Our Team
Our Team
The Hop Pole Inn : saved from private development by the people, for the people
The 'Save the Hop Pole' Management Team is made up of the following people.
Simon Coombe – Chair
After pulling pints at the Hop Pole as an impoverished Oxford student, Simon moved to London where he embarked on a career in investment banking. After living in Paris, Zurich, Singapore and Tokyo, he relocated back to Limpley Stoke twenty years ago with his wife, Heather, and their four children. As a Chartered Director and with an MBA from INSEAD, he then became a consultant and advised SMEs on strategy, financing and governance. He is the former Chair of Dorothy House Hospice Care, and the Limpley Stoke Parish Council and is currently the Chair of LiFERAFT, the local COVID support organization, and FLiSCA, the charity that runs the local community shop and café. He enjoys jogging, cycling, hiking, tennis and squash and is in the process of completing his third Wessex crime noir novel.
Sally Humpston – Company Secretary
Sally is a solicitor, working for 40 years plus in the Bath area, but with a spell in Botswana in the mid-1980s. She is now working towards retirement and is a hands-on grandparent, a job shared with husband Nick. Sally has been on the Parish Council and was Chair of Governors at Freshford School when it was being redeveloped. She volunteers as a mentor for young people. She enjoys outdoor life (especially if horses are involved), languages and is trying to learn to knit.
Lucy Poloniecka - Treasurer
Lucy bought her house in Limpley Stoke with her late husband 40 years ago after enjoying lunch in the Hop Pole garden. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Lucy held senior financial roles in a major chemicals company before moving to an investment bank as Managing Director responsible for HR Operations in UK and most of mainland Europe. Since retiring from full-time work, Lucy has volunteered with Citizens Advice, managed the administration of several small companies, women’s and charity groups and continued to develop her practice as a textile artist. She loves being part of the Limpley Stoke community and is proud to have been elected to the Limpley Stoke Parish Council in 2021.
James Sibson
James returned to the southwest from Manchester with his wife Jess and two sons in 2014. He works as an Architect specialising in the Historic Environment and came to Bath to take a leading role in Conservation at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. His work locally includes the care of Bath Abbey and extends to major development projects across the UK and Ireland where historic buildings are concerned. Beyond Architecture, James is the Producer for TEDxBath, a hugely rewarding role that brings people together to share their ideas and experiences with those in the wider Bath community. He enjoys the challenge of a building project and sees the time spent on site as an opportunity to share creative ideas and be productive.
Tim Tuckey
Following a gap year Tim joined the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer and left after 13 years. He saw a lot of the sea a little of the world and managed to avoid getting shot at. He always wanted to be a pilot so trained for a year and finally retired 21 years later having flown three different aircraft types, mostly around Europe and mostly at odd times of the day and night.
Tim's hobbies are running slowly, playing golf badly, pottery, sailing, walking and playing the drums in the village band. He was chairman of the village fete committee for 12 years and helped to organise the prescription/medicine deliveries to fellow villagers during the pandemic.
Jessica Lloyd-Smith - Marketing Consultant
Jess moved to Limpley Stoke in October 2013 with her husband Adam. Jess runs an online art gallery and consultancy often running Open House exhibitions from her home in the village. Before setting up that business, Jess worked in marketing specialising in Financial Services, specifically the derivatives trading sector in the City for a long time followed by a number of years in the wealth management sector. Whilst Jess is not a member of the LSCBS board or management team, she is excited to be able to bring her marketing and comms skills to the Hop Pole project.
