirement is evidently busy and rewarding - whilst he retains business interests in London, mostly in publishing, he’s also put down some firm roots in Dartmouth through his work for Dartmouth Caring and his ownership of the Tea Rooms.
Tim has been coming to Dartmouth for many years - he was persuaded to visit in the ‘70s by a friend and business colleague, with whom he shared a flat in London at the time, and whose Uncle & Aunt ran the Gunfield Hotel. “I just fell in love with the place,” he explains, “and started coming here regularly, often helping out in the hotel. I always promised myself I’d buy a place here should I ever afford it. Well I went to the USA at the end of the 70s and on my return I started a medical publishing business. We successfully sold it a few short years later and armed with the cash I went straight out to buy a house in Above Town. I started coming down regularly for holidays and weekends, getting to know more and more people. About 15 years ago, I decided that Dartmouth was probably going to be the place where I’d end up retiring. So I sold my house in London, exchanged it for a flat, and then bought my present house on Swannaton Road.”
Tim has spent more than 30 years in publishing, holding senior positions in companies such as Virgin Publishing, Times Mirror International and Harcourt International. He joined The Stationery Office in 2003 as Chief Executive which had been privatised a few years earlier and successfully turned it round before selling it three years ago to a division of Deutsche Post. He’s now an adviser to a major UK private equity group as well holding various non-executive board positions in other media businesses.
But what’s the leap from publishing to owning the Castle Tea Rooms? “I’d often visit the Tea Rooms after a long walk. When I heard that the previous owners were looking to sell, I decided a couple of years ago to buy it myself. I had come to know John and Susan, the owners, well and John and I had regularly gone horse racing together. I’d always liked the idea of having a business in Dartmouth, as it embeds you into the community. I was especially keen after Terry Edwards, who I also knew well, agreed to run it for me. Terry had previously managed Dartmouth Castle for the English Heritage and was then already helping out in the business.”
“I’d no experience of running such a business but it’s pretty simple. It had become a bit run down physically so we’ve spent the past two years investing our cash flow in refurbishing it, buying new kitchen equipment and furniture. It’s not changed much but we’ve improved the quality of food and drinks. We’ve increased revenues quite alot and hopefully I’ll be able take a bit of profit from it this year! I’m often asked why we don’t open in the summer but it’s so difficult to guarantee that the weather will allow people to eat outside as the space inside is very limited. But we may experiment with BBQ’s one or two nights a week.”
Tim has been involved in recent years with Dartmouth Caring working closely with Dee Nutt to ensure this local charity punches above its weight. “This is something I really enjoy doing. It’s a great organisation and Dee has done a wonderful job in transforming it and surrounding it with enthusiastic and energetic volunteers. Dee’s great at creating ‘disproportionate noise’ for the Charity’s PR but it really does make a difference to people’s lives - its clients get to do things or go places that they would not ordinarily do with Dartmouth Caring’s support.”
Tim’s charity work extends also to London which he visits every other week for business. “I’ve got involved with The Roundhouse, previously helping out with fund-raising. But I’ve just been invited onto the board and to chair its Development Committee. I used to go the Roundhouse alot in the 60s as I have always been interested in music and its one of London’s great gigs. I love the building and it’s been lovingly restored but although most people know it as a music venue, half its budget goes on running programmes and courses for disadvantaged kids. A huge number of kids go through its various programmes and by doing so are given a rare opportunity to discover and develop their performing talents.”
But it’s clear that Dartmouth will long hold a draw for Tim despite his many other interests away from the area. “I do love it here’” he exclaims. “Geographically, it’s extraordinary and has a great mix of people. I’m very sociable but I also like time to myself. I can get involved with local activities and socialise with a great mix of people but I love walking - but preferably by myself. I like dropping into the Green Dragon in Stoke Fleming but I always walk there if on a Sunday. I enjoy sailing with friends but it must be pretty calm first. I read alot, have always done, and I love horse racing having owned or part-owned race horses for many years. Art is also a passion and we are so fortunate to have so many great galleries here. My walls are covered with art and I also stack paintings in a small room in my house and regularly change them around. I get a great kick of seeing art in my home and I have been a good supporter of the many artists we have around here.”
“Dartmouth is such a good place,” he says, “to get involved with the community and I suppose I am lucky also to have other distractions. It’s a real town with a year-round life. I know some who retire here tend to treat it like a ‘museum’ but I personally think it will always need to change and adapt, to support new and local businesses and retain that enviable vitality. There aren’t many better places to live!
First Published October 2009 By The Dart