Duncan Clegg, MA, MBA
Duncan Clegg lives near Hartpury in the north of the County.
He read English at Oxford and then went to Melbourne, Australia in pursuit of his wife to be. He and Jennie married in Melbourne a year later and stayed in Melbourne for five years. During this time he did a Master of Business Administration degree at Melbourne University.
On returning to England he worked for the merchant bank, Samuel Montagu, before being asked to join Lazard Brothers, where he remained for nearly twenty years. In the later part of this time he advised British Steel, TSB, Thames Water, and the Central Electricity Generating Board/National Power in regard to privatisation and the Italian Government in regard to the possible privatisation of ENI. On leaving Lazards he became a non executive director or chairman of a number of companies. He was Vice Chairman of the Port of London Authority.
Duncan learnt to row at school and then rowed for his college (being Head of the River at Oxford and winning the Ladies Challenge Plate and the Visitors Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1965) and rowing in two winning Oxford Boat Race Crews. In 1984 he was asked to become London Representative of the Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Clubs, organising the Boat Race each year until 2004. He then became Chairman of the Dorney Lake Trust, which runs the rowing lake at Eton where this year's Olympic rowing and canoeing regattas will take place. He is also a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta.
On behalf of the Lord Lieutenant Duncan is jointly organising the two Gloucestershire entries in HM the Queen's Jubilee Pageant on 3rd. June. One of these is the steam launch "Sabrina" which was built for the Gloucester-Sharpness canal company and the other is the "Old Balliol", a replica of the boat Oxford used in the first Boat Race and which is being crewed by members of Gloucester Rowing Club. As well as honouring the Queen, GRC will use the event to help their ambitious plans to raise c. £2 million to build a new boat house on their new site in Gloucester.
He has been married to his Australian wife, Jennie, for nearly forty five years. They have four sons and six grandchildren.
Duncan is an enthusiastic Governor of Hartpury College, which was recently awarded "Outstanding" status by Ofsted. Last year he was Master of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames, one of the City Livery Companies, which, along with the Fishmongers, is responsible for the annual Doggett's Coat and Badge Race for apprentices and looks after of the order of 150 apprentices each year.
Duncan's plans for his shrieval year include consolidating and, hopefully, expanding the "Getting Court" project started so successfully by his predecessor, Mark Heywood. This aims to show fourteen to fifteen years old schoolchildren the work of the Gloucester Crown Court to help them start developing a proper understanding of citizenship and social responsibilities. He also plans to expand a nascent initiative to foster sport in both primary and secondary schools. Following last year's very successful "Gloucestershire Performs" concert in the Cathedral there is again going to be cooperation between the Cheltenham Festivals and the High Sheriff, this year taking the form of a concert of coronation music in Cheltenham Town Hall on Sunday, 8th. July.
Email inquiries about and communications for the High Sheriff should be addressed to his Secretary, Lifa Oakley: lifa@wingatesfarm.net