Parish Councillors

Catherine moved to the neighbouring village of Pitton in 1999, and soon became involved in the Parish Clerking world by becoming Clerk to Pitton & Farley Parish Council

Shortly followed by taking on the office of Town Clerk at Wilton. Fully qualified, but always keen to learn, she is now Clerk to the neighbouring parish council of Idmiston. When not working, she enjoys dancing, long walks, especially with her partner and dogs, socialising, pub quizzes and travelling to London to catch the latest art and history exhibitions.

Simon has been a resident of Firsdown since 2008 having moved into the area from Hampshire, and works in the local area. He has been a member of the Parish Council since 2013. He has been involved in a variety of local issues such as the campaign for better broadband and believes strongly in the community working together to improve the quality of life for all in Firsdown.

Hobbies and interests include being a competent Diy-er, (his own property and that of friends/relatives!) as well as car mechanics – he has completed the restoration and rebuild of 2 Land Rovers, and is looking out for a new project!

Jeremy Beavan moved from Bristol to Firsdown in 2014, he works in the Print & Marketing Industry and was previously a Firsdown Parish Councilor

He helped to establish a Speed Indicator Device (SID) for the village and voted to retain the redundant telephone box which then created a station for the Defibrillator, Jeremy has raised funds for various charities by running both the London and Berlin Marathons and is a ward volunteer at Salisbury Hospital, he is proud to live in Firsdown and regularly updates the Parish Council Website, he is looking forward to helping enhance the local area by working with the community.

Ginette and her partner bought their first house together in Firsdown 2015, having lived in Villages her whole life she is very focused on supporting the village to find its heart and to become a closer community.

She is keen to support the views and changing demands of the community and demographic-with something for everyone.

Ginette has been a horse rider her whole life and currently has her much loved horse stabled up the road in Winterslow, Ginny and her partner have a strong interest in all things vintage and can be seen trundling around in their vintage VW Camper with their westie “Hemingway” or heading off camping in the countryside.

Nigel has lived in Firsdown for 35 years and Idmiston for 15 years so knows our area well. He led the South Wilts Footpaths Group for 5 years, working with Ramblers Groups and Wiltshire Rights of Way installing infrastructure and clearing paths around South Wiltshire and initiated circular walks in five parishes including Firsdown.

He volunteers regularly with the RSPB at the Winterbourne Down Nature Reserve, Newton Tony where former arable fields are being transformed into flower-rich grasslands teeming with wildlife. Nigel is a great believer in the health benefits, mental and physical, of walking and understanding the natural world that surrounds us. We must nurture and improve our local Firsdown wildlife for those who follow us, particularly the younger generation, so they too will learn to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty of our surrounding countryside

Steve moved from Hampshire to Firsdown in 2013 and lives with his wife Clare ( a local teacher) and boys George and Warren who both attend BWS in Salisbury. He is a Chartered Accountant and commutes into London one or two days a week.

He has previously been a school governor and is keen to help improve the community spirit in the village.

Steve has a working cocker spaniel that needs plenty of exercise so he’s regularly trekking the paths and beautiful countryside that surround the village.

Jim and his wife Bev moved to Firsdown in 2021 to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and their three children who live in Salisbury.

After a neighbour shared her concerns over cars speeding past the bus stop, where her son waits each morning, they decided to join the speed watch team.

Becoming more aware of the role the Parish Council has in maintaining and improving the community environment, including keeping people safe, Jim decided to put himself forward for co-option to the council to help in whatever way he can.

Jim is a qualified accountant who during his career has worked both in the commercial and charity sectors. Jim works part-time for a Salisbury church where they also attend.

Jim and Bev enjoy walking locally and have joined dance classes. They have also enjoyed making new friends in Firsdown and Winterslow.

Alan moved to Firsdown from Hampshire in August 2023 and decided that he would like to get involved in the local community in some way and sought co-option onto the PC in November 2024.

An ex-Civil Servant having worked for both Ordnance Survey and the Land Registry, he also worked as a freelance cartographer, ran his own bookshop for six years, did several years with the National Trust too before finally retiring at the age of sixty.

Married to Julie, he has a son and daughter and three grandchildren. He is passionate about wildlife and the environment, is a published author and lists his interests as birdwatching, philately and book collecting.