Temperature 12°c (54°f)
Clouds are
Few Scattered
Humidity 93%
Mayor of Bridgwater
Councillor Graham Granter
Graham Granter became the Mayor of Bridgwater on 16th May 2008.
Graham Granter
Born 3rd January 1945, Bridgwater, Somerset.
Educated
Westover School, Bridgwater.
Employment History
British Cellophane for 25 years.
After leaving went to Spain to live for a couple of years,
Returning to Bridgwater as the landlord of the Mansion House in High Street, Bridgwater.
Domestic Situation
Married to my dear wife Kay for 42 years blessed with three children and seven grandchildren which includes one set of twins.
Interests
Sports ...Football, Cricket, Golf. Enjoy watching my two grandsons playing football.
Member of management committee for Sydenham Community Centre, friends of Blake Museum, Sydenham and Bower Flower Show... British Red Cross as a fund raiser helping the schools and sunshine orphanage Luxor Egypt by taking clothes, pens, books and any thing else we can source.
Also keen interest in Bridgwater Carnival and everything else relating to the town of Bridgwater.
Politics
Labour Town Councillor for 4 years,
Labour District Councillor at Sedgemoor District Council, for the same period,
Deputy Mayor 2007-2008.
Mayoress Mrs Kay Granter
details to follow!
Deputy Mayor Councillor Ken Richards
The Deputy Mayor is Bridgwater born and bred and has lived in Victoria Road since 1962. In that time he has raised four sons with his wife Margo and is the proud grandfather of four grandsons and a granddaughter.
Ken has been a Sedgemoor District Councillor for the Victoria Ward since 1979, and a Town Councillor since its creation in 2003. He was an active member of the TGWU for more than 40 years.
He believes that family values and community spirit are the key for a high quality of life and as a consequence he has worked tirelessly to ensure that Victoria has gained a fair share of funds that have been available over the years. Projects that Ken has been involved with have included the refurbishment and maintenance of St Georges Hall, and the attraction of the new community facilities at the Victoria Centre adjoining Victoria Park, including a doctors surgery
Ken has always made himself available to handle and assist his ward electorate in dealing with problems, and is always aware that the people that encounter difficulties are those most in need.
Ken always says 'I am never happier than when I am helping and supporting my constituents and I will continue to represent those people in the ward with 100% commitment.
I am always keen to ensure that the most vulnerable people are given the attention they need and that people both young and old are allowed to thrive and enjoy life in the community.
Victoria has gone through major change in the last few years and with those changes new challenges present themselves. I love facing those challenges and resolving them to the advantage of us all.
Ken is a four times past Mayor of Bridgwater - 1981, 1987, 1991 and 2001.
About Ex-Mayor Philip Smeed
Philip Smeed
Born 15th October 1939, Maidstone Kent.
Educated
Sutton Valence public school, Kent.
Newport High School, Monmouthshire
Imperial College, Royal School of Mines, London,
Open University.
Employment History
Graduate trainee, Ford Motor Company.
Police, Bristol Constabulary, Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
Retired 1991, with rank of Superintendent, having served in most departments.
Domestic Situation
Married for 42 years with three children and four grandchildren.
Resident in Bridgwater for past 30 years.
Interests
Sports ...Rugby and Cricket
Rotary, member of the Sedgemoor Club. Holder of two "Paul Harris" awards, given by own Club and another by the Homberg/Efze Germany, Rotary Club, for services to Rotary.
Chairman of Bridgwater and District Civic Society.
Long standing patron to Bridgwater Carnival.
For many years involved in international twinning activities, within Sedgemoor.
Founder member and served as Chairman for 10 years of the Bridgwater/Homberg Link Society.
Subscribing vice-president of Bridgwater Cricket Club,
Committee member of Two Town Talker, talking tapes for the blind.
Politics
Conservative Bridgwater Town Councillor since 2003.
Past member of Sedgemoor District Council from 2003-2007 representing Quantock Ward.
Town Mayor, 2007-2008.
About Ex-Mayoress Ute Smeed
Personal Details
German born, married to Philip, has lived in Bridgwater for 30 years, 3 children, also married, 4 grandchildren to date.
Profession
Teacher of Languages, Head of Languages Department for many years, now retired.
Interests
For the Mayoral year sole interests: Bridgwater and its positive development. Passionate about making people believe in Bridgwater, to live here, shop here and work together at improving it. Make people fight for their inheritance in this great town.
Further interests
Administrator of the Sedgemoor/Schwalm-Eder-Kreis-Twinning Society. This being Sedgemoor’s only Twinning with another District abroad. Active member of the Inner Wheel Club of Sedgemoor (President twice), founder member of the Bridgwater-Homberg-Link-Society, enthusiastic member of the Arts Centre.
Hobbies
Photography, literature, travel, languages and of course being a grandmother.
Town Clerk (& Responsible Financial Officer)
Alan Hurford
Town Clerk (Associate Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and Member of Society of Local Council Clerks).
Appointed Town Clerk to Bridgwater Town Council in November 2003 following creation of Town Council and first elections held in May that year.
Previously Head of Corporate Policy with North Somerset Council (a unitary authority of some 190,000 pop.) member of Management Team with wide-ranging portfolio and responsibility for management of Chief Executive's Unit and Town Hall services including Press and PR, Research and Information, Community Safety Partnership, Youth Offending Team, Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, relationships with voluntary sector and Town and Parish Councils, and special projects.
Began local government career with Bridgwater Borough Council before moving on to Weston-super-Mare Borough Council and Woodspring District Council in a variety of positions before the establishment of North Somerset in 1996.
Born in Bridgwater educated at Spaxton VC Junior School and Dr Morgan's Grammar School and Taunton Technical College. Married to Pamela for 37 years with two sons and three grandchildren.
A resident of Bridgwater active in local community with wide-ranging interests which include Directorship of Somerset Football Association Ltd with special responsibility for marketing and new HQ project, Chairman of Bridgwater Town (1984) Football Club with teams in the British Gas Business Football League and Somerset County League and at Under 18 level and former Captain of Enmore Park Golf Club.
Also Clerk to Westonzoyland Parish Council.
Telephone - 01278 435299
Mobile - 07776216670
Email - townclerk@bridgwatertowncouncil.gov.uk
Mace Bearer
Chris Hocking
Born in Bridgwater and educated at St Margaret's School and Dr Morgan's School before finishing education at Taunton School.
Career began with Natwest Bank in Taunton followed by seven years with Bridgwater Building Society. Appointed as Advertising & PR Manager for Chelsea Building Society, based in Cheltenham, before returning to Bridgwater in 1984. For 12 years ran his own advertising and print company before joining Bridgwater College as Carnival Placement Co-ordinator, (a post he still holds). Establishing and organising courses for people involved in carnivals throughout Somerset, parts of Devon, Dorset & Wilts.
Involved with Bridgwater Carnival for 40 years, initially as a member of Marketeer's Carnival Club and now a vice-president of Wills C C. Joined the Bridgwater Carnival committee in 1985 and held the post of Publicity Officer for 19 years before becoming President of the committee and serving the maximum three year term in this role. Now a Director and Trustee of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Ltd, Chris has also compered the annual Carnival Concerts for the last 18 years and currently organises the entertainment in the town during the day of Bridgwater Carnival.
Chris became a professional Toastmaster in 2003 and now officiates at weddings and functions throughout the south-west, and beyond. Other interests include amateur theatre and rugby (as a spectator these days!).
Still living in Bridgwater, he is married to Linda and has two children, two step-children and two grandchildren.
Images Copyright Andy Slocombe