John is a founder member of Project Purley, and has contributed a huge amount of research to the history of Purley on Thames, much of which is in our website archives. He was also instrumental in organising the move of the Barn from Belleisle to Goosecroft, when the Trentham’s site was developed for housing. All of us owe him a great debt of gratitude for his perseverance over several years in saving this beautiful building, which has become the main community space in the village.
John turned 90 on 30th September 2025, and to contribute to his celebrations, Project Purley gave him a birthday cake at the VJ day anniversary meeting in the Barn. It was an excellent cake, and he didn’t get to take much of it home!
