EXCELSIOR - Key Persons
Alice Taylor was born in Norwich but has lived all over the world and retired to her hometown of Lowestoft. She has trained and worked in Military Intelligence as a Russian language interceptor, in marketing and advertising, and as a lecturer in digital graphics, animation and video game design.
She has a Master's degree in Criminal Justice Administration and is a qualified teacher in both the US and the UK. Alice has worked in a variety of professional settings and has served in the Lowestoft Town Council and as the Mayor of Lowestoft. She is presently a Trustee in the Excelsior Trust and the deputy chair of Lowestoft Vision. Her hobbies include a deep interest in art, Lowestoft maritime history, and the art and science of running a retail business.
Job Titles:
- SALES & ADMIN MANAGER / COUNCIL of MANAGMENT
Dawn is no stranger to The Trust having facilitated Excelsior's monthly Council of Management meetings over previous years at The Archant Print HQ in her role as PA to past Excelsior Trustee Nick Schiller.
Dawn is now in charge of Sales and Admin and can be contacted at: sailing@excelsiortrust.co.uk ; Tel: 07981543460
Initially trained as an electronics engineer with Philips and with a post graduate degree in business administration. Gerry spent 20 years working in life science and medical technology research in the UK, France and the USA.
In 1999 he founded a company in Cambridge that developed some of the most advanced medical imaging and digital communications technology for detecting and treating eye disease.
He retired to Lowestoft in 2015 with his boat (and wife), bought and renovated a traditional heritage smokehouse to re-introduce the ancient art of smoking foods.
Gerry kept a keen interest in both sailing and aviation, owning & sailing boats for most of that time in the North East and the East Coast of the UK and Northern France. Despite the fact that most of his time afloat was spent with the benefit of "engines" and the guilt associated with that, he has always maintained a connection to traditional sailing vessels and sailing techniques.
Jamie is a veteran Broads sailor and owner of the classic Broads sailing cruiser ‘Evening Flight'. He spent 25 years international yacht racing in 505, Flying Dutchman and Dragon classes and made guest appearances in shorthanded long-haul ocean races. Jamie says he ‘scribbles a bit', but in reality, he is a published local and maritime author, and was a regular contributor to the much-loved ‘Anglia Afloat' magazine with topics that had a maritime heritage theme. He is also the archivist of the Royal Norfolk Suffolk Yacht Club and an International 14 fleet historian.
John started sailing in muddy Essex creeks at an early age and progressed into offshore racing by sailing on a succession of racing dinghies and yachts, eventually taking part in many international offshore events throughout the UK, Europe and the United States. A member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, he got through the infamous 1979 Fastnet race having turned a 40 foot yacht upside down in the middle of the Irish Sea in storm force conditions.
John turned away offers to sail professionally and pursued a career in management consultancy instead. He was a volunteer at the London 2012 Olympic sailing regatta, assisting competitors both on and off the water. Now retired, he's still not sure if he made the right decision!
Brought up in the Cinque Port of Rye, John has managed to combine a career as an architect with a love of the sea. Between major projects in London, he used to slip away to sea in the Home Trade, eventually as a mate and then skipper. There are few ports in Britain that John has not entered - with cargoes as varied as talcum powder and case beer! He bought Excelsior in Norway and spent 10 years of his spare time rebuilding the hull, before setting up the Trust to restore her back to sail. With an in-depth knowledge of traditional materials and techniques, John can fit a futtock or woold a ground rope!
Former co-owner of Excelsior and Founder Member of the Trust.
Spending his early years living in Beccles on the southern edge of the Norfolk Broads, Mark cannot remember the first time he went afloat. Since then he has sailed whenever the opportunity arose, mostly in historic gaff rigged cutters and ketches, interspersed with being part of the racing crew on modern yachts. When not sailing he has spent many hours re-building, maintaining and working on a number of traditional vessels from clinker dinghies to Thames barges.
Mark has an honours degree in civil engineering and is a Chartered Engineer. He has spent much of his professional life maintaining, designing and building port infrastructure. He worked on the building of the current Lowestoft Harbour Bridge, on the re-alignment of Mutford Bridge and the renovation of Mutford Lock. He owned and ran his own consultancy firm for twenty-five years.
Mark bought a half share in Excelsior on her return to Lowestoft in 1972. He spent ten years of his spare time restoring Excelsior's hull with John Wylson. Mark is the only surviving subscriber to the Excelsior Trust, and acted as secretary throughout the Trusts'
Mary's extensive career in public relations has spanned many genres including the arts, travel and tourism. She spent two decades working for a mental health charity and realised the value of challenging the horizons of young people who faced difficult situations in their everyday life. Mary promotes the trust throughout East Anglia and is always seeking out new opportunities to ensure that the Excelsior Experience is available to as many individuals as possible.
Matthew has a passion for traditional historic working boats and broads sailing. A bawleyman through and through, growing up around the East coast looking at red sails he was once responsible for sailing barge Cambria, the last ever sailing barge to trade under sail. He sails a friend's 1906 Leigh cockle bawley on the Suffolk coast and crews Norfolk Trading Wherry ‘Maud', the last clinker built Wherry afloat. Matthew has been relief crew on Excelsior throughout the summer season including relief Boatswain. In the past he has worked in various youth organisations teaching young people new skills.