Britain\'s oldest conservation body - the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) - has appointed John Bailey as its youngest ever chairman.

John is 38 and an architect with Thomas Ford & Partners of Sydenham in south London. It is a practice that sepcialises in historic building work. Among the buildings John cares for is Minster Abbey in Thanet, Kent.

He has for a long time had an interest in SPAB, running the Kent and Surrey regional group and serving on the Society\'s main committee since 1997.

He says: "The role of chairman is a great honour but also a demanding one. During our 125th anniversary year the Society made great strides in promoting its message of conservative repair and developing its role in training future generations of conservation professionals and craftspersons."

SPAB also have a new vice-chairman in Kenneth Major, a former SPAB Lethaby Scholar. After a career as an architect with Westminster City Council, he is now in private practice. He is recognised internationally as expert of windmills and watermills.