How the Gibbs live in England
Robin, Dwina and family / part 2
She came in and said, `there’s a man here called John the gardener and he’s very happy with the lady of the house who’s put in a herb garden`.
We’d put a herb garden in that summer. It was very interesting because she would not have known about
that`.Something else that has been installed in the garden is a stone circle based on the configuration at Stonehenge, in fulfilment of Dwina’s lifetime ambition as a Druid.
The family’s tennis courts were taken up to make room for the gargantuan stones.
`I had no idea what it was going to look like`, says Robin.
`I didn’t realise it was going to look every bit as good as Stonehenge.
Does he share Dwina’s love of all things mystical?
`Yes, but she’s more obsessive about it than I am.
It’s a lifelong love affair with her, she was drawn to Druidism when she was nine, whereas I’m only interested in certain aspects of it`.
The Prebendal
The Gibbs maintain an easy, relaxed relationship, which is something quite unique in pop music.
It is not the easiest job in the world being the wife of a world famous rock star.
The average wife doesn’t open her front door to find nubile, scantily dressed girls camped on the step.
But that has happened to Dwina more times than she can remember, both at Thame and at the – Gone With The Wind –style mansion in Miami, where all three Gibbs have second homes as well as their own recording studio.
Broad- minded Dwina doesn’t bat an eyelid when beautiful young women throw themselves at her husband.
Jealous? More often than not she feels sorry for them.
Dwina, Robin-John, Robin and Melissa at the entrance of The Prebendal
She doesn’t see women as a threat`, says Robin.
Interestingly, she has never thought of herself as glamorous enough for him.
When they met she was overwhelmed by his good looks, whereas she had never thought of herself as attractive.
She wondered if she ought to have her nose changed.
`I know about all this, but I think she is very attractive, that’s why I’m with her`, says Robin.
Dwina and the huge refectory fireplace
They both feel they have come a long way since their faithful meeting 13 years ago.
Dwina and the huge refectory fireplace
`I’ve become more creative`, says Dwina, who has just finished a novel called: The Shackles, and whose yet to be published books include; The Last Mile, Under Wraps and the final part of her Cormac trilogy: Cormac, The Sage.
`I’ve always been fairly creative, but before I met Robin I was more concerned with paying my mortgage and making ends meet.
I didn’t have much time to do what I really wanted.
I can now sit down and write and not have those kinds of worries`. Has Robin’s music altered in any way since knowing Dwina?
He glances at her before saying: ‘if you’re with somebody who has the same creative spirit it does help.
It nourishes you’.
Robin (who embarks next April on a major tour with the Bee Gees in Europe and the United States winding up at Wembley) takes in the plush surroundings of his estate and explains, ‘I never get blasé about all this, but neither do I pinch myself and think, God this is amazing.
I just reflect on how other people live and how we are in this respect.
‘As kids in Manchester we were so poor we didn’t even have a bathroom. Mother used to give Maurice and me a bath in the kitchen sink while doing the dishes at the same time!!
When we started out in pop music we never thought that vast sums of money were going to be a part of it.
All we wanted was to be famous and write and have people recognize and appreciate our music.
I never expected all this. I never expected to end up with three wonderful kids and a woman like Dwina.
But I thank God every single day that I did, and I thank God we found The Prebendal.
Since we’ve been here our relationship has got better and better. I never want to leave the place when I’m here.
It’s where my roots are.
This place and the family, they’re my world’. And not even the odd ghost is going to budge him.
Dwina and the huge refectory fireplace
Dwina and the huge refectory fireplace