John’s delighted with High honour
HIS Honour John Roberts is delighted to be the new High Sheriff of Merseyside.
John is a retired crown court judge and was the President of the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs in 2015, when the County had a most enjoyable year with John at the helm.
John has been a member of Heswall Golf Club for the best part of 40 years and was Captain there back in 2002.
He joined the Cheshire Executive in 2004 and served for five years until 2008 when lack of time forced him to retire from this role, but he was re-elected in 2012 and became deputy President in 2014.
Many CUGC Presidents have gone on to do more work for golf serving with top roles for England Golf and the Northern counties over the years but John is the first one to be selected for the role of High Sheriff, a position bestowed by the Queen.
This year John and other High Sheriffs were inducted by a Zoom.
His career saw him read Law at Cambridge University and he was called to the Bar in 1970 and practised on the Northern Circuit until he was elevated to the Bench in 1993 and worked mainly on criminal cases in Manchester, Bolton, Liverpool and occasionally the Old Bailey before his retirement in 2012.
He was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside in 2016 and is currently President of the Wirral Hospice St John’s and has also been President of the Athenaeum Club in Liverpool.
His new role, which dates back more than 1,000 years, includes ensuring the welfare of visiting High Court judges, supporting the Royal Family, judges, police and other law enforcement agencies, the emergency services, local authorities, church and faith groups.
It also includes helping the Lord Lieutenant on Royal visits and should the Lord Lieutenant be unavailable, to represent the Queen when visiting local groups and public services and to actively support charitable and other worthy Institutions throughout the county.
John said: “I am absolutely delighted and very proud to have been selected as the next High Sheriff of Merseyside and will do my utmost to maintain the high standards set by all the previous holders of this office.”
John who lives on the Wirral is a keen golfer, though by his admission not a great one, but he has been fortunate to play with some great golfers and on some wonderful courses.
His friends on the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs Board were united in sending John their best wishes and look forward to seeing him when the county has events on the Wirral, when they can get back to playing golf again.
Of course they fully expect John to keep everyone in order, given his new role, and to continue to entertain those he meets with some delightful tales and his marvellous sense of humour.