The annual Mayor Making Ceremony was somewhat different in 2020 being held remotely without the traditional Robes, but none the less the votes were cast, appointing Cllr Jonathan Pallant as Mayor of St Ives, Mrs Carrie Pallant as the Mayoress, and Cllr Pasco Hussein as Deputy Mayor.
Introduction from The Mayor
My name is Jonathan Pallant and I am the Town Mayor for St Ives for the Civic Year 2020/21. I grew up not far away in the village of Hardwick, and after some time away at University and with work, I returned to the Fenland town of March in 2009, and then to St Ives in 2013. I live on Comet Way with Carrie, my wife, our two girls Scarlett (9) and Amelia (6), and Bella, our lab-collie cross. I used to work in Cambridge, but these days my day job is as an engineer at a product development firm based on the edge of town. Ordinarily, of course, this would be a short cycle ride away, but recently I’ve been working from my small home office.
Those of you who know me already will know I’m a big supporter of green transport, and am keen to support initiatives to make it easier to walk, cycle and e-bike around town. Of course, sometimes a car or van is still the most practical option, and I’d like to help make sure people can access the infrastructure that would make an Electric Vehicle a viable option.
I love St Ives for many reasons. It’s a beautiful town, with some wonderful old buildings and delightful views down by the river. But it has also managed to grow without losing that charm, providing a home to many thriving small-businesses, which are so important to a town’s economy, as well as offering much needed housing, intermixed with plentiful green spaces and meandering footpaths. But of course, above all, St Ives is defined by its people, and I have been staggered by the efforts of all the hard-working volunteers in the town, working away in their groups and charities, to make life better for other people. I want all these volunteers to know that I see you, I thank you for your tireless efforts, and that I want to to use my year as Town Mayor to shine a spotlight on all your efforts. In particular at this time, I want to highlight the work of Timebank, the St Ives Foodbank, and all those part of the St Ives Community Hub, who have been working together to help make sure that those people in need in our town are being supported in these difficult times.
For all these reasons, St Ives is a place I’m proud to call my home, and I look forward to working with everyone to make sure St Ives remains a great place to live, work and visit, even as we move through these uncertain times.
The Mayor's Column: The Hunts Post
The Mayor has been invited to write a monthly column for the Hunts Post which he has happily accepted. If you have not received a copy of the Hunts Post, or have not yet read it on-line, you can use the links below to keep up with the latest articles.
https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/jonathan-pallant-writes-for-hunts-post-7657428
https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/st-ives-mayor-writes-for-hunts-post-7836530
Langley Bread
Every January, bags of groceries are distributed to Widows and Widowers who reside within the Parish boundary of St Ives and are on the electoral roll.
The tradition dates back to the 1650’s when Robert Langley died and left money for the purchase of Bread to be distributed annually.
Over the years, Tea, Sugar, Butter and Biscuits have been added to the Bags and this year was no exception thanks to The Co-operative on Constable Road.
Normally the bags are collected from The Corn Exchange on Market Hill, but this year required a re-think due to the third Covid Lockdown. The groceries were delivered to the Town Hall to be bagged and sorted into delivery areas for the volunteer drivers – one of them being the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Pasco Hussain.
Grateful thanks to all those involved in ensuring Langley Bread was still possible this year.
