My professional life has been in a range of educational settings, from schools and Further Education to Adult / Community education and training. Personally, I am interested in a wide range of performing arts and am an occasional musician. This is my second term as a trustee with PAT with a gap of nine years between the two.

Glad to be back and enjoying the challenges.

I have a BA in Audio-visual Communication, Drama and Theatre Craft and after college spent time working in stage management in theatres around the Northwest culminating in 2 years at Liverpool Playhouse as a stage electrician. My later career was in the IT industry starting as a Developer and transitioning through most roles and ending up as an IT Service Management Transformation Consultant.

My passion is music and I play guitar and mandolin (badly). Now I am not working it is a privilege to be able to flex my theatre muscles again as a technical volunteer at the hall for events, developing our technical capabilities and assisting on the board of trustees at this marvellous venue.

I have been the Administrator of The David Hall since October 2012 after volunteering to support the revitalisation of Petherton Folk Fest.

Previously, I worked within education, teaching Dance and Event Management. With the support of the Board, I love planning and programming events for ‘the small Hall with the BIG reputation’

I have been involved with The David Hall for nearly 10 years initially as a Volunteer and more recently as part-paid staff member. I am responsible for Finance and Funding for Petherton Arts Trust and have a wide remit that extends from bill payments and artist fees to supervision of the Box Office and preparation of internal accounts for examination by our Accountants. I also source opportunities for external funding.

My background is in Banking, and teaching and management within Special Schools. I am a qualified Teacher of the Deaf. I dont have a particular interest in music but I am very community spirited and enjoy the work I do for the Hall. It can be pressured at times but keeps the brain alert.

Having spent 30 years of my professional career as a Police Officer, on my retirement in 1997 I started at The David Hall as a volunteer mainly running the bar. From a very early age my main non-work interest related to music – I was a member of Bath Folk club and attended many live gigs including the first Glastonbury.

In 2000 I joined the Board and at the same time was asked if I was willing to take over the planning of the music events at the Hall – this I have done to this day! My main emphasis has always been on ensuring that we have a diverse programme of music, dance, theatre and spoken word with quality being our main driving force. This will remain the criteria for all events in the future.

Penny Bool is PAT’s Communications Officer, so is responsible for ensuring that the relevant local media is kept informed about performers coming to The David Hall, as well as news events – such as recent grants and important repairs to the building.

Penny has a background in marketing communications and enjoyed an international career that took her to Brussels, Geneva and New York, working for companies such as ICI Fibres and the textile fibres division of Du Pont, as well as the governing body of France’s Champagne region.

I am a retired mechanical design engineer but have been a singer and musician all my life in one genre or another. Several years ago I was asked to help at the monthly acoustic performance night at the David Hall and as time passed I found myself taking a bigger role in the event and getting involved with other activities at the hall and with the Petherton Arts Trust.

I was invited to be a member of the board of trustees in 2018 and now, as well as organising and MC’ing the acoustic night I regularly enjoy working at events as board member or steward and trying to get involved wherever help is needed.

Most of my schooling was in Reading, after which I did Bilingual Secretarial and Business Studies at Twickenham College of Technology. Jobs originally brought Cliff and I to Somerset, which we have made our home and we would not wish to live anywhere else. My work has always been office-bound and I latterly worked for a local firm of solicitors where I was Secretary/Receptionist and for a short while ran a Building Society Agency. I am now retired.

I have been part of The David Hall from the very beginning when it was initially used as a rehearsal and performance space for amateur dramatics in 1986. I was a customer, participant and occasional volunteer in the early days. Since 2002 I have worked as a regular volunteer as day and event box office, some admin jobs in the Hall office and also from home. I joined the Board of Trustees late 2019, so I guess I’m still a Rookie.

My main involvement is with Fundraising events and helping with Marketing and Publicity. I am a member of the newly-formed “Weddings” Team and look forward to this new venture, holding Civil Marriages within our beautiful, iconic Hall.

My interests are walking, dogs (Airedale Terriers, to be precise), history and architecture of old buildings.

My career started in biological research, I qualified in accountancy and worked in the administration of education. My particular interests are fibre arts and crafts, art (drawing and painting) and wildlife watching. I enjoy live folk music, and I have been a patron of The David Hall for many years.

I hope I might contribute towards greater day time use of the Hall, and that my finance skills will be helpful in the administration of PAT.