Orchard Hill Ward
Councillor Ian Fradgley was born in Wordsley, Staffordshire and educated in Stourbridge, going on to universities in Birmingham and London.
Whilst at Aston University, he met the daughter of one of his tutors; they married in 1969 and moved to London. His wife, Jenny has been a Town Councillor since 2003 and became Mayor in May 2009.
In 1973, with a young son and a daughter on the way, they decided to move out of London and Ian was offered a choice of two good jobs, one in Broadway, the other in Stratford-upon-Avon. He chose Stratford, ‘a respectable distance from both parents’ and joined NFU Mutual where he worked until his retirement in 2004.
Committees
Councillor Ian Fradgley was elected to the Town Council in 2009 and was returned in 2015, 2019 and 2023.
Planning
Personnel
Career History
Having achieved a BSc and an MSc in mathematics, Ian gained his technical skills at Lucas GTE in Marston Green from 1967 to 1968 and became a Business Systems Analyst at International Stores in the City from 1968 to 1973.Whilst at NFU Mutual, Ian covered a variety of IT roles which included managing the IT Development team whilst project managing the design of the IT system. In 1997 Ian’s department won the equivalent of what, to the insurance industry, would be an Oscar in recognition of the IT system which networked the agent sales force.
Community Interests
Ian was appointed as one of the three Town Council’s representatives on the Town Trust in January 2010, the same year he was elected to the District Council representing Alveston Ward. Ian was Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon for the municipal year 2014/2015.Outside Council, he is Membership Secretary for the Stratford Society, Squash Club, Stratford branch of NFUMutual Retired Members and the Local Liberal Democrat Party.
Leisure Activities
Ian questions whether this can be classed as ‘leisure’, but he spends much of his retirement actively designing and managing websites for a number of local groups and charitable organisations.For pleasure, he belongs to the National Trust, the Stratford Bridge Club, is a member of the local gym, is a committed and keen cyclist and enjoys entering local runs. As a child Ian was a cross country runner for Worcestershire, although he admits that this commitment just got him out of playing rugby! He is also a cricket enthusiast and is a keen Worcestershire supporter.
Ian and Jenny are advocates of the ‘Good Life’ and their impressive and very productive vegetable garden makes them pretty much self-sufficient.
Jenny and Ian also share a love for the arts and are members and frequent visitors to the Tate and the RSC.
Beyond all else perhaps, is Ian’s love of ‘footie’. He first went to Molineux in 1951 and he has been a life long Wolves supporter ever since.
