CHARTRIDGE PARISH COUNCIL: DEREK KEEN’S RETIREMENT
Derek Keen became a member of Chartridge Parish Council in 1987 and retired from the Council in August this year. During that time and following in his father’s footsteps he became Chairman of the Council and held that position from 1992 to 1999.
His presence on the Council is already sorely missed. Not only his record thirty four years as a Parish Councillor but also his dedication and hard work make him the councillor who, over the years, has done the most for our beautiful Chiltern parish.
Derek was brought up in Asheridge and later moved to Bellingdon, where he still lives. He knows every inch of the parish and very many of the residents. People would approach him while he was working out of doors as a farm manager and a gardener and put to him their problems relating to the roads, boundaries and other Council business; he always took the time to listen and to have those problems discussed at Council meetings so that solutions could be found. Derek rarely missed a meeting and even when the pandemic forced the meetings to become virtual he quickly learnt how to get on board and Zoom along with the rest of us!
As one Asheridge resident put it: “There aren’t many people left on this planet who are like Derek Keen!”
Thank you Derek, and we wish you and your wife Doris a long and happy retirement.
Joanie Lherbier