User:Albericcolne

Paul Whight

paul was born in 1951 in Barking Essex. After being schooled in both Australia and New Zealand he returned to England in 1965 and left school at 16 years old.

He worked his way through construction, architecture and property development and eventually founded his own business (Grantchester) in 1989. That company was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and became one of the largest developers and owners of retail parks in the uk.

In 1999 Paul founded Pradera as a pan European property fund manager, based in Luxembourg. Pradera grew to having 8 offices across Europe and had gross assets under management of around 2.5bn.

Paul sold Pradera in 2015.

His main pastime from the early ‘90s onwards was motor racing, in which he competed all over Europe and parts of the USA. He was a regular podium finisher and occasional winner in series such as Spanish GT, British GT, Group C, Britcar, LMES, FIA GT and club racing. In 2006 his own team, Lotus Sport Cadena, won the British GT3 championship with both himself and his son Barrie driving.

In 2007 Paul bought the historically significant Manor House ‘Colne Priory’ In Earls Colne and undertook extensive research into the physical form of the former Benedictine Monastery that once stood on the lands associated with the house. This research included excavations for the TV program Time Team.