LOCAL LINKS


Read LIFELINE

here (our village newsletter) and 

the East Farleigh Grapevine!


West Farleigh Sports Club for football, cricket & great parties


All Saints church services...

 

...and hall for hire

 

Loads of useful contacts 


Links along the valley: parishes, churches & halls


follow me on facebook

Follow us

on Facebook

 

Subscribe to our events email!

Michael Devenish

Posted on 16th December, 2016

Michael Sean English Devenish

1943-2016

 

 

Michael lived at Fox Pitt all his life, with interludes for education, London and Hong Kong. He was educated at Cheam Prep School and then at Uppingham. It was there his love of music was awakened, when he was introduced to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

He went on to Magdelene College Cambridge, to study to be a vet, but changed to read English. His love of the arts was nurtured here and he was steered towards publishing.

Michael had a great love of the country side, and its sports. He loved rough shooting, nothing organised. He loved to ski and went annually to Switzerland where an aunt and uncle had a hotel.

After Cambridge he went to London to join Oxford University Press and was soon sent to Hong Kong, where he learnt to sail. On his return he edited the Oxford companion to Ships and the Sea, of which he was very proud. He also met Belinda at the Press amateur dramatic group. They were both in the Begger’s Opera.

As OUP was moving to Oxford and wanting improve his prospects, he signed on at the International Business school in Fontainbleu in order to study for his MBA. While there he enjoyed riding in the Foret de Fontainbleu. On his return he got a good job with Citibank.

He was introduced to sailing, when he moved to London, by one of his housemates. He sailed closer to the wind than his friends were comfortable with! He enjoyed a bit of danger.

He moved on to Ocean Racing with an old Cambridge friend. Racing gave him an excuse to be even more daring.

After a short spell at Citibank, he moved to Mitchell Beasley and then to Collins, where Belinda was working.

Michael and Belinda married in February 1979 and had a flat in Sunningdale Gardens Kensington. Lucy and Harry were born there but in 1985 with two small children they made the momentous move to Fox Pitt. They then proceeded to turn the reduced farm into a viable proposition, converting the out buildings, mostly pig sties into units for small businesses. This is still a flourishing enterprise.

While Michael was commuting to London to Collins, Belinda was running the business and bringing up the children.

In 1990 Michael Joined Dorling Kindersley to a job that suited him perfectly. Ending up as Managing Director, Dorling Kindersley International. While travelling abroad, he enjoyed entertaining clients in excellent Restaurants and enjoying fine wine.

Food and drink seemed to have played a large part of his social life, growing his own veg and eating the game he had shot as well as entertaining royally.

The village will miss his presence in the village, especially the very strong cider he produced on festive village occasions!

Our good wishes go to Belinda and her family.

Michael Sean English Devenish

1943-2016

 

Michael lived at Fox Pitt all his life, with interludes for education, London and Hong Kong. He was educated at Cheam Prep School and then at Uppingham. It was there his love of music was awakened, when he was introduced to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

He went on to Magdelene College Cambridge, to study to be a vet, but changed to read English. His love of the arts was nurtured here and he was steered towards publishing.

Michael had a great love of the country side, and its sports. He loved rough shooting, nothing organised. He loved to ski and went annually to Switzerland where an aunt and uncle had a hotel.

After Cambridge he went to London to join Oxford University Press and was soon sent to Hong Kong, where he learnt to sail. On his return he edited the Oxford companion to Ships and the Sea, of which he was very proud. He also met Belinda at the Press amateur dramatic group. They were both in the Begger’s Opera.

As OUP was moving to Oxford and wanting improve his prospects, he signed on at the International Business school in Fontainbleu in order to study for his MBA. While there he enjoyed riding in the Foret de Fontainbleu. On his return he got a good job with Citibank.

He was introduced to sailing, when he moved to London, by one of his housemates. He sailed closer to the wind than his friends were comfortable with! He enjoyed a bit of danger.

He moved on to Ocean Racing with an old Cambridge friend. Racing gave him an excuse to be even more daring.

After a short spell at Citibank, he moved to Mitchell Beasley and then to Collins, where Belinda was working.

Michael and Belinda married in February 1979 and had a flat in Sunningdale Gardens Kensington. Lucy and Harry were born there but in 1985 with two small children they made the momentous move to Fox Pitt. They then proceeded to turn the reduced farm into a viable proposition, converting the out buildings, mostly pig sties into units for small businesses. This is still a flourishing enterprise.

While Michael was commuting to London to Collins, Belinda was running the business and bringing up the children.

In 1990 Michael Joined Dorling Kindersley to a job that suited him perfectly. Ending up as Managing Director, Dorling Kindersley International. While travelling abroad, he enjoyed entertaining clients in excellent Restaurants and enjoying fine wine.

Food and drink seemed to have played a large part of his social life, growing his own veg and eating the game he had shot as well as entertaining royally.

The village will miss his presence in the village, especially the very strong cider he produced on festive village occasions!

Our good wishes go to Belinda and her family.

Make A Comment

Characters left: 2000

Comments (0)