Articles/Interviews
Return to ListingI CAN'T AFFORD MY MISTRESS ANY MORE
It was love at first sight. Now the taxman has come between the star and his 47-room mansion
OLIVER REED has known many women and had many affairs. But not one compares with the ruling passion in his life for the last five years It's a story-book tale of love at first sight, something unlikely for someone as worldly as Reed. It took him just a few second to decide to get involved. Looking back to that first meeting, he says: "I decided to buy Broome Hall in two minutes - simply because I fell in love with her." Now sadly, the love affair is over. He cannot afford to keep Broome Hall the house he owns near Dorking, Surrey - as his mistress. "My lifestyle is going to have to change. I'll have to get rid of all this," he said, sweeping a hand across his magnificent 60-acre estate. "I said years ago that when I reached 35 I would retire. But I couldn't. I didn't realise then that I would fall in love with this house." "I didn't realise then that I would have the responsibility of breeding and feeding horses, paying people to look after them and paying vets' bills. I didn't realise I would be involved with the gardens, builders and reconstruction." "Now it's reached the stage where I feel that either I've got to continue to live as I do - which means staying out of the country most of the time to carry on running this house - or stay in Britain and find something smaller." At present Reed can spend no more than 60 days a year in Britain to qualify for a reduced tax bill. "I don't think I want to do that. I think I would prefer to live in Britain, so I'm going to come back. I will have to pay more tax, so I must change my lifestyle." "I've got my eye on a place in the West Country, but there's no mad rush. I'll probably come back to England in about a year. One's love affair with a house like this can only last so long..." He sees the mansion, gleaming after an extensive facelift, as an interesting proposition for someone with a couple of pocketsful of money to spare - perhaps a club owner or a wealthy Arab. But he says he is not butter to give it all up. "I feel hurt, yes. But then I felt hurt a couple of years ago when I began doing this 60 days a year tax bit." "There is no way I can live in England in this place and hope to put money aside for a rainy day. And actors must do that, especially when they are approaching 40." Oliver Reed will be that age in February next year. He still plays swashbuckling heroes in films - like his latest, The Prince And The Pauper, co-starring Raquel Welch ("There's no way we'd have an affair off-screen"). But in real life his swashbuckling has cooled off. His days of heavy drinking, dancing naked on pub tables and taking on ridiculous bets - such as shaving his head bare - are over. "I suppose that in the past I have been a bit naughty." "But I haven't regretted a minute of it because it his given me a great deal of pleasure." "And I hope that it has given other people pleasure too." "I think that everybody quietens down a bit when they reach 40. Look at Peter O'Toole - or Harris or Burton." "One's whole metabolism changes." "That doesn't mean I'm going to run away if someone threatens me. Nor does it mean that if I fell like getting drunk, I'm not going to." But don't get the impression that he is settling down into a pip and slippers man with the woman who shares his life, former ballet dancer Jackie Daryl. He met South African born Jackie when she was in the chorus line in the film Oliver! and he was playing Bill Sykes. That was 10 years ago, when Reed was still married to the Irish model Katie Byrne from whom he was divorced seven years ago. In 1969, Reed had a daughter, Sarah, by Jackie, who has been the steady woman in his life for several years. But it is unlikely that they will marry. Jackie has said: "I don't think I'd like that. From Ollie's point of view it would spoil the relationship. He would hate to feel tied down." "I realise I don't think in conventional terms about marriage, but then I suppose I'm not normal in so far as no normal female would dream of getting involved with Ollie." For those who consider that a 47-room manor house is too big for a family of three, reed says: "It is large, of course, and when one starts to think about the difficulties people have in finding accommodation I sometimes feel a little guilty." "But what else would have happened to it? I've spent a great deal of money on building work and on having the place painted and decorated." "At least now it's a family house again and I sense he house smiling once more."
Derek Shuff, Weekend, September 7-13, 1977
Return to Listing
OLIVER REED has known many women and had many affairs. But not one compares with the ruling passion in his life for the last five years It's a story-book tale of love at first sight, something unlikely for someone as worldly as Reed. It took him just a few second to decide to get involved. Looking back to that first meeting, he says: "I decided to buy Broome Hall in two minutes - simply because I fell in love with her." Now sadly, the love affair is over. He cannot afford to keep Broome Hall the house he owns near Dorking, Surrey - as his mistress. "My lifestyle is going to have to change. I'll have to get rid of all this," he said, sweeping a hand across his magnificent 60-acre estate. "I said years ago that when I reached 35 I would retire. But I couldn't. I didn't realise then that I would fall in love with this house." "I didn't realise then that I would have the responsibility of breeding and feeding horses, paying people to look after them and paying vets' bills. I didn't realise I would be involved with the gardens, builders and reconstruction." "Now it's reached the stage where I feel that either I've got to continue to live as I do - which means staying out of the country most of the time to carry on running this house - or stay in Britain and find something smaller." At present Reed can spend no more than 60 days a year in Britain to qualify for a reduced tax bill. "I don't think I want to do that. I think I would prefer to live in Britain, so I'm going to come back. I will have to pay more tax, so I must change my lifestyle." "I've got my eye on a place in the West Country, but there's no mad rush. I'll probably come back to England in about a year. One's love affair with a house like this can only last so long..." He sees the mansion, gleaming after an extensive facelift, as an interesting proposition for someone with a couple of pocketsful of money to spare - perhaps a club owner or a wealthy Arab. But he says he is not butter to give it all up. "I feel hurt, yes. But then I felt hurt a couple of years ago when I began doing this 60 days a year tax bit." "There is no way I can live in England in this place and hope to put money aside for a rainy day. And actors must do that, especially when they are approaching 40." Oliver Reed will be that age in February next year. He still plays swashbuckling heroes in films - like his latest, The Prince And The Pauper, co-starring Raquel Welch ("There's no way we'd have an affair off-screen"). But in real life his swashbuckling has cooled off. His days of heavy drinking, dancing naked on pub tables and taking on ridiculous bets - such as shaving his head bare - are over. "I suppose that in the past I have been a bit naughty." "But I haven't regretted a minute of it because it his given me a great deal of pleasure." "And I hope that it has given other people pleasure too." "I think that everybody quietens down a bit when they reach 40. Look at Peter O'Toole - or Harris or Burton." "One's whole metabolism changes." "That doesn't mean I'm going to run away if someone threatens me. Nor does it mean that if I fell like getting drunk, I'm not going to." But don't get the impression that he is settling down into a pip and slippers man with the woman who shares his life, former ballet dancer Jackie Daryl. He met South African born Jackie when she was in the chorus line in the film Oliver! and he was playing Bill Sykes. That was 10 years ago, when Reed was still married to the Irish model Katie Byrne from whom he was divorced seven years ago. In 1969, Reed had a daughter, Sarah, by Jackie, who has been the steady woman in his life for several years. But it is unlikely that they will marry. Jackie has said: "I don't think I'd like that. From Ollie's point of view it would spoil the relationship. He would hate to feel tied down." "I realise I don't think in conventional terms about marriage, but then I suppose I'm not normal in so far as no normal female would dream of getting involved with Ollie." For those who consider that a 47-room manor house is too big for a family of three, reed says: "It is large, of course, and when one starts to think about the difficulties people have in finding accommodation I sometimes feel a little guilty." "But what else would have happened to it? I've spent a great deal of money on building work and on having the place painted and decorated." "At least now it's a family house again and I sense he house smiling once more."