The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire 2010-2011

The Countess Howe

Elizabeth was born in Dorset in 1955 and her early childhood was spent in Kenya where her father was a forestry commissioner.

Her parents returned to the UK in 1963 and later settled in Buckinghamshire in Ickford.  She went to school in Oxford and then achieved a childhood ambition to become a teacher by taking a teacher training course at Homerton College, Cambridge completing her studies with a BEd degree in Geography and Music. She enjoyed seven rewarding years of teaching before leaving to get married to Frederick Curzon in 1983. After he inherited the title Earl Howe in 1984 they moved to the family home in Penn, Buckinghamshire. The move to Penn gave rise to many varied opportunities to become involved in the county.

Her interest in teaching led to her becoming a governor at Curzon C of E Combined School in Penn Street Village and at Little Missenden C of E Infant School.  After the birth of her four children, Anna, now 23, Flora 20, Lucy 18 and Tom 15, she became a Governor of Godstowe Preparatory School and more recently of Oundle School.  She was briefly a member of the Bucks Schools Organisation Committee until it closed in 2008.  She has found being a school governor immensely rewarding and looks forward to continuing her voluntary work in this area.

Elizabeth has involved herself in many local charitable causes, with a particular emphasis on the work of St John Ambulance of whom she is County President. Her other charities include Action4Youth, The Amersham Festival, Beaconsfield Decorative and Fine Arts society, Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, Action Research, Seeleys House and The Purcell School. The range and diversity of these charities reflect her varied interests.

Elizabeth is a keen sportsman, having been a county hockey player and squash coach and she continues to play tennis. She likes to keep fit and can frequently be seen in the early mornings running along the footpaths of the Penn estate.

Her keen interest in music has led to all four of her children following a musical path at school and university.  One of her greatest pleasures now is to hear them play string quartets together.  Her other interests include theatre, books and travel and concert going.

In 1994 she was honoured to be appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the county. This role has enabled her to meet many people in the county in a variety of situations and given her the chance to see some of the exceptional voluntary work going on in Buckinghamshire. It is a position which she feels privileged to hold.

Despite having been brought up in Buckinghamshire, Elizabeth is acutely aware of how little she knows about the county. She very much looks forward to the opportunity to learn about the many facets of county life, from the Judiciary, to the law enforcement agencies, the statutory bodies and the voluntary sector.  Most of all she looks forward to meeting and thanking many of the unsung heroes amongst the diverse communities of  Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

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