Our Ancient New Chairman

Please raise a glass to my very good septuagenarian friend Jay Tidmarsh. Jay has agreed to become SouthWest One’s new “Independent”Chairman. I can’t think of anyone better qualified. He’s just handed back his ceremonial kit after 11 years as Lord Lieutenant of Bristol. A more amiable old buffer one could rarely hope to meet. Jay was educated at Taunton School and worked for the Imperial Tobacco Company so he knows quite a lot about killing by stealth. He learned even more as a Commissioned Officer with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.It is also possible that Jay helped kill the British footwear industry before setting up his own manufacturing company, Dycem Limited which now makes clever things to help the police. He can no doubt do a bit of extra business with Moira Hamlin and Colin Port at SouthWest One's board meetings. He has a major interest in the development of local radio – or, rather, in the development of fat profits from the radio industry. He was Chairman of Radio West Ltd and a founding Director of GWR Radio plc and has a string of other directorships as long as your arm. Jay feathered his nest very successfully and then tried to do a bit of good on the side by lending his name to all manner of worthy causes. Soon after the riots in Toxteth, Liverpool, he was one of a dozen business people who helped establish the Bristol Initiative in 1992 as a means of promoting partnership between the civic authorities and the business community in addressing social and economic problems. His other current charitable involvements reflect his wide range of interests, everything from the bladder to bells: Bristol Urological Institute; Army Benevolent Fund; Avon Ambulance Service Staff Benevolent Fund; Avon Outward Bound; Avon & Somerset Police Community Trust; Avon Youth Association; Brace (Alzheimer’s Research); Bristol Archdeaconry Charitable Trust; Bristol Benevolent Institution; Bristol Cancer Help Centre; Bristol Commonwealth Society; Bristol Drugs Project; Bristol Macmillan Cancer Relief Appeal; Christchurch Lands Trust; Clifton Down Charitable Trust; East Bristol Advice & Information Centre; Fortuna Charitable Trust; Greater Bristol Foundation; Initiative Charitable Trust; Jessie May Trust; Life Education Centre; Lifeskills; New Sinfonia; Royal Bath & West of England Society; Vassall Centre Trust.His interests are eclectic; the Merchant Venturers society; Prison Visitors Association; the Dolphin Society; and St Stephen’s Ringers. Jay Tidmarsh lists his hobbies as rugby, the visual arts, collecting playing cards, walking, photography, French and New World wine, and travel. I have absolutely no doubt that IBM will want to whisk him away very soon to inspect their facilities in America, where there will also be ample opportunity to sample his favourite wines at their expense. Chug-a-lug Jay, and welcome aboard