Saturday – June the 4th – sees the annual Mayor Making Ceremony being held in Bath and Cllr Paul Crossley becoming the 789th Mayor of Bath. Citizens and visitors are welcome to attend the ceremony in Bath Abbey but must be seated by 10.40 am.
He was elected to Bath City Council representing Southdown Ward from 1985 to 1996, and re-elected as a Bath & North East Somerset Councillor, again in Southdown, from 1999 to the present time. He was Leader of B&NES Council from May 2002 to May 2007 and again from May 2011 to May 2015. He was Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group from 2002 to 2015.
Paul was previously Deputy Mayor of Bath in 2007/8.
He grew up in a Naval family which involved moving every two or three years. Paul studied at Brighton Polytechnic (now University of Brighton) and received a Degree in Computer Science in 1974. He worked in the IT industry for 30 years, including 6 years in Africa: Zambia and Liberia.
Paul completed a second Degree in Social Science with the Open University in 1994. On arriving in Bath in 1985 he finally settled down in ‘the best small City on the planet’.
He is married to Margaret, who will be his Mayoress, and they have three adult children.
His theme for his year in Office will be ‘Bath – A City of Innovation’.
Paul explains: ‘Over the centuries Bath has been at the forefront of innovation embracing change and adapting as the world has also changed. This ability to innovate, change and adapt makes Bath such a special place. Bath has a proud record of developments and innovation which is crucial to continuing success.
It is indeed an Inspirational Place – whether creatively –with literature ranging from Jane Austen to the modern day setting for Peter Lovesy’s Inspector Diamond, or art from Gainsborough to Pete Brown, or music from Frederick Weatherly to Kelvin Swaby’s band The Heavy – or indeed architecturely from Robert Adam and the Woods to modern days with a number of architectural practises based in Bath and designing buildings all over the world.
In science and technology the list is long – from Adelard, Herschel and Harbutt through Stothert and Pitt and now the digital creativity that is defining our area in the modern world. Bath is indeed the best small city on the planet and I am honoured to serve as its Mayor for the next 12 months.’
Councillor June Player will be Deputy Mayor. Her daughter, Mrs Chloe Doring, will be Deputy Mayoress.
June became Bath’s first elected Independent Councillor in 2011 and represents the Westmoreland Ward. She moved to Bath about 15 years ago, after previously living in London where she was a civil servant in the Social Security Department.
Prior to moving to Bath she lived in Exeter for nearly 30 years working for a while in the civil service. She then decided to work in and for the community at a number of charitable organisations as she felt that it far more suited to her character.
She has been a community support co-ordinator, organising and helping with sessions for parents and toddlers, the elderly and frail people and also people with learning disabilities and special needs. She also used to drive a double-decker bus that was a mobile community centre to groups of people with no real access to such facilities.
She is interested in amateur dramatics, singing, and gardening, and is an avid campaigner on local community issues.
In 2007 June ‘adopted’ Oldfield Park Station and set up the On-Board Community Project. She has organised numerous community litter picks to help promote community spirit and pride in one’s community and in 2009 received Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Environmental Volunteer of the Year Award.
She also received a Mayor’s Citizen Award in 2010 for her community work. At present, June is the Council’s Members Advocate for Cleaner, Greener Streets.
She said ‘I am very pleased to be able to support Councillor Crossley in his year of Office and am really looking forward to my time as Deputy Mayor. I am honoured to be able to represent our amazing and unique heritage City and its residents.’
Citizens and visitors are welcome to attend the Ceremony and are asked to take their seats in the Abbey by 10.40 am.
The 93 (City of Bath) Squadron ATC Marching Band will form up in Stall Street.
The Civic Procession, led by the City Sword-Bearer and Mace-Bearers, the Mayor, Charter Trustees, Honorary Aldermen and dignitaries in ceremonial robes will leave the Guildhall at 10.40 am and process via the High Street, Northumberland Passage, Union Street, Stall Street and Abbey Church Yard to Bath Abbey.
It will return to the Guildhall via the High Street at approximately 12 noon.
Bath Spa University Choir will sing as the Civic Procession enters the Abbey and also during the interval, along with the Nadeshiko Japanese Choir.
