No. 1 for St Albans!

Anthony Rowlands

About me

  • Born and brought up on the Isle of Wight where my parents owned two hotels
  • Moved to St Albans in 1981.

Education

  • Won  Open Scholarship to Oxford University to read Modern History  . 
  • Trained as a secondary school teacher at Cambridge University
  • Studied for a Masters Degree in Educational Administration at London University.

Career

  • Assistant teacher then head of department in a number of secondary schools
  • Worked for the independent liberal think tank CentreForum ( previously Centre for Reform ) since 2000.  Executive Director since 2006.

Politics

  • Member of Liberal/Liberal Democrats since 1973.
  • Led St Albans efforts to win Chiltern Region membership recruitment award ( 1996 )
  • Helped in over 20 Parliamentary by-elections

St Albans District Council:

  • Elected by just 4 votes to represent Marshalswick South Ward in 1984 defeating the leader of the Tory Group.
  • Re-elected 4 times before standing down in 2003.
  • At various times Deputy Leader of the Council, Lib Dem Group Leader and
    chair of a number of  Committees
  • Elected to represent Ashley Ward in May 2006 defeating senior Labour councillor

Hertfordshire County Council:

  • County Councillor for St Albans North ( Batchwood and Marshalswick South ) from 1993 -1997.

Parliamentary candidate: 

  • St Albans 1997
  • Isle of Wight 2005

Community

  • Governor of Beaumont School
  • Regularly visit former residents of Cell Barnes Hospital now living in the community
  • At various times served on:  Pioneer Youth Club Management Committee; Community Health Council; Citizens Advice Management Board; Verulamium Museum Trust, St Albans Girls School Governors and Spencer Junior School Governors.

Family

  • Married to Harriet who teaches English and Drama at Beaumont School
  • Two children:  Alice  ( 23 ) is teaching English in Japan having graduated this year with a degree in French and Italian from Exeter University.  Sam ( 20  ) is studying Modern History at Worcester College, Oxford.

Interests

  • Soccer:  lifelong and long suffering supporter of Burnley FC.  Regular spectator at Clarence Park, St Albans
  • Cricket: played for Hampshire and Isle of Wight at Under 19 level. Member of MCC.
  • Running:  completed 12 London Marathons and 23 St Albans Half Marathons. Member of St Albans Striders.
  • Reading: literature, history and politics
  • Visiting old churches

 

 

The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.