Local Face: Michael & Zan Stevenson

Michael Stevenson was a very happily established family man in Sussex when his employer, Lloyds Bank, decided to move his office to Aylesbury in 1970. His wife, Zan, had a home based architecture practice and was not so mobile. This led to 5 years of commuting once a week from Weedon to finish off her Sussex work.

In 1976, the opportunity came along to buy The Hale Farmhouse and it was not to be missed. The children were now aged 10, 16 and 17. Zan’ s focus moved temporarily to this one building because it was in need of massive renovation. It is the house where John Colet was born in 1465. Originally a Hall House, there are still traces of the smoke vents in the roof so typical of the time. It seems that the family moved into “The Hale” house during the 17th century possibly demolishing the end bay of the Farmhouse in the process but members of the Colet family were associated with Hale Farmhouse until early this century. Visitors from as far afield as Australia still come because of family or work connections.

During 1977, the children heard strange noises “in the loft” and one night Michael heard heavy footfalls along the corridor which stopped at the bedroom door. Subsequently they were told by neighbours of a ghost, supposedly a young girl, crossed in love, who committed suicide. They related this story to Zan’s aunt, a Carmelite nun, who told her Reverend Mother of a distressed soul. The convent prayed for the poor unfortunate and she has not been heard from since. Soon, however, the architecture office was on the move again so from 1980 Michael lived in Birmingham during the week in a bank flat. It was now that he had time to indulge a lifelong whim and started painting with watercolours though he now also uses pastels. Zan continued her architecture practice and started to paint in oils as well as watercolours.

Until 1986, all the barns and outhouses were still used as farm buildings but the owner wanted to let them go so Michael and Zan bought them. Her sister, Jane came to live in the converted outbuildings and the barn became a studio.

Renovation seemed to be becoming the family business so in 1988 Michael put family first and resigned from the bank and Zan closed her practice. They bought a house in Brighton to “do up”, letting Hale Farmhouse for a year while they renovated the house which was subsequently let to students until it was sold this year.

Back at the Hale, they joined in Bucks Art Week 1990 with a family exhibition including pieces of work from both their mothers as well as adult children. Now they were set into the exhibiting merry-go-round including the Chiltem Art Exhibition and Zan is the secretary of the Visual Images Group which organises Bucks Art Week every year. The Hale Group (of 8) also started at this time and still meets regularly on Tuesdays to paint and discuss painting.

Michael and Zan have been parishioners at St Anne’s Roman Catholic Church since coming to Wendover taking increasingly active roles. Clashing with the Tuesday painting, Michael organises the rota for the Justice and Peace Lunches, providing home made bread and soup from homegrown vegetables for between 20 and 40 people.

To broaden her outlook and skills in painting, in 1996 Zan started a 4 year course at the Open College of Art, affiliated to the Open University including monthly tutorials in Amersham and an annual assessment of work. At the same time, Michael started training for the Permanent Diaconate of the Roman Catholic Church. This involved attending the Westminster Seminary at Allen Hall, Chelsea. Having completed the two-year course of Education for Parish Service he was awarded a Diploma in Pastoral Theology and was accepted as a candidate for ordination to the Diaconate. This will take place in a year’s time following further studies and assessment locally. The experience at Allen Hall has widened and enriched his life generally and enhanced his appreciation of the needs of others and the need to foster Community Spirit.

In 1997, the mothers of Michael and Zan died within a month of each other, but family life continues and their three children and three grandchildren still love to come and visit “Granny and Grand-dad” and to play in the large garden and nearby woods, faithfully accompanied by Cassie “the family hound”.