INTERVIEW
By the Dart INTERVIEW
ROBIN SPRINGETT
R
obin Springett is Dartmouth Town Councillor for Townstal, chairman of the Corporate Property Committee and a
former Royal Air Force Officer. he said: “I stepped in after the last town council election, as Townstal was underrepresented and am running again this year. “I have enjoyed being on the council, as an independent candidate and not affiliated to any political group, but it does take up a lot of time and is, of course, wholly voluntary.”
Robin has had a house in Dartmouth since 1974,
initially in sawnnaton Road and for the last five years in Townstal. he said: “I first came here in 1959 as a
15-year-old on holiday. I really liked it and kept coming back. I took up sailing in the RAF and when I had saved some money bought a home here – it’s a great place to sail from.”
TOWN COUNCILLOR & MORRIS DANCER by Kate Cotton
his youngest. His younger son was married at St Petrox church.
His sons grew up in Dartmouth and both attended
Dartmouth Primary School then went on to study at Plymouth College. he married his second wife, Julia, who was in the Royal
navy, in 1990. after retiring in 1999 he ran a consultancy business
with two friends based in stafford for eight years. While Julia was still in the navy they were lucky enough to go to Gibraltar and Naples. He said: “I spent two years in Gibraltar and three in
Robin joined the Royal air Force in 1964, aged 19 and rose up the ranks to his last appointment as Deputy assistant Chief of staff Logistics Operations, from 1994 to 1999, when he left the forces. after training in Feltwell and upwood, both in norfolk, he began his career, which took him to many places in UK and all over the world, including postings to Libya, Singapore, Germany and Belgium. He served in the Falklands War. He said: “I ran the RAF logistics on the ascension Island base for six months; the big task was aviation fuel, but I was involved in storing and supplying everything from food to aircraft spares and accommodating people.” he was also involved in the Gulf War of 1991, once
“As Squire, I was head of men’s Morris dancing throughout the world ”
Naples as a house husband, but involved in my consultancy company including proof reading contract bids for small firms via the internet, some of which were more than 600 pages long!’ The couple returned to Dartmouth full time in 2005. Robin was hon president of 2380 (Dartmouth) air Training Corps squadron, until it amalgamated with Totnes aTC squadron. he volunteers in Dartmouth museum and is a Trustee of
Dartmouth United Charities. he added: “Before that we lived in the house as much
as we could, except for time overseas and I frequently did the weekend commute from Totnes railway station. There used to be about four or five of us on the early commuter train from Totnes on a monday morning. I think it’s about 80 to 100 on the same train now. “In my five years at high Wycombe, Julia was at
again providing the aviation fuel and spares, this time for the helicopters of the Rn and RaF, that were supporting the British 1st armoured Brigade, which “liberated Kuwait, with a little help from the us and others of the coalition!” Robin is twice married. he has two adult sons from his first marriage, now both in their 40s. One is an army lieutenant colonel and the other works in private finance in London. Robin has three young grandsons from his eldest son and one young granddaughter from
nothwood and we lived in a married quarter there, getting home at weekends. “Dartmouth is a bit of a crazy place to live given its poor transport links but we love it here and it definitely feels like home.” away from work and council business Robin has
two clear passions in life – steam railways and morris dancing. He is a shareholder and volunteer at South Devon Railway in Buckfastleigh and has been a member of Dartington morris men since 1980. Robin has held the highest accolade of morris dancing - he was squire of the morris Ring for two years before handing over to his successor at a morris event based at
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