#992, (John) Chippendale (Chips) Lindley KESWICK

Sir Chips was a highly influential merchant banker who rose to be Chairman of Hambros Bank and a director of the Bank of England.  He was knighted in New Year's Honours 1992 for services to the banking industry.  He became a director of Arsenal Football Club in November 2015 and was Chairman (in succession to Peter Hill-Wood #6725) from Jone 2013 until may 2020.  Arsenal published the following tribute

A lifelong supporter, he was a regular at Highbury after first standing in the boys' enclosure in 1949 and listed his early heroes as the Compton brothers and Jimmy Logie but, above all, goalkeeper - and later manager - George Swindin, as young Chips was a budding schoolboy keeper himself.  It was during his successful banking career that he became good friends with our former Chairman, Peter Hill-Wood - a former Vice-Chairman of Hambros - and Peter recognised that his business acumen, common sense and love of the Gunners would make him an ideal board member at Highbury.

He joined the board, along with Lord Harris, on November 24th 2005, and proved himself to be a clear-thinking, popular and influential presence in the boardroom, and when Peter Hill-Wood stepped down as Chairman in June 2013, Sir Chips was the natural choice to take up the prestigious position.  Sir Chips very much lived the values of Arsenal Football Club and guided the club expertly for the subsequent seven seasons, stepping down in May 2020, shortly after he had celebrated his 80th birthday.  During his time as Chairman, he oversaw the club's regular participation in the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup victories of 2017 and 2020 with the latter, fittingly, a successful ending to his very positive association with the club. 

Sir Chips' other great interest was racing.  He won the Novices' Handicap Chase with Present View in 2014 and the Mares' Novices' Hurdle with You wear it well in 2023.  Both were trained by Snowden who said "It's really sad, he was a lovely man and such an integral part of our lives.  We started training for him in 2011 when we first moved to Lambourn and you could not find a nicer gentlman in the world.  He was very kind."   

He was also an Adviser to Banking and Capital Markets, SG Hambros; Director AA plc; Director Anglo American Corporation of South Africa Limited; Director De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited; Director The Edinburgh Investment Trust plc; Director IMI plc and Director Persimmon plc.

A memorial service is to be held at St. Paul's, Knightsbridge on Thursday 30th May 2024 at 12 noon.  (09/05/24)