Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2015 | Page 23

man
of spirit
Den Clare:

INTERVIEW

H

e came across to the
Isle of Wight on his first
away posting as a rookie
copper in the early 1960s – and
mainlander Den Clare loved the
place so much that he stayed put
and made it his home.

More than half a century later, at 73, he
shows no sign of slowing down or losing
his insatiable curiosity for life and people
- as we discovered when we caught up
with him.
Writing a CV for Den Clare would pose
an interesting challenge: he’s been a
banker, a policeman, a bookkeeper and a
shop owner. He’s fascinated by spiritual
matters and the power of the mind, and
is well-known and highly regarded as a
hypnotherapist.
A distinct childlike streak is revealed
in his love of toys (which he collects
avidly), the enjoyment he gets from
being photographed with some of the
celebrities he drives around during the
Isle of Wight Festival – and his passion
for cars, especially those of the speedy,
open-topped variety.
So what are the roots to this complex
and multi-faceted personality?
Well, he grew up in Aldershot,
Hampshire, in a very loving but

somewhat repressive household.
“My parents were very shy so my
memories are of always being told to keep
quiet, turn the music down, that kind of
thing” he recalls. “My dad worked very

“I tended to spend
a lot of time on
my own, which I
suppose made me
quite introverted and
thoughtful”
hard as a chef and would always be tired
out when he came home, so I never did
much with him. I tended to spend a lot of

time on my own, which I suppose made
me quite introverted and thoughtful”.
“I guess that may explain why I now love
nothing better than driving my car with
the top down and my music blaring!” he
laughs. He also reflects on how different
life is today for his six grandchildren, who
are all “full of life and confidence”.
Having always been top of the class
at primary school, Den says he didn’t
do quite so well at his strict grammar
school, and came out with just the “bare
necessities” of a handful of O-levels.

Banking on success
With only a few career options open to
him at 16, he chose to go into the bank,
and joined Lloyds in Farnborough in 1957.
“In those days, the bank manager was
god – feared and respected by everyone,”
says Den. “I can still recall my first day, and
my fear of having to use the telephone”.
The fear didn’t last long though –
www.visitilife.com

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