Martin was a multi talented man of great charm and magic personality.  When I was a junior at KCS Wimbledon he was a senior, already a cricket and tennis super star – we used to cycle to KCS from Roehampton in the 1940s – cycling then supposedly forbidden on the Common !  Martin wrote a 16 page series of fascinating anecdotes – I forget now how I acquired them.  But I will send them to whoever enquires and I quote below from some below MARTIN HIMES’ ANECDOTES We live and learn “At 78, I at last realised that people write their memoirs these days primarily to make money. Starting at the end when, in the eighties, I was Consul-General in Houston, Texas.  I was posted there as a sort of promotion on the basis that it was the oil capital of the world. The day I arrived the price of oil fell by 50%. It took 15 years for Houston to recover. Meanwhile I had many visitors from the Royal family downwards. I covered Texas, New Mexico, Colorado,Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana- an interesting area. Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. I made friends with him. He was and is a remarkable character. He was already embroiled in astonishing sexual allegations (well before Lewinsky) but he had the nerve to see them out. As I said, I was in the Diplomatic Service,joining quite late in life at a low level, and miraculously got recommended to go before a Board to get into the “fast stream”. Quite exhausting - my only preparation was to buy myself a new suit! After the proceedings were over I was asked at final interview what I thought of the process. And I replied riskily, ‘well I’ll give you my opinion on that when I know if I have passed’. Amazingly I did! Lawn Tennis has been a part of my life. I once, in the qualifying competition for Wimbledon, played against Rod Laver, his first appearance in England when he was Australian Junior Champion. The grass court was very uneven, which helped me as I had a pretty fast service. I worked for six years for Marks and Spencer.  In those days it was still a family business. No advertising, special care for staff and Simon Marks ruled the roost. Far better value for money than anyone else provided at that time. I became personal assistant to Marcus Sieff, the son of Israel Sieff who had launched the business with Simon. Marcus worked his socks off and virtually ran the business in the fiftes and sixties. What a dynamo! My second story about Marcus Sieff is that I was charged with making a note following his meetings. One day he was going on and on about looking at all decisions carefully. In my record I wrote “Mr Sieff said “take nothing for granted” He was delighted with that phrase and it has been our motto ever since” Martin was fortunate with great memories, he will always be very well remembered with great affection.

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Martin Hime	11/08/10 14:20:00	Jim Maddan
Re:Martin Hime	11/08/10 14:47:00	Caroline Whitehead
Re:Re:Martin Hime	11/08/10 15:11:00	Suzanne Taylor
Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	11/08/10 15:35:00	Simon Knight
Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	11/08/10 20:50:00	Sue Riggs
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	11/08/10 21:37:00	Jonathan Callaway
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	12/08/10 00:40:00	Michael Ixer
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	13/08/10 07:41:00	Richard Carter
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	13/08/10 12:50:00	John Chambers
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	14/08/10 13:52:00	Lucille Grant
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	16/08/10 17:52:00	John Ewing
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	16/08/10 18:17:00	Simon Knight
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Martin Hime	16/08/10 21:01:00	Cordelia Meacher

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