St Ives-a new millennium - Flipbook - Page 78
St Ives-a new millennium
4/10/02
3:53 pm
Page 76
Left: Brian Luter
Photo: George Dellar/Canon EOS600
Brian is a retired RAF squadron leader who lives a busy life full
of interest. He served as a training officer at Upwood, Wyton,
Brampton and Ely Hospital, and lived at Ramsey before moving
to St Ives in 1977.
A one-time drummer in a Scottish dance band, he has been a
governor of St Ivo School and Huntingdonshire Regional
College. Currently he is a lay assessor of residential and
nursing homes and a member of the CAB management
committee.
He served a term as a Town Councillor and was elected again
in 2001. Brian is an independent book supplier and an
antique dealer. He runs a mobile bridge club and together
with his wife Paula is also involved with SIMADS and the
Arthritis Research Campaign
Right: Three Generations at Dermar
Above: Alf Davidge
Photo: George Dellar/Canon EOS600
Alf is a Londoner born and bred, and spent his early years near The Oval cricket
ground. When he met Patricia in 1958 it was a serious case of ‘young love’, he
being 17 and she 15. They married three years later.
After moving around the country they eventually settled in St Ives in 1980. Alf
became closely involved in the provision of facilities for the physically
handicapped and in 1988 opened a centre in the town, later moving into the
Cherry Meadow Centre at Warboys, which works closely with Social Services
and the Health Authority.
For 10 years Alf has served St Ives as a Town Councillor and has also been
Mayor. He is pictured here at the Crossways Christian Centre in Ramsey Road,
which has close links with his work for the handicapped.
Page 76
Photo: Stuart Littlewood/Pentax MX
Mary Dickinson and her husband Derek bought the art shop in Crown Street in 1970 and renamed it Dermar. At that
time it sold only artists’ materials and greetings cards, but in 1973 a picture gallery was added and it began selling
home brew equipment too. After Derek died Una joined the business in 1982 and sister Angela (Pughsley) came onboard in 1989. Their daughters, Danielle and Rhian, also help, making it a three-generation family enterprise. Pictured
here are (left to right) Rhian, Angela, Mary, Una and Danielle.
Angela was recruited into the Conservative Party by Pree Newbon and elected to the Town Council in 1992. However,
she retired from local politics in 1999.
Dermar has always supported the Chamber of Trade and kept the faith through the years when it was almost dormant.
The Chamber was reactivated in the late 1990s and Angela became its chairman in 2001, a job that has become
something of a ‘hot seat’ in the controversy over the town centre refurbishment.
Una is a student liaison officer at St Peter’s School in Huntingdon. Rhian works for the Nokia mobile phone company
while Danielle is still at school.
