In May Councillor Noel Barrett-Morton will be sworn in as Marlborough’s Town Mayor – the 706th person to hold this historic office.
He told Marlborough News Online that the aim of his year in office is straightforward: “I will try and marry the factions together on the Council – with as much dignity as I can muster. My election by fellow councillors is an honour and a privilege.”
But he understands that beyond being the Queen’s representative and first citizen, the Mayor in Marlborough has quite a tricky role: “It’s a difficult job – it’s not an easy job. The Mayor does not have a lot of power.”
Noel Barrett-Morton has been a Marlborough town councillor for six years. He was elected in 2011 – one of the few current town councillors to have been elected to the town council rather then being co-opted.
He has lived in the district for thirty years – Lambourn, Hungerford and now Marlborough. He and his wife Susan live just behind the High Street.
Besides his family – he has a daughter and two grandchildren – there have been three main parts to Noel Barrett-Morton’s career: business, flying and horses. And in all three fields he has made his mark – he counts himself very fortunate to have been able to enjoy such ‘a marvellous and varied career’.
He arrived in London from his home in Ulster with his A Levels and went straight into stockbroking in the City. He is now a Freeman of the City of London – honoured for his services to the saddlery industry.
However, he soon took up flying as a hobby – and realised he would like to make commercial flying his career. He joined British Eagle International Airlines as a pilot and flew short-haul routes around the United Kingdom and Europe.
The company folded in what he calls a “spectacular fashion”. As Britain’s second largest independent airline, its overnight collapse into bankruptcy made quite a splash. The devaluation of the pound, restrictions on the amount travellers could take out of the country, management problems – all contributed to Hambros Bank’s decision to withdraw its financial support.
One of the results of British Eagle’s untimely end was the rise of Dan Air. But Noel knew better and joined BOAC – then Britain’s premier international airline, which has since morphed into British Airways. Working as a BOAC captain took him round the world 58 times.
His other hobby was riding. He has ridden in point-to-points and competed in one-day eventing. Then in 1982 he had a serious riding accident while out hunting. He was rolled on by his horse. He recovered well, but his injuries ended his flying career as he was unable to pass the strict medicals.
By no means put off things equestrian, he set up the Stag Lodge School of Equitation at his home in Richmond Park. It became a famous part of London’s riding life. And he has owned a racehorse – King’s Wild. And he still enjoys going to flat and jump race meetings.
He is very interested in sports and is a member of Marlborough’s Sports Forum. He is a keen spectator of Rugby Union – and he likes, he says, “playing tennis badly”.
He also started a saddlery company, a development company and, more recently, a financial services business. As a developer he has built houses in Marlborough – including Angel Yard – and in the surrounding villages.
All of which kept him very busy indeed until he sold his remaining businesses and retired in 2012.
He has a daughter and two grandchildren who live in Surrey.
“Marlborough”, Councillor Barret-Morton told Marlborough News Online, “is a vibrant and historic town – it needs good leadership. There’s a limit to what I can do in my mayoral year. I will do my best to promote the town I’ve come to love – and to make it a destination for tourists.”