Entry in the Roll of the Honorary Freemen of the Borough of Sudbury in the County of Suffolk

“At a special meeting of the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Town of Sudbury held on the eleventh day of November 2022, it was resolved that the Honorary Freedom of the Town be conferred on Lord Andrew Phillips in appreciation of his valuable services to the Town. Andrew was a senior partner of Bates, Wells and Braithwaite until he stepped down when he joined the House of Lords in 1998. Since his retirement from the House of Lords Andrew has remained heavily involved in the Town, including roles as President of the Sudbury Society and Vice President of Gainsborough’s House.”

Pictured above is Andrew at his Admission (second from the right) alongside Honorary Freemen, John Coleman (Grazier) and Adrian Walters (Clerk to The Sudbury Common Lands Charity) flanked by the Mayor of Sudbury, Councillor Ellen Murphy, and the Town Clerk, Mr Ciaran Griffin.

Sadly, Andrew passed away on Easter Sunday 9th April 2023 after a short illness. The Town of Sudbury meant everything to Andrew and he was active in promoting its best interests to the end of his life. One of his last actions was to promote, support and encourage, (despite his illness), the latest series of Quay Theatre History Talks (www.quaysudbury.com) which concluded on April 30th. A tribute to Andrew from local historian Ashley Cooper was given at the Quay Theatre on April 23rd.

We expect these local history talks to resume in early 2024.