Beenie's World of Otters

Martin Neville

Francis Martin William Rolfe Neville's name reflects his family's long history. One of his ancestors was Master of the Drapers Company in 1327 (Martin himself was Master in 1988-89), another was Sir Richard Neville (1615-76) who fell at the Battle of Cropredy Hill in the Civil War - Sir Richard's portrait by William Dobson is in the National Portrait Gallery. Another of Martin's forebears was the John Rolfe who married Pocohontas, the Indian Princess who helped save the earliest settlers in Virginia.

Martin has been an engineer, beekeeper, walking stick manufacturer and is an actor. He is keen on boats, and built a steam launch. His latest film was Diggity: A Home at Last" (2001), and on television, the recent Channel 4 drama, "The Dinosaur Hunters", which tells the story of the beginning of palaeontology, and the long-running feud between Gideon Mantell and Richard Owen. Martin played Richard Owen's father-in-law.

>In 1999, Martin was awarded the Gloucester FWAG Silver Pintail Conservation award. He maintains much of his own land according to the best conservation principles, and recently saw two wild otters passing through on the River Frome as it runs through his property. Like Daphne, Martin takes me, Bertie and Belinda around the country to act as ambassadors for all otters.