New mayor in town
Town councillor Jeff Beck is sworn in as the new mayor of Newbury at a ceremony this morning (Sunday)
NEWBURY has this morning (Sunday) seen the inauguration of the 415th mayor of the town for the next municipal year.
A special mayor-making ceremony was held in the Corn Exchange earlier for the incoming mayor, Conservative town councillor Jeff Beck (Clay Hill).
Outgoing mayor Dr Ian Grose (Lib Dem, Northcroft) welcomed Mr Beck to the post and stepped down from serving the town council altogether after eight years as a councillor, three years as leader of the council, one year as deputy mayor and one year as mayor.
He thanked his family and fellow councillors for their support and said one of his highlights as mayor was “working with the young people of our area.”
As a teacher himself, at Kennet School, Thatcham, Mr Grose took the opportunity in his speech to praise the schools and teachers of Newbury, as well as the local churches.
He also touched on what had been a particularly difficult time for members of the town council after one councillor, Gina Houghton, a Liberal Democrat who had served the Northcroft ward, died in July last year and said: “The nature of her death left us all in shock.”
Before Mr Beck was announced as the new mayor, a representative of the West Berkshire Indian Society, a group in its second year of existence in Newbury, presented a cheque for £350 to the Mayor's Benevolent Fund, money that had been raised through coffee mornings.
Newbury's Methodist minister, the Rev. Maree Ferrimond, who this week featured in this website's sister newspaper, the Newbury Weekly News, urged audience members and local dignitaries in the Corn Exchange to join in her “Good day, Newbury” campaign by smiling and saying hello to people they pass on the street.
Town councillor Julian Swift-Hook (Lib Dem, Pyle Hill) then praised Mr Grose for his service and for nominating the West Berkshire Mencap charity and its “army of volunteers” for the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, before councillor Adrian Edwards (Con, Falkland) formally proposed Mr Beck, who came to Newbury in 1970, be made mayor of the town.
“Jeff has been town councillor for seven years representing Clay Hill, before then, he was helping local residents in a number of ways: on the Clay Hill Resident's Association, the local neighbourhood action group and even helping to clear rubbish out of the River Lambourn,” said Mr Edwards, adding: “He has been very successful as the Conservative group leader (of the town council) for the past year.”
After donning the mayoral robe, Mr Beck said: “I will do my utmost to uphold the confidence you have placed in me as the 415th mayor.”
He added that he would strive to ensure that the opening of Newbury's new shopping complex, Parkway, would go smoothly later this year and said he looked forward to the changes that the Localism Bill, currently going through Parliament, might bring with it if it comes into effect next spring by way of giving local councillors greater responsibility.
Mr Beck thanked his wife Alma and son Rodger and the Newbury town band, Watership Brass, for its performance throughout the ceremony.
Councillor Arthur Johnson (Lib Dem, Pyle Hill), who has served the town council for the past eight years, was selected as the new deputy mayor.
He said his weekend had been made not only because of his new role, but because his favourite football team, the Wolverhampton Wanderers, beat Sunderland 3-1 yesterday.
The ceremony was followed by a civic service in St Nicolas' Church, Newbury.
