Obituary: Neville Symes Petts

Tributes have been paid to Neville Symes Petts, former part-owner of the Dalhousie Castle Hotel in Bonnyrigg, following his death at the age of 87.

 

Petts, who had a long career in the hospitality industry, passed away peacefully at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on 30 January 2025.

 

He was born in Chiswick in 1937 and was evacuated to Torquay during the war when the house next door took a direct hit from a doodlebug.

 

After leaving school in 1952, Petts attended Acton Technical College on a Hospitality Industry course and won a travel scholarship to work in Paris, Hamburg and St Moritz.

 

He later completed his National Service in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders before working as PA to the managing director of Eglinton Hotels, which owned the George Hotel in Edinburgh, now known as the Intercontinental Edinburgh The George. It was here that Petts met his wife Freda, and the pair had their wedding reception at the hotel in 1965.

 

Two and a half years later, the couple set sail for the US, where Petts undertook an MBA in Marketing, Hotel and Institutional Management at Michigan State University before returning to the UK in 1967.

 

Petts then went on to work for Sir Maxwell Joseph in Grand Metropolitan Hotels in London and nine months later became a father to Roderick (Rick) and three years later to daughter Hayley.

 

He later worked as area director at Holiday Inns Incorporated, and then Crown Catering, where he provided hospitality at prestigious venues around London.

 

Petts then worked with his childhood friend, Alan Payne, co-owner of outside catering firm Payne & Gunter, where he was in charge of hospitality catering for Henley Regatta, Wentworth Open Golf Tournaments, Goodwood Festival of Speed, many lavish city banquets, and ladies’ polo matches organised by the father of Sarah Ferguson.

 

One year at Henley, the prawns for 1,000 prawn cocktail starters were found to have gone off, meaning a barge had to travel up the Thames before the race could begin.

 

Around this time, Petts was given the freedom of the City of London. He continued to work for Payne and Gunter for a while, before taking control of Saga Holidays Group.

 

Petts took a short break and spent time working as a consultant, before his son Rick purchased Dalhousie Castle Hotel near Edinburgh and asked him to manage it and become part-owner.

 

Even before his move to oversee the hotel, Petts enjoyed wearing a kilt and tartan trews and was proud to consider himself an adopted Scot.

 

When Petts retired, he returned to Kent and bought his yacht, Dreamcatcher, and enjoyed sailing around the British Isles, Europe and the Baltics.

 

Petts was also a loving grandfather to Theodore and Elodie and is deeply missed by all his family.