Past Masters & Clerks

Immediate Past Master:
John Gilbert

John is a garden designer living and working in inner London and specialising in domestic urban gardens. He is a firm believer that no space is too small or unpromising to provide an oasis of greenery and colour in our busy lives and that gardens in general are crucial to our wellbeing.

A former newspaper journalist and magazine editor, he made a career change more than 20 years ago and studied garden design and horticulture at Capel Manor College. His introduction to the Gardeners’ Company came in 1996 when he won a student prize and he was invited to join the Livery shortly afterwards. He took over the editorship of the Spade magazine ten years ago and is actively involved in developing and maintaining the Gardeners’ website. He lectures in garden design, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Linnean Society and a long-serving judge for the Flowers in the City Campaign.

An opera lover, he is married to Lynne. Their son and his family live in Brisbane.

Past Master:
Peter Waine

Peter Waine is a former chairman of CPRE and of both the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale and of the Tree Council. He is currently a trustee of The Gardens Trust. Peter is co-founder of Hanson Green, for many years the principal source for non-executive appointments, and has been on boards of public and private companies in addition to being a former visiting professor at both Warwick and Cass Business Schools.

A former member of the International Cricket Council and a trustee of the Royal Opera House, Peter is author or co-author of two business books, a business novel, a collection of poetry and of the history of
the campaigns that saved the English countryside. He is a former Parliamentary candidate, local councillor and a current judge for the Contrarian Prize. He is also Chairman of the Housman Society and was a judge for the Wainwright Literary Prize in 2017.

Peter is married to Stefanie and has one grown up daughter and two granddaughters.

Past Master:
Heather Barrett-Mold OBE

Heather has worked in further and higher education for a number of years and now is a consultant working in education and training. She was Principal and Chief Executive of Pershore Group of Colleges. As a senior manager Heather developed her skills in leadership and management although her initial subject specialism was biology/ecology, with her research being to do with the ecology and management of chalk grassland.

At Pershore Group of Colleges student work was significantly enhanced by a good vocational experience through College commercial ventures such as a successful organic farm, glasshouses mostly used for the production of flowers, a commercial nursery, a plant centre, a fruit unit, fruit juice and cider production and an indoor tennis centre supported by the Lawn Tennis Association. All part of the job in supporting work-ready students. The College was the first further education college to be awarded a green gown award early in 2007 for its work in sustainable development in estate management, water recycling, electric vehicles on the nursery, and local sales of produce etc. Until Spring 2017 Heather chaired the Science Council for almost a year having previously been Vice Chair. She is a Governor at Capel Manor College and one of the three UK representatives of the International Society for Horticulture Science. She is a member of the Perennial Board, a Governor for Capel Manor and involved in two other horticulture charities.

Heather is Past President of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture having worked to achieve chartered status for horticulture and overseeing the individual charter process. She is a Vice President of the Institution of Environmental Science. Heather was a Secretary of State appointment to the Board of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 2007 until March 2016 and an expert for the Commission for Sustainable Development 2012 which had a quality assurance role in the sustainable development of the Olympic Games, and a member of the Holland Committee: a government advisory committee on education for sustainable development.

Heather is married to Barry and they live in Buckinghamshire, next to an area of woodland which they have for a long time managed for its biodiversity. Their two children Claire and Andrew are now in their 30s and both working in the environmental field. Claire is a Liveryman of the Company.

Past Master:
Margaret Clarissa Holland Prior

Her daughter, Tara, is also a Liveryman and Margie’s Steward for this year. Her son, Ben, who lives in Edinburgh, is a Liveryman of The Carpenters’ Company.

Past Master:
Sir David John Mark Green CB QC

Many in the Company identify with either a professional horticulture or a City background. David is a barrister and a keen suburban gardener, so he falls into the latter category.

Thereafter he served as Director of the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office 2004-2010, returning to the bar prior to his appointment as Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in April 2012. His extended term at the SFO ended in April 2018.

He also enjoys collecting plants (especially from cuttings), cooking, walking, fly fishing and history. He is an avid collector of items designed by Piero Fornasetti. In the garden, he prides himself on his hostas and topiary.

David is married to Kate. They have two daughters, a son, and one granddaughter.

Past Master:
Paul Rochford

Paul is a fifth generation nurseryman. He runs Joseph Rochford Gardens, a wholesale business supplying plants to the landscape industry.

Paul is committed to offering disadvantaged young people the opportunity to find their place in the world through the Future Gardeners pre-apprenticeship training scheme. He is also keen to promote the benefits of horticulture for those with mental health problems. He is an enthusiastic walker and mountaineer and has scaled the highest peaks across four continents. Through sponsorship of his climbs Paul has raised money for horticultural projects, most notably Tree Aid, a charity supporting tree planting and reforestation in sub-Saharan Africa.

He is married to Katy and has four daughters and two granddaughters.

Past Master:
Bernard Reginald Trevor Williams

Born in Gloucestershire, Bernard started in horticulture very early. Working in Eastern Europe, he became Operations Director for a 'blue chip' food company. After Perestroika he built operations across the USSR. After retirement Bernard studied at Capel Manor College and has worked in the travel industry. He is now President of The Royal National Rose Society. Bernard is an enthusiastic amateur gardener, and has a special interest in Roses and Viniculture. He is married with three children.

Past Master:
Stephen Geoffrey Bernhard

Having joined the Livery in 1983 and been elected to Court in 2004, Stephen has been deeply involved in many aspects of the Company’s life, following in the steps of his father Jeffrey. Stephen qualified in Horticultural Management at Pershore Institute in 1966, and trained in landscaping in Holland and the USA. Chairman of a manufacturing business supplying specialist machines to golf courses globally, he is married to Jenny and has a daughter Alex and a son James, both of whom are liverymen.

Past Master:
HRH The Earl of Wessex KG, GCVO

HRH The Earl of Wessex KG, GCVO, youngest son of HM The Queen, is a member of three other Livery companies but honoured the Gardeners by making his debut as a Master with us in 2013 to 2014.

Past Master:
Nicholas Clive Evans

Nicholas’ early passion for gardening developed into a professional career in amenity horticulture in 1969. After starting at Wakehurst Place, he qualified at Plumpton and Reaseheath Colleges and then worked for East Sussex County Council on elm disease control. He then became the County’s Landscape Clerk of Works. After a short period as Course Manager at Longfield Park Racecourse, he was appointed Garden Manager at Capel Manor College in 1983, and later became Executive Director of Estates and Buildings. Nicholas is married to Stephanie and has two daughters, Emily and Felicity. Nicholas was Deputy Master for 2013-2014, the year when HRH The Earl of Wessex was Master.