I say chaps. Have you heard yet? Spiffing news what?
Those jolly good fellows of the South West Regional Development Agency have only gone and got themselves a terrific new Chairman chappie don’t you know?
Naturally such a character, responsible for deciding how a couple of hundred million pounds of public money is spent in the region each year, shouldn’t have to be put through anything as hugely boring and tiresome as a democratic election like the plebs have to.
So welcome aboard Sir Henry William Studholme, 3rd Baronet of Perridge. Henry – or Harry to his friends – attended Eton School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge and is described as the owner/manager of the Perridge Estate, Devon, a business which includes a 350 acre farm, 650 acres of woodland, and both residential and light industrial property letting.
Completists might be interested to hear Grandaddy Studholme was the illustrious Sir Henry Studholme,1st baronet and MP for Tavistock until 1966 when he was replaced by Michael Heseltine.
The current Baronet’s club is Brooks’s if you’re up in town and fancy a quiet chinwag over a glass of port to learn how Harry might be able to help you out with the public’s money.
Tally Ho! And hurrah for meritocracy!
How many quid per actual hour on the job is he going to be paid, I wonder?
According to my own post from a while ago he’ll get about £700 a day:
https://thebristolblogger.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/swrda-those-executive-travel-expenses-in-full/
That’s about £85 an hour plus expenses …
Juliet Williams used to claim about seventy quid a day in travel when averaged out – well over what a minimum wage earner would earn for their eight hour day.
But no doubt they’re worth it?
Appointments are made, so the SWRDA web site states, by the Secretary of State – for a 3 year stint.
Now I have absolutely no idea why this toff is worthy of this job, because we don’t get to see any evidence. The whiff of nepotism is all around us, namely that its who you know and whether your face fits, not what you know plus proven basic competence – I might be more forgiving if there were not so many hypocritical statements about the current politicians doing such a good job once they gain power.
And the RDA web site is soooo pretentious.
Your picture is not clear, which one isSir Henry William Studholme?
@paul smith
The one that looks bovinely stupid. Obvious innit? 😉
One day we should organise a march against Clifton College and Badminton – Bristols’ Public schools that maintain and promote the Toffocracy.
He’s quite the quangocrat is Baronet Studholme.
Forestry Commissioner for England: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/WebPressReleases/BA75090A32A2DB1C8025725F0038DEED
Chairman of South West Chamber of Rural Enterprise: http://www.swcore.co.uk/chairmanofswcore.htm
Chairman of something to do with fish: http://www.finding-sanctuary.org/page/steering-group
He’s a member of the South West Rural Affairs Forum.
Possibly chair of South West Food and Drink (not sure, might be an ex-chair).
Chair of the National Tree Safety Group whaddeva the fuck that is. Truely google you are spoiling me.
And of course he’s got his duties to perform as a peer of the realm. It’s a wonder he finds time to manage his farm and various businesses around Exeter.
Juliet Williams’ travel expenses were remarkably frugal, when peak hour open rail ticket Bristol – London is £150 Std Class (of course such an august personage as a Baronet has to travel First by First, so much more expense (£250) – but perhaps he has a Senior Railcard, saving 30%). Anyway, he lives further away and so his travel costs will be even higher.
That is by-the-way, because inks has made me even more worried that this man has been appointed for the contacts that he has, and those are most likely to be in the rural orbit, not the urban one where the greatest amount of money is, or should be, for regeneration and development. I have heard both govt and business people say that the south west has not shouted loudly enough when public money is being allocated from London, and also that the RDA doesn’t work for Greater Bristol (recent backtracking on several Bristol projects, of course) – this appointment looks like more of the same.
cunts
If he was an unqualified ‘working class’ person, would he get such a bashing on this website? Given his considerable experience in rural affairs as evidenced by his own estate and the other chairmanships that he holds, I suspect he’ll do a good job. The real issue is whether this should be an elected post, not whether he’s a ‘toff’ or not. What he inherited by birth should be of no concern, just his suitability for the job. Taking issue with his social status would be as bad as someone saying that whingy left-wing pseudo working class hippies are good for nothing scroungers with a massive chip on their shoulder and in need of a good bath.
Oh jolly good yah! 🙂
“One day we should organise a march against Clifton College and Badminton – Bristols’ Public schools that maintain and promote the Toffocracy.”
Will, we at The Bristolian fully support your plans.
is the Bristolian still in print?
Yeah, because marching against some schools (good ones at that) is going to do what exactly? Make people hate you even more? You’d have given your left arm to have gone to Clifton College…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8160052.stm
Any problems here RC?
RC i hate useless fucking leftys as much as you but i dont see the problem with the most privalidged people in society “hating” me, becuase they think im worth less than £6.00 an hour and 10 D’s at GCSE. So they can fuck themselfs.
And i would have given my left arm to have NOT gone to to Clifton College.
The article makes a point Sam, especially the graphic at the bottom. That point is partly that going to public school pays off, whatever your views of the place. Oh whatever, this is pointless.