Mayor succeeds his wife (From Cotswold Journal)

Mayor succeeds his wife

10:25am Tuesday 22nd May 2007

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Shipston's new Mayor, Cllr Alan Noyce, created a little bit of history by becoming the first ever Mayor to succeed their partner when he was inaugurated last Monday, May 14.

Following in someone's footsteps is always harder when you know them, and Cllr Noyce accepts that it will be hard to live up to the expectations placed on him since his wife held the position twice before.

He said: "I hope to make the people of Shipston as proud as I was made to feel when I was elected Mayor.

"It is a little strange to follow my wife into the role, however I feel becoming Mayor is a duty for any councillor, it is the highest accolade a town can bestow on an individual, and I am looking forward to trying to improve Shipston in any way I can."

So despite an odd sense of deja-vu, for the rest of the town council it is just business as usual.

Nigel Kaye, a new councillor in Shipston and standing as the next deputy Mayor himself, said: "This is an odd occurance, but as a matter of fact, former Mayor Penny White was actually Mayor of Shipston three times."

Cllr Noyce is already aware of some of the most pressing issues in Shipston, due to his time as deputy Mayor. He said: "I believe I should look at the dispute over the area of land donated near the rugby club, and the nursery which is there now, as well as the possibility of introducing a business park.

"I feel small businesses are struggling in Shipston and what with the town's main employer IMI Norgren closing, a business park might be a good way to get more businesses to move into the area and increase the town's workforce."

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