The two big summer films of 1989 were Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ and Steven Spielberg’s ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ – I remember this because both films contained the same joke around Edward Bulwer Lytton’s line “the pen is mightier than the sword”. The line was quoted in both films as a pen was used as a weapon. We were living in Los Angeles and had the thrill of seeing ‘Batman’ on a giant screen in the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, particularly special because Batman’s house, Wayne Manor, was, of course, our house, Knebworth House. The only place I can think of more fun to see ‘Batman’ would be in front of Knebworth House itself – and, guess what, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, we can all do that! Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ is being screened at 9.30pm on Thursday 4th July, as one of our Luna Cinema open-air presentations.
The man who has spent more time sitting in front of Knebworth House than anybody in its history very sadly died in June. Julian Smith (1943-2019) manned our St Mary’s Gate entrance for most of his retirement years. One of few possible challengers is his maternal grandfather, William Jennings, who having been butler in the house, spent time as the house’s night watchman in the (now restored) Watchman’s Tower. Both of Julian’s parents grew up on the Knebworth Estate, the Jennings in Tower Lodge and the Smiths, for a time, in what is now our Estate Offices. Julian enjoyed recalling that what is now Martha’s office was once his grandparents’ bedroom.
Every time I pass through St Mary’s Gate I think of Julian sitting there in his boater on a summer’s afternoon. I am sure I will always see him sitting there. Others, I’m sure, will see him sitting in the corner of his evening haunt, the Lytton Arms – or sitting at a piano, beaming, and playing beautifully, at one of countless Knebworth parties. He will be hugely missed by everyone in Old Knebworth.
Henry Lytton Cobbold
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HenryCobboldKH
A fund to help Hitchin’s Emil Dale’s School for Musical Theatre has been set up in Julian Smith’s memory at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/victoria-glasson.