VISITORS to an historic tourist spot could soon be feeling rather flush – as a long-running campaign for toilets at Berkhamsted Castle looks set for victory thanks to a dead millionaire’s son.
Berkhamsted Castle looks set for victory thanks to a dead millionaire’s son.
Canadian-born Tom Waller Snr (above) made his fortune working for bioscience firm Beckman Instruments in the USA.
In 2004 the former big band musician returned with his family to the home town of his dad Harry, who lived with brother Ted in George Street, Berkhamsted.
Tom Waller Snr was given a tour of the town and its castle by Ted’s grandson John Waller, 67, who lives in the town’s Cobb Road. He has been driven round the U-bend by the lack of facilities at Berkhamsted Castle and has campaigned for their installation for years.
Son Tom Jnr said: “We all have fond memories of our visits to Berko and feel a strong attachment to our family in England as well as the castle.”
Tom Jnr now wants to use his father’s inheritance to fund a toilet block at Berkhamsted Castle called The Waller Restroom.
In an email to John, he said: “I would love for you to do whatever you can to make this happen. I think it would be phenomenal. I think dad would have loved the idea.”
There will be a memorial service for Tom Senior at Santa Ana Country Club in California, where he played golf twice a week, on Friday.
His son is thinking of printing T-shirts that read ‘Bathrooms for Berko’ for guests to wear on the day.
John Waller said: “I bet visitors from all over the world would be overjoyed at not having to trek to the railway station or the filthy toilets in the car park in town.”
Tom Waller Snr was a trumpet-player in the Gav Morton Band and had a big band music career that spanned two decades, playing alongside artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Liberace and Andy Williams.
An English Heritage spokesman said it was prepared to talk to Tom Waller Jnr about the work involved in installing toilets at Berkhamsted Castle.