Civic trust chief to receive his MBE

Peter Brown was named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for his heritage work, which dates back nearly three decades. He will be at Buckingham Palace today for the ceremony.

Mr Brown came to York in the early 1980s to set up Fairfax House as an 18th century house museum restored by the civic trust and opened to the public.

He said: “I had intended staying at Fairfax House for only two years.

“But York and Fairfax House are both very seductive. It is a great place to live and work.”

Mr Brown has written eight books and been curator at 25 exhibitions, and lectured in the USA, Holland and Germany.

Born in Corby, Mr Brown studied at Sheffield and Leeds universities. He joined the National Trust in Yorkshire and was appointed the director of Fairfax House in 1984. He became the civic trust’s director last year.

His wife Jude is a musician based in York and they have two children, Simon and Stella.

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