Robert Drewett has lived in Somerset for the vast majority of his life, with time away only for education and a period of work in London.
His early years were spent in Long Sutton, where his parents farmed, before the family moved to Yeabridge, near South Petherton.
Having read law at New College, Oxford he trained with the firm of Stephenson Harwood in the City of London and remained with them on qualification as a solicitor.
In 1987 he married his wife Celia and they relocated to Blagdon in North Somerset, whilst Robert joined Osborne Clarke in Bristol. He stayed with the firm until 2014 (being a partner from 1991 until 2014) before moving with his team literally across the road to Womble Bond Dickinson. He retired as a partner in 2021 but still acts as Senior Counsel on a part time basis.
After a brief spell renting a cottage on the Tyntesfield Estate after they left Blagdon they purchased their current home, located outside Bishop Sutton, in 1992 and it was there that they brought up their 3 children, all now working elsewhere in the country as an engineer, a land agent and an agronomist respectively.
Robert has been involved with a variety of charities within the county. His most active involvement has been with the Royal Bath & West of England Society, where he started stewarding in 1978. He joined its Council in 1984 and its board in 1995, and was chairman from 2013 until last year, when he stood down. He remains connected to the Society, having been made a Vice President of it on his retirement, and takes great pleasure that all three of his children also now steward at the annual show.
He is also a trustee of the Langford Trust for Animal Health and Welfare and the Wells Cathedral Preservation Trust and previously was a trustee of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Trust, Sight Research UK and chairman of Folly Farm Limited, the trading company of Avon Wildlife Trust.
On a wider stage he is a trustee of Innovation for Agriculture, the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth and the Grateful Society.
He also served for 13 years as Church Warden of St Margaret’s Church, Hinton Blewett.
Robert used his year in office to support the work of the Police, the Judiciary, the Probation Service and the other emergency services. In addition, he connected with charities and other organisations across the County.
He was particularly successful in championing the needs of older people living in the rural community. As the first High Sheriff since 1978 to live in North East Somerset Robert channelled energy into spotlighting charities and other organisations operating in this particular part of the historic county.