Chris Robinson MBE (b. 1954) is a third generation Plymothian. He attended a variety of schools in Scotland (Arbroath & Paisley) and Australia (Nowra & Tamworth) before attending first Hyde Park School and Plymouth College. Subsequently studying Psychology and Sociology at Leeds University he went on to write a Master’s thesis “Rock Music, Youth Culture and Counter Culture: The Case of the Rolling Stones”, at the University of Warwick in 1976.
On successful completion of the MA two years later, he opened a studio workshop on the Barbican, Plymouth, selling prints of his original drawings. The following year he produced the first Plymouth Calendar.
In February 1982 he began writing his regular Saturday night “Time Draws On” series for the local newspaper, the Evening Herald and still writes for them today; a dozen or so of the more than 40 books he’s written have been produced in serial form for the paper.
The move to the present premises, 34 New Street – one of the oldest commercially run properties in the city – came in 1984 and two years later, having been reviewing films for the local BBC radio station for sometime, he started producing and presenting a weekly regional music and memories programme – As Time Goes By, later moving on to Late Night Sou’ West and the Sunday Late Show. In 2005 he presented his first television series – The Painted Garden – for ITV Westcountry.
Various books and videos – available through the site – have been produced over the last 35 years. Chris lives in Plymouth with his publisher, business partner and wife Clare (who he met at Warwick): they have three grown up offspring, James and Ben, and Chloe, each of whom, along with their partners, work in the creative and cultural industries. Chairman of the Plymouth Barbican Trust, and President of the Old Plymouth Society, he also sits on the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and the Plymouth Astor Trust. Chris was also Chairman of Governors of his old school for many years and in 2020 he was awarded the MBE for services to Education, Heritage, Conservation, Business and Tourism in Plymouth.