Richard Allan Halford Brooks FRICS
Wistow Hall, Wistow, Leicestershire LE8 0QF
Born 22nd November 1958
Richard Brooks, 53, takes over as the High Sheriff of
Leicestershire on 10th April 2012, a historic position which his
father, Sir Timothy Brooks, held in 1979, as did earlier residents
of the family home at Wistow Hall, such as Sir Henry Halford in
1872, and Richard Halford as long ago as 1622.
Brought up at Wistow, just a few miles south of Leicester,
Richard seemed set to follow his father’s footsteps onto the
family farm when studying at the Royal Agricultural College, but
he was drawn to London in order to qualify as a Chartered Surveyor. That led to an illustrious career
at the head office of Lane Fox from 1980 until 2007, when the firm merged with Strutt & Parker
creating one of the largest independent property advisors in the country. Richard continues as a
partner, and recently moved back to Market Harborough where he heads up a team responsible for
the sale, purchase, rental & valuation of Country Houses and Farms across the East Midlands.
Richard is devoted to Diana, his wife of 26 years, and their 3 children, Charlie, Sabrina and Michael.
Diana runs the award-winning Wistow Maze, which opens each summer with a different theme, and
all the family have played their part in making it a great success story. The farm partnership
continues to manage the diversified rural estate at Wistow, with its historic Hall, farmland and
woods, rental properties and the thriving Wistow Rural Centre with café/bistro, garden centre,
shops and the newly-built art gallery.
The Brooks family has a lengthy involvement in fund-raising at various charitable events in London
and Leicestershire, with Diana establishing the annual Art for Youth exhibition in London which has
now raised over £1m in the last 24 years for UK Youth. Events at Wistow have included the annual
Concert in the Park in co-operation with Wigston Rotary, regularly raising £10,000 - £15,000 per
annum for local charities such as LOROS, Air Ambulance, and Rainbows. In the current year, Richard
has chosen to raise awareness and essential funding for Warning Zone / Crimebeat.
Relaxation is not a word that fits comfortably in Richard’s diary, with spare time given to his family,
sports such as tennis, golf (member of Leicestershire Golf Club) and shooting, and a love of trees.
Diana is equally energetic, and for the next year they intend to discover the good throughout
Leicestershire, speak well of it and celebrate it.
March 2012