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Biographical Information

John Henry Robinson

Born in 1951 into a historic farming, abattoir, and butchering business in Weardale on the eastern slopes of the Pennines in northern England, 10 miles west of Durham City, 70 years after his grandfather Thomas William Robinson started the business.  Previously his ancestors farmed a smallholding at Aukside 5 miles north west of Middleton in Teesdale, back to the 16th century.  Their main income in the 18th and 19th century came from lead mining. 

EDUCATION – Associate of the CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF BANKERS 1976. No University attendance, no ‘A’ Levels but 5 ‘O’ Levels and numerouscourses with Barclays Bank on skills to be a top banker. Accepted on to the Graduate Training Programme at Barclays Bank in 1976. Henley Business School 1977 Business Management Course. Ashridge Management School 1979 Business Leadership Course. Harvard Business School 1991 Senior Management and Leadership

In 1968 he joined Martins Bank Ltd, as a trainee, at Spennymoor branch. Martins merged with Barclays in 1969 and, over the next few years, he was posted to Willington, Leyburn, Darlington and Internal Audit before being accepted onto the Graduate Management Development Programme, causing postings to Edgeware Road, Cavendish Square and Regent Street, all in Central London.

His first managerial appointment was at Kendal, Cumbria, in 1979, as the Operations Manager, followed three years later at Blackburn as a Relationship Manager, then back to London as a Large Debt Recoveries Manager.  In 1986 he was posted to Dublin to close down a small subsidiary high street bank and then control the debt underwriting. 1989 took him to Head Office in Lombard Street then to Gracechurch Street as a generalist Relationship Manager, and then, in 1994, after a complex reorganisation, he found himself in the Professional Practices Team at Lombard Street caring for the global banking needs of global Accountants, Actuaries, Real Estate firms and Solicitors, with a sideline in Shipping Insurers, Business Expansion Schemes and large Proprty Developers and Managers.

2003 took him to New York for three years to care for the banking needs of the US based global Accountants, Lawyers, and Realtors. He retired from Barclays in 2006 and joined Tony Williams at Jomati Consultants LLP as a consultant looking after the banking and financing requirements of global law firms. Contemporaneously, he was caring for Accountants through Robinson Bros Consultants Ltd. The global crash in the late first decade caused professional consultancy work to dry up.

Fortunately, Barclays had started paying his pension so, “to give something back” he started doing Pro Bono Business advice to a couple of web based businesses, a horse riding establishment, a couple of Restaurants, several pubs, a Timber business, and a Cathedral. He also took on several Directorships, Trusteeships, and Charity work.

His hobbies since Primary School had been administration and woodwork. The administration had him managing his father’s business accounts at age 12 which was probably why he became a banker. Woodwork saw him repairing fencing, gates, doors etc. on the farm. At age 13 he decorated his mother’s staircase and at age 14 he started a window cleaning business in the village with his father’s ladder and his mother’s wash leather and bucket.

Since final retirement in 2011, he has completed hundreds of woodwork projects many of which are shown in the attached pages.

He has been married to Janice since 1972, they have three children and six grandchildren and all are healthy and successful.

VOLUNTARY WORK

  • CHURCH OF ENGLAND – Baptised 1952 St George’s, Billy Row, Durham Diocese Confirmed 1964 St Catherine’s Crook, Durham Diocese by the Bishop of South Shields.
    •  
    • Pinner, St John the Baptist, London Diocese – 1978-1979 – Stewardship Secretary
    • Levens, St John’s, Carlisle Diocese, 1979-1982, Fundraising, Deanery Synod Member
    • Salesbury, St Peter’s, Blackburn Diocese, 1982-1984, Finance, Stewardship and Fundraising.
    • St Albans Cathedral, 1984-1986, Stewardship Committee
    • Dalkey, St Patrick’s, Dublin Diocese, 1986-1989 Fundraising
    • St Albans Cathedral, 1989 to 2003,
      • Stewardship Recorder, Finance Committee 1990-1995, Properties Committee 1991-1997, Sidesman, Steward and Marshal, Director of Cathedral Enterprises (St Albans) Ltd 2001-2006.
    • St Bartholomew’s, Park Avenue, NY, Diocese of New York, 2003-2006 Charities Outreach.
    • St Albans Cathedral, 2006 – 2019,
      • Sidesman, Steward, Marshal, Pilgrimage Committee, Logistics Manager, Fireworks Committee, Flower Festival Committee, Abbey Assembly, 
    • Deanery Synod Member and Diocesan Synod Member 2018-2021, Bishop’s Council, Closed Churches Uses Committee, Vacancy in See Committee, Diocesan Electoral Commission, 
    • Trustee and Director of The Diocesan Board of Finance General Committee, Ordinary Committee, Assets Committee, Properties Committee, Audit Committee.
  • BEDS HERTS & CAMBS LAND ROVER CLUB LTD – COMPANY DIRECTOR, COMPANY SECRETARY AND MEMBER – From 2013 to date. A social and competitive group of owners of Land Rover vehicles in the three counties. I have a classic 1983, ex-military, Land Rover Lightweight, Series III which got me into several Clubs where I am, or have been, a Company Director, a Charity Trustee a Company Secretary and a Treasurer. 
  • HERTFORDSHIRE 4X4 RESPONSE GROUP CIO – TRUSTEE, CHARITY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, Dates From 2014 to 2020. A volunteer charity group of owners of 4×4 vehicles who assist the Emergency Services, in need in inclement weather; and other Charites who need 4×4 assistance at their fund-raising events.
  • 71ABC LODGE ROAD MANAGEMENT CO LTD – COMPANY DIRECTOR AND COMPANY SECRETARY – From 2011 to 2022.
    • Part of a team caring for the structure and environs of a block of leasehold apartments in Southampton, and,
    • a tenanted freehold property in Co Durham and a tenanted Leasehold property in St Albans
  •  BLACKBURN ROUND TABLE No 83. FORMER MEMBER (1982 TO 1984) – ST ALBANS ROUND TABLE No. 147 FORMER MEMBER (1984-1992) AND FORMER CHAIRMAN (1991-1992) DUN LAOGHAIRE ROUND TABLE (Ireland) FORMER MEMBER (1986-1989) ST ALBANS 41 CLUB MEMBER (1991 – TO DATE) FORMER CHAIRMAN (2007 – 2008).
  • SANDRIDGEBURY STABLES, ST ALBANS HORSE OWNER AND MAINTENANCE MANAGER – Dates From 2011 – 2013. Horse riding and maintaining stables, offices, windows, doors, plumbing, fences, gates, etc.
  • ST ALBANS WOOD RECYCLING CIC, COMPANY DIRECTOR AND COMPANY SECRETARY – A Community Interest Company, with the aim of recycling old timber and giving work experience to young people with physical and mental disabilities and those on Community Pay-back for offending.
  • STONHAM HOUSING ASSOCIATION LTD KENDAL BRANCH, COMPANY DIRECTOR AND TREASURER. Dates from 1979-1982. Providing accommodation for released from prison ex-offenders encouraging them to find work.
  • GLENHOLME YOUTH CLUB, CO DURHAM. CLUB SECRETARY (1967-1972)