Releasing chains of office (From Stroud News and Journal)

Releasing chains of office

As a politician who doesn't like politics, Lesley Williams-Allen took a unique approach to leading Nailsworth Town Council. Now, after three years as mayor, she is to retire to spend more time with her dogs and catch up on the garden. Reporter Alli Pyrah went along to find out what she will remember most about her time in office

"It takes up such a tremendous amount of time," says Lesley, from the garden of The Laurels, a guest house at Inchbrook, Nailsworth which she runs with her husband Richard.

"You don't realise how it can take over your life.

"Sometimes I have had appointments during the day and meetings five nights a week. But having a job where I am at home and self-employed has meant that I can fit it in."

Having spent such long hours with her fellow councillors, she has made many friends.

"It's a good crowd," she says. "We do have fun. People probably imagine it is very boring, but we have a sense of humour."

All the late night fun has yet to generate any whiff of passion though.

"We have had husband and wife teams which has on occasions been quite funny as they don't always agree on things. But I don't think there's been any romance," says Lesley, with a smile, "and if there was, I wouldn't tell you.

"Sometimes there are groups of councillors talking outside the town hall and if people see someone's husband and someone else's wife talking late at night I often wonder what they think."

Though her work for the council has escalated into a full-time job, Lesley doesn't get paid for it.

"There's an allowance for expenses but it doesn't cover all the things you do," she said.

"We are not allowed to accept any presents, but you might get flowers if you open events. It makes you feel very good. I always say, 'is Princess Anne busy?'"

Lesley became involved with the town council six years ago. Living and working at The Laurels, she wanted an interest that would get her out of the house.

A friend suggested the town council and before she knew it she was opening village fetes.

But all that ribbon-cutting is not necessarily as glamorous as it sounds. Lesley suffered a moment of mayoral mortification once when she was asked to present the bowling club cup.

"It was quite short notice so I shoved on a skirt and a pair of high heels," she says.

"As the final came to an end they pushed the table out and I realised I would have to walk across the green in high heels. So I slipped my shoes off, but they wanted to take photographs.

"They put a mat out for me to stand on and as I started giving a speech I started rocking - as I do - then I stepped backwards and my heel got stuck in the bowling green. Everyone just gasped."

Lesley was also forced to see the funny side when the council suffered a power cut at the annual town meeting for the second year in a row. "The only thing I regretted was that we weren't able to serve them coffee," she sighs.

"It had been quite a long evening and we were dying for a cup when the lights went out. People still stood in the dark though and chatted to each other."

Despite being a lifelong Labour supporter, Lesley says she has never sought to introduce party politics into the town council.

"At town council level politics don't play a big part in it," she explains.

"I didn't stand on a Labour party tractor really but I have never made a secret of the fact that I support Labour.

"I can't recall a time when the town council has been split on an issue. There's generally a very good consensus on how we see the town and what is needed.

"I also think we have a very good idea of what the community wants. We do a lot of public consultation and we liaise regularly with the people and all the organisations."

Though she is retiring as mayor, Lesley will continue to serve on the town council for the rest of this term, which runs for another two years.

"It's always been a tradition in Nailsworth that the mayor does two years and the deputy is in training for the mayor's job," she says.

"It's unusual that I did three years, but Sue Reed, the deputy mayor, had other activities that she had been dealing with. It's an example of the way the town council works together and co-operates."