Godmanchester Town Mayor

 

The Mayor of Godmanchester is Councillor Richard (Dick) Taplin, Dick has served on the Council for 3 years. Cllr Taplin spent 30 years in the Royal Air Force as a logistics officer, followed by 14 years as the Junior Bursar at Downing College, Cambridge, and was also a Proctor for Cambridge University. His wife, Nan, will be joining Cllr Taplin as the Mayoress. Nan and Dick have lived in Godmanchester for 25 years, and have four married sons and 8 grandchildren.

The Mayoral Chain

“That the Bailiffs of old wore robes must be an acknowledged fact”, as Mr Bird wrote in 1912, and he stated that Richard Miles wore a type of robe when he was in office in 1827 at the time the original Chinese Bridge was built. The robe was made out of some heavy black material such as bombazine or camlet, and a trimmed black plush around the collar and sides. There was no Mayor’s robe until Mr Charles Veasey was Mayor in 1883, he presented the first Mayors robe to the Council. The colour of this robe was blue trimmed with fur, but still there was no chain of office to be worn. It entered into the minds of some that an ancient Town like Godmanchester should possess a Mayoral chain, and that it would be a befitting manner to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee. Mr E Tillard was the Mayor in 1896/97 and the affair was put into motion. An appeal was made to those who had passed the chair of office and to the members of the families who their ancestors had officially been connected to the old Borough, and the result was most satisfactory. An order was made for the chain to be made by a London company and it was completed in June 1897.

 

The Mayors Charities 2020/21

I am keen to build on the foundations of my predecessor, Cllr Sarah Conboy, in supporting youth organisations throughout the town, and so the Scouts and Guides continue to be designated as future beneficiaries of the Mayor’s Charity. However, the older generation also requires support, so I will also be raising money for the RAF Association and Royal British Legion. I hope to get positive support for these charities.