John moved to Cherque Farm in Lee on the Solent with his wife Julie and 2 children in 2005 from Stubbington. His children attended Crofton School and they have both now forged successful careers in Gosport. Julie has lived and working in Gosport all her life, she is a born and bred Gosport Girl. They now live close to Lee High Street.
He joined Hampshire Constabulary in 1982 where he worked in the North of Hampshire as a response officer and then as a ‘Village Bobby’. In 1996 John moved south to work on the Hampshire Police Marine Unit based at Gosport. His ‘patch’ covered the Eastern Solent from Hill Head to Chichester and during this time he was involved in policing the major events held throughout, the Solent, dealing with major incidents, marine crime, drugs and counter terrorism. HE retired from the police are 30 years service. As an ex copper he believes that his experience as a neighbourhood police officer and his time on the Marine Unit, dealing with all manner of complex problems, working as a team, working with the local councillors and other agencies will stand him in good stead when it comes to dealing with issues in Lee on the Solent.
He has volunteered with a number of local charities and was an Ambulance service Community First Responder and on the Gosport Neighbourhood Watch Committee. His interests included vintage electronics, local history, music, dancing, bee keeping, caravanning and walking his dog Eddy around Lee. He has been involved with the Lee Business Association at local events including the Christmas late shopping and music, Lee VE75 celebrations, Summer in Lee and the Lee Victory Festival, John recently researched all of the men and women names on the Lee on the Solent War Memorial, which he has published on a website and on Facebook and is a lead guide on the Lee Residents Association history walks.
As a Lee on the Solent resident, John believes in supporting local businesses, using Lee’s fantastic High Street shops, he cares about his local community. He is passionate about Lee on the Solent, its people, its heritage, the vibrant community spirit and the issues facing the local people of Lee on the Solent.
He sees the future of the area as exciting and challenging with the continued development of the former HMS Daedalus site and, in the wider borough, the Gosport Waterfront development. But he also sees how important it is to get things right when it comes to these major developments for now and into the future.
John is at his happiest when walking around Lee with his dog, talking and listening to people.