OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES
Douglas Horner DL (1962 M) Richard Harvey (1963 C)
W
hen Douglas Horner was once asked why he was involved in so many activities and organisations in addition to his 32-year career with Maidstone law firm Brachers he replied: "Because I wanted to remain relevant". That, by anybody's judgement, has proved to be an understatement, as Douglas has been a leading figure in supporting the county's business and agricultural community, as well as enjoying a career spent proving to expensive London law firms that the finest legal brains don't always reside in the capital.
Insurance and PAYE on their casual labourers - a move which, had it succeeded, would have cost some farmers ÂŁ100,000 or more. However, Douglas and his NFU colleagues discovered that the tax authorities had overlooked an old agreement with the farming industry precluding these payments. It put a stop to the outstanding tax demands and raids.
There were similar battles with London lawyers acting for the once-mighty National Coal Board - again, resulting in victory - and defeating 26 enforcement notices over 25 years against a wellknown aerodrome, which continues to operate today. As Brachers grew from a 25-employee practice to more than 200 by the time Arriving at SVS in 1958 on a scholarship from Merton Court Douglas retired in 2002, so did both their reputation. Preparatory School, he won a place at St John's College, Cambridge aged just 15, subject to his A level results, which he duly passed. Douglas was a long-standing consultant and non-executive director of leading property development firm Trenport Investments, part of Before going up to Cambridge, Douglas played Hockey for the the group which includes The Ritz and The Daily Telegraph, as well School, was a house prefect, sergeant in the Combined Cadet as developing a specialist knowledge of agricultural law and town Force clerk to the Hunting Society (the School debating forum), planning. He has been a key adviser to the National Farmers Union, editor of The Suttonian, and winner of the Derrick Prize for English locally, regionally and nationally. verse speaking. He has remained friends with, and continues to meet, many of his contemporaries, and has been a regular sailing He has also been one of those instrumental in the revitalisation companion of Richard Mant (1961 M). of the Kent County Agricultural Society, which has transformed the Detling showground from a once-a-year site for the County After taking his law exams, Douglas joined Brachers, where Show to a major events centre for business exhibitions and, more OS Geoffrey Dearing (1966 L) later became managing partner. recently, major rock concerts. It was to be the beginning of a legal career, highlighted by some high profile victories, often against seemingly overwhelming odds. But it is his staunch support for business in Kent which has earned He successfully fought HMRC, which had been conducting raids him a particularly high profile, as a member of the CBI's Regional on farms across the UK, demanding the owners pay National Council, founder chairman of the Kent Economic Forum, continuing vice chairman of its successor the Kent and Medway Economic Board, and as business representative to the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) of which he became a vice chairman, and its subsequent, government-backed, incarnations. Inevitably, Douglas was involved in making decisions which didn't always please politicians, and he has faced - and seen off - moves to discredit him in the media. So it was particularly gratifying when, in 2016, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Kent Excellence in Business Awards. Other accolades have followed, and today he is an active Deputy Lieutenant of Kent and Kent Ambassador. And all this, having suffered life-threatening illness. Ten years ago, sailing off Croatia, he suffered cardiac failure and was flown back to London for emergency surgery to repair a heart valve, a procedure which was repeated five years later. "Touch wood, I'm holding up!", he says, and remains a keen sailor (he has a second home on the Isle of Wight), has sailed round the UK, and has recently been chartering with friends in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. He also enjoys driving his custom-made Morgan and convertible Jaguar. Douglas is president of the Old Suttonians Association which, he says, "is a great privilege in meeting many OS, and seeing the operation of the School in delivering education to the current generation of pupils to the very highest standards." Douglas remains the very epitome of "remaining relevant".
Page 14 - The OLD Suttonian 2018