This is the finest honour I could possibly imagine.
These were the words of the new mayor of Lyme Regis, Cllr David Ruffle as he officially took office at the traditional mayor-making ceremony.
Cllr Ruffle was chosen by councillors to be the first mayor of the new council administration, with Cllr Philip Evans as deputy mayor.
At the ceremony in the Guildhall, Cllr Ruffle thanked the outgoing mayor and mayoress, David and Erica Sarson, his partner Cllr Gill Stammers and the mayoress Dolores Hollywood-Plant.
He said: “This is the finest honour I could possibly imagine. It means the world to me and I will endeavour not to let anyone down in any way.”
In a toast to the mayor, read out by Cllr Evans, Cllr Stammers said the mayor was ‘eminently approachable’ and was sure he would take on the role with the ‘same dedication and focus’ that he had given his roles on stage.
Local resident Nigel Ball wrote a poem to toast the town council, with the response from Cllr Caroline Aldridge, who spoke about the balance the council has to strike between residents and visitors.
She said: “We are looking forward to a year when we can do our best to listen and make things better.”
Cllr Michaela Ellis toasted the officers and staff and outlined the many tasks they carried out on a daily basis.
She said: “This town would not run and look like it does without this team of staff and officers.”
Town clerk John Wright responded to the toast and spoke of the ‘association and pride’ staff had in working for the council.
He said: “If you work for this town council, you become part of this community. I am really proud of leading a workforce who want to deliver for this town council.”
Cllr Cheryl Reynolds gave a toast to the town, which she said was a toast to the people of the town, who were ‘all equal and share this beautiful town’.
She said: “It is our responsibility to be the voice for everyone, including the silent majority as well, those who can’t come to council meetings, those who can’t join organisations but still want their voices to be heard. All the people a town can’t be a town without.”
In response, Woodroffe School student AJ Hutchings called Lyme Regis a ‘lovely, inclusive community’.
A young volunteer herself, she encouraged others to get involved and help out in the community.
She said: “There are opportunities for the youth of Lyme. It does take effort and time but it’s very rewarding in many ways.”