Distinguished Old Framlinghamians

After graduating in 1991, he joined the RAF and qualified as a Navigator / Weapons Systems Officer, before attended Bar School and getting called to the Bar in 1995. On leaving the RAF in 2002, he moved to California, passed the bar exam and served as a public defender. He returned to Europe and was involved in various roles as a prosecutor in Kosovo and then Bosnia and Herzegovina to prosecute atrocity crimes arising from the conflict in 1992-1995.  After further prosecutor roles in The Hague he became Deputy Specialist Prosecutor (Deputy Chief) for Kosovo in The Hague.  In September 2020 he joined the European Patent Office in Munich as a Director and in the 2020 New Years Honours List he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for “services to International Criminal Law.”

He is executive chairman of Southwold-based Adnams brewery and was a member of Southwold’s lifeboat crew for 28 years. He became Chairman in 2006 after becoming a member of the board in 1988. In the 2009 New Years Honours List he was given an OBE for corporate social responsibility.

Had a career in the petroleum industry more and lately as a civil servant.  He worked for BP for many years. He was appointed as Chief Executive of the Major Projects Authority in the Cabinet Office in mid-2015, before becoming the Infrastructure and Projects Authority from 1 January 2016, reporting to both Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, and Head of the Government’s Project Delivery Function. He became Chairman of Crossrail Limited on 14th January 2019 and was was awarded a CB in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition for his commitment to public service.

Joined the Metropolitan Police and rose to the rank of Chief Superintendent in charge of the Metropolitan’s Firearms Unit in its totality. In 1999 he was awarded the Queens Police Medal for Distinguished Police Service by Her Majesty the Queen in the Birthday Honours List. He retired from the Police Service in March 2000. Since then he has acted as an Independent Consultant and his latest book is Armed Police: The Police use of Firearms Since 1945. In 2010 he was appointed as the resident police firearms historian for the Police Firearms Officers Association.

After studying mining technology he went to Western Australia, where he spent 25 years prospecting with pick, shovel and pan. In 1994 he struck it rich to the tune of £84m.

Appointed Director/Chief Executive of RNLI in 1998. Prior to that he had a distinguished army career, which led to the awarding of his MBE. He is one of the very few Brits to have served in Vietnam. He was awarded the CBE in 2007. Following retirement from the RNLI, he remained a Trustee of ABF The Soldiers Charity for 6 years and is still a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Royal Commonwealth Ex Services League.

After working for the Foreign Office in the Gilbert & Ellice Islands, he was sent to the New Hebrides in 1971. He was awarded the MBE, along with the Queen’s Medal in the New Hebrides and the Vanuatu Independence Medal, on the occasion of the celebration of the independence of the New Hebrides. Subsequently he has worked for the Hong Kong Government and more recently run his own consultancy there.

He was always destined to join the family leisure business – Potters Leisure Resort hear Great Yarmouth. In 2005 Brian was awarded the “Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award” for more than 50 years at the helm. However, he is also equally well known for his investment in indoor bowls and for many years the resort has hosted the annual World Bowls Championships. In recognition of all his work for tourism he was awarded an MBE in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

He was Chairman of the Farmers’ Club in London and set up one of Suffolk’s most popular family attractions, Easton Farm Park. He was also President of the Suffolk Show. He also served as High Sheriff of Suffolk. His other great passion is Ipswich Town Football Club, where he has been a director since 1983 and was Chairman from 1991 to 1995.

John died on 15 March 2023 at the age of 83.

He has had a distinguished career in the building engineering, heating, ventilating and allied industries, including being Chairman of the Plumbing and Heating Industry Alliance. The company that he ran looked after all the Royal Palaces in London including Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London. In 2010/11 he was Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers. In 2013 he was awarded an MBE in Queen’s Birthday Honour list for “chairman, Watersafe, for services to the plumbing and heating industry”.  In 2019 he was awarded awarded the St Michael Medallion by the Worshipful Company of Plumbers’.

After leaving the College qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and is a Past President of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors. He was involved in numerous major projects in Australia, including the redevelopment of Parliament House, Walsh Bay and Sydney Harbour Casino. On 26 January 2008 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for “Service to the Construction Industry, particularly in the field of quantity surveying and through leadership of professional bodies”.

Since leaving the College has been employed by the family firm of George Thurlow & Sons. He took over the running of the Business in 1968 when his Father died. He is now Chairman of the Holding Co. George Thurlow & Sons (Holdings) Ltd. John was appointed High Sheriff of Suffolk in 2003. He is also a Past President, Chairman & Hon. Director of the Suffolk Agricultural Association. He is also a Governor of the College.

Chairman of Henry Poole & Co, a very distinguished family owned tailors in Savile Row, London. Clients have included Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, Napoleon and Winston Churchill. In Janaury 2013 was presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade by HRH Princess Anne. In October 2019 James Sherwood published a book on the history of Henry Poole & Co : The Founding Tailor of Saville Row” with much help from Angus Cundey and his family.

He qualified as a chartered secretary and, in due course, became company secretary of Rank Hovis McDougall PLC and, following its takeover, deputy secretary of Rexam PLC, formerly Bowater PLC. He is one of only a few OFs to become Master of a City of London livery company, in his case the Worshipful Company of Armourers & Brasiers. In the 1960s/70s he played in and administered the OF squash side in matches in London and participation in the Londonderry Cup.