Witness Statement of Alan Russell Fraser-Bell, dated, 15th September 1985...

[bloggs and son]

Thanks for the information, April! You're a mine of information. On Google's satelite view it appears that the grange is still an old house. What a great shame! I've been to Coggeshall and had a look around the Grange Barn, I imagine this was part of Grange Farm's estate?

The only time I've actually stayed at Coggeshall is when I did a job there a few years back. Every other time I go there it is to go through it.

[Nuala]

The only time I've actually stayed at Coggeshall is when I did a job there a few years back. Every other time I go there it is to go through it.

Then you've missed a gem of a place. Where else can you see an Isinglass factory, albeit now converted to accommodation for older people? Grange Barn is a glorious 13th century Essex barn, full of old wagons and ancient implements. But the jewel in Coggeshall's crown is stunning Paycocke's, a wonderful house built for a rich wool merchant, I believe, in around 1500. Stepping inside is like steeping back in time. The wood panelling and figures inside and outside of the house are just breathtaking. I walked all round the house, upstairs and down, and around the garden completely unwatched and undisturbed as the house was empty of visitors at the time of my visit and even the caretaker disappeared. What makes Paycock's a particular joy is that it is still a home, not a museum, with a caretaker and his wife living there. Yet save for the busy road which now passes through Coggeshall, the last 500 years have not touched Paycocke's at all.

[Jane]

Thanks for the information, April! You're a mine of information. On Google's satelite view it appears that the grange is still an old house. What a great shame! I've been to Coggeshall and had a look around the Grange Barn, I imagine this was part of Grange Farm's estate?

You've got me there, Keira!!!! Certainly, the lovely Grange Barn is part of A Grange farm estate, but quite which one, I can't tell you for certain, but the Abbey and St Nicholas Chapel are reached by the lane opposite the Barn, so perhaps there's a connection.

There are a couple of other "Granges" on the edge of Coggeshall which sport fine houses, but the best is sadly, no longer in place. Marks Hall was a very fine mansion which had been taken over, during the war, as an hotel for American servicemen. Rumour has it that much of the interior is now in America, unlike the house which was pulled down on the instructions of the last owner and all that now remains are the graveyard, the foundations of the little church and numerous tales of ghostly happenings. Sorry Keira!!!! I'm waffling!!! Here endeth the history lesson!!!

[bloggs and son]

Then you've missed a gem of a place. Where else can you see an Isinglass factory, albeit now converted to accommodation for older people? Grange Barn is a glorious 13th century Essex barn, full of old wagons and ancient implements. But the jewel in Coggeshall's crown is stunning Paycocke's, a wonderful house built for a rich wool merchant, I believe, in around 1500. Stepping inside is like steeping back in time. The wood panelling and figures inside and outside of the house are just breathtaking. I walked all round the house, upstairs and down, and around the garden completely unwatched and undisturbed as the house was empty of visitors at the time of my visit and even the caretaker disappeared. What makes Paycock's a particular joy is that it is still a home, not a museum, with a caretaker and his wife living there. Yet save for the busy road which now passes through Coggeshall, the last 500 years have not touched Paycocke's at all.

I'll have tpo make a point of stopping there on my way through. We used to use isinglass in glass gilding. But you can use geletine tablets as well. Didn't they use it in wine preparation or something similar?

[Nuala]

I'll have tpo make a point of stopping there on my way through. We used to use isinglass in glass gilding. But you can use geletine tablets as well. Didn't they use it in wine preparation or something similar?

Isinglass was used in food processing, to make jellies, blancmange and sweets until gelatin became a mass market product. Isinglass finings were also used,  I'm unsure if they still are, as a processing agent by UK's brewing industry, to accelerate the fining, or clarification, of beer. They are used particularly in the production of cask-conditioned beers, real ale. The finings flocculate the live yeast in the beer into a jelly-like mass, which settles to the bottom of the cask. beer will do this eventually without Isinglass, but it does it far quicker if the finings are added.

[Bridget]

Flocculate...

[Patti]

Just to let you know if anyone is interested you can view some of Healey's book on Amazon....just click on the book....It also contains two of Jeremy's letters...also, the incident with Bell and Mr and Mrs Bamber. 

[OnceSaid]

Many thanks for the replies to my queries 

[No-Bits]

The statement at the beginning of this thread has now been added to the library.
jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,1119.msg34476.html#msg34476

Caroline, this one may interest you if you haven't seen it before?

[Caroline]

The statement at the beginning of this thread has now been added to the library.
jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,1119.msg34476.html#msg34476

Caroline, this one may interest you if you haven't seen it before?

Farm at Goldhanger? Interesting!!

[No-Bits]

Farm at Goldhanger? Interesting!!

That's what I thought, bearing in mind your 'last trailer' theory.

[lookout]

Bitter statements from RWB. More an assassination than anything else.

PB -------------the only normal one among them. Lovely lady.

[Caroline]

That's what I thought, bearing in mind your 'last trailer' theory.

Yes, I wonder where that part of the farm was in comparison to Jeremy's house? No one would think it odd seeing a tractor during harvest time!

[No-Bits]

Bitter statements from RWB. More an assassination than anything else.

PB -------------the only normal one among them. Lovely lady.

Have you got muddled up over who wrote this statement Lookout? 
If not, then I don't understand your post. 

[No-Bits]

Yes, I wonder where that part of the farm was in comparison to Jeremy's house? No one would think it odd seeing a tractor during harvest time!

I forget now, did anybody hear/see Jeremy arrive home the night before?