Jeremy Robinson is a successful entrepreneur with an impressive portfolio of businesses.
He also runs Dart Adventures and Dittisham Boat Hire although is now selling the latter on after four seasons.
Jeremy has a background in the travel industry and event management and is the founder and chief executive of Captiva, which has organised conferences for HMV, PC World, Game Station and Greene King.
A life-sized Lara Croft figure, from video game Tomb Raider, stands in the corner of Jeremy’s office as testament to those events.
He said: “We set up Captiva in 1998 when we were living in Henley-on-Thames. Then the recession hit about seven years ago, some of our clients went bust and the conference business slowed down.
“I’ve worked with some brilliant people and had such a good time. The entertainment for our galas included comedians such as Matt Lucas and Peter Kay and musicians Jamie Cullum and Amy Winehouse.”
Jeremy went straight to work after school and set up his first company, a business travel agency, at just 24 years of age.
“I wanted to get out and work as soon as possible after school, to be able to afford the nice things in life, drive nice cars, travel and stay in nice places.”
I sold the travel business to US company Maritz and set up a boat business near Monte Carlo in the late 80s.”
I returned to England in the early 90s and trained as a commercial pilot with the aim of going into the private jet market but didn’t pursue it as demand was low in the 90s recession.”
He married Carol, who at the time was a buyer for the NHS, in 1998 and set up Captiva with her.
They married in West Sussex and lived in Henley-on–Thames. A move to Wiltshire preceded their final move to Little Coombe nine years ago, with nine-month-old daughter Ellie and Carol pregnant with twins. Twins George and Harriet are now eight and Ellie is nine and they all attend a local primary school.
When they moved to Little Coombe Farm there was a main house, a holiday cottage and a run down stone barn. They have restored the 450-year-old barn into a holiday let and extended the house and outbuildings. The estate is 20 acres, including six acres of woodland.
Jeremy collects classic cars and owns amongst others a 1960s Mini Moke. He sold his 1966 Aston Martin and a 1962 Bentley to fund the farm’s building project.
Jeremy grew up in Reading and attended Shiplake College as a day-pupil. He left in 1977 with not as many qualifications as he would have liked.
He said: “I didn’t do that well at school but I did enjoy it. My favourite sport was rowing and, as the school was on the river Thames, I was on a the water a lot.
“My father was in publishing and mother was a practice manager for Reading University Health Centre. My younger sister was a Norland Nanny.
“When I left school I wanted to join the BBC, in front of the camera but in those days you needed a degree to sweep the floor. So I went into the business world instead.”
After 15 years in the fast paced corporate world Jeremy and Carol decided they wanted a lifestyle change, so moved to Devon.
He said: “Rather than work in the corporate world we now work in the travel and leisure markets, helping people enjoy their holidays.
“We bought a local boat hire company and branded it, then off the back of that set up Dart Adventures – a local group activity business renting kayaks, stand up paddle boards etc and running stag, hen and corporate events. It ties in nicely with the accommodation we let out too.
“It’s river-based, operating from Dittisham.”
The latest luxury holiday accommodations in the Little Coombe portfolio are four cedar-clad yurts in the woods, opening this season.
Jeremy added: “They come complete with under floor heating and en suite bathrooms - it’s very, very posh glamping. They’re a great addition to our holiday lets.”
It’s clear that life at Little Coombe Farm is fun and idyllic.
Jeremy said: “We absolutely love it and wish we’d moved sooner. It’s a great place to bring up kids and we’re all very happy here. It’s a different way of life and very relaxed.
“In 2008 we found a house we liked. A friend’s mum lived in the village and I’d stayed here once. We moved down knowing only one person.
“My work is based at home so I can work around the kids and pick them up from school. Being my own boss I can work the time around the family, although with the boat business I’ve often been working seven days a week during the school holidays. Hopefully, once that is sold, the holiday lets will be easier to manage and give me more time with my family.
“I love working for myself and have been doing it since I was 24 years old – I’m probably unemployable now!”
For more information visit www.littlecoombefarm.co.uk
First published By The Dart May 2015 Issue
