Tim Reeve English Heritage

Alumnus Tim Reeve Subject Ancient History Graduated 1994 Great minds Place of Work English Heritage Position Historic Properties Director English Heritage champions our historic places and advises the Government and others to help today’s generation get the best go on to out of our heritage and ensure that it is protected for future generations. English Heritage welcomes 10 million people each year to 400 sites all around England. great places As Historic Properties Director, Tim is responsible for the management of 400 historic properties, from staging events and providing a range of visitor services, to maintenance, conservation and capital projects. Were you considering any other life was fantastic, both on and off campus, and What has been your career path since universities before Royal Holloway? particularly around the sports scene. The situation graduating? No. I chose Royal Holloway because I liked the is also ideal, with beautiful countryside immediately I applied for an administrative job with English size and location of the campus – the semi-rural around, but then with London an easy train-ride Heritage in 1996. After a year I moved into the location and the intimacy. Also my football coach away, the M25 10 minutes down the road and Exhibitions & Interpretation Department, and spent at school had recommended it as a college with a Heathrow on the door-step. In terms of location, four years as an Exhibitions Manager. good football club and facilities. the best of all worlds. Over 2001 and 2002 we went through a modernisation process. One outcome was a greater Tell us about the clubs you joined Why did you choose the course you emphasis on the portfolio of historic properties to I played football and cricket, and the odd game of studied? engage the general public and overseas visitors I was always going to read history. The course rugby too. I was captain of the football club and with the historic environment of England as well offered a really interesting choice of modules from first eleven in my final year, and during my time at as generating income at a time when government both Ancient Greek and Roman cultures and on a Royal Holloway the club enjoyed a huge amount funding was flat-lined. variety of different themes. In addition I was able of success, being comfortably the pre-eminent to throw in a couple of modules on management London college across a number of divisions. In support of this a very significant investment and accounting to provide something of more Winning the ULU Cup at Motspur Park in 1993 and strategy and programme was development by general relevance. At the same time, I knew the the celebrations afterwards were fond memories. me, in a newly-created role of Head of Property department I was attached to had strong academic We had a great team that year, the best I’ve played Development, to see that our visitor attractions credentials. with. business was able to maximise its potential and, ultimately, become self-financing. The capital What was life like at Royal Holloway? What is the most important thing that investment programme was so successful that it I had a fabulous time. It had a real intimacy about Royal Holloway taught you? was expanded from 2005, and the post upgraded it, and a friendliness that I know from friends who The importance of being social. As the transition to a Director-level position. Shortly after the studied elsewhere (and at other London colleges) is from school to ‘real life’ I think it’s a time when you capital development and property management not matched at many other universities. The social see individuals really grow into themselves, become functions were merged into a single post of Historic adults and where real, lasting friendships are made. Properties Director, which is what I do now. people with passion I think it’s a time when you see individuals really grow ‘‘ into themselves What do you do now in your everyday job? What exciting projects have you been to be done in a way which complies with the I’m responsible for almost every aspect of the working on? planning system, takes account of the myriad management of our historic properties portfolio: Recently I’ve been involved in building a new stakeholder interests and views and, importantly,’’ visitor services, membership sales, retail, catering, visitor centre at Stonehenge. The visitor facilities balances the commercial imperative with the hospitality, filming, concerts, re-enactment and there were once labelled ‘a national disgrace’. significance and dignity of the sites themselves. It other events, maintenance and conservation or We have a programme of improvements planned is a challenge, but a very stimulating one – there capital projects. which stands a really good chance of delivering is no formula, the answer is different from site to Being a senior manager does, of course, mean something commensurate with such an iconic site, site, project to project, but by and large I think we enduring my fair share of meetings – monitoring of international significance. If all goes according get the balance right. the performance of the business, developing to plan the £27.5m scheme will be completed in Have you been back to the College since projects and new initiatives and setting strategy. late 2013. graduating eg alumni events? Often they take place at some of the most A year after I graduated we set up the Royal spectacular historic sites in the country – at What challenges have you come across in Holloway Old Boys Football Club, using the college Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, Dover Castle in Kent, your role? The properties that I’m responsible for constitute sports facilities for home games. Having returned Pendennis Castle in Cornwall or at Housesteads a precious collection comprising some of the most more recently for a wedding in 2007, what most Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall. significant parts of England’s built heritage. That’s struck me was the amount of development that A major part of the job is visiting the sites, from why they are managed by an NDPB, and with that has taken place and how much the campus the tip of Cornwall to Berwick-upon-Tweed. This comes opportunity, but also responsibility. seems to have grown. It’s great to see the college is where we deliver most of our products and The key challenge is in managing ‘change’ at these investing so heavily in this. services, so it’s really important to get out and sites – investing in maintenance of the historic about, talk to staff, see what’s working and where fabric and the development of visitor experiences, we can improve and ensure that we’re delivering activities and facilities, to try and increase access the standards of service and experience that we and reduce the public subsidy. However, this has aspire to. For more Alumni Profiles visit: www.rhul.ac.uk/alumni/profiles/ Royal Holloway, University of London Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX T: 01784 434455 06/11 5704 www.rhul.ac.uk.

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