Meet the Team

Tracy Brady - Chair

Our chalet has been in the family since the early 1980s, and we were fortunate to take it over when Steve’s parents could no longer manage the upkeep that comes with maintaining a chalet on the cliff. Following Steve’s retirement last year, I am soon to follow in his footsteps and retire from my role in our co-owned estate and letting agency.

With this transition, it felt like the perfect time to accept a new position on the Board of Directors. My impending retirement will allow me to dedicate more time to supporting the smooth running of TCCOA Limited. I’m especially keen to help foster a stronger sense of community at Tregonhawke by encouraging greater involvement from all chalet owners.

In our spare time, we enjoy walking the South West Coastal Path and have just embarked on the Dartmoor 365 challenge.

Ben Crane

I moved onto the cliff in the summer of 2005. When I first arrived here I noticed how naturally beautiful and un spoilt the area was. I was in the Army at that time and we moved here because of my wife’s life time connection with the area. Then a year later in 2006 my wife and I took on the Cliff Top Cafe. Once we became owners of the cafe, this was the first time I found out what the TCCOA did. I decided to volunteer to become part of the TCCOA committee so that I had an understanding of how things worked on the Cliff and how decisions were made. I also enjoy getting involved in some of the practical aspects of maintenance. Now we no longer run the Cliff Top Cafe as we live here all year round I am always here as a point of contact and help.

Andy Marshall

Me and Barbara bought our chalet in 2010 as a bolt-hole for us and our family (3 children, 4 grandchildren). Circumstances changed and we now only occasional use the chalet ourselves, let as a holiday-home at other times. My background is in business and financial management and I offered my services to TCCOA as a mediator in an ongoing, protracted legal dispute. Subsequently I was appointed a Director in 2013 and, once the legal dispute was settled (out-of-court), I devoted my energies to introducing a formal management structure, a computerised management accounting system and a risk management strategy.

These changes were embraced by the directors of TCCOA and the company can now boast a focused and effective management team, a strong financial position with its officers and assets protected from future risks and unforeseen liabilities. From day one it struck me as an anomaly that there were chalet owners who were not shareholders in the Cliff Association even though the maintenance, the welfare and the amenity of the cliff are as much in their interest as others: so my latest project was to invite these to join us but, frustratingly, this has fallen on deaf ears (so far).

Paul Somerville

I have been a director of TCCOA since 2004.

I have had my chalet for over 25 years and discovered great peace and tranquillity at Tregonhawke: it has a special place in my and my family’s heart.

My aim over the years has been to preserve that atmosphere for future generations. Too many places have been found by people who have loved what they found and then gentrified it and ruined what they had. Parking is a problem, access is a problem, services can be a problem, but once you enter the spirit of the cliff all these problems are minuscule to the serenity of such beautiful surroundings .

I urge all shareholders, future shareholders and visitors to make it a priority to join the community and not change what is unique.

Louise Uncles

I’m Louise Uncles, and joined the board in 2017 as a volunteer director to assist with communications to old freeholders and the new generation of ownerships on the Cliff.

It wasn’t until I joined the board that I realised the amazing amount of work that is achieved to maintain the cliff, protecting every chalet owner.

My career history over the past 42 years has been with House of Fraser (was Dingles) Personnel Department, The Plymouth Herald/ Western Morning News as Brand/Marketing Manager and of late South West Consumer Sales Director for Trinity Mirror. I also aided Plymouth Albion Rugby Club for 10 years as Sales and Marketing Director to aid in the enhancement of Commercial sales.

I am now semi- retired, travel a lot, run a little letting company , with a wonderful family, my husband Andy, 2 grown up boys and 4 beautiful grandchildren, and when fully retired hope to live on the Cliff in our beautiful chalet.

Helen Parker

I am from a local Millbrook family and my grandparents and parents bought our Chalet in the 60's. I have been lucky enough to grow up with Whitsands being a huge part of my life. For the last 10 years I have been privileged in making Whitsands my full time home opting for a simpler life in the chalet.

My work is now largely based in connecting children with nature and a huge part of my decision to live on the cliff was my own desire to live closer to nature. I feel passionately about our responsibility to keep this special place as peaceful and respectful to the natural habitat we share here.

I am also passionate about reducing the waste we produce which has brought me to be a director to look at how we can all work together on recycling as much as possible, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

Brendan Flynn

As a recently retired Chartered Accountant I have spent the most part of my career as a general practitioner with my own firm. This has involved handling the accounts and tax affairs of small to medium sized businesses. My experience has been in such matters as preparing limited company accounts, financial reporting and reviews, tax returns for individuals and corporations, and a wide variety of other finance related activities.

My first visit to Whitsands was 40 years ago with Jane, whose family owned a chalet at Freathy. Since then we have been back almost every year. About 12 years ago we purchased our own chalet at Tregonhawke and I have a long standing interest in the health and welfare of the cliff and its residents.

Jacqueline Priest

A Plymothian born and bred, I have been a Whitsander since before I could walk and, like my father before me, spent many holidays in rented chalets on Tregonhawke. It was not until 1982 that we acquired a chalet of our own, just over the boundary on Trenninow and Wiggle cliffs. That chalet is now my daughter’s because, in 2014, I bought a chalet of my own on Tregonhawke. Having qualified as a barrister, my career, first as a legal academic at Durham University and then as a Tribunal Judge, kept me in exile in the North-East for over 25 years until the opportunity arose to transfer to the South West, as the District Judge with responsibility for Devon and Cornwall, based in Plymouth.

Now retired and living in Torpoint, I drift to and fro between Torpoint and Tregonhawke as the fancy takes me. I offered to become a co-opted member of the Board of TCCOA Ltd because I was aware that the Board thought it would be helpful to have a lawyer as one of its members. While my own professional life mainly involved dealing with Family Law, Criminal Law and Social Security Law – not subjects likely to arise often in the course of the Board’s activities – I hope that my legal background has given me a few “transferable skills” which may prove useful!

Jo Bennett's - Secretary

I was born and raised in South East Cornwall, and after spending my early adult life living and working in London and travelling, I returned over 20 years ago to raise my family in this beautiful part of the world. I love the Rame Peninsula, and enjoy juggling many different hats in pursuit of a deeper connectedness with my community. Even though I have a long and extensive administrative background, it is not without some trepidation to be stepping into the role of Secretary for TCCOA Ltd. Nicky has certainly left some very big boots to fill, but I am excited and ready to take on the challenges of the role, develop it as my own and to be part of this wonderful TCCOA community.