1 August 2011

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

We will be featuring all the new town councillors in a series of profiles over the coming months. This month we feature Mayor John Saull, and Cllr Nick Hodge.

JOHN was born in Hale, Cheshire in 1935, and educated at Altrincham Grammar school. He took an early interest in civil aviation, working for a small aerial photography and charter company at Ringway (Manchester) airport, where he spent his leisure hours working on the aeroplanes and flying in them whenever to opportunity arose.

After leaving school, he took an Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship at A.V.Roe, Manchester, which he completed in 1958. During this period he worked on Vulcan bomber production including some flight testing, and space projects. He subsequently became the first technical representative on the AVRO 748 commuter aircraft and went to Argentina in 1961 on board the first aircraft for the national airline, based in Buenos Aires.

The ferry flight took eight days which gave him the opportunity to see "the whole wonderful country" at close hand, during what he describes as "a fascinating, but testing assignment".

John married Silvina, who worked as a stewardess for an opposition airline, before coming home at the end of 1963. By this time, he had been invited to join the Air Registration Board (ARB), the UK airworthiness regulator, and the couple moved to London and then to Redhill, close to the ARB headquarters.
Cranfield College of Aeronautics was John’s next venue where he obtained an Air Transport Engineering degree, and took the "unmissable" opportunity to obtain his Private Pilots Licence flying Auster aircraft, one of which he has co-owned for some 30 years.

In 1966, John, and Silvina moved to Bristol with their daughter Annabelle, where John was responsible for the oversight of the construction standards of the supersonic airliner, Concorde.

Daughter Vanessa and son Charles, were born during the family’s seven years in Bristol.

The work on Concorde was fascinating, says John, and took him to all the UK manufacturing plants and to the French assembly line in Toulouse, on regular liaison visits.

He was involved with the development of the aircraft from initial build of the prototypes through to airline route proving and made several flights during this time.

His next assignment was in Trinidad, West Indies, where he took up the management of a team of UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) airworthiness advisors to the Directors of Civil Aviation in many of the Caribbean islands, effectively from Guyana to Belize, which followed UK regulation standards.
This was a "fulfilling and pleasurable experience" professionally and socially, and on Sundays John used to fly the family to Tobago for lunch and a swim.

On their return from the Caribbean in 1980 the family moved to Ashurst Wood, sending their children to local schools where they finished their secondary education.

John took up several senior positions with the CAA, finally retiring as head of operating standards in late November 1995, after 32 years as a safety regulator.

At his retirement he was able to say "there was hardly a day I didn’t enjoy or find stimulating, working with a such a group of aviation professionals".

He has served as a member of the Council of the Royal Aeronautical Society and is a Liveryman of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators. He continues his flying and aviation technical safety work as Executive Director of The International Federation of Airworthiness, an NGO and UK Charity, and he is a member of several safety committees.

John has also co-authored two published technical books on the safety record of technological industries.

Locally, he has been a member of the East Grinstead tennis club for over 25 years.

"It has a been a very pleasant experience bringing up a family in Ashurst Wood , where we have made many acquaintances – and a great honour to have been elected Mayor of East Grinstead.

"I look forward to working as a member of an active Council and being involved in supporting its wide variety of activities."

COUNCILLOR Nick Hodge, the new Chairman of the Charities Committee, has lived all his life in East Grinstead.

He was born at home in Kennedy Road and was educated at St Mary’s and Sackville schools in the town.

After completing his law degree and solicitors final examinations, Nick served his articles in Crawley before qualifying as a solicitor 19 years ago.

He became a partner in his current firm in Redhill in 1994, and, other than time away for education, always lived in East Grinstead, where he has made his home with his wife Lucy, originally from Reading, and their 7-year-old daughter, who attends St Peter’s School.

Nick is a keen football fan and a supporter of Crystal Palace.

When younger he played football for various town teams in the junior leagues, and indeed has tried his best to keep playing at a "sympathetic level" until recently.

Nick stood for election as a town councillor as he is passionate about East Grinstead, and wants "to help the town to achieve its potential as a jewel of Mid Sussex".