New Committee members season 2025-2026
Rowena Marion Sinclair – Vice Chairman
Member since 2023, resident of Torrox Pueblo
My appreciation of Art and design developed through studying Art and History of Architecture at Advanced Level and continued during my Pre Diploma Art Course after leaving school.
At University I concntrated on the Social Sciences and thereafter worked as a Town and Country planner, where my work was focused on preserving the environments and traditional buildings in rural Oxfordshire.
Latterly I worked as a Support for Learning Teacher in Dundee before retiring in 2018.
Bob Coulter – treasurer
I am the product of a Canadian soldier and an English airforce WAAF, born in Ashford, Kent, England a few years after the 2nd WW.
My parents moved to Canada when I was 6 years old, and I grew up in a small rural town in the Canadian prairie province of Manitoba.
I graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a major in economics and a minor in Art History. I later obtained an accreditation with the Appraisal Institute of Canada.
My career was in the real estate sector. I worked as a real estate appraiser in both the private and public sectors. I was the supervisor of appraisal for the City of Winnipeg and a Manager of Real Estate for the Canadian Federal Government. I was the treasurer for our local parish of the Anglican church.
My interest in the arts date back to the art and architecture courses I took in university. I enjoy travelling, visiting art galleries and exploring communities where artists lived. I also enjoy creating my own art.
Laurie Bidwell
I have been a resident living in Torrox Pueblo since 2019. In 2017 I stood down after ten years as an elected Councillor on Dundee City Council in Scotland. This included five years as an ex-officio Board member of Dundee Contemporary Arts.
My period as a Councillor overlapped with retirement from the University of Dundee as Senior Lecturer in Community Education.
Philine Nau
Philine Nau is an independent Mediator, Coach and also trains teams in conflict resolution. She works with international organisations as well as individual clients and is also an internal Mediator for the OECD in Paris.
She has spent her career working for international organisations and NGOs in conflict resolution and programme management. A fully qualified lawyer by background she speaks German (native), English, French and Spanish. www.philinenau.com
Lindsay Rafter – Programme secretary
I have a B.Ed from Leeds University and M.Ed from Manchester Met University l have taught for 40 years across the age range 5 to 18. In my later career I worked with children in Public Care Nationally and Local Authority, in an advisory and advocacy role for the education of children in care.I worked in a mixed team of professionals mediating with schools, local authorities ,children’s homes ,secure units and care providers.I retired this from in 2014.
I have always been interested in the Arts since doing a course on the History of Civilisation at school. I was a member of the Arts Society when I lived in Britain and was so pleased to find Nerja had an Arts Society when I moved to Spain. I have been a Program Secretary for Nerja Arts Society in the past and have been a volunteer helper for several years. Many of you will have seen me on the ticket desk at our monthly lectures.
I like working in a team and have enjoyed liaising with other Arts Society groups about well received lectures and lecturers.I look forward to serving the Society in the coming season.
Wendy Horn – Programme Secretary
After a first degree in Architecture, I changed to reading Archaeology, and subsequently gained a postgraduate degree in Museology.
I have worked as a Field Archaeologist and as a Museum based Curator on many types of Human Cultural Collections.
Helen recruited me as her first Programme Secretary at the beginning of her Chairmanship.
From the start teamwork has been the key, especially with Helen’s previous Program Secretary experience as we choose the Lecturers jointly with the Costs del Sol Society. Lindsay Rafter joined me in 2016 and soon became the principal Prog. Sec in Nerja’s very successful and enjoyable Programme Team.
Alongside Lindsay, I look forward to “Team Ginger” having the opportunity to help produce high quality, entertaining and educational lectures in the next few years.
Olga Lundberg (proposed and accepted at the AGM in March)
a member since 2023. After retiring, I now spend the winters in Las Lomas de Frigiliana. I lived and worked in Sweden as a doctor for almost 40 years, with several medical specialties. I was born in southern Russia to Ukrainian parents. As a child, I played the piano. I spent over ten years in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where I studied medicine and developed a deep love for classical music, opera, ballet, art and architecture.
After emigrating to Sweden in 1986, I also developed a strong interest in history, philosophy, and psychology, which I studied in evening classes at the University of Gothenburg. I have always had a deep love for literature. I am eager to continue exploring all fields of the humanities and the arts, as well as Andalusian and Spanish culture — something I pursue passionately by supporting The Art Society, which I truly love.
Cristina de la Roca (proposed and accepted at the AGM in March)
I’ m spanish, pre-retired, resident of Nerja since 2023 after having worked 28 years in Biarritz ( France) as doctor specialist in dentistry. I’ve always had a big attraction to Art in all its manifestations. I speak Spanish, French, English and a little German.
Lindsay Ebner 1st auditor (was proposed and accepted at the AGM in March)
I am currently Managing Director of my company (28 years), Chairman and shareholder of Strategic Integration *trading as Openbrolly, (25 years), and Non Executive Director of LET+ Spain (3 years).
My career during the period 1970-1997 has been primarily in business management commencing as business analyst with Philips Industries and progressing in manager/director appointments with The Bonar Group, Ernst Young, Bankers Trust, Deloitte Haskins & Sells and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Since the formation of my own company (1997) I have worked in business audit; change management; strategic planning with companies including BASF, Scottish Government, UK Home Office, Financial Conduct Authority and Scottish Water.
In addition I held the position of Trustee and Board Director of Scottish Autism 2012-2016.
I am married with 2 children and 1 granddaughter. I am a Spanish resident in Caleta de Velez. I spend 3 months each year at our family home in Edinburgh.
Ian James 2nd auditor
Chartered IT Professional (CITP);
Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS); Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS).
Ian James has more than 40 years’ experience in Management and Information Systems, covering every aspect from operations to strategy, and from technical, through programme, to corporate and commercial management, in user, IT service and government environments. He acted as programme adviser and auditor to a range of programmes across the UK government in his role as a Principal Consultant with the Strategic Assignments Consultancy Service (SACS) of the OGC.
