Phil's mayor’s role: Part figurehead part Blue Peter presenter
From staging the Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend last year to throwing himself out of an aeroplane for charity, former Shropshire Star journalist Phil Gillam reflects upon his 18-month-long term serving as Mayor of Shrewsbury.
Was he just being nice to me, I wondered, after the unstoppably effervescent Gyles Brandreth had said some lovely things about the speech I’d just given?
But I eventually decided to take the words of this accomplished writer, broadcaster and national treasure at face value – even if the address he gave later that day did knock my little effort into the middle of next week.
Enjoying lunch while sitting next to the charming Gyles at the University Centre Shrewsbury graduation day was just one of dozens of rather surreal situations I encountered during my 18 months serving as the Mayor of Shrewsbury.
From chatting with acclaimed authors and presenting prizes at the Teen Book Awards at Concord College to opening a new burger bar in Shrewsbury town centre, and from attending the 50th anniversary dinner to mark our town’s success in television’s crazy game show It’s A Knockout! to being escorted around urban gardens in a charity fundraiser for a school in Uganda, there was never a dull moment.
In the pre-coronavirus months of 2019 there was the Shrewsbury River Festival, Shrewsbury Carnival, school games at the Sports Village, the Fire & Rescue Service Awards, a Refugees Week art exhibition, the Shropshire Society in London Civic Service, a vintage tractor run, the Shrewsbury Food Festival, welcoming foreign students at Shrewsbury Castle, a scout group’s summer fair, the Samaritans annual general meeting, and a tour of the historic Flaxmill in Ditherington.
And that was just for starters!
As eventful week followed eventful week, it occurred to me that the role of mayor is really made up of at least three parts: you are part ambassador for Shrewsbury, part figurehead of the town council, part Blue Peter presenter.
Along the way, I got to meet and learn about dozens of fantastic local charities and community groups, selfless volunteers and fundraisers, fine organisations and admirable individuals, all of whom help to make Shrewsbury the brilliant town it is.
Today I would like to pay a heartfelt thank-you to you all.
Other highlights included an unforgettable day at the Shrewsbury Flower Show, and other great events in the town’s calendar including the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Shrewsbury Steam Rally, and the Let’s Rock concert in The Quarry.
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On a more sombre note there were of course the annual Battle of Britain commemoration and Remembrance services.
The charity fundraising Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend in September last year – put together with the invaluable help of my dear friend, the late Tim King, was the icing on the cake.
Tim and I were indulging our life-long passion for The Beatles, whilst also raising money for The Samaritans of Shrewsbury, my chosen charity.
And then, this September – in between the lockdowns – I went wildly outside my comfort zone by doing a skydive, plummeting from 10,000 feet above Tilstock Airfield in north Shropshire.
It was a fantastic experience, which again raised more money for The Samaritans.
All in all, being the Mayor of Shrewsbury has been not only a tremendous honour and privilege but also the most wonderful adventure.
That was the 18 months that was
It has been a year like no other. But despite dozens of events having to be cancelled since March of this year due to the coronavirus-induced restrictions, the mayor attended almost 300 engagements across his 18-month-long term. Before the virus arrived, he managed to pack in a busy schedule of appearances and events.
FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS – 1,500
Keen to promote all that is great about Shrewsbury, the mayor’s social media activity attracted many enthusiasts, including one and a half thousand followers on Facebook.
AWARDS PRESENTED – 91
Across three very special evenings, it was the mayor’s great privilege and great pleasure to present a total of 91 Mayor’s Awards to some of Shrewsbury’s most extraordinary organisations, companies and individuals.
CHARITY DONATIONS – £13,400
Thanks to a wide range of events, from the extremely successful Shrewsbury Beatles Weekend in September 2019 to the Mayor’s Summer Lunch, from the Rotary Club’s Tree of Light to the Mayor’s skydive, a total of £13,400 was raised for the Samaritans of Shrewsbury.
