FROME’S mayor, councillor Kate Bielby, has thanked local people and colleagues for an ‘amazing’ year as her tenure comes to an end.
Cllr Bielby will stand down next month, when a new mayor will be elected by the town council.
At the annual town meeting earlier this month, she gave a speech on her time in the post.
She said, “Last summer I was in our garden and overheard a neighbour’s little girl ask ‘Mummy, what’s a mayor?’ The reply came, ‘Well, darling – it’s a bit like being the Queen, but just for Frome.’
“I was anxious about accepting the role of mayor as a newly elected councillor, but it has been the most amazing experience, and an opportunity to get to know so much more of our town and so many more people than I would ever have done otherwise.
“I have attended around 100 events in the past ten months. I’ve given a few dozen speeches and handed out too many awards and prizes to count.
“One of the nicest things is being able to formally recognise people’s talents, efforts and achievements. A ‘well done’ from me is all well and good, but a ‘well done’ from the mayor comes from the whole town.
“I’ve learnt a lot about many of our community groups and organisations and the invaluable work they do, and am a convert to the Missing Link cycle route cause.
“I reckon I have been to more performances as mayor than in the previous nine years I’ve lived in Frome, and the standard of supposedly amateur music and drama in this town is extraordinary.
“The performances involving children and young people have particularly stayed with me. Annie at Oakfield School, West Side Story at the Merlin and Peter Pan at the Memorial.
“There are at the moment open pressures to squeeze creativity and arts out of our schools. It seems particularly important, then, that we continue to support our theatres, music groups and those teachers who are doing everything they can to encourage children and young people to participate in experiences that engage and inspire them.
“I had never chaired a public meeting before last May, so imagine my delight when the meeting was filmed and our local Guardian columnist covered it for that weekend’s paper.
“It only took about eight months for me to get into the swing of formal voting procedure and I am very grateful to my fellow councillors and all those who attend for your patience and support. I am grateful also to Paul Wynne, our town clerk, for the gentleness and subtlety with which he has kicked me under the table and dug me in the ribs.”
Cllr Bielby said there had been few low points to her year as mayor, and joked that one was a man reaching out to her on Facebook to tell her she was ‘so very bland.’
Instead of choosing charities to raise money for, the mayor chose to support causes close to her heart – respite for the families of children with disabilities, and low literacy levels in children and adults.
Although not making the progress she would have liked on the former, cllr Bielby and the town council are planning a range of literacy initiatives for people of all ages, to signpost helpful services and help recruit volunteers.
The mayor concluded, “I’d like to thank my husband for his truly valiant support. Pretty much three quarters of the events I’ve attended have meant he has been at home holding the fort. I couldn’t have even thought about doing this without him.
“Thanks also to my daughter Daisy for dealing with the embarrassment and, among other things, proof reading speeches and columns, as well as checking the suitability of my outfit on the way out the door.
“Thank you to Rebecca [Krzyzosiak – Frome Town Council administrator] who has provided me with a huge amount of calm, efficient and very good humoured administrative support.
“Thank you to my deputy mayor, Ali [Barclay], and also to Pippa [Goldfinger – town councillor] and Nick [White – town councillor] who have all stepped into the breach on the few occasions when being a mum has had to take precedence over being a mayor.
“Finally, being the Mayor of Frome has been an incredible honour and a privilege. From the very beginning, people have been accepting, encouraging, supportive and kind. I will always be genuinely and deeply grateful for the opportunity and the experience I’ve had. Thank you.”
