I was born in Cornwall and initially lived in St Newlyn East, a small village near Newquay. By the time I started work I had lived in 7 different places across the UK; Cornwall, West Yorkshire, Teesside, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Kent, and Glasgow.
With a business degree I started my career with ICI in 1974 at Billingham on Teesside and became a Chartered Management Accountant in 1976, the same year as my wife Sue and I were married. We lived on Teesside for 15 years and had 2 children. In 1989 I was transferred to Runcorn which is when we moved to Chester and then in 1995 I started working in London. Because my job involved a lot of travelling, we decided not to move to the southeast. I worked for ICI for 34 years, managing to take early retirement in 2008. My final job was Vice President Group Mergers and Acquisitions, a role I thoroughly enjoyed and it enabled me to travel the world. Some of my colleagues used to say that I did not need an office in London as I spent most of my time on an aeroplane!!
I decided in 1999 that I would like to take up golf and joined Eaton. This, with hindsight, was probably a mistake as working in London and being frequently abroad left little time to play. I did not start playing fully until I retired in 2008. The members who had introduced me to Eaton by then had left the club but through the roll ups I soon got to know many members and the ‘golf bug’ really set in.
In 2014 I took on the role of Seniors’ Secretary which enabled me to get to know even more members. I was elected to the Board in 2015 and in 2016 I was appointed Company Secretary and Finance Director, roles which I undertook for the next 5 years, retiring from the Board in 2021. While on the Board, we decided to try and reinvigorate the Junior Section and I am pleased that we now have one of the best Junior sections in the County. I continue to sit on the Junior Committee.
I am immensely proud to be made Captain of the Club. I have chosen the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as my charity. The work they do is amazing. I cannot envisage going out in a boat in severe weather conditions but this is what the volunteers in the lifeboat crews do every day. The RNLI is virtually entirely funded by donations and so the money we can raise will help them to continue their vital work.
Andrew Ramsey
I was born in Dundee, Scotland and lived there with my parents and sister until I was 10 years old.
It was at the age of five that I found my love for sport when I took up ice-skating.
In the early 70’s my father got a new job and the whole family had to move over 400 miles south to Cirencester in Gloucestershire. The nearest ice rink was in Bristol which was over an hour away meaning a huge commitment from my parents to drive me there three times a week for training.
At school I represented the county in athletics and competed for Gloucestershire in gymnastics.
After leaving school I trained as a hairdresser and beauty therapist but decided a career in retail was what I wanted to do. This culminated in me working as a department manager for Perfumery and Cosmetics in Harrods, London.
My daughter Amy was born in 1992 and when she began school, I took up golf.
I joined Carden Park Golf Club in 2000 and remained there for about six years. I served on The Ladies Committee and was club champion three times, an achievement of which I am very proud.
I became a member of Eaton Golf Club in late 2004 and I’ve served on The Ladies Committee and was B team captain for a time, which I found most enjoyable.
In 2019 I met my (now) husband Stuart through a mutual love of golf and we were lucky enough to get married in 2024 at the iconic golfing venue, The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews.
My chosen charity for the year is the Samaritans of South Cheshire for which my daughter Amy is a volunteer.
They do vital work providing emotional support to people in distress from all walks of life.
The branch is based in an old converted Victorian building in Crewe which needs constant maintenance and upkeep. The branch receives no funding from the national Samaritans organisation and therefore is entirely reliant on donations to fund its operations. The income streams of the branch fluctuate and some months they will receive no money at all, so I know, any support we give will be very much appreciated and make a real difference.
Pamela Banks
I was born in Chester, where I have lived most of my life. With a French mother, I lived in France along with my older brother, twin sister, and father from the age of five for two years until we returned to Chester, where we have been living ever since.
I first picked up a golf club at the age of 10 at the Christleton Village Fête, where Eaton Golf Club was hosting a chipping game with plastic clubs, foam balls, and a simulator. I spent most of my time at this station, trying to hit the ball as hard as I could, until I was approached by the pro at the time, who asked if I was interested in playing in a competition the very next weekend. This took me by surprise, but I was up for it. That weekend, I didn’t know what to expect but couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the game of golf.
After my second year of playing golf, I quit my previous sport, tennis, as Hoole Lawn Tennis Club had shut down. There were hardly any players at the new location in Mickle Trafford, so it turned out to be a good decision. My first handicap of 46 dropped to 27 over the year after a lot of practice and getting competitive with my dad, who was only about 17 or 18 shots better than me despite having played for 20 years! I think my golf and competitive genes must have come from another part of the family. My dad and I always had a good laugh on the course when playing together - until I overtook him, and he didn’t want to play with me anymore!
I have been on the scholarship here for the last five years and have played for the county since the age of 13. Last year, I received a call-up to the men’s team for the first time, which was an unbelievable experience and secured my spot for 2025. I have also been part of the England regional squad for the past two years, where I have made great friends and had unforgettable experiences.
This year is my eighth and final year as a junior at this club, and it feels great to be a role model for the younger generation this year. I leave for university on a golf scholarship in Texas at the end of August, and I hope the work I have put in inspires some of the younger players to do the same and represent Eaton in a positive way wherever they go.
Laurent Beech