Bill is in every part of the fabric of The Bricklayers Arms, the pub he took over with his wife Dawn in February 2008. A huge character in the Crowborough community, it was said of Bill that he never suffered fools gladly. A huge, mischievous sense of humour and fun, Bill would often get right into the swing of any theme night the pub hosted. 

One, now legendary, night also included, perhaps questionably, the wearing of a pair of over-snug gold hot pants and you may be unlucky enough to glimpse the photographic evidence when next in the pub.

In September 2023, Bill suffered a cardiac arrest and we tragically lost him. 

Dawn has since been building on Bill’s lagacy with The Bill Stephen Memorial Fund which funds and maintains public access defibrillator units in the Crowborough area. Starting with a defibrillator unit based at The Bricklayers Arms, Dawn has gone on to secure funding for 8 more units with the many thousands of pounds raised. Dawn’s hard work raising funds for The Bill Stephen Memorial Fund was recognised by the BBC Make A Difference Awards 2024, winning The Great Neighbour Award.

Dawn is President of The Crowborough Community First Responders - a team of trained volunteers who work in partnership with the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust to attend emergency 999 calls in the area - and has since qualified as a First Responder.