Sector: Club Officers

Tim Herrington

I have practised in the law for 48 years, latterly as a senior judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery ) Chamber. I retired from my salaried position last year but am still sitting in retirement both in the UK and in the Financial Markets Tribunal in Dubai.

I am active in Club affairs, including acting until recently as Deputy Initial Complaints Coordinator. I was elected Vice-Chair of the NLC in May this year.

My interests include cricket, fine food and wine, history and the theatre, all of which can be enjoyed through my membership of the Club. I joined nearly 20 years ago and am a life member jointly with my wife.

(Tim has been a member of the NLC since 2005 and was first elected to the Members’ Council in 2024, becoming Club Vice-Chair a few weeks later.)

Chris Hallworth

As the Club’s new Art Curator I’m responsible for our collection of paintings, on behalf of the Trustees. Ensuring these are kept in good condition, displayed to best advantage and represent the NLC’s rich Liberal history are all part of the brief.

I studied English Literature and Classical Art at Trinity College, Dublin, where I developed a great interest in the Renaissance  and Neo-Classicism. Art remains a vital part of my life although I now work in a very different field, including IT project management and website technology.

Outside work, I support the NLC Irish Circle and am a passionate follower of horse racing, as well as having broad interests in the arts, politics and military history. For me the Club provides an unparalleled opportunity to make friends or connections and I was especially pleased to organise in 2021 a picnic for members in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. (Chris joined the Club in 2019 and was appointed Art Curator in 2022)

Paul Vesper

My family roots are in the Midlands but I moved to London at 18 to launch my hospitality career as a management trainee with a major hotels group. Since then my varied career has taken me around the globe with periods working in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Much of my professional life was spent building and developing a major hospitality business, the Smart Group Ltd, and I masterminded the Olympic Hospitality Centre for the 2012 Games in London. I’ve led teams that delivered major events including the Chelsea Flower Show, Ryder Cup golf, Henley Regatta, Farnborough and Paris Air Shows, Buckingham Palace Garden Parties, Euro 96 soccer, Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Australian Open tennis.

Mentoring has been and remains a huge passion, and I am gratified that many of my protégés have gone on to achieve great success.

I love all sports, both spectating and partaking – where I remain fiercely competitive. Live music is another passion – rock, country, modern and dance. Travelling, dining out and exercise fill my remaining spare time.

I am greatly looking forward to working with both the staff and members of the NLC and sharing my wide-ranging experience to help drive up standards, enhance members’ experience and develop the Club’s considerable potential to attract new business.

Charles Gillett

I am a non-political member of the Club and joined specifically to contribute to the preservation of the NLC and, in particular, the building it occupies. Appointed as our Archivist in 2020, I am now responsible for conserving the Club’s archives (which stretch back to its formation in 1882), adding to the collection and making these archives available to legitimate researchers and – through occasional articles in the Club’s magazine – to the membership as well.

A contentedly-retired Lloyd’s insurance broker, I specialised for 20 of my 45 working years in international construction projects. Since joining the Club, I have tried to be as active a member as I can to help ensure it continues to flourish. (Charles joined the Club in 2014)

Gordon Lishman CBE FRSA

Until my retirement, I was the Director General of Age Concern (now merged into Age UK) and Chief Executive of the Age Concern Group. My experience is in the fields of organisational leadership, in employment and in governance as well as campaigning and influencing.

I am a Burnley Borough Councillor, an elected member of the NLC General Committee, Treasurer of the Social Liberal Forum, and Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidates Association.

As a Director of the NLC Board, I sit on its Staffing Group and also chair the Board’s Governance Group which oversees risk management for the Club. We are also reviewing with the General Committee’s Rules Revision Working Group the future relationship between the Board and the Club.

I have held many senior roles in the Liberals and Liberal Democrats over nearly 60 years and have been a Parliamentary candidate seven times and a European Parliament candidate twice.

With three children and five grandchildren, I take delight in organising family holidays for groups of 13. (Gordon joined the Club in 1978 and has been a Director since 2018).

Phil Reeves

I qualified as a barrister and went into tax advisory work when I was persuaded (perhaps unwisely) to take the chartered accountancy exams, which I passed but not without significant effort. After 30 years in the tax profession, I semi-retired to work on one main client and am also Treasurer of The Cricket Society, which aims to promote cricket in all its spheres – playing, watching, listening and reading.

A member of the NLC for nearly 35 years, I am currently the Club Treasurer, former Vice-Chair of the Beer, Wine & Spirits Committee, and a Board member of NLC Ltd. When not doing this and other work, I travel the world playing golf, watching cricket and trying to reduce my golf handicap – this is a work in progress. (Phil joined the Club in 1987)