Breckland motoring legend marks NFU's man retirement
Motorsports legend Jack Sears helped bring the chequered flag down on mid-Norfolk NFU group secretary Steve Andrew's long service at a packed branch meeting.
Motorsports legend Jack Sears helped bring the chequered flag down on mid-Norfolk NFU group secretary Steve Andrew's long service at a packed branch meeting.
A motor-racing enthusiast too, Steve has run the National Farmers' Union's office at Hingham since 1988 as part of a career spanning 44 years with rural insurer NFU Mutual and 24 years with the NFU.
Past and present chairmen from Watton, Wymondham and Dereham branches were among more than 120 members and guests at a reception at South Green Park Enterprise Centre, Mattishall.
He was delighted to have 'Gentleman Jack', the first man to win the British Saloon Car Championship, as speaker at the last branch meeting before he retired.
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Jack, who farms at Ashill, gave a fascinating insight into life as a rally and racing driver in the 1950s and 1960s.
The guests included three members of his 1988 interview panel, and NFU regional director Pamela Forbes said they must have been very pleased with the appointment they made.
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She outlined his career, which started with the NFU Mutual in his home county of Kent in 1966 and included spells in St Albans, Spalding and Norwich before he joined the NFU as assistant group secretary in Leighton Buzzard in 1986.
"I first met Steve 11 years ago and he has been superb to work with. He cares about his farmer members and he is held in the highest regard by his colleagues," she said.
In his response, Steve paid tribute to the strength of the NFU and NFU Mutual and said it had been a privilege to have been involved with both organisations.
"I am a proud man of Kent but I am also incredibly proud to be here tonight, in my adopted county, having represented you all for such a long period of time," he said.
