Like many Australians, I was drawn to the UK to use it as a travel base but my interest in British motorbikes and cars also flourished. For many years, I ran my own business restoring classic cars and I also have experience in the building industry, metalwork fabrication and product development. Most recently, I’ve turned to inventing structural connectors.
When my wife and I moved to Datchet in 1996, we were keen to learn more about the history of the village and the house we were renovating so we became active members of Datchet Village Society. In recent years, I have been helping to organise community events such as the Royal Wedding Party on the Rec, Christmas on The Green, Datchet Art Festival at the fete, and Datchet’s annual welcome for the veteran vehicles running in the ‘Ellis Journey’. Organising these events is immensely rewarding. They are a great opportunity to meet local people, groups, schools and organisations, to promote local businesses, and bring the community together.
Before I became a Parish Councillor, I attended DPC meetings as a member of the public. I am also a keen supporter of the valuable work of the Neighbourhood Plan team and more recently the Wild About Datchet environmental group. I believe that the unique character of Datchet and its historical and environmental assets need careful protection, and I would like to raise awareness of what we can do as a community, to help protect these assets. We also urgently need to consider how our community will meet the challenge of the Climate Emergency and I would welcome the opportunity to help promote and encourage action through our Council.