Our President

Marchioness Townshend

Our President, Marchioness Townshend

Marchioness Townshend has lived in Norfolk since 1987, having married into a distinguished Norfolk family, and now lives with her husband Charles on the Raynham estate near Swaffham. She counts it a blessing to live quietly in Norfolk having spent her younger days in many far-flung British embassies, including Rio de Janeiro, Peking (as it then was) and Paris. After attending seven schools abroad she finished in West Sussex, leaving to read Modern and Mediaeval Languages at St. Andrews. While there she was a violinist with the Chamber Orchestra. After producing two musical children, whose accomplishments, she says, far exceed her own, she took up work as constituency secretary with a government minister.

Since living in Norfolk, Alison, Lady Townshend edited for six years The North Norfolk Informer, of which she was a co-founder, and has written articles for Elle magazine. She was one of the team involved in the restoration and installation of the new ring of eight bells at East Raynham church and is needless to say a capable campanologist. She has taken singing lessons with Geoffrey Davidson and recently joined the chamber Cantilena Choir, directed by Rosemary Kimmins. Having commissioned a new harpsichord from Alan Gotto, she is looking forward to organising recitals of early music using this wonderful instrument.