Brief Biography of Council Members

Chris Penrose - Chairman

Originally from the North East, Chris has lived in the Henley area since 1994, and in Shiplake since 2000.  

Chris is one of the founder/owners of Abingdon-based Prosper21, an international marketing consultancy working with large corporations and their brands to help them develop and execute strategy better. He’s consulted for such firms as Shell, Beiersdorf, GSK, Essity, and Nestle. He spent his early career in marketing for Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson in Europe and USA.

Chris’ wife is the jeweller Wendy Penrose and their garden studio is a regular venue in the annual Henley Arts Trail, where their two children also exhibit their artwork and Chris gets to shows off his latest garden projects.

Chris is keen to help Shiplake evolve, sensitive to the needs of residents and businesses, whilst maintaining its rural distinctiveness and as a great place to live and work.

Richard Curtis

Richard Curtis is a long­serving staff member of Shiplake College (now in his 10th year) and has recently been appointed Assistant Head with a specific responsibility for the school’s Sixth Form. Richard is also a boarding housemaster and lives in accommodation connected to the Upper Sixth house with his wife, Rosie, and their two boys, Jack and Billy both attend Shiplake Primary School. He also the proud owner of two very friendly white Staffordshire Bull Terriers called Jessie and Pepsi with whom he can often be seen admiring the sunrises over the river whilst walking the tow path in the early hours of the morning. Richard has 29 years of teaching experience behind him and has fulfilled a variety of academic and pastoral roles at Shiplake and formerly Framlingham College in Suffolk. These include Director of Sport and Head of Mathematics. In addition to his teaching and Housemaster duties, Richard is a valued sports coach, specialising in rugby and hockey. He is also an ardent cricketer and relishes the opportunity of spending a day or two at Lords during the summer holidays

Roger B. Head

Roger has lived in Binfield Heath all his life and is the third generation of his family to do so. He has taken an active role in the community from early age and has been a Parish Councillor for over thirty years, including a period as the Chairman. Roger is also an active member of the local branch of the Royal British Legion and he currently represents both the Parish Council and the British Legion on the Memorial Hall Management Committee.

Joanne Stone

Originally from the West Country, and after brief spells in Wales and London to gain her degrees Joanne and her husband Max moved to Caversham in the 90’s and finally to Shiplake in 2005.

After working for the National Rivers Authority and then the Environment Agency, involved largely with the protection of the aquatic environment and river water quality, Joanne is currently primarily a stay-at-home mum. Joanne is keen to protect the rural nature of the Shiplake area and to try to contribute to the strong local community that Shiplake has and which make it a great place to live.

A keen family historian and nature watcher, Joanne also helps her husband with his honey bees, which he has kept in Shiplake for the last 10 years.

David Miller

David spent much of his early life in Maidenhead and moved to Binfield Heath in 1985. After a short time living in Henley he finally landed in Shiplake in 1999.

David retired from the Investment Management Industry in 2022 after a career navigating some 40 years of Stock Market gyrations, the last 20 spent deeply immersed in equity trading at Invesco in Henley.

In addition to his Parish Council responsibilities he is a director and trustee of ReadiBus, which provides an alternative bus service to those with restricted mobility.

He also plays an active role in the organisation of the Wargrave and Shiplake Regatta where he has, for a number of years, been one of the team of Starters that help the event run so smoothly. 

David enjoys Pilates and cycling as well as walking  through the leafy lanes that make Shiplake such a special place to live.

Philip Arnold

Air Commodore Philip Arnold RAF (Retd)  Philip joined Shiplake College as Chief Operating Officer  in August 2025 after a distinguished 30-year career in the Royal Air Force. His early postings included RAF Cranwell, Finningley, Coltishall, Brize Norton and Lyneham, with overseas assignments taking him and his family to Kenya, the Falkland Islands, Germany, and the United States.

Leaving the RAF as an Air Commodore, Philip served as Station Commander at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham and at RAF High Wycombe, where he was also responsible for all US Visiting Forces. His operational experience spans Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kuwait. He held key planning roles in the RAF, MOD and NATO and in Government during a secondment to the Cabinet Office. Most recently, Philip oversaw all RAF Ground Training, the RAF Apprenticeship programme, the RAF’s international defence training and a £950m infrastructure programme.

He holds an MBA, a Master’s in Operational Art and Science (graduating top of his class), and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. 

Philip helps keep the College running smoothly by looking after its finances, estate, IT, HR and day‑to‑day operations. He supports the Head and the Governors, by making sure everything is safe, well‑organised and aligned with a clear strategy for the future. Above all, he brings positivity, energy and commitment to help Shiplake thrive and give every pupil the best possible experience.

Philip is married to Allyson, with two children in Year 7 and Year 12 at Shiplake. He enjoys reading, running, and flying.

Mark Turner

Mark has lived in Shiplake since 1985, having been bribed by promotion within the Mars group to move down from Yorkshire. A Chartered Accountant, he has worked in diverse roles in systems, purchasing, and logistics, as well as finance, for such businesses as Mars, Grand Met, and the John Lewis Partnership, and was Finance Director of an automotive engineering design company. He has rowed since school, and these days rows at Henley Rowing Club, weather and injuries permitting.

Since retirement from Waitrose, he has acquired a BSc in Earth Sciences and a PhD in palaeoclimatology, despite being originally a classicist. He has no plans for further studies, freeing up time to enjoy Shiplake, learn about local government, and become more useful to the community."

 

 

Roger V Hudson - Parish Clerk

Roger married Gilly in 1987 and they have had two homes in Shiplake spanning some 20 years. They love the truly village feel, community spirit and have made some wonderful friends. They currently live in Henley but maintain strong links through friends and the Council Role.

They are both active committee members of Henley Golf Club and their other main hobby is boating .

Following early retirement, Roger set up his own marketing consultancy G8 consulting in 2002. Prior to that he worked for Eli Lilly & Co Ltd., a premier US pharmaceutical organisation, for over 32 years. In that time he held a variety of positions at  senior management level in the UK marketing, sales and HR functions.

Leigh Rawlins - SODC Councillor, Sonning Common Ward

Leigh Rawlins was elected as a South Oxfordshire District Councillor for the Sonning Common Ward in May 2019. The Ward comprises five parishes, of which Shiplake is the second largest.
Leigh has lived in Sonning Common with his wife for some 18 years. Leigh is a qualified accountant and has enjoyed an extensive business career holding a range of senior roles, including MD.
Amongst Leigh’s priorities is protecting the rural character of South Oxfordshire and its communities – including coherent planning for the future. Outside of weekdays Leigh enjoys a wide range of interests and activities.

Mike Giles - SODC Councillor, Sonning Common Ward

Mike is a Liberal Democrat District Councillor for Sonning Common Ward, which includes Shiplake.

He has worked at numerous not-for-profits, including water and education charities, and spent three years within local government. Mike is currently chief executive of a health and wellbeing organisation, committed to improving medicine accessibility and tackling climate change. He also has experience as a board member for a mental health charity. He believes that public services don’t always work in the interests of the people they serve, but that local government can drive change for the better. Mike is a parent and is passionate about helping people achieve their potential and supporting the most vulnerable.

Council

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What's on?

27/7/2026	Planning Meeting
24/8/2026	Planning Meeting
14/9/2026	Parish Council Meeting
28/9/2026	Planning Meeting
12/10/2026	Parish Council Meeting
26/10/2026	Planning Meeting

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