On The Cotswold Community…

Received from Tony Brown (Also known as Tony Davies) | Added to the site May 2021.


“Hello John. Very informative site.

[…] I attended the community from mid 1979 until December 23rd 1984. If you need to place my face I am the young man introducing the 1st Cotswold Community video that was made when i worked at Ipeco in Southend, Essex. In 1986 i think.

When i talk to people about my past i always mention the community by name and can not praise it highly enough. I usually explain that my time there really gave me a firm foundation.

I am now 53 and until the Covid 19 issues i was the group Quality Manager for the Trenchard Aviation Group. Having been part of the team that guided the group through the receivership process i was taken on by the last remaining group company called Airbase UK Interiors (You can see me on the website if you have a look)

My wife Lisa and I have been married for 23 years now and we have 1 pre teen and and 1 teenage son and believe it or not many of the values and skills that i learned at the community are only now just coming to the fore. Now that i have children of this age myself. I now engage with my children in the same way the community adults engaged with me.

We have lived in 3 houses since our wedding and because of my experiences at the community I always wanted a workshop but could not afford it. But at our last house the dream came true and I had a workshop built and put lots of tools in it and because the boys were now older I started to show them how to use all the tools. I don’t know how i know how to use all the tools because by then it had been 30 years since i picked up a tool but I just knew and it was fantastic.

We make things out of all sorts of materials and i encouraged them in any and every creative idea that they had (Still do) and I know that it is the best way to interact with your children because i remember all the creative interaction we had with the community adults.
At the community i learned how to interact, how to behave in a civilised manner, how to not engage in conflict and conflict resolution. The community gave me the tools that i needed to first survive and there after to thrive as I am today […]”