Jump to content

Jimmy Page kept expensive Koi?


Zoe

Recommended Posts

Looking for confirmation or dismissal on some info.

I work in a pet store as a fish keeper. Early in the year, before I was a Led Zeppelin fan, a guy used to come in to the shop who was a very knowledgeable fish keeper, and had previously worked in some big places down in London I think. His name was Eddie and he specialised in koi carp. He would lend me books and give me info on great places to study if it was a profession that I wanted to pursue seriously. Now one day he told me something but I don't know if I'm remembering it correctly...

We were having a conversation and he was telling me all about the job he used to do...then he said something along the lines of "I used to personally take Jimmy Page to buy koi...you know from Led Zeppelin?" To which I replied with something along the lines of..."Oh wow, that's so cool, oh my god...blah, blah, blah." I'm also sure he mentioned something about a fancy car.

Now, I'm like 85% sure he said Jimmy's name. But as I wasn't a fan at the time I haven't retained the information as best as I would have liked. I kept wanting him to come back into the shop to confirm that he said Jimmy but now he's moved away apparently. I asked my boss and she said she thinks remembers him saying something to her but didn't think it was Jimmy. But I'm sure it was...I'm gutted I wasn't a fan at the time cause I would have asked what he was like in person! If indeed that is who he said.

I looked it up online a little while back but didn't find much, to be fair it wasn't much of a search. I've got to thinking though that the forum would maybe be a better place to start.

So, does anyone know if Jimmy Page has ever kept koi? Or am I just crazy and the guy actually did say someone else?

Any info would be greatly appreciated, thanks :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Zoe,

Personally, I've never heard anything about Page keeping koi carp, but I don't know for sure. Also, I don't mean to be cynical, but it sounds to me like the man might simply have been trying to impress you with a good story...rock stars...fancy cars...etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a quote that might lend some credence.

From 'Jimmy Page:Magus, Musician, Man' by George Case:

Chris Dreja-"I used to meet him outside, of all places, a tropical fish store in Tolworth," Dreja looked back. "Jimmy was a tropical fish enthusiast and he'd say something like, 'Hello, Chris, I've just bought a nice thermometer for my fish.' He was a strange guy, even then."

So yeah, I guess he's always been interested in fish!

(BTW Chris Dreja, dunno what is so strange about that) :wtf:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Zoe,

Personally, I've never heard anything about Page keeping koi carp, but I don't know for sure. Also, I don't mean to be cynical, but it sounds to me like the man might simply have been trying to impress you with a good story...rock stars...fancy cars...etc.

Haha...I suppose that's possible!

Here's a quote that might lend some credence.

From 'Jimmy Page:Magus, Musician, Man' by George Case:

Chris Dreja-"I used to meet him outside, of all places, a tropical fish store in Tolworth," Dreja looked back. "Jimmy was a tropical fish enthusiast and he'd say something like, 'Hello, Chris, I've just bought a nice thermometer for my fish.' He was a strange guy, even then."

So yeah, I guess he's always been interested in fish!

(BTW Chris Dreja, dunno what is so strange about that) :wtf:

Very interesting...koi are coldwater but of course we sell cold and tropical in our shop (mainly tropical actually)...like many places do. The guy Eddie knows about all sorts of fish, tropical and cold, both freshwater and marine, he would give me books that were like bricks filled with every fish you can imagine. So I guess if Jimmy kept tropical he could have dealt with this guy too. Of course, he could have easily kept a variety of different types of fish. Some koi are ridiculously expensive, and I would assume that's why he'd take an expert...to pick out the best fish.

So he apparently did (or still does) enjoy keeping fish. That might just add some credence, like you said. And if that makes you strange then I know hundreds of pretty strange people!

Thanks for the replies folks, I will get to the bottom of this, haha!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been meaning to follow up with Chris Dreja on that comment to ascertain if he's referring to The Yardbirds era w/Page or later.

I suppose it's plausible Jimmy could have stocked the moat at Plumpton Place with koi at one point but if he did it's news to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been meaning to follow up with Chris Dreja on that comment to ascertain if he's referring to The Yardbirds era w/Page or later.

I suppose it's plausible Jimmy could have stocked the moat at Plumpton Place with koi at one point but if he did it's news to me.

^I believe he was referring to before Jimmy joined the Yardbirds. Here's the sentence that came before that quote:

'The Yardbirds had all known Page as a session regular and blues devotee and had seen him casually for years.'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^I believe he was referring to before Jimmy joined the Yardbirds. Here's the sentence that came before that quote:

'The Yardbirds had all known Page as a session regular and blues devotee and had seen him casually for years.'

Oh, that makes more sense then 'cause I couldn't imagine Jimmy trying to care for tropical fish once he started touring extensively.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been meaning to follow up with Chris Dreja on that comment to ascertain if he's referring to The Yardbirds era w/Page or later.

I suppose it's plausible Jimmy could have stocked the moat at Plumpton Place with koi at one point but if he did it's news to me.

Oh, that makes more sense then 'cause I couldn't imagine Jimmy trying to care for tropical fish once he started touring extensively.

The guy who said that to me...I'd maybe put him at mid-40s to mid-50s age wise. So I would assume that he was referring to a time period from probably mid-1980s onwards. Of course, I could be misjudging his age. If Jimmy did indeed keep koi outside it wouldn't be that much trouble with a busy schedule. You don't even feed koi in the winter because their metabolism slows so much at cold temperatures that they can't digest food properly...that's even if he was doing the feeding himself anyway. And he could easily hire someone to do the maintenance. Plus I would assume that keeping them in a large moat like at Plumpton, it's such a superbly established environment that I'm not sure just how much extensive maintenance it would actually need...but still, I'm no koi expert. Someone dumped a large koi in a pond in a golf course not far from my house ages ago and the thing's still going strong, it's huge! I'd say about 2ft in length. I've just realised though, didn't Jimmy leave Plumpton in the 80s?

As for tropical fish...people can be employed, and they really aren't that difficult to keep (unless they're marine of course), so I really don't think it would be that much of a stretch to imagine him keeping them, even if he was busy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just realised though, didn't Jimmy leave Plumpton in the 80s?

As for tropical fish...people can be employed, and they really aren't that difficult to keep (unless they're marine of course), so I really don't think it would be that much of a stretch to imagine him keeping them, even if he was busy.

Yes, that was the thing about it...he moved out of Plumpton Place in Summer 1980. So far as I know there isn't anything suitable for koi at Old Mill House or the Tower House. However, come to think of it there is a pond at his other current residence. I will send you a private message.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I vaguely remember a fairly recent interview where he talked about liking tropical fish but not having had them for a while because going on the road "isn't really compatible with having an aquarium" or something to that effect. So the interest is still there, it seems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I vaguely remember a fairly recent interview where he talked about liking tropical fish but not having had them for a while because going on the road "isn't really compatible with having an aquarium" or something to that effect. So the interest is still there, it seems.

Yeah he would need to employ someone for that, and come to think of it, I'm not quite sure who he could trust to be in his home when he's not there. Fair enough employing someone to maintain an outdoor pond, but an indoor tropical aquarium, not so much I guess.

But there does seem to be some evidence here that he's interested in keeping fish...which means he may have at times in the past, which means my story is somewhat plausible lol.

So curious as to what he may have kept and what some of his favourites are! As for tropical fish, I really like kribensis :) Absolutely gorgeous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No so sure about that (the bit about not trusting someone to be in the house) - I think he's always had housekeepers, and perhaps sometimes live-in ones; there was at least one who lived in the flat above the Tower House garage, and one guy lived in Boleskine House for years. My limited experience with the rich and / or famous has taught me that people with grand properties often prefer to have someone around when they're not, for security. But looking after tropical fish required a certain level of knowledge and skill, I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the Sunday Times interview:

Page Joined His Friend Jeff Beck In The Yardbirds In 1966, And Was Soon Able To Afford His First House. It Was A Former Boathouse In Pangbourne, Berkshire, Which Came With Its Own Private Boat, “A Slipper Stern”. It Was Here That Page’s Loner Tendencies Came Out Again. “I Lived At That House For A Substantial Period On My Own,” He Tells Me. “And I Really Enjoyed That Bachelor Existence - Working And Creating Music, And Going Out On My Boat At Night On My Own; Switching Off The Engine And Just Coasting In The Twilight. I Liked All That.” At Another Point, He Lovingly Tended His Own Tank Of Tropical Fish - Though He Says Now That “Going On The Road And Having An Aquarium Don’t Mix”.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No so sure about that (the bit about not trusting someone to be in the house) - I think he's always had housekeepers, and perhaps sometimes live-in ones; there was at least one who lived in the flat above the Tower House garage, and one guy lived in Boleskine House for years. My limited experience with the rich and / or famous has taught me that people with grand properties often prefer to have someone around when they're not, for security. But looking after tropical fish required a certain level of knowledge and skill, I guess.

That makes sense I suppose. I'm pretty much clueless to the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Forgive me if I say things that are a little off, I'm still working through Led Zeppelin's catalogue so I'm pretty far off from being clued up on Jimmy's life outside the band. I only know little bits here and there. Please ignore my wild newbie assumptions.

Tropical fish keeping does require knowledge and skill but there's enough people who could do it with their eyes shut. If he could find a housekeeper who could do that then he'd be sorted ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At least one of Jimmy Page's manors (Plumpkin Place especially), had gardens that were originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Her designs made plenty of use of garden rooms which often featured central water features such as fountains and small ponds. Koi can survive in cold weather as long as the pond is deep enough for the Koi to hibernate in the warmer, deeper depths of the pond. In fact, Koi are native to the streams found in the higher elevations of Japan where the water remains cool. So I would not be surprised if some of Jimmy's manors had Koi. Healthy ponds, both small and large benefit from the combination of aquatic plants and fish in order to be balanced and not stagnant.

That's fantastic, you seem to know a lot about koi! Do you keep fish at all?

So it seems there was definitely scope for Jimmy to keep them. If the guy ever comes back into the shop I'll ask him more about it and keep you all updated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...