Twenty years may have flown by since the sad passing of Julian Vereker. I remember some very happy times when I was employed by Julian to build him his dream sailing yacht.
Twenty-nine years ago (1991) I built Julian Vereker a yacht; not in a marina or industrial workshop, but on his property in sleepy little Odstock in a listed barn at the back of his house. Many wonderful memories came flooding back to me and gave me the urge to share these memories and experiences with you.
Going back a little further, I’ve always been a very keen hi-fi enthusiast and when I was given the opportunity to build Ivor Tiefenbrun’s new boat - named the 'Linn Sea Machine’ in 1988, I was one very happy chappy. When Ivor’s boat was finished – he still owns this boat today! - it was Ivor who then introduced me to Julian, and this is how I had the privilege to have known and worked for him. During the eight months I was building Julian’s yacht, I lived at a pub called The Yew Tree Inn, which was very handy and only a short stroll down the lane to work! Most weekends I would head home to Plymouth.
As I was a genuine hi-fi enthusiast, Julian was so excited to share his creations. During my first week working on his yacht, he took me to the Naim factory on a personal guided tour. To say I was chuffed was an understatement! During the tour we passed the R&D department where I could not venture into. I cheekily said to Julian not to worry as I knew (I didn’t, just guessed) he was developing a CD player. He confirmed this by staring at me and trying to say something that was hard to interpret. With his reaction I went on to say, ‘told you I knew.’ Of course, he wouldn’t admit to anything…
A few months later he called me down from the barn and told me that I am going to be one very privileged individual as I’m the first person apart from his development team to listen to Naim’s new CD Player! And there and then I thought maybe there is a God after all. What a privilege it was lounging in the beanbags and listening to some of the best sounding gear my ears have had the pleasure to experience. Wow, not many people can say that!
Going back to the beginning again; I started fitting out Julian’s yacht on the Monday and after meeting some of his team at the factory on the Tuesday, Julian offered me to join you all on the Thursday evening at a pub in a nearby village for a Nain social night out. I was made to feel very welcome and met some great people. It must have been around 3am when we all exited the pub and after I was ‘forced’ to join a guy called Paul who was in Sales, who twisted my arm to join him on tasting most probably every whisky in the bar.
Well, as a person who doesn’t usually drink whisky and with only four hours sleep, it took me all my willpower to get up the next morning and wobble down the lane to Julian’s house. I was so embarrassed as he opened the door with a big grin on his face (I’m sure he knew what was about to happen) as I stood there still wobbling, trying to politely explain that I cannot possibly go to work today. I’m sure my complexion was greener than the fields surrounding Odstock and my head felt like it was detached and elsewhere. I was so embarrassed as this was my first week working for him… To Julian’s credit and my relief and his amusement, he smiled and said, ‘don’t worry, go home and enjoy a long weekend and I’ll look forward to seeing you Monday morning.’ I’m sure as I walked away relieved, I heard a chuckled murmur that sounded like ‘you West Country Lads are a bit soft…’
Julian would often come home from work and rush up to the barn to see how his new yacht was progressing and then he’d tell me to ‘drop tools’ and lets go…We would jump on his fold-up bike’s and break every speed record to peddle down the lane to The Radner Inn in the next village and we’d always get there in time for happy hour, which meant two Guinness’s for the price of one. With six pints lined up, we’d sit there talking hi-fi and boats. He would never allow me to buy as I was his guest. A true gentleman.
About six months on and one evening over a few Guinness’s, I told Julian that I would be finishing up soon as I’ve been accepted for emmigration and was going to move to Australia to live. Julian nearly swallowed his glass (Guinness still in) and quickly told me ’No’ you’re not going anywhere because I have something really interesting to offer you… We’d obviously clicked very well and became good friends.
Julian knew that apart from building boats, I also used to build large speakers for a P.A. company. One day I remember complaining to Julian that it was all very well and good getting the ‘sound right,’ but many high-end hi fi components especially speakers, look like boxy bricks with little thought - at the time - put into the aesthetics. I went on to tell him they should also be works of art and appealing to the eye. You eat with your eyes first!
So, Julian went on to tell me that all his speaker cabinets were manufactured (at the time if my memory serves me right) in Denmark and then shipped over. And after listening to my ‘bitch’ about boxy, uninteresting looking speakers and knowing my skills with design and experience with timber and cabinet making, his offer was to set me up to take on all Naim’s future speaker manufacturing locally in Salisbury!
Like a young foolish go-getter, my mind was set in concrete to go to Australia to live. I smile when I think back and reflect at not accepting Julian’s offer. As he truthfully and accurately said; ‘I don’t think you fully realise just what you’ve been offered!’ He was right - what was I thinking (or not) at the time.
A couple of days later and after Julian came to terms that I very politely turned him down on that wonderful offer, he came back to me with another offer. This time he offered me a permanent position at Vereker Engineering to head up his yacht/boat development projects. I can’t believe that I also (very humbly) declined this offer too! I explained to Julian that it wouldn’t be fair to him for me to accept any of his offers as at that time as I was so focused to go to Australia to live.
I finished up on Julian’s boat project in October 1991 and jumped on a plane with a one-way ticket to emigrate to Australia. It was here and in a Sydney News Agent in 2000 where I purchased What Hi-Fi that I read the sad passing of a brilliant human being…
My wife and I ended up living in Australia for twenty-five years and have only recently moved to live in New Zealand to live.
Some of my fondest memories was working for Julian to build him his dream sailing yacht in the middle of the countryside - as you do - and all the welcoming people I met in Salisbury. Yes, I still regret not taking up those two wonderful opportunities…
Terry Vine