Born on the eleventh of September nineteen sixty, Steve was a bright lad, passing all his A-levels and O'-levels – except for history, “Teachers that teach history for history's sake ... need to be dealt with.” For a time Steve worked with his father, but butchery was not the profession for him. Consequently, he began work as an apprentice surveyor, graduating as a Chartered Surveyor in 1986, rising to become a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1990 and subsequently working for numerous companies in and around London, eventually becoming a director at Hunter & Partners. Why Mauritius? In 1989 Steve started his own consultancy business which involved developing financial packages for the property and construction industry. The largest project he has been involved with in Europe was the £450 million BBC headquarters for London and Scotland. During 1994 he began a new property development company,Ventures Ltd, and undertook projects in countries such as France, Spain,Turkey and Cyprus. Retiring from his consultancy business in 2001, he started working as a Fund Manager for large unit trusts in the UK. By 2007 Steve was aware of the approaching world financial crisis and so started looking for a country which would be less exposed to its harmful effects. His selection criteria was; a stable democratic government, low corruption, reasonably low crime and a relatively stable economy not irrevocably linked to the European and U.S. economies. Mauritius came out top on a very short short-list of nations and this, together with its developing property market and renewable energy schemes, attracted Steve and made it his first choice for investment. The Importance of ...Backpacks Steve has three children. Lawrence is fourteen, Ella is twelve and Natasha eighteen months.Anita, his wife, is carrying a fourth whose name and gender remain a mystery, for now at least! Steve likes to travel and takes his eldest children on trips to places including Egypt, Morocco, the USA and parts of Europe and Asia. He devotes time to charity work, such as water supply projects in third world areas, and science expeditions studying bats, malaria and the Tamaraw – a rare pygmy water buffalo. He has also charted hitherto unexplored caves and climbed some of the world's highest peaks including Kilimanjaro, Toubkal, Haleakela, Mount Kenya, the Andes and Mont Blanc – where a fatal plummet from the summit was halted by his trusty backpack, which wedged him in place twelve feet down a treacherous crevasse. For entertainment value, Steve rates Oscar Wilde above all other writers and though “history for history's sake” is anathema to Steve,“art for art's sake” certainly isn't and he greatly admires Catalonian flair, particularly the work of Dali and Picasso.He is also a fan of the architect Antonio Gaudi and tries to emulate the organic elements of Gaudi's concepts into his own property development projects. Chateau Bellenau & Lord of the Manor Since 1999 Steve has been the proud owner of Chateau Bellenau.The place is steeped in history and it is impossible to do it justice in the short space I have here.The beautiful parkland, waterways and the lake were created by Pierre Lafosse between 1830 and 1890 and today, it is a hotel and group venue for conferences, workshops, private parties and even weddings; www.bellenau. com has more information. In 2004 Steve was granted the title “Lord of the Manor of Wavendon” by Viscount Dunkerley. Although the estate no longer exists, the coat of arms can still be seen on the wall of a local pub called the “Wavendon Arms”.The title itself dates back to 1086 and has had many holders of note, it will, however, remain with Steve's family for as long as there are male heirs. Philosophy Steve doesn't take himself “too seriously”,“ I think the continued existence of the human species is quite important and as biological organisms that is our task in life. I guess the next most important thing is just – to be happy. I think it is every individual’s personal responsibility towards their fellow humans to be happy.” Applying his philosophy to work he says,“I never do anything to someone else, that I wouldn't have done to me.” But also, “If someone crosses me, I would be the worst enemy you could imagine. Conversely, I am the most loyal business colleague or associate that you could deal with.” These – almost biblical – values seem to work well for Steve and he has business associates dating back twenty to thirty years. May it never end Steve has one goal,“[to] Keep living as long as possible I think. I'm enjoying life... If there's something I need to do before I die then I do it now, just in case...” As far as legacies go he considers his most valuable gift to his children to be the best parts of his philosophy of life, in particular, to take the right things seriously.Therein lies a lesson for us all. |
