Twenty Questions - December 2007

4) Marmite: Love it or Hate It?

Yuk! Does that answer your question?

5) What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time, now there's a novelty! What with house, garden and business travel I don't get much of that. Having said that I do enjoy wildlife, history and photography so try and get out with the long suffering Mrs to a variety of National Trust / RSPB type locations and I'm also gradually introducing her to the wonderful world of the petrol head so car and classic car shows are becoming more heavily frequented.

6) What is the last book you read?

Airframe by Michael Crichton - probably not the wisest choice I have ever made of reading material picked up at the airport before getting on a flight!

7) Favourite holiday destination?

Borneo for the Wildlife, Egypt for the history and Iceland for the landscape! - I'm not really a beach holiday sort of person.

8) What is your favourite hobby?

I have been an active Scuba Diver for more than 20yrs but haven't managed to do too much over the last 5 years or so. I keep promising myself that I'll get back into it when pressures on time settle down a bit but in all honesty fitness or lack of will probably have something to say on that!

9) What is your favourite thing about Benwick?

It's over all peaceful location, with open country views from my house and the river that I enjoy walking beside when I get the chance.

10) What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A hang over cure because the party that I'd throw if I won the lottery would be the stuff of legends!

11) What made you get involved with the Village Hall Committee?

I have always enjoyed getting involved in helping others (I'm also co founder of a major charitable project at work) and generally getting involved in communities. I read about how the people of Benwick raised the money to build the hall and felt strongly that Benwick appeared to have real community spirit worthy of support. Since the hall was built by the community for the community then joining the Village Hall Committee appeared to be a great way for me to work and serve for the benefit of that same community.

12) Where is the worst place you have lived?

At the time that I was there none of the houses/locations that I have lived in could be described as bad. They have all met fully the needs that I had at that time. Certainly as I have gotten older and my life style has changed so has what I want in a house/location. I think now it would take a lot to move me out of the quiet country village community type location such as Benwick where as 20 yrs ago it would have taken an even greater effort to move me in to it!

13) If you had £500 to give to charity - who would you give it to and why?

Cancer Research. My brother was diagnosed with cancer a while back. After surgery and treatment he came through it all and has been in remission for the last 5 years or so. Our family was lucky but it served as a reminder as to how cancer destroys many families and often takes loved ones before their time. We just have to find a cure for this horrible disease.

14) What item could you not live without and why?

My morning coffee! Not being a morning person I need that caffeine kick to get me going, oh and probably the mobile phone as well since being a people person I enjoy being available for a good chat.

15) Do you think Benwick has any major problems, if so what are they?

I don't think that Benwick's problems are unique to Benwick. Modern life is a hectic, time pressured affair with increasing technology that allows us all to do more with less. This generally leaves us with little time to think about our neighbours let alone the wider greater good.

With on-line everything from shopping to entertainment, information to communication it all creates a far greater insular and fragmented society outside of cyber space. Sources of entertainment have become more varied and interesting with the result that we expect to be given instant packaged entertainment rather than have to go out and create our own. When we get 5 mins to ourselves most of us still just flop in front of the telly with its 50+ station options. How can traditional low tech community entertainment events possibly compete with Eastenders, 24 hour sport, on line chat rooms, the internet or playing the latest generation of computer based games?

Community leaders generally need to engage with and reach out to the community as a whole coming up with varied and interesting community programmes that will bring people of all ages together, prizing them away from their TV’s and computers just for a while. Without finding a way to engage the younger generations in community events and get them wanting to mix and have pride in their local communities then many of the small rural locations such as Benwick run the risk of becoming a collection of isolated introspective individuals rather than a place with outward community spirit.

16) Tea or Coffee?

Coffee

17) What made you move to Benwick?

A career move brought me to a company in St. Neots. We just couldn't find the right balance of house v location and our search took us further and further out from the St. Neots area until we eventually came upon the house in Benwick that we are in now. In any case I was looking for a minimum 25/30 min car commute as I find I need that 'thinking' time to switch between the two lives of work and home.

18) What was the last thing you bought?

Other than food that would be my digital camera. I also had to replace my partner's car when her old one became dangerous. Since I get to drive it on occasions does that count?

19) Favourite Cereal?

A supermarket own brand - Apricot Filled Bite Sized Shredded Wheat.

20) What would you like to be remembered for?

For being a hard working, cheerful and friendly person who was always happy to work for the benefit of the greater good. Not afraid to make a decision and act but always tried to do the right thing even when the right thing was not necessarily the most popular choice! - It's a little long for an obituary don't you think? I really must come up with something a little snappier for when the time comes!