John is based in the market town of Sudbury in Suffolk. He lives here with his family and works from an office in the centre of the town.
He was a member of Sudbury Talbot Rotary Club for several years, including a 2 year spell as Treasurer and 2 years as chairman of the membership committee. His main project in Rotary was a shelter box (www.shelterbox.org) – a fantastic project. The box contains a 10 man tent, sleeping bags, cooking utensils and other essentials of life. The boxes are sent to provide emergency accommodation after disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes. His greatest triumph was after the 2004 tsunami. Within 5 days he had organised a collection that raised £3300, enough for almost 7 boxes. The club went on the raise £13,000 for the tsunami.
Since 2002 he has been President of the Sudbury and District Chamber of Commerce. See www.sudbury.org.uk
He was a director of a charity called Sudbury Educational and Training Trust.
His great passion is for the blues. He plays folk and blues in open mic sessions, and plays blues and rock on Les Paul and Telecaster electric guitars. Sometimes solo, sometimes with a near genius called Ted Hurrell. In 2003 he played some pub gigs with a band called the Worried Men, playing a mixture of skiffle, blues and rock. In the 1970s, he was involved running a remarkable folk club in the Half Moon, Putney, attended by a veritable who’s who: Ralph McTell, Wizz Jones, Clive Palmer, Noel Murphy. He now runs the Long Melford Folk Club.
If he hadn’t wasted his youth, he’d be able to brag about his great A levels. Instead he hung around London clubs watching guys like Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce before they were famous. If he hadn’t wasted it, he wouldn’t have seen blues legend Jimmy Reed play in a pub in Leytonstone. He certainly wouldn’t have got involved in a conversation in the gents in the Marquee with Sonny Boy Williamson.
Specialist Subject: Getting the dress code wrong
Sweet Home Chicago (2MB)
McGees Rag (2.7MB)
Midnight Special With Ted Hurrell. Just listen to Ted's guitar soles (5MB)
Like a Rolling Stone Ted at his best. Over 7 minutes of genius with yours truly backing (7MB).
