Prologue

1972-1995

When Charnwood Borough was created I was the IT guy serving planners, highways, education and social services at Bedfordshire County Council. It was an exciting time for me and for local government too. Councils were undergoing reorganisation across the country.

In 1974 I moved to the IT department at Loughborough. Raising a family and developing a career at the university took precedence and I joined Labour Party. I also discovered the Co-operative College was just up the road at Stanford Hall.

A local government officer in Bedford.
Governor of Shelthorpe School with Headteacher, Wally Humphrey.
Proposed trees on Shelthorpe Road for which Charnwood won an award.
Director of Leicester Co-operative Society Ltd 1977-1982
Delegate to the International Co-operative Alliance Congress in Moscow 1980.

Elected to Charnwood 1990

At a time when there were riots against the Poll Tax and growing problems for the town, a council by-election was called.

I thought I would “give it a go” until elections the next year.

I started a regular Newsletter and organised a community trip to our Water Treatment Works, a public service we take for granted.

Loughborough’s first ‘Residents Preference Parking Zone’ in Southfields Ward, at that time to reduce shoppers parking in residential streets.

I entered local elections enthusiastically -

anywhere where I wasn’t expected to win.

● I was elected to Charnwood in March 1990 in a by-election for Southfields Ward, taking it from the Conservatives.

● Re-elected for Southfields Ward ithe following year.

● Established the town's first reserved parking zone for residents.

Elected for Garendon Ward in 1995 with a Labour majority for the first time.

University

Stanford Hall

Shelthorpe School

Next: Loughborough: and a sense of place

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