David Wakefield remembers Patrick Shovelton

Patrick Shovelton, our founder, has died. He came to live beside the Common in London Road with Helena his wife, who was at that time, the manager of our local CAB, in the late 1980s.

Always a leader of men, he spotted the run-down state of the Common, following the great storm of 1987, saw that the Commons Conservators were doing little about it, and decided that a Friends Group might spur them into action.

Those present will remember the rowdy meeting in the Council chamber which followed, and thus the Friends were born!

Patrick was also  the powerhouse behind the first” Frolics on the Common”, held in the early 1990s, and the fact that there has been only one more “Frolics” since then, shows how much we relied on his drive and energy.

A tall commanding figure, the holder of a CB and a CMG, tributes to his status as a senior civil servant, his main interests outside of his work were bridge and golf.

That the joint commons of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall are now is such a fine shape is due very largely to him. We were lucky to have him amongst us when he was most needed.

David Wakefield