No more work in 2020

We had our final Council meeting of the year on Wednesday 16 December, so I am counting that as my last working day, although of course there will be the usual tasks like cooking, washing, cleaning - but mixed in with eating, drinking and communicating with good friends and family.
The meeting opened with Citizenship Awards to several people and organisations who have made a significant impact on life in Todmorden. Normally, these are made at the Mayor-making, at the beginning of the Council year in May, but of course we were in lockdown by then and it is is likely to be many months before we are allowed into the Town Hall for this or any other event. It was a particular pleasure because one of the awards was to the Townley-Mattock family, longterm personal friends of Mick, longterm movers and shakers in the town who have now withdrawn from their public roles as Glen Mattock is terminally ill. The whole family participated in the award which has been recorded on Zoom.
Most of the agenda was non-contentious apart from the proposal for next year's Council Tax. The Lib Dem group, to a person, has no desire to oppose what the Labour group are proposing: we wouldn't have done it that way, but we believe we should have been included in the discussions that led up to it. The numbers on the Council are Lab 9, Lib Dem 7, Ind 2, so it seems inappropriate for Labour to act as if they have the kind of thumping majority they have in some cities. So we abstained. We didn't make a fuss, our Leader (Mick) explained why we were abstaining and then we did so. Other than that, everything was positive.
Usually after major Council events, there is a small reception in the Mayor's Parlour, to which Councillors, officers (and partners) are invited. We have had none of those this year, so I plotted with the officers to get a bottle of sherry and a box of mince pies delivered to every Councillor (and to the officers!) with instructions to be ready to raise a glass at the end of the Council meeting. They all did so, and we kept the meeting going informally for another half hour or so. Good for solidarity and for reminding people that we are all people, not just political symbols.

Mayor's Christmas Message 2020

This will be shared with people during the Christmas Service at Todmorden Parish Church (St Mary's) and will be posted on the Council website.

2020: a year to remember - or perhaps a year to forget. A year in which millions of people throughout the world found themselves facing the fact that our world is very fragile and that there will be no future for the human race unless we work together to build that future.

This has been a very difficult year for so many people, with the natural disasters such as flooding: the way our normal lives, work, schooling, travel and so on has been turned upside down by the covid pandemic, which has brought death or disablement to many of our fellow citizens: and, of course, coping with the economic dislocation that Brexit is bringing. It is not surprising that people are losing hope for the future.

I was born shortly after the second world war ended. Although, in my earliest years, life was often difficult, there was an underlying sense of hope. The country had survived a terrible past and was building for the future, and people were building it together.

During 2020, I have been very much encouraged by the people and organisations here in Todmorden who have been working hard to make the lives of other people better, to give them advice, support and practical help to get them through their bad experiences and rebuild their lives.

Earlier this week, at the Town Council meeting, I had great pleasure, as Mayor, in giving Citizenship Awards to several people and organisations who have transformed life here in Todmorden. I have also been issuing Certificates of Recognition to those who have gone the extra mile and made a difference to others during the pandemic. If there is anyone, or any organisation, that you would like to nominate, please let me know. It is a way of saying thank you on behalf of the community.

So, to the future: I hope that you all enjoy this season of Christmas and have a chance to speak to those you love even if you cannot meet. I hope that the New Year, 2021, will be a year of recovery, progress and peace on earth.