A message from the Mayor of Hexham, Councillor Terry Robson

When I became Mayor of Hexham, one or two people asked me “What do you hope to achieve as Mayor?” – or words to that effect. Well, like all my predecessors, I have a wish-list a mile long – for when you love a town, an area, your home, you want all that is best for the fabric of the place and for the people.

What I want for Hexham (as a businessman) is economic prosperity of course, but also (as a husband, father, grandfather) I would dearly like to see a greater sense of well-being, of community effort, fun – and good old-fashioned happiness in the town. It may seem a bit strange to suggest that we in public life can have any effect on people’s happiness – but I believe we can.

At the time of writing, these are strange and worrying times nationally and internationally, with the country’s solvency at stake: a crisis in the High Street and in employment. And in terms of local politics we stand at a significant juncture, with the loss of our much-respected Tynedale District Council in favour of a new Unitary Authority, Northumberland County Council. I see this Local Government Reorganisation as an opportunity as well as a threat. Hexham Town Council cannot any longer hang onto the coat-tails of Tynedale Council – nor blame it for perceived deficiencies. But we are no longer so constrained either.
For example: parks and open spaces, the management of the market, could be our responsibility, our challenge, on which we impose our high standards (just look at the Abbey precinct or the Cemetery for example to see how this Town Council cares for Hexham’s assets). If the County Council devolves these responsibilities as expected, I would like to lead an agenda to prepare Hexham Town Council for this challenge - and insist to the County Council that funding follows function.

I hope that Hexham Town Council will be a proactive body - in that every member will be engaged and deal personally with everyday concerns as they arise. Although the centre of operations has moved to Morpeth, a phone call or e-mail should still get things done.

Let’s look at Hexham. Hexham is a TREASURE! It has a geographical location, aspect and history that other towns can only dream of. And it also has good people, hard-working, enterprising - with talent and aspirations. I believe we can build on these assets and make Hexham even more congenial and prosperous.

If we look around the Chamber we’ll see portraits of many local worthies long gone - men such as William Robb and Robert Stainthorpe– their battles for the very basics of life, fought and won; clean water, proper sanitation, decent education. Our challenges today seem a bit puny by comparison – but they’re real enough; helping to hold together a community of busy people, many transient, many with too much on their plate, and trying to bring all those energies, hopes and concerns into the same space.
I take my new role very seriously, a role held before me by many excellent and caring people, several still serving the Town well in various ways.

My family on both sides has been in this area for hundreds of years with Hexham the centre of our lives. My father and his brothers returned from war to their home on Hallstile Bank. In 1873 my maternal grandmother was born in the Hexham Workhouse and brought up in Gilligate, now called Gilesgate. I think she’d be quite pleased to see me as Mayor of her town. I hope I don’t disappoint.

If you want to contact me then please:-
E-mail me at terry.robson@northumberland.gov.uk
Or at clerk@hexhamtowncouncil.gov.uk
Or write to me c/o Hexham Town Council, Council Offices,
St Andrew’s Cemetery, West Road, HEXHAM, NE46 3RR
Or telephone me on 07941 526656
If you would like me to attend any function or event you are holding, please ask me: if the date or time is not convenient, then my Deputy Mayor, Councillor J.V.R. [Rad] Hare will be asked to deputise for me.

May 2009