President: Susie Bagot MBE DL

The Executive Committee

Committee Member
Responsibilities & Representations with other bodies
Mr John Bateson
Vice Chairman, Guided Walks, Trustee
Mrs. Patricia Hovey MBE
Trustee
Mr. Robin Yates
Treasurer, Trustee
Mr. Trevor Hughes
Hon. Secretary, Printing, Publications, Guided Walks, Talks, Assistant Treasurer, Trustee
Mr. Tony Wrathall
Fellside Forum, Trustee
Mr. Jon Robinson
Planning, Website, Facebook, Twitter, Trustee
Mrs. Toni Yates
Membership Secretary, Noble's Rest, Kendal Fell Management Committee, Environmental Issues, Trustee
Mr. Tony Rothwell
Guided Walks, Handyman, Trustee
Mr. Ian Gibbard
Planning, Lighten our Skies, Trustee
Mr. Paul Crosby
Planning and heritage.
Jenny Wilson MITG
Guided Walks Leader
Mr Tom Macan, MITG
General Committee Member and Guided Walks
Dr Rob David
General Committee Member
Peter Bland
General Committee Member

Committee Members' Biographies

photo: Susie Bagot
Susie Bagot MBE DL

Scottish, worked at Edinburgh University for Professors of Music, Art History and Archaeology. Emigrated to Canada, worked at McGill University, travelled extensively. Married to Hal Bagot - four children and ten grandchildren. Lived at Levens Hall for forty years, Trustee of Barnardos, founder Chair of Stricklandgate House, Chair of The Francis Scott Trust as well as other voluntary appointments. Appointed MBE in 2013, Deputy Lieutenant of Cumbria. Open University BA (Hons) in Humanities.

photo: John Bateson
Mr John Bateson

My ancestors, Thomas and Eliza, were married at Kendal Parish Church in 1733 and my parents, Ken and Trudy, were brought up in Kendal. Their irreducible integrity inspires me still. I was born in Oxenholme and schooled in Kendal. I was Mayor in 2009-10. Since 2016 I have been Chair of the society. I retire as Chair this year but will continue to play an active part in KCS.

photo: Pat Hovey
Mrs. Patricia Hovey MBE

Patricia joined the Executive Committee in 1978 as the Hon Secretary. It was forty-one years later before she finally stepped down. During this time, she led hundreds of Guided Walks, talks to schools’ groups and the public, organising exhibitions and giving tours of the Mayor’s Parlour. She has written books and booklets and articles on Kendal’s history, as well as having a regular column in the Westmorland Gazette (‘Within Living Memory”).

photo: Robin Yates
Mr. Robin Yates

As Treasurer of the Society, it has been satisfying to have managed some of the Society’s projects over the years as well as ‘keeping the books’. I believe it is crucial we work in close partnership with other organisations, such as the national ‘Civic Voice’, and local authorities to help ensure there are planning structures in place that achieve our aims of preserving our heritage without stifling sympathetic economic development.

photo: Trevor Hughes
Mr. Trevor Hughes

Born in Kendal, attended Kendal Grammar School and trained to be a shoe designer at K shoes where he eventually became Head of Children’s’ Design. Later to became Clarks. Has been very keen on local history and has now written many books about Kendal. He has collected a vast collection of early photos and memorabilia about the town and has been on the Executive Committee for over 20 years.

photo: Tony Wrathall
Mr. Tony Wrathall

Tony was born in Underbarrow, moved to Kentmere in 1940 and was educated at Kentmere School, Windermere Grammar School and (after National Service) Edinburgh Veterinary College. Did general practice in Windermere then joined Ministry of Agriculture’s Central Veterinary Laboratory in 1966, specialising in animal pathology. Moved to Kendal in 2000 and joined the Society’s Executive Committee in 2003, serving as Chairman from 2009 to 2016. Loves the town and its surroundings.

photo: John Robinson
Mr. Jon Robinson

He originally trained as a Town & Country Planner at Newcastle University but then moved into digital mapping and GIS and then general ICT. He has a particular interest in the practical use and promotion of lime and other traditional materials in historic buildings. He also thoroughly enjoys local history research, photography, collecting local postcards and pictures, open water swimming when he can and a bit of community emergency planning.

photo: Toni Yates
Mrs. Toni Yates

In addition to my role as the Membership Secretary I enjoy looking after the Civic Society memorial garden on Blackhall Rd and the planters in Police Office yard.

I have always been taken by how much interest is shown by both locals and visitors to the history, the culture and the heritage of our town and so I am pleased to be able to support the aims of the Society.

photo: Tony Rothwell
Mr. Tony Rothwell

Tony has been a long serving member of the Committee and has a vast knowledge of Kendal and its history. He was a Town Councillor and was Mayor of Kendal in 2003. He is also the Society’s ‘handyman’ and undertakes many tasks, not least of which is the installation of the Society’s information plaques around the town. For many years he represented the Society on the Town Council, Kendal in Bloom Committee.

photo: Ian Gibbard
Mr. Ian Gibbard

Ian qualified as an architect in 1981 and worked in the private sector on schools, housing, churches, leisure and commercial projects throughout the UK. He has a passion for urban design and loves to spend lazy Summer days in Italy mapping and sketching hill towns. Retired from directing his own architectural company, he now makes music and loves painting, history, reading, astronomy and anything that runs on two metal rails!

photo: Paul Crosby
Mr. Paul Crosby

Paul is a conservation accredited architect, SPAB Lethaby Scholar and director of Kendal based Crosby Granger Architects with 30 years’ experience specialising in the sensitive conservation and adaptation of historic buildings. He is also a technical advisor for The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings giving advice to homeowners and professionals throughout the country. The historic environment and its importance within the present day are vital to Paul’s view of Kendal.

photo: Jenny Wilson
Jenny Wilson MITG

Born in Kendal to Harry and Peggy Wilson, Jenny attended Dean Gibson School, Kendal High School and York University, before starting a career  teaching Music and Drama in Cumbria, London, Dubai, Jordan and Oman. Her husband Brian, also born in Kendal, is a Civil Engineer. After retirement she retrained as a Cumbria Blue Badge Tourist Guide  and joined our Executive Committee, having a keen interest in all things Kendal. She is now coordinating our Guided Public Walks Bookings, Advertisement and Mailing List.

photo: Tom Macan
Mr Tom Macan, MITG

An economics graduate from Sussex University, I grew up in, and retired to the Hawkshead valley, moving to Kendal in 2023. My professional career (1969-2006). was in the UK Diplomatic Service, including postings as Ambassador to Lithuania and Governor of the British Virgin Islands. With a longstanding, albeit amateur interest in history and architecture, I am a Blue Badge Tourist Guide for Cumbria and lecture on Viking Ocean cruise ships.

photo: Dr. Rob David
Dr Rob David

Dr Rob David completed his PhD in British Culture and the Arctic at Lancaster University.  Since then he has investigated Cumbria's links to arctic explorers and the arctic whaling industry. As well as articles in journals he has written In Search of Arctic Wonders: Cumbria and the Arctic in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries [Kendal, 2013].

photo: Peter Bland
Peter Bland

I attended Kendal Grammar School then trained as a dental technician. Later i had various jobs including assistant Virger at St Pauls Cathedral. My last post was as assistant caretaker County Hall & caretaker in  charge of Highways at  Kendal Green Offices, Stopped from working by DHSS aged 36. I have since been a Tenant Director for 6yrs South Lakes Housing and Governor of Lakes School.