David Camp

(Committee Member,Treasurer/Web Site Co-ordinator)

I was born in the north west Essex village of Henham, one of five children. I married my wife Gillian in 1966 and we have three children who have blessed us with 4 grandchildren.

I spent almost my entire working life in the Wine Trade, initially with Peatling & Cawdron in Saffron Walden and then when I married, I moved to International Distillers & Vintners at Harlow where I was in the Buying Department. After four years, I moved back to my old company as branch manager. After taking numerous management and wine courses, I worked my way up to District Manager and then in 1978 moved to the head office at Greene King, Bury St Edmunds and we bought a house in Long Melford, where we still live.

Jobs and titles became numerous and varied over the years including Administration Manager, Marketing Manager, Sales Manager and eventually General Manager of the then renamed Thos. Peatling, Fine Wine Merchants. At its peak we ran 38 retail and wholesale wine branches throughout the Eastern Counties and London, won a number of coveted awards including Regional Wine Merchant of the year. In 1996, the wine and spirit business was sold and I took early retirement at Christmas 1997.

My retirement plans were interrupted the following March when I suffered two heart attacks. As part of my rehabilitation at West Suffolk Hospital, I was introduced to Upbeat. At that stage they were taking the huge step of starting a second group at Sudbury and I joined on day one and it wasn’t long before I joined the Committee to put something back into the group and within no time I was involved with social events, fund raising, membership secretary, took over the newsletter and developed it into a magazine, set up a web site, started Upbeat merchandise (Christmas Cards, Badges, Key Rings, Casual Wear etc), became Secretary and then Treasurer.

During all this time my wife, had endured numerous major operations which has made mobility very difficult which has required a certain amount of caring and latterly I have tried to limit my responsibilities within Upbeat to enjoy some of my other leisure pursuits. These include Genealogy and I am compiling my Family Tree. I belong to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), RSPB. Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Long Melford Historical & Archaeological Society and The Ramblers Association. I am also on the Committees of the Long Melford Community Association and The Long Melford Old School Management Committee. Oh, I have also been a Season Ticket holder at Ipswich Town Football Club for well over thirty years. Where do I get time to do Upbeat work?