Councillor Hugh Ashton

What motivated you to become a councillor?

The idea that I could help make changes for the better in the community where I live.

Background outside the council

A large part of my youth was spent in Stafford. After university I remained in Cambridge working in the tech field, and playing and producing a few records before moving to Japan in 1988 as a technical writer. I continued to live there working as a writer and journalist until 2016, when I returned to the UK (Lichfield) for family reasons with my wife Yoshiko. In my time in Japan I worked with many major international corporations, both Japanese and global, and my writing appeared on a regular basis in Bloomberg Businessweek. I am now effectively retired.

I am an active member of the Cathedral's worshipping community, and am a member of the Enabling Group of Churches Together in Lichfield. I have worked with Places of Welcome since 2018 or so, and have volunteered for many other activities. In 2019/20 I was a semifinalist on BBC's Mastermind.

Hobbies or interests

I write fiction – Sherlock Holmes adventures and others, which have been critically acclaimed. My books are generally available from booksellers.