My Bijou! A Maylor Love Story

All The Dreams We Had...

Rockfield Farm/Studio

Wales

August 1975

Clare's POV

I have to say that getting out of the city during the summer heat was a welcome respite.  The day after Tiger Lilly's birthday party, we took my mother to the train station to send her off to care for my ailing Aunt and then packed to go to Wales.  I quickly got ready and then helped Brian pack up everything we would need for the baby.  Roger took care of the car and securing the house for our absence.  Armed with a boot load of nappies, a play pen and the Red Special, we climbed in the family car and headed out.  The three hour drive was scenic and Tigs managed it pretty well.  This trip was a longer stay and much more work focused than the time they spent at Ridge Farm.  They only had Tiger Lilly with them about 5 days during that trip.  The plan was for me to go and care for her during their entire stay in Wales.  Roger had explained to me that it was time to record their new album and I should expect them to be quite busy.

I had been around Roger and Brian during some of their time working on their last album. Brian was recovering from his surgery and once he was back in the studio, he was absolutely obsessed with work.  I had already noticed a change in Brian since we moved in together at the new house.  He spent a lot of time with Tigs but I often found him in the music room.  He was definitely shifting into work mode.  A few mornings I found him still in bed at 11am as he had been up most of the night working on songs.  On the drive to Wales he had been animated and excited about getting to work.

As we rode to the farm on that bright summer day with the windows down in the car, I sat in the back seat and noticed how well the two in front had been getting along the past few days.  This was a change from a few weeks ago.  When they first asked me to be their nanny, I was thrilled.  I had readily accepted and we talked about what my role would be in Tiger Lilly's life.  I quit my job and started working for them immediately.  I wanted to get used to being around them all the time and learn how they wanted me to care for my niece before we left on our trip.  In spending more time with them I noticed there had been a change in the relationship.  There was a strain there.  I know suddenly becoming parents had to be a huge adjustment for them.  On the surface they seemed fine.  Since I had known them as a couple for so long, I could see differences in the way they interacted with each other.  The main thing I noticed was that they fight a lot more than they used to.  And over petty things.  Brian got onto Roger one day about some dirty dishes and it seemed to escalate quickly into a shouting match.   I laid low with Tiger Lilly upstairs at the old flat as my mother packed her suitcases.  She told me this was not the first time she had witnessed bickering between them.  She blamed it on a lack of sleep and the stress of finding a new place to live and an album deadline looming.  I agreed that all these things happening at once were a lot to cope with.  And adjusting to the baby being in their lives.  I decided then it was important to help them as much as I could.  Seeing them in a calmer and happier place felt reassuring.  

We arrived safely at the farm and got settled into our rooms.  They were planning to work primarily in a studio on the farm that was called The Quadrangle.  Everyone was housed in the area adjoining this studio except for the four of us.  A separate bungalow on the grounds was set aside for our use.  This was to provide a quiet place for Tiger Lilly to maintain her schedule but also a hideaway in the event any journalists showed up.  It was a small place but we had our own bathroom and kitchen.  The others had to share these amenities so we were lucky.  The farm had kindly provided a cot and high chair for the baby to use while we are here.  We set up her play pen in the small living room.  On the day we arrived, we got settled in to our new surroundings and Brian and Roger grabbed their notebooks and headed off for a meeting a few hours later.  After putting Tigs down for a nap, I unpacked her food and other necessities.  I quietly put away both our clothes readied a meal for us both.  I found a radio in the kitchen and tuned it to a good station.  As I got familiar with the kitchen a newer song came on the radio.  It was a dance number from the Bee Gees.  I found myself dancing around as I listened to 'Jive Talkin' for the first time.  I didn't hear the boys come in from their meeting as I shimmied around on the kitchen floor.  I almost jumped out of fright as Roger came up and bumped his hip against mine.  I shrieked and he laughed and caught me in his arms after almost stepping out of my shoes.  I quickly settled down and we started dancing together as the song played out.  When it ended we laughed.