Peter Duffy - Chairman FDFAS 2008/9

Peter Duffy has recently become Chairman of the Farnham Decorative and Fine Arts Society after taking over from Frances Ashworth.

After taking a degree in History at Oxford in 1960, Peter Duffy worked in the Far East for four years in shipping/aviation (having done his National Service in Hong Kong and was fascinated by the East). Returning to England, he eventually joined the National Westminster Bank, working in the area of corporate finance generally, including four years in France, and later specialising in oil finance.  He was head of the oil finance group and then of all the teams that provided specialist finance to a range of major industries worldwide; oil, mining, shipping, aviation and automotive.  From 1993 to 1996, in a complete change of direction, he was managing director of the Banco Natwest Espana group, a retail bank in Spain, with 200 branches and 1300 employees.

Since retiring from full time employment in 1996, Peter has been active in two main areas. Firstly, developing long time interests, he decided to return to full time tertiary education. He took a B.A. and then an M.A. in Art-history at the Courtauld Institute of Art. (His M.A was on the subject of Edward 1st's Scottish Castles). This was then followed by a further M.A in History at Kings College, London. (This one was on the subject of heresy in the 16th century as exemplified by the trials of three Archbishops: Cranmer; Pole; and Carranza).
 
Secondly, he has been involved in a number of local and other charities.  He was Chairman of the Farnham Citizens Advice Bureau for six years. He is currently Chairman of Farnham Decorative and Fine Arts Society and Vice-Chairman of the Farnham Art Society.  He is also a trustee of the Farnham Youth Project/40 Degreez, of the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnham (his wife was one of the first nurses there when it opened) and of the Friends of the Courtauld Institute.

He married Wendy in 1962; they have lived in Farnham since 1968 and have two daughters, and five grandchildren, who are aged from 4 to 17.

3 November 2008