BCA Organisation

Susan Johnson

Chairman

A graduate of the University of Birmingham and a career Local Government Officer, Susan came to Berkhamsted with her growing family in 1981 and immediately joined the BCA. She has served on the main Committee for over 30 years (being Chairman a total of six times and currently Vice Chairman again) and on the Townscape Group (formerly Town Amenities Sub Committee) for almost as long, where she is currently convenor and chairman. Susan retired from LG in 2010, having been Town Clerk of Tring for 21 years. She has extensive experience of planning matters, although not herself a professional planner. Susan also represents the BCA as a nominated Trustee on the Berkhamsted Castle Trust, and the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust, which reflects her interest in history and literature respectively.

Susan is married to Brian who, as a Chartered Accountant, helps several local charities. They have two daughters, locally educated, but no longer living in Berkhamsted, and four grandchildren.

Gordon Bluck

Vice Chairman

I moved to Berkhamsted in 1987 and was mid-way through a career with NatWest Bank when I was approached to join the BCA as a committee member in 1992 by a “friend” as he thought I had an easy job in the West End and this would help fill my evenings. I took voluntary redundancy in 2000 as I could see how banking was changing and worked as an Insurance Broker for 7 years until fully retiring in 2007.

In 2002/3 I was elected to the position of Chairman of the BCA, having been Vice Chairman in 2001. Who would have thought I would take the job on again in 2022? Along the way I have been on TASC/Townscape and numerous Town Council working parties. I have enjoyed representing the Association whenever the opportunity arose.

While I was between jobs, I project managed the reprint of the popular Footpath Map, right through from obtaining grant funding to Bill Willett producing the actual map. I also supervised the production of the 90th BCA anniversary edition. I have to say all that was a challenge, but we have sold 14,000 maps and this has allowed us to spend substantial amounts, considering our size, on the Town.

On a personal front I love living in the town and contributing to its health. My wife Jean and children were all educated at Berkhamsted School and, although our son lives with his wife in Wales, he still stays in touch with old school friends. My daughter has recently moved back to the town.

Christopher Talbot Ponsonby

Membership Secretary & Treasurer

In 1951 I came to Berkhamsted very young and have not left.

I have been on the Citizens Committee since 1988 and became Membership Secretary in 1990. I took over as Treasurer in 2018. The two roles work very well together, I was elected as a Town Councillor from 1999 to 2007, and served as Chairman of the Planning Committee for seven years. My other involvements include Trustee and Treasurer of the Berkhamsted Town Hall Trust with which I have been involved since 1981.

I am retired having worked 45 years, four years in catering and a year with Lloyds Bank in Berkhamsted. I spent the greater part of my career as a Civil Servant / Public Servant, first with the Department of the Environment before moving to English Heritage when it was formed in 1984.

At the 2023 Berkhamsted Annual Town Meeting I was the recipient of the Rotary Civic award for 2022.

Miranda Cummins

Secretary to Berkhamsted Citizens

I have lived in Berkhamsted for 60 years and attended Ashlyns School. I am married with two married sons and two grandchildren who also live in the town. I have been secretary of Berkhamsted Citizens for over 40 years.

Having worked in publishing and education for most of my working life, I took a course in horticulture and now work part-time as a gardener, which I enjoy very much.

Tony Statham

Committee Member

Tony Statham retired in 2001 from a life in financial markets having experience in stock-broking in the City of London, merchant banking in South Africa and nearly twenty years in the provision of financial information with the American company, Dow Jones.

His education and parents encouraged many interests including architecture, natural history and travel although his earlier ambitions were to follow a career in medicine. He enjoys many DIY tasks and has happily turned his attention to several restoration projects. He has maintained a life-long interest in the natural world, especially ornithology and was a volunteer at Tring Museum for fifteen years. His wide interests include books, theatre, wine and stamps and he is the Chairman of the Bird Stamp Society. He belongs to several organisations linked to natural history and was elected a member of MENSA in 1993.

Tony has lived in Berkhamsted for some forty years and has served as a chairman and committee member for both the BCA and the town’s history society, where he edited the latter organisation’s annual magazine for ten years. He is much encouraged by his late partner’s motto “I’m glad I did – not I wish I had!

Simon Heywood

Committee Member

I have been living in Berkhamsted since Feb 1992. I was brought here by the re-location of the company where I worked, Artificial Intelligence Ltd. The company is no more but I stayed mainly for the network of friendships, the ideal combination of ready access to countryside and the convenience of urban amenities. The beer was and is nice too.

I still work for a living and I have been involved in affairs relating to the Berkhamsted townscape on and off since being here.

I like to see the town accommodating businesses and professions as well as homes and the interest in preserving visible evidence of its history, so I was sorry that we lost our factory chimney and welcome efforts to recognise industrial archaeology as well as historical vernacular.

Jeanne Woodcraft

Committee Member

I am an artist, with an interest in both architecture and landscape. I am also a keen gardener. Since moving to Berkhamsted I have enjoyed the challenge of converting a 19thC barn into a studio whilst retaining much of its architectural history and making a garden from the rubble in the yard adjacent to it.

I recently retired from lecturing at the University of Arts, London where I taught drawing and design practice.

I graduated from Royal College of Art in 1964 with a degree in Painting. In 1992 I resumed studies at Middlesex University, completing a Computing in Art course. In 1990, prior to university, I was invited to work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where I was in residence for 18 months.

I moved to Berkhamsted in 1992 whilst studying at Middlesex University.

Paul Crosland

Committee Member

Paul is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor who has lived in Berkhamsted with his family since 2006. A committee member of Berkhamsted Citizens since 2011, Paul served as Chairman of TASC, the forerunner to the Townscape Group, and has also served as Vice Chairman of the BCA for six years. Paul has led the BCA’s New Year’s Day Walk (and Summer walk) for a number of years until the pandemic struck, but hopes to revive it in 2024. Paul has been involved in the project to restore the Rectory Lane Cemetery since 2009 and is still involved in the maintenance of this beautiful, green space in the heart of the town. He is a Trustee of the Friends of St. Peter’s, the charity dedicated to maintaining the fabric of the parish church and the Court House.