Outgoing Shrewsbury mayor says it has been ‘a great adventure’

Councillor Phil Gillam chaired his last meeting of Shrewsbury Town Council on Monday evening when Councillor Gwen Burgess was sworn in as his replacement.

A new mayor usually takes office each May, but Councillor Gillam’s term was extended when the annual meeting was put off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Councillor Burgess will now also serve for 18 months.

Addressing the council for the final time as mayor, Councillor Gillam joked: “You will be pleased to know I have cut down the five-and-a-half-hour speech that I had prepared.”

He spoke of memorable occasions like the launch of the Shrewsbury Monopoly board and Beatles weekend, cutting the ribbon to open new businesses in the town, celebrating events with the Polish, Muslim and LGBT+ communities, and meeting homeless people being supported by the Shrewsbury Ark.

During his term he has raised more than £13,000 for his chosen charity, the Samaritans, including through a sponsored skydive.

Councillor Gillam said: “It’s a bit of a cliche, but it really has been an honour and a privilege to be mayor of my hometown.

“It has also been a great adventure and I have loved every minute.”

Councillor Pam Moseley gave the vote of thanks to Councillor Gillam, saying: “Councillor Gillam should have completed his term in May but of course life changed for all of us from March and Councillor Gillam agreed to continue as mayor until handing over to Councillor Burgess this month.

“I asked Phil to tell me what the highlights of his mayoral year were, and he said there were just so many it was hard to pick out any.

“But for pure enjoyment, he named the Beatles weekend of September 2019 which he co-organised with Tim King who is sadly no longer with us, which was for lifelong Beatles fan Phil was like two teenge boys in a record shop.

“The flower show which began with a ride in a vintage Rolls Royce from the castle to the Quarry was another wonderful day, and also throwing himself out of an aeroplane for his chosen charity, the local branch of the Samaritans.

“But it wasn’t all about high-profile events, for Phil, as other mayors before him, has been amazed and inspired by meeting all the many volunteers who are involved in great local charities and organisations doing so much for the town and its communtities.

“After an initial busy 11 months or so, Phil and mayoress Carol suddenly had a lot less to do.

“Things did look up during the summer, and there was a flurry of activity including when I saw Phil in the town centre in his chain, walking around visiting shopkeepers who were reopening after the first lockdown.

“Since then Phil has had to hone a whole new skill set of chairing meetings virtually, and he tells me he is grateful to the staff at the town council for helping him learn new tricks.”

Councillor Moseley also thanked outgoing mayoress Carol Gillam, adding: “Not only has she accompanied Phil wherever possible, she has done this while working as a nurse at a Shrewsbury care home, doing 12 hour shifts and with new ways of working which are now necessary. She has been truly wonderful.”

Councillor Kate Halliday said Councillor Gillam had given a real boost to business owners in Coleham when he visited during the February floods. She said: “Phil turned up in his wellies and we waded through the flood water and we went from shop to shop and he offered his thanks, not in his mayoral robes but as a human offering real support.

“Councillor Gillam gave the businesses a real lift on that day and I thank you for that.

“It was then followed by a proper mayoral visit once the waters thankfully went down, which helped to boost the businesses again.

“This in a way is a metaphor for how Councillor Gillam has approached his role as mayor, which is very much being as happy in a high profile visit as in something that might be seen as run-of-the-mill.

“I think he has been a great mayor and a great representative for Shrewsbury Town Council and for the people of Shrewsbury.”