The Mayor’s Blog
FROM THE MAYOR’S PARLOUR
WHEN I retired after 60 years in journalism the last thing on my mind was becoming a councillor again.
Locals will recall that I served for one term back in the 1980s and became the town’s youngest mayor at the age of 34, a dubious record I hold to this day. I certainly never had any intention of becoming the town’s oldest mayor as well (I’ve just celebrated my 76th birthday).
Also, I was acutely aware that I had been one of the council’s severest critics, regularly lambasting them in my Lyme Matters column in LymeOnline when factions of our elected representatives were knocking lumps off each other in the Guildhall.
Out of favour sitting on the press bench
There were occasions when I considered the council not to be fit for purpose and that the people of Lyme deserved better. As you can imagine, I was not flavour of the month (several months in fact).
Indifferent health persuaded me it was time to put away my notebook and bring my long career, which had taken me much further than my background intended, to a close. Unfortunately, that also meant closing down LymeOnline, which broke my heart and that of my daughter Francesca, who did such wonderful job as editor. Not a day passes when we are told how much the town misses it.
I have to admit I found retirement very difficult. Sixty years in the same industry is a long time. News has dominated my whole life from the age of 16 and not being in the mix developed into a sense of worthlessness. But with the help of my longsuffering wife, Jackie, I snapped out of feeling sorry for myself and started thinking how best I could serve the town that I love.
Kicking my heels every day
My long involvement with the Football Club, the Royal British Legion and the Lyme branch of Cancer Research provided me with a focus but I still found myself kicking my heels for most of the day.
A chance meeting with a couple of councillors reminded me that there was a vacancy on the town council which would have been filled by co-option. “Why don’t you put your name forward?” they suggested. I immediately rejected the idea, pointing out that co-opted members were chosen by councillors and I stood no chance, having upset most of them in print at one time or another.
But the more I thought about it, the more I thought “why not?” But first I had to ask Jackie, fully expecting her to say “not again”. But I think she was fed up of me moping around the house and said “go for it!”
My eldest daughter Zoe, who lives in Ireland, told her sister: “He’ll be mayor within a year!”
I was surprised when Cllr David Ruffle asked me to become his deputy. Two councillors asked if I would stand but I declined because I had promised David I would support him. Strangely, the two councillors who asked me to be mayor did not vote for me becoming deputy mayor!
David kindly asked me to attend most of the events to which he was invited and I thought we made a good team, both determined to promote all the good work the council does. Then came the bombshell that David stood down as mayor and resigned from the council for “personal reasons”.
I was then elected to take over as First Citizen with all but one councillor voting for me. So my daughter Zoe was right.
And here I am, sat in the Mayor’s Parlour, surrounded by the portraits of past mayors, wondering how the hell did I get here, 40 years after I last wore the mayoral chains.
In my next blog I will explain how I’m going all out to help the council win back the town’s respect.
PS: Many thanks for the 200 messages of congratulations and support received since being elected Mayor. I will do my best not to let you down.