Felix Appelbe was born on 5th September 1947. He is a lawyer and a farmer with wide interests in the environment, music and charitable endeavours. Felix is a private client lawyer and currently works as a Consultant for Streathers Solicitors in Hampstead.
Having bought a very run down farm in Gloucestershire when he was only 24 years old Felix has transformed the land and buildings into a successful 230 acre farm and beautiful Cotswold home winning a high commendation in the Purdey Awards for 2 years.
Early Life/Family History
Felix’s father Ambrose Erle Fuller Appelbe (1903- 1999) OBITUARY FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH was born on a Trek Ox Wagon in the Kalahari Desert in Bechuanaland where his Father The Reverend Robert Appelbe was a medical missionary, following closely in the footsteps of Livingstone
Ambrose was educated in England at Kingswood School with sons of Missionaries and Trinity Hall Cambridge where he was a Squire Law Scholar.
Ambrose was educated in England at Kingswood School with sons of Missionaries and Trinity Hall Cambridge where he was a Squire Law Scholar.
Ambrose set up his own law firm of Ambrose Appelbe with his first wife Carrie Morrison who was the first female Solicitor. They established the firm in Lincoln’s Inn in about 1935. After Carrie’s death Ambrose married Ann Wilde and they had four children, two daughters and two sons.
Felix was the youngest child and was brought up in rural Highgate surrounded by musicians, artists and writers, many of whom influenced his later life.
Felix’s father Ambrose was a strong supporter of Toynbee Hall and also knew Gandhi. This too was a strong influence on the young Felix.
Felix’s mother Ann was musical and instilled a love of classical music in her children and appreciation of nature and the arts.
Felix attended the Dragon School in Oxford, Highgate School, International School in Geneva and Atlantic College, part of the United World Colleges. At Atlantic College Felix made numerous lifelong friends in an ethos of tolerance and cooperation with students from different countries and backgrounds.
At Atlantic College Felix became a qualified lifeguard and was in the beach rescue team. At that time the College invented and developed the RIB lifeboat. Atlantic College was the first inshore working lifeboat station of the RNLI. These skills led Felix to support later boat building projects at the school and supported the making of the Atlantic Pacific Tsunami Rescue Boat.
From school, Felix read a BSc (Rural) Estate Management giving him the necessary tools to support his dream of running a farm. Then to Law College qualifying as a Solicitor in 1972.
Felix married Caroline Bromley Gardner, a talented equestrian artist. They had two children, Venetia and Alexander.
Subsequently Felix married Lisa Bolgar Smith, a fellow Solicitor.
Enthusiasms
Felix has spent his life supporting human endeavours in numerous creative fields. He set up the Contributive Society encouraging those who make a difference. Felix loves networking and introducing ideas and individuals that would not normally mix, thus creating new dimensions and ideas to help others. His enthusiasm has led to many successes and events, most recently, for example a series of three talks at the Wolfson College Oxford (these talks were the result of 4 years of thought, planning and mixing of disciplines).
In support of the environment Felix created Ocean Ambassadors and funded prizes both for Save the Elephants which he co-founded with Dr Iain Douglas Hamilton, and the Adam Greathead Award for young horticulturalists.
Writing and Self-Expression
Felix loves putting pen and paint to paper. As well as numerous watercolour sketches and his eagerly awaited Christmas cards, he has written and self-published 5 books, 2 books of poetry and vignettes, and 2 children’s story books, plus 1 book of his paintings.
Edward Bond the well-known English Playwright read Felix’s poetry and wrote
“The poems change over time. There is something remarkable about the earlier poems (and some of the later) – they are written to the rhythm of breathing. They are poems of the moment, but their core is ancient.”
“You might be presenting the poems as “simple” – they aren’t, they are complex. It is strange ‘tears’ mean crying but tears themselves aren’t heard. The poems open up a world and what is behind appearance. I think technically you have made a good control of language. These are just first reactions that the poems stay in the mind.”– Edward Bond, July 2020.
Rewilding Woodcock
“Always leave a place better than you found it.”
I built up this lovely little working farm from a wreck. At one point I realised that we were fighting nature, yet realised how mistaken we were. Dominating, we might win in the short term, but not in the long term. And so rewilding Woodcock, my Cotswold farm began.
People ask why are you doing this? What is your end game? But I don’t have an end game. It is a journey it will never end. It is not all plain sailing. You get disasters, but as Robert Lewis Stephenson said ‘It is better to travel
hopefully than to arrive’.”
hopefully than to arrive’.”
Woodcock is a high Cotswold 230 acre working farm which has grown since Felix first bought it when he was only 24 years old. It was a wreck. Felix has built a lovely farm expanding the acreage and building a home, most recently restoring the building after a devastating fire in 2009.
With a yearning for wide open spaces and after staying on farms in Rhodesia he took on ‘ Arramall ‘ an extensive 10,000 acre farm near Dongara on the west coast of Australia where he farmed sheep, wheat and lupins. A vast area of marginal sand plain, a complete contrast to the soft landscape of England.
Wildlife, the Environment and Conservation
As a child Felix often rose at 5am and went out to explore the fields and hedgerows. Being mildly dyslexic he found stimulus in the outside world and developed a lifelong passion for the environment and conservation. This passion was encouraged by his time at Atlantic College where he learnt sea rescue in tough conditions and was impressed by the school’s development of the RIB lifeboat (later sold to RNLI for £1 and now marketed worldwide).
In 1993 Felix co-founded the international charity Save the Elephants with Dr Iain Douglas Hamilton. For many years he remained as a Trustee. On departure he gave an annual prize for the person on the ground who had helped most. A recent 22 year old winner from Samburu, Kenya has stopped internecine war between two hostile tribes that was endangering all the recent conservation work. It resulted in both sides working in harmony to benefit their shared wildlife.
Later Felix founded Ocean Ambassadors, bringing together people who are passionate about the importance and continued wellbeing of our oceans from the shoreline to the deep sea. Sir David Attenborough called their
work “Most valuable and imaginative” ; high praise indeed from the world's greatest Ambassador of the natural world and environmental causes.
work “Most valuable and imaginative” ; high praise indeed from the world's greatest Ambassador of the natural world and environmental causes.
Through Ocean Ambassadors, Felix has enabled Seaful Charity to create the Ocean Citizen Award. Dedicated to enabling the future generation of Ocean Ambassadors to achieve goals that once may have been beyond their reach.
Our journey with Seaful over the last 3 years has been a huge learning curve, and it has been a great source of strength and comfort to be able to call Felix at any point to discuss ideas (we often get quite excited when discussing new projects!), or to problem-solve specific hurdles.
Our charity has now taken hundreds of children who might otherwise not have had the chance snorkelling and stand up paddleboarding, experiencing the water often for the first time, understanding how it feels to be there and learning about how to protect it. Some of the children we work with are terrified of the water. We often spend a long time coaxing them into the sea, usually with the result that once they’ve seen what’s underwater they don’t want to get out! It’s a privilege to witness, and is the reason we work so hard to keep reaching those children who don’t already have a connection with the ocean.
Felix often talks about the ‘Multiplyer Effect’ - this is what we hope to achieve with the young people we reach - empowering them to be the next wave of Ocean Citizens.
- Cal Major - CEO Seaful
Felix is also delighted to be supporting “La Fragilita del Futuro” (Fragile Futures) which is an innovative environmental education programme in schools and colleges in rural Umbria, Italy. This multi-disciplined project focuses on climate change and sustainability, biodiversity, loss, waste and pollution (the triple planetary threat) through the study of the natural environment, cultural
heritage, regenerative farming, climate migration and adaptation and many other topics. This initiative provides valuable lessons for our time and for every age.
heritage, regenerative farming, climate migration and adaptation and many other topics. This initiative provides valuable lessons for our time and for every age.
Horticulture
Since childhood, Felix has a background living in and looking after a huge rural garden in Highgate.
Later he created a new garden on a barren, exposed site on his farm.
Recently he was inspired by the impressive work of the UK horticulturalist John Massey in training young people and encouraging them to pursue their passions in their horticultural careers both for themselves and the Nation. Felix set up the “Adam Greathead Award” to support such talent. It is named in memory of an outstanding young horticulturalist who had worked with John Massey, who
had a bright future ahead of him but tragically died before he could realise his ambitions.
Later he created a new garden on a barren, exposed site on his farm.
Recently he was inspired by the impressive work of the UK horticulturalist John Massey in training young people and encouraging them to pursue their passions in their horticultural careers both for themselves and the Nation. Felix set up the “Adam Greathead Award” to support such talent. It is named in memory of an outstanding young horticulturalist who had worked with John Massey, who
had a bright future ahead of him but tragically died before he could realise his ambitions.
A few weeks after Adam had died, I was giving a talk at the Chelsea Physic Garden. I was struggling to get going, suddenly the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the building. This break seemed to calm me down and on returning to the room I resumed the talk, and all went well. Unknown to me a gentleman in the audience Felix Appelbe was moved by my words about Adam and said he would like to create a fund for the Adam Greathead Award so that Great Britain could have another great horticulturist. Thank you Felix for sowing the seed for this award - John Massey
Music and the Arts
For many years Felix has supported numerous young musicians. He created an annual Ambrose Appelbe piano prize.
In 2008 a young man of 17, Edward Sheeran came to his private office in Lincoln’s Inn, he tuned up his old guitar and sang to Felix some songs he had just written.
Believing in him, Felix supported him in a popular music school. Face to face meetings and subjective belief remains Felix’s ethos. It is a joy for Felix to have followed both Ed’s success and in turn his own desire to help other young musicians. Felix is also a strong supporter of Garsington
Opera where they recently wrote, “Your support and love of Garsington is contagious”.
Opera where they recently wrote, “Your support and love of Garsington is contagious”.
Felix recently initiated a series of lectures and talks at Wolfson College. “Beyond Music” is a series of talks and lectures that Felix initiated with the Oxford Centre for Life Writing. Speakers range from writers and musicians to mathematicians and philosophers talking about musical lives and new forms of music. Guest lecturers included Dame Imogen Cooper, the internationally renowned pianist, Sir Stephen Hough, acclaimed pianist, polymath and composer, Professor Robert Brewer Young, one of the world's most active and respected violin makers, and Matthew Sheeran, a Grammy nominated composer and orchestrator.
Contributive Society
Felix set up the Contributive Society (link) as a network of friends with a variety of interests and skills who wanted to give back. The organisation helped passionate people who were set on making the world brighter. They support progressive thinkers, innovators, musicians, artists and explorers etc by giving advice, developing ideas and providing essential introductions to kickstart their passions, projects and careers. Felix’s mission is to believe in people, enable them and to help them get
started. Hopefully they in turn will help others.
started. Hopefully they in turn will help others.
Felix set up The Contributive Society as a network of friends with a variety of interests and skills who wanted to give back. The organisation helped passionate people who were set on making the world brighter. They support progressive thinkers, innovators, musicians, artists and explorers etc by giving advice, developing ideas and providing essential introductions to kickstart their passions, projects and careers. Felix's mission is to believe in people, enable them and to help them get started. Hopefully they in turn will help others."
- John Blashford-Snell CBE
A LIST OF JUST SOME OF THE ORGANISATIONS THAT FELIX HAS SUPPORTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS:
Adam Greathead Award
Appelbe Piano Prize
Arts Society
Ashwood Charitable Trust
Atlantic College
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Beyond Music at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing
Born Free Think Tank
CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably Chelsea Physic Garden
Chineke Orchestra
Christina Johnson
Contributive Society
Final Call for the Turtle Dove
Fragile Futures
Fulcrum Challenge
Lotus Flower Trust
Garsington Opera
Glyndebourne Opera
Grange Opera
Appelbe Piano Prize
Arts Society
Ashwood Charitable Trust
Atlantic College
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Beyond Music at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing
Born Free Think Tank
CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably Chelsea Physic Garden
Chineke Orchestra
Christina Johnson
Contributive Society
Final Call for the Turtle Dove
Fragile Futures
Fulcrum Challenge
Lotus Flower Trust
Garsington Opera
Glyndebourne Opera
Grange Opera
“Handlines” book for victims of landmines
Imogen Cooper Music Trust
Just a Drop
London Mozart Players
Lotus Flower Trust
Morabe Rural Music Education
NADFAS
National Birds of Prey Centre
National Trust
Ocean Ambassadors
Opening Door Project
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Paddle against Plastic
Phobic Action
Purdey Awards for Conservation
RainForest Foundation
Roof of the Americas expedition
Save the Elephants
Scientific Exploration Society
Seaful
Soil Association
Speakers Trust
Vietnamese Boat People Bursary Fund
Vitamin Sea Project
Yoga Biomedical
Imogen Cooper Music Trust
Just a Drop
London Mozart Players
Lotus Flower Trust
Morabe Rural Music Education
NADFAS
National Birds of Prey Centre
National Trust
Ocean Ambassadors
Opening Door Project
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Paddle against Plastic
Phobic Action
Purdey Awards for Conservation
RainForest Foundation
Roof of the Americas expedition
Save the Elephants
Scientific Exploration Society
Seaful
Soil Association
Speakers Trust
Vietnamese Boat People Bursary Fund
Vitamin Sea Project
Yoga Biomedical
“…….how life can change so quickly……. aware of how finite and fragile our life is ……..
….. makes me appreciate human relationships even more ……multiplying my interest in
charity work since I started my own small foundation in 1969 and grew it through thick and
thin ……....
…….. makes me aware that I want to and have to contribute increasingly actively and
meaningfully to society…..
…….. never let go of your real dreams despite all the winds…..……
……….sail into the storm ! “
Felix Appelbe
Made with Bullet