Richard Wood has lived in Hammersmith since 1984.
Richard has over 50 years experience in a diverse variety of businesses. He set up his first interior design company when he was 18 servicing local government offices, NHS Retirement Homes, Hospitals, Central Electricity Generating Board, Schools and local authorities.
In 1966, he joined the Merchant Navy, where he gained significant interest in travelling, having visited 80 countries. In 1968 he joined Investors Overseas Services where he worked with Bernie Cornfeld on Pensions and Investment programmes and latterly was responsible for the Estate Duty portfolio of Percy Shaw, the Inventor of the Cat’s Eyes.
In 1970 he set up WPC Decorators, contracting to all the then leading house builders as well as major companies in the UK including the NHS, Ministry of Defence, BP, British Rail and United Draperies. He soon diversified into timber-framed houses, building several hundred across the UK, and several show homes in Saudi Arabia.
In the mid 1970's his business further diversified into large steel framed buildings employing by this time over 180 staff. Richard left the company in the late 70’s and moved to London where he went into barter trading, importing to America from Bulgaria financial products worth US$ 20 million in total, and in the 1990’s he signed a contract with the Rover Group worth £27m to export Land Rover vehicles to the Far East; both deals have given him the diversity of interests and contacts in overseas markets.
In early 1991 he travelled to Leningrad Russia as part of an Anglo Soviet Trade Delegation where he successfully signed contracts with the USSR Forestry Commission to cut and export timber to the UK. His contacts in Russia are still strong and operable, he also advised George Walker of the Brent Walker Group, Price Waterhouse and other companies on working with and expanding their business in to Russia.
In 1997 he stood as the Referendum Party Parliamentary Candidate for Pontefract working with Sir James Goldsmith. He is also a Freeman of the City of London. In 2014 Richard was selected at the UK Independence Party Hustings, as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hammersmith, London.
