Parish Councillors

Bill Pattison

Chair of BPC

Bill was born and raised in the Watford area of Hertfordshire. Following marriage in 1973, he and his new wife moved to Oxfordshire, where wife Hazel was starting her first teaching post. Bill is a carpenter by trade and has gradually progressed through his trade – site management, local authority clerk of works, and finally setting up his own building contractor business in 1979. As the family came along and grew, they moved to the Benson area in 1986, where Bill continued with construction until retirement.

Patricia Baylis

Vice Chair of BPC
Chair of Recreation & Lands

Patricia has lived in Benson for nearly 30 years and, before that, in Wallingford, having been born there. She is now retired from handling the finances and office management for a locally based business. She is currently Chair of the Council’s Recreation and Lands Committee, as well as sitting on the Finance Committee, the Awards Committee, and various working groups.

Robert Castelow-Sturges

Robert is a born and bred West Londoner which accounts for him being a supporter of Brentford FC, the “Mighty Bees”, for around 55 years (so no “Jonny come lately” since they became a Premier League club!). He is also a follower of Middlesex County Cricket Club, a Member in years gone by. Since moving to Benson, he has become a regular umpire for Wallingford Hockey Club. Robert moved with his wife to Benson in February 2021, from Frimley in Surrey as a downsize after their son got married. They both absolutely love the village and village life. He retired in March 2023 after a working life of 45 years spread across essentially only 2 employers. He is a member of Wallingford Baptist Church, Thameside u3a, and, since retirement, a regular participant in the Benson Well-being walks. Robert sits on the Recreation and Lands Committee for BPC.

David Dawkins

David was born and raised in South London and after qualifying as an architect in the early 1980’s moved, with his wife Carey, to Henley-on-Thames in 1988 where he set up his own architectural practice. They moved to Benson in 2000 with their three daughters and he continues to run his practice from the village. David is on the Planning and Halls Committees.

Rob Jordan

Chair of Finance
Chair of Halls

Rob was born in Wales, but has lived in Benson for 37 years and has 2 grown up children who went to the local schools in Benson and Wallingford. He is a qualified Accountant and has worked for several major companies including BAE Systems, DEC, Siebe, Racal, Thales, Waitrose, and Honeywell. He is currently Chair of the Council’s Finance Committee and also Chair of the Halls Committee.

Fiona Lovesey

Fiona has lived in the village since 2003, having moved here when her husband left the RAF. Fiona is in healthcare, having worked for the NHS for 32 years. She retired from the NHS in 2018, after running the operating theatres at Wexham Park for the previous 7 years, and started working for BMI Circle private healthcare provider as an operating theatre manager. Her interests include reading and horse riding. Fiona is Chair of Benson and District Branch of the Royal British Legion, vice chair of Oxfordshire County RBL and sits on the Halls Committee for BPC.

Gavin McLauchlan

Gavin grew up in Oxford and went to Abingdon Boys school. He has a degree in Biological Sciences specialising in Genetics. As well as Oxford he has lived in Cholsey and Dorchester locally, and moved to Benson about 14 years ago and loves the village. Gavin is a consultant on media and data (most recently working with the government), previously he launched 3 TV platforms (Freeview whilst at the BBC, BT TV whilst at Microsoft, and NetTV in Delhi). His skills are in strategy, marketing and sales, but also has a keen interest in nature and is currently involved in videoing otters around the village and also does talks on Signal Crayfish. During the summer he plays cricket for Ewelme & Benson Cricket Club and in the winter enjoys skiing. He was the first team winger for Oxford Harlequins rugby club, and used to coach at Wallingford RC.

Roger Moore

Roger moved to Benson village in 2022 and is keen to support the local community. He has a degree in Agriculture and a MBA from Bath University and has worked in sales and marketing roles in the Agricultural industry, food and farming. His core skills are in sales & marketing. He is a keen walker and cyclist and also enjoys sailing, kitesurfing or wind surfing. As a hobbyist wood worker and metal worker he claims there are not many things he cannot fix! Roger has joined the Council’s Recreation and Lands Committee.

Phil Murray

Chair of NPDT
Chair of Planning

Phil moved to Benson with his wife in 1986 to raise a family. He is retired from a career in IT sales and management, still living in the same house and now enjoying his first grandson. He is busier now than when he was working, as Parish Council work takes a lot of time and he has been heavily involved in the Neighbourhood Plan from the outset. He enjoys spending most of his time outdoors – he is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer and carries out bird and butterfly surveys. Phil enjoys running, cycling and plays golf badly to keep fit. He also helps a group of wildlife charities with their fundraising strategies.

Ian Skeels

Ian moved to Roke 25 years ago and, apart from a few years in Didcot, has lived in the area since then. He now lives in Benson with his wife and son. Professionally, he has a background in product management and product marketing in the IT sector and continues to work in this field. He was a governor at Benson Primary School for ten years and is now a governor at Wallingford School. He sits on the Planning and Halls Committees for the parish council and chairs the Communications Working Group. In his spare time, he enjoys walking and cycling around the Benson area, enjoying the countryside but not the steeper hills.

Tom Stevenson

Tom moved to Benson in 1974 and raised his family here, both children attending the village’s primary school. He retired in 2005 and since then has taken a keen interest in the nature, wildlife and environment in and around Benson. He has previously been a youth club leader and scout leader, and has also served as a school governor. His interest in nature is reflected in his current commitments, as he is chairman of the Benson Nature Group, site manager of the Ewelme Watercress Beds Local Nature Reserve, and for the parish council he serves on the Recreation & Lands Sub Committee. Tom also maintains the electronic archive of Benson photos.

Michael Winton

Michael was born in Dundee Scotland, married in 1970 to Morag and moved south in 1979 to work in Reading and open an office for the building company he worked for. He set up home in Benson, where he and his family have stayed ever since. Qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor in 1969 and elected as a Fellow in 1985, he is also a member of the Institute of Directors. He progressed in his career to Project Manager and subsequently to Property Developer within the same organisation, building shopping centres and office blocks. He ran a property development company for Eagle Star Insurance before eventually forming his own company building houses and flats in London and the home counties, and then for a short time bought and ran a large building company in Southampton. Prior to retirement, he undertook consultancy work including Facilities Management, Project Management and Clerk of Works. Michael sits on the Halls and Planning Committees for BPC.