Finding my feet

It's strange but at times people come up to and shake your hand and say "congratulations" or "well done" and you are wondering what they are talking about, before you suddenly realise that they are talking about you being Mayor of Clitheroe.

It's not that I forgot I am mayor or anything it's just that at other times you find yourself wondering about other stuff such as work, the technicalities of my golf swing or will Fergie play Ryan Giggs and Christiano Ronaldo in the Cup Final?

This last week and a bit, has been very busy.

It started off with a trip to Colne to support the Mayor of Pendle's Greek evening. The evening was very enjoyable, with one minor snag - getting roped into the Greek dancing when I was only one of two people on the floor - very embarrassing.

Tuesday saw me out and about as a mere councillor to propose the election of my ward colleague and good friend Mary Robinson as Mayor of Clitheroe.

Mary, a Liberal Democrat councillor was delighted when I told the throng that she would make friends on all sides as she had once won the Sabden Conservatives Bonny Baby competition.

On Saturday I attended the Crossroads coffee morning.

Crossroads are a super organisation and if you get the chance to support them please do.

This week on Monday evening was the first council meeting that I have chaired as mayor.

Luckily the agenda and the meeting was short.

Tuesday saw Sue and I have our official portrait taken and Wednesday found us at an interesting AGM held by the local Scouts.

It was only when I was going through the paperwork for the meeting that I discovered I was Vice President.

There are several honoray Presidentships and Vice-Presidentships that the mayor has – I will let you know what they are as I find them.

The Mayor and Mayoress receive guests at the mayoral lunch 

Enter the mayor

Well it is now official!

I am the Mayor of Clitheroe.

The charities that we are supporting are the local mountain rescue team and epilepsy projects in the area.

Luckily the weather held out for us and the Halberdiers and Town Sergeant didn't get hit by lightning - though in the words of the Duke of Wellington: "It was a damn close run thing."

We have had a fantastic week since including lots of visits from relatives and friends (some from as far away as Washington DC) who all came for the main event.

"Prosperation to the Corporation", the toast taken by all new comers to a Clitheroe Mayor-making, involving drinking a punch made from a secret old recipe was a success with all of those taking it for the first time.

Since then we have carried out our first two engagements, including a visit from French school children to the town hall and and attending the Padiham Mayor-making.

I am promised more pictures of the my Mayor-making day soon and on Wednesday I head to Pendle for a function.

Watch this space....

A few days to go

There are now just a few days to go before Mayor-making.

Various plans are a foot including sorting the seating layout (this seems to be more important to smoe people than others), who will be toasting who, choosing what charities we are going to support and what am I going to say in my speeches.

Monday last saw the annual cockles and mussels feast and for the first time in memory there were no cockles and mussels. Hopefully there will be some next year!!!

At that special meeting of the council we discussed various business including who will be proposing what items on the agenda (yes even that is rehearsed for a meeting like this) and also who will be receiving the Town awards.

Over the weekend I will be writing my speeches and my personal guests for the day will be arriving.

Should be busy at least!

Oh and I am starting to receive my first engagements as Mayor – more on those later!

More about Clitheroe and its Mayor

Clitheroe is an ancient market town nestling in north-east Lancashire, which received its first charter in the 12th Century.
Until 1974 it was a borough in its own right, but under reorganisation of local government it was absorbed into the larger Ribble Valley Borough Council.
However, that was not the end for Clitheroe. It is still retained its civic regalia and became a Town Council, with its own mayor.
This means that Clitheroe has two mayors: the Mayor of Ribble Valley and the Mayor of Clitheroe.
Clitheroe Town Council has ten members who are elected every four years, the next elections are due in 2007.
Once the council has been elected the councillors elect the Town Mayor every year at the annual meeting, which is usually held on the first Tuesday in May. This year (2005) it will be on May 3rd
Since 1974, the practice has usually been that the Mayor has served two years and prior to those two years served one year as deputy and another as deputy the year after completing the two as mayor.
Recent Mayors have included James McGhie, Pat Shepherd, Ian Brown, Denis McWilliam, Howel Jones, Stephen Holt, John McGowan, Alan Yearing, Mary Robinson and the current Mayor, Joan Knight.
Mary Robinson was the first ever female Mayor.
If all goes as planned then I will succeed Joan Knight on May 3rd.

The Deputy Mayoress and Deputy Mayor at last year's Mayor-Making

Introduction from a mayor to be

Hi,

This is my first post

Currently I am not the Mayor of Clitheroe.... I am the Deputy Mayor.

But come the 3rd of May I will be Mayor so the purpose of the blog is to cover my two years in office starting then.

However, I thought it would be useful to cover all the run up too, that is assuming anyone is interested.

Allan