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Around Town Meets...
David Moody
Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for South Yorkshire
By Brian Elliot
 David and Sue Moody made me most welcome when I visited them at Ivas Wood, their Stainborough home, on a lovely autumn afternoon.
On the hillside I could see the Wentworth Castle site, currently undergoing restoration as part of the multi-million pound project to create a major visitor and educational facility amid the magnificent Grade One listed landscape of the historic park. The site is now owned by the Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park Heritage Trust for which David serves as President.
It soon became clear that David also has a passion for the developing enterprise culture taking place in South Yorkshire’s urban areas and in some of our former mining communities. Initially, we talked about the massive infrastructure improvements and the high quality new businesses located in and around Dinnington, where I worked during that very bleak period in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, following the miners’ strike and pit closures.
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 David Moody officially became the Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire at noon on 7 April 2004. It is an honorary office, appointed by the Crown under letters patent, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The holder is the monarch’s representative within the county and, these days, has a diverse range of public, social and ceremonial duties. Previously, he had served as a Deputy Lieutenant and, at the time of his appointment, was nearing the end of an annual term as High Sheriff of the county. Although the office of High Sheriff is the oldest crown appointment in England, with considerable legal duties, the Lord-Lieutenant has formal seniority and continues until the the holder reaches the age of 75. David told me what a great honour it was to take on his new role but paid tribute to his predecessor, Lord Scarbrough who, but for his death, would still be in post today.
The office of Lord-Lieutenant has its origins in the Tudor period. Well into her reign, and faced with a threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth ordered commissions of lieutenancy for all the counties of England and Wales. The role was predominantly military and those appointed came from aristocratic families. The first Yorkshire incumbent was Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon. From 1660 to 1974 lieutenancies were provided for each of the three ridings of Yorkshire. Early West Riding Lord-Lieutenants included Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquis of Rockingham and his heir, Charles. David Moody is the fourth Lord-Lieutenant for our relatively new county and, like several of his modern predecessors, comes from an industrial and business background. The 1st Duke of Leeds (who lived at Kiveton) held the manor of Barnsley but it is fair to say that David is the first ‘Barnsley lad’ to hold the office.
David Moody is the son of a fellmonger (principally, a dealer in sheep skins) and businessman. Coincidentally, I interviewed his father, Norman, who was born in Wombwell and is now 92, in the early 1990s when writing a feature on the Old Mill fellmongery for my book, Barnsley’s History From the Air. David attended school at Wilthorpe, before moving on to Worksop College and Pembroke College, Oxford, graduating with an MA in Modern History.
A career in the special steels industry followed. He began as a graduate apprentice with United Steels of Stocksbridge, four years before nationalisation.
At this time ‘The Works’ was a huge complex, employing about 10,000 people. For a time he ran the busy finishing department, later gaining more management experience in industrial relations, production and sales. In 1975, after a year as a Sloan Fellow at the London Business School, he ventured into the private sector - with Spartan Redheugh. By 1979 he was chief executive of their bar rolling operation in Sheffield and two years later led the UK steel industry’s first management buy-out. With a small workforce, this enterprise proved to be highly successful. It was sold to Firth Rixson plc in 1998, not long after he had become President of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry, David successfully campaigning on behalf of the Chamber for the Council to improve the main Parkway route into the city.
In 2000, following a period running a Sheffield property company and chairmanship of Cairn Technology, David became chairman of the South Yorkshire Investment Fund, established to invest £50 million in South Yorkshire within the Objective 1 programme. Over half the fund has now been used in support of more than 200 businesses.
I asked David to outline his duties as Lord-Lieutenant and was quite surprised at their range and extent. In a typical year he averages about 250 engagements and has to decline around 100 others. ‘There’s a constant stream of invitations,’ said David, ‘but that’s only half the story. The real problem is deciding where a royal visit or appearance by the Lord-Lieutenant can make a contribution. It has been a learning process for me over the last couple of years.’
David recognises that for small voluntary organisations a visit involves considerable preparation which can be both demanding and stressful for the individuals involved in the planning and all the practicalities. But it is important to balance this against the boost and real benefits that might also occur.
Meeting the Queen and members of the royal family when they visit South Yorkshire and the region is, of course, a primary responsibility, as is fulfilling a range of ceremonial functions on behalf of the Crown. The latter may take the form of an inspection of troops, attendance at a church service, the presentation of honours, awards and medals and presiding over (or being patron of) a variety of non-political organisations. His presidencies (not already mentioned) include the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, the Army Benevolent Fund (S. Yorkshire) and Council of the Order of St John (S. & W. Yorkshire) and he is Vice-President of the Royal British Legion (S. & W. Yorks) and the Friends of Sheffield Cathedral. Patronages include the following: Lost Chord (high quality music brought to dementia sufferers), S.Y. Neighbourhood Watch, Doncaster Minster Appeal, National Coal Mining Museum for England, Emmaus Movement and Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust. Some visits are one-offs but can be highlights of the year. David mentioned the Miners’ Memorial Day held in St Mary’s Church, Barnsley, in memory of miners killed in accidents and disasters, as an example. Recently, David and Sue visited the Somme in respect of the 90th anniversary of that terrible first day of action involving the Barnsley and Sheffield Pals’ regiments. David is always keen, through his office, to pay tribute to the various veteran groups from the Second World War and later conflicts.
David regularly attends the new citizenship ceremonies, particularly in Sheffield and Rotherham and occasionally elsewhere. To have the Queen’s representative present is much appreciated by all the people concerned. There are also special occasions when the Lord-Lieutenant is invited at the opening or re-opening of an art or leisure facility, the recent Weston Park Museum being a good example.
It is clear that David enjoys meeting young people as part of his duties as Lord-Lieutenant. It might be a school visit or presenting awards; or maybe assisting in the celebration of a youth enterprise success; and there are the regular degree ceremonies too.
All in all, and away from the paperwork, there is no doubt that what David enjoys so much about his role as Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire is meeting people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds and promoting the county and its human, physical and man-made assets as much as he can. It was a great pleasure to meet him.
Published Winter 2006. All information correct at time of print.
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