Page 4 - HGS Suburb News 141 - Winter 2020

in conversation with Terr y Brooks

Incoming Suburb News co-editor, Marie-Christine O’Callaghan talks to out-going editor Terry Brooks
erry Brooks was the editor of (who was Swiss) may have hoped events, together with living for a motorcycle shop, which proved
T Suburb News for the last five that he would become an English a few months in California and difficult to manage financially.
years, but his associaion with gentleman. Terry did not Boston and his reading of ‘The Luckily, Jean Barraclough, who
Hampstead Garden Suburb enjoy the school, though he Limits to Growth: A Report for was his brother’s mother-in-law SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
dates back to 1963 when his acknowledges that it provided the Club of Rome’s Project on and the head of the English
parents bought a four-bedroom him with a good education. the Predicament of Mankind’, department at the then Adult
house with a garage and garden He left school at seventeen to politicised him. Education Institute on the Suburb,
in Hampstead Way. work with Barclays International Terry came back to England asked him if he would help with
They had previously lived in a Banking in Trafalgar Square. Just on the QE2 and took the train a discussion group and, then,
council flat where he remembered over three year later, disliking back to London. The very green when a teacher failed to return
that the milk and the coal were the way the company tried to landscape was in sharp contrast from his holiday, Jean asked
delivered by horse and cart, hold on to its employees with to the grand landscapes of him if he would teach English
and remarked “it is strange to offers of cheap mortgages and America and made him feel to an intermediate group. Terry
think of changes in your own loans, he left and tried his hand “good to be back home.” found the experience terrifying
lifetime.” Terry was delighted at various jobs including buying He returned in time to join and the first term a nightmare -
by his family’s move to the and selling clothes and driving his family for their usual summer he had no training as a teacher
Suburb when he was twelve as a van. holiday to Switzerland. As they - but as he got used to the work
it meant he had his own In 1972, Terry and his drove through France, Terry and when all his students
bedroom. He must have really girlfriend went on a road trip. realised that he felt European passed their exams he started contemporary arts residency stuff that goes into the paper
liked it considering that all the They started in Canada with a so in the Referendum on the to enjoy teaching, eventually centre and campus for artistic means you never know what
houses he went on to buy were Volkswagen van and went on to European Community he ‘happily’ designing his own course on production, experimentation comes next like the interview
in the Suburb. California and Mexico, exploring voted to remain in the EC. ‘British life and Institutions’. and learning’. The Centre with a rabbit called Sausage.”
He first went to school at The the Yucatan, and reaching the Back home in London, he Despite being busy with recently celebrated its 30th Writing about hustings is what
Hall in Swiss Cottage where the borders with Belize and took a degree in Economics children, the motorcycle shop birthday. Helen Cammock, who he enjoyed the most, writing
pink blazer was the cause of Guatemala before ending up and Politics, which he achieved and teaching, Terry and his won the Turner prize in 2019 is about politics without being
some consternation, but was then on the East coast of the USA. as an external student of then wife found the time to set the artist in residence. She political about it. Editing Suburb
sent to his father’s old boarding This was the time of the Vietnam London University. up the Wysing Arts Centre near shares the prize with the three News gave him “a real sense of
school in Bristol where his mother war and of Watergate; these With two friends he started Cambridge which is ‘a other nominees, one of whom, achievement and the satisfying
Tai Shani, also had a residency feeling of making a useful
and exhibition at Wysing. In contribution to the community”,
fact, the Centre has had three although he did add that it ‘played
other Turner winners, Elizabeth havoc’ with his skiing!
Price in 2012, Laure Prouvost in Terry discovered skiing in his
2013 and Charlotte Prodger in twenties when he took his young
2018. Furthermore another family to Switzerland in the
GEORGINA MALCOLM
three Wysing alumni have won winter. His son and daughter
the Paul Hamlyn Award for learned to ski very easily but he
artists in 2019. originally found it frightening
In 1988 Jean asked Terry if and painful. Eventually skiing
he would sit on the Resident became a passion, and Terry
Association Council and join discovered ski touring, which is
one of the committees. Then, done off-piste in unmarked
Richard Wakefield (the first areas with a mountain guide.
editor and founder of Suburb Unfortunately, chronic
News) suggested that Terry breathing difficulty led to Terry
become the chairman of the deciding to retire from being
publication committee. This led the editor of Suburb News in
to Terry becoming the editor of order to take it easier and find
Suburb News after Richard’s the time to enjoy a little skiing,
untimely death in 2014). though he has promised to
Terry enjoyed his five years write the occasional article for
as editor: “The sheer variety of the paper.

Have you ever thought of taking on an allotment?

The Trust owns and maintains ten allotment sites around the organise social events and share the responsibilities that come

Suburb, with each site kindly administered by an enthusiastic with running successful allotment sites. There is a wealth of
volunteer site secretary. Many of our sites are tucked away shared knowledge on hand amongst this community, and
down hedge-lined twittens, surrounded by mature trees, keeping an allotment can be a very rewarding pastime.
or behind houses. If you have ever considered taking on an allotment, why

Plots are available from the Trust for a reasonable annual rent, not contact the Trust to find out about availability? Vacant plots are
and many allotmenteers maintain close links with the Suburb Horticultural now available, and applications for plots are always welcome.
Society. The RA’s Allotment Committee meets with the Trust a few times So if you’d like to know more, please contact the Trust office on 020
a year to ensure that the sites are being managed properly, and to help 8455 1066 or mail@hgstrust.org.

862 Finchley Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 6AB 020 8455 1066 mail@hgstrust.org www.hgstrust.org twitter: @HGSTrust

4 SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS