You read about certain people, whose lives have been so filled with adventure, achievement and the pursuit of meaning - and continue as such - that they inspire you to inject some of that excitement into your own life. One of those people is Ron Hutchinson; chauffeur to the aristocracy and members of the royal family, weaponry and chemical warfare instructor, 'Wirral Best Motorist' of 1986, and 2007's 'Fundraiser of the Year'. Ron was born in Manchester, the eldest of three brothers and two sisters. His childhood was spent mainly in Cheshire and, on leaving school, he joined the army and served in an airborne unit, seeing service in Northern Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Ethiopia and Germany. In 1974, he left the forces and found himself in the interesting position of being chauffeur to Viscount Leverhulme, Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, a role that continued for 26 years. It was a position of driving Rolls Royces, horse racing, shooting parties and royal visits. Amidst all the happenings with high society, Ron continued with 18 years' service in the Territorial Army, training officer cadets and testing as a HGV examiner. As an Advanced Motorist, he won the 'Wirral Best Motorist' award in 1986.
Following Lord Leverhulme's death in 2000, Ron started work as a charity fundraiser with Claire House Children's Hospice, organising and leading challenges to Everest, Kilimanjaro, the Canadian Rockies, the Grand Canyon and Borneo, to name a few expeditions.
In 2005, he was promoted to Senior Fundraiser, and two years later was recognised nationally as 'Fundraiser of the Year'.
By chance, Ron was asked by a Rotary Club to give a talk about his background rubbing shoulders with the aristocracy and members of the royal family. His natural storytelling ability made it an instant hit and he has been in demand ever since.
Such was the success of this talk that Ron was asked back repeatedly to many organisations and clubs, where he gave further talks about his adventures leading charity challenges around the world. These talks have taken Ron from his native Cheshire to venues all over the UK. If you need a first class speaker who is a riveting, amusing, topical raconteur - then Ron is that person, who comes without the celebrity fee.
This is real life 'Downton Abbey'.