Officers & Council Members 2024-25

Edward Martin
ChairmanEdward Lives at Sudbourne. Retired archaeologist and landscape historian (formerly with Suffolk County Council), SGT founder member and Chairman, 2004-2008. He took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Patience Shone
Vice Chairman

Patience lives in Harkstead. She is a returned Council Member and she took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Stephen Beaumont
Treasurer

Stephen lives at Theberton. He was chairman of SGT between 2013-2017. He took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Dr Joanna Martin
Membership Secretary

Joanna lives at Sudbourne. She is a Historian, author and former history journal editor.  She is a SGT founder member.

Julie Cooke

Julie lives at Brent Eleigh. She is a children’s book illustrator, a graduate of Otley College gardening courses, and has worked in gardening for 21 years. She took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Dr Judith Gowland
Bursaries and Grants Officer

Judith lives at Braiseworth. She is a Conservator/restorer of art on paper and a tutor of City & Guilds at London Art School. She is a returned SGT Council member.

Loesje Houghton

Loesje lives in Woodbridge. She set up a Theatrical Agency for Creatives in the 1990’s. This has now been sold, but she is still involved in the arts. She has led the work on creating a new SGT website.

Haidee Stephens

Haidee lives at Sudbury. Garden designer (Pickard School of Garden Design). Also runs a volunteer gardening project for ActivLives in Sudbury. Formerly Norfolk County Council’s biodiversity manager, Wild Anglia’s operations manager, and estuaries officer for Coast and Heaths AONB.

Elizabeth Adams

Liz lives at Norton and is a retired Chartered Landscape Architect. She took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Linda Robinson

Linda lives in Hemingstone. She has worked in travel and tourism for more than 25 years. She has a BSc (Hons) in Horticulture, and graduated from the University of London with an MA in Garden and Landscape History in 2023. She took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Margaret King

Margaret lives in Woodbridge and London and formerly worked for Reuters as a marketing manager. She has studied horticulture and has written on articles on gardens. She took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.

Kate Redington

Kate lives in Hadleigh and is an accountant, but has a family connection to a Suffolk plant nursery. She is a volunteer at Benton End and also took part in the Suffolk’s Unforgettable Garden Story project.