April 22nd 2024 Speaker Meeting 10:30am
‘The Real Life Downton Abbey’ by Ron Hutchinson.
Ron Hutchinson is an accomplished speaker who has regularly addressed many organisations and clubs all over the UK. He has spoken about his life which could be described as a series of adventures.
Ron was born in Manchester, the eldest of three brothers and two sisters. His childhood was spent mainly in Cheshire and, on leaving school, he joined the army and served in an airborne unit, seeing service in Northern Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Ethiopia and Germany. In 1974, he left the forces and found himself in the interesting position of being chauffeur to Viscount Leverhulme, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, a role that continued for 26 years. It was a position of driving Rolls Royces, horse racing, shooting parties and royal visits. Amidst all the happenings with high society, Ron continued with 18 years’ service in the Territorial Army, training officer cadets and testing as a HGV examiner. As an Advanced Motorist, he won the ‘Wirral Best Motorist’ award in 1986.
Following Lord Leverhulme’s death in 2000, Ron started work as a charity fundraiser with Claire House Children’s Hospice, organising and leading challenges to Everest, Kilimanjaro, the Canadian Rockies, the Grand Canyon and Borneo, to name a few expeditions.
In 2005, he was promoted to Senior Fundraiser, and two years later was recognised nationally as ‘Fundraiser of the Year’.
By chance, Ron was asked by a Rotary Club to give a talk about his background rubbing shoulders with the aristocracy and members of the royal family. His natural storytelling ability made it an instant hit and he has been in demand ever since.
We are very fortunate that he has time in his busy schedule to present to Heswall U3A. He is a renowned raconteur and we look forward learning of his experience at Thornton Manor, the ‘Downton Abbey’ on our doorstep
