Between 1949 and 1950 he worked in France as a journalist with the Continental Daily Mail, where he is said to have mixed in anarchist and Trotskyite circles. In 1956, the Earl of Antrim invited Brett to join the Northern Ireland Committee of the National Trust, on finding there were no books written to prepare himself for this to this Brett resolved to write the necessary volumes. In 1957 he became the first chairman of the UlsterArchitectural Heritage Society, founded alongside, amongst others Lady Dunleath. Brett served as chairman for ten years and then as President from 1979 until his death. With the National Trust he put his legal skill to use in order to establish a public footpath along the cliffs of the North Coast of Ulster. He also sat on the board of the Irish Architectural Archive in Dublin.
Later life
In 1971, he was appointed to the board of the newly created Northern Ireland Housing Executive. He served as Chairman for five years from 1979, during which time 50,000 dwellings were built. He was asked to compile a list of historic buildings in Jersey in 1975. In 1986, Brett became the first chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, established to encourage investment in Ireland. Brett was also involved in Northern Irish politics, being chairman of the Northern Ireland Labour Party for a time In 1981 he received a CBE, this was followed by a Knighthood in 1990. Brett was married and had three sons, and seven grandchildren. His church memorial is located along those of his family in the ComberChurch of Ireland Parish Church of St. Mary, in Comber, North County Down.
Published works
His volumes, published as C. E. B. Brett included books on the local architecture of the buildings of County Armagh, County Antrim and North County Down. In 1974, the National Trust of Guernsey invited Brett to carry out a similar architectural survey of St Peter Port, Guernsey, to mark European Architectural Heritage year in 1975, resulting in the publication of Buildings in the Town and Parish of St Peter Port. The successful result was repeated for the island of Alderney in 1976, and St Helier, Jersey in 1977. He wrote one satirical volume under the pen name: "Albert Rechts", which was an anagram of his name. He also wrote a volume titled Long Shadows Cast Before , incorporating family history, political commentary and autobiography.
