The Guitar Collection Archive

Should Guy Now be the Owner of Sandringham? You Decide.

On page 11 Guy tells that his great grandfather, James Thompson Mackenzie, lent the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) about £100,000 secured on the deeds of Sandringham.

The loan is well documented (although the amount differs) including by Jane Ridley in her book “Bertie. A Life of Edward VII”.

Her book indicates that the loan was repaid (following an email exchange with Guy on 29th September 2017) apparently, initially, relying on a conversation she’d had with Penny Crowe – who had apparently obtained her information from Guy!!

But, in the same email, Jane Ridley did concede “It’s not possible to verify this, as there are no accounts of the Prince of Wales’s debts”

Just for the record, Guy confirms that the loan was never repaid.

Cornish Politics!

On page 117 Guy tells the story of the Audit Commission’s investigation into the delay of the award of the Kerrier Leisure Contract.

Surely the other “winner” of this debacle was Cllr Rex Sadler who was Chairman of the sub-Committee which kept delaying the award of the Contract!

Surprisingly to Guy and others, Cllr Rex Sadler was awarded an MBE in the 2009 New Year’s Honours “For Services to Local Government in Cornwall”!!!

On page 32 Guy tells the story of the rather battered Cadillac he bought in the States in 1980.

2024 update: The same car, restored and resprayed red, appeared in a Matthewson’s (of TV’s “Bangers and Cash”) auction where it sold for just £4,200 with a “believed genuine” mileage of 51,200! Ummm…. If only Guy had known!

A Reluctant Aristocrat is now available to order from all good bookshops. For more information, enquiries or to order direct please email: info@theguitarcollection.org.uk
A Reluctant Aristocrat is £12.60 or £15.00 including postage within the UK.

Well, at least for this happy reader!

“One of the highlights of my life was reading your book!”
George Buddy, Milton Keynes.

George Buddy reading a copy of “A Reluctant Aristocrat” by Guy.

Guy Mackenzie was recently interviewed by BBC Cornwall’s Matt Shepherd. They chat about Guy’s new book (naturally!) – A Reluctant Aristocrat – and key points in Guy’s life:

List of Stockists:

The list of stockists keeps growing! The full list is now available from the A Reluctant Aristocrat website.

A Reluctant Aristocrat is now available to order from all good bookshops. For more information, enquiries or to order direct please email: info@theguitarcollection.org.uk
A Reluctant Aristocrat is £12.60 or £15.00 including postage within the UK.

Guy Mackenzie of the Guitar Collection has written a memoir of his unconventional life!

“A Reluctant Aristocrat – Assorted Memories of My Unconventional Life” covers Guy’s early life in Scotland right up to developing and restoring Cornish properties. And yes! There’s a big section devoted to Guy’s guitar collection!

Now available to order from all good bookshops. For more information, enquiries or to order direct please email: info@theguitarcollection.org.uk
A Reluctant Aristocrat is £12.60 or £15.00 including postage within the UK.

A full list of stockists is available from the A Reluctant Aristocrat website.

Also available from Amazon and eBay.

“I finished your book from end to end and loved it. It made the tube journeys into London and back, on my social evenings, fly by.”
Frank Allen, The Searchers.

“Thank you for the glowing mention of Supersound – it is very nice to know that all our hard work will not be forgotten.”
Mary Wootton (aged 93) who with her husband, Alan, formed Supersound Electronic Products (amps, guitars & basses) in 1952 and ran the Company until 1974!

“A most enjoyable & entertaining read that casts a lot more light on the varied life and exploits of the author”.
Gary Davies author of “Anniversary Strat” www.anniversarystrat.com

“A Reluctant Aristocrat: Assorted Memories of my Unconventional Life by Guy Mackenzie is his look through his life which took him though a series of experiences which, extraordinarily could be described as ‘iconic moments’ in the history of his times, and the places.”
Toni Carver, St Ives Times & Echo, April 12th, 2024
Full review available to read as a PDF download: St Ives Times & Echo review of A Reluctant Aristocrat (PDF, 13MB)