Chris Stanbury

Chris moved to Swallowcliffe in September 1997 from West Drayton (situated one mile North of Heathrow). Needless to say the new location is a considerable improvement in terms of quality of life.

Chris is managing director of Cravenplan Computers Limited, a company he started in 1984. The company has grown to the point where it now employs many local people.

The move to Swallowcliffe has given the company room to expand and it is hoped that more local people will be employed where possible. Although running the business takes around 50-60 hours per week, Chris also finds time to help on the village hall committee, is chairman of the Wiltshire Rural Business Club and was elected to the parish council in 1999, he was on the council for eight years. Being a great believer in using local facilities, the village hall was the venue for the monthly Swallowcliffe debating society of which Chris was chairman and the music evenings which Chris started running in 2001.

In his spare time, Chris has been a keen motorcyclist for many years and covers around 20,000 miles a year on his Kawasaki GTR 1000. In July 1999 he took part in a 48 hour fund-raising event in aid of the RNLI then in the Summer of 2000 he became the first person in Britain and only the third person outside the USA to cover over 1500 miles on a motorcycle in under 24 hours. He is a senior observer (instructor) with the Institute of Advanced Motorcycling, which involves training motorcyclists in the area to advanced standard. Chris can often be seen out and about in the area with a trainee. He also owns a trail bike which he has put to good use exploring some of the beautiful byways in the area. His other means of travel is a rare Mini Traveller Estate which has covered less than 100,000 miles since it was built in 1963. He also enjoys an open top V8 Land Rover which is used all year round.

Other hobbies include music and the movies - Chris says "I watch a movie three or four nights a week on average - it helps relax me before going to bed. I also enjoy most types of music and regularly travel to listen to interesting bands. Jazz and Ska are my current favourite music genres". Chris is also a keen photographer and has provided a couple of the pictures featured in the Swallowcliffe 2000 Calendar as well as being one of the official photographers for the Larmer Tree Festival. (http://www.swallowcliffe.com/larmer-tree-2006)

Regular exercise comes in the form of cycling on the downs most mornings and Jive dancing once or twice each week.

Chris also supports Hope and Homes for children and is chairman of the support group committee. The charity is locally based and helps children in Eastern Europe and Africa to have a home and a future. He is currently trying to raise £5,000 by way of a sponsored shave (he has had a beard for over thirty five years). If you'd like to contribute please visit http://www.justgiving.com/ChrisBeardOff