LYNNE PAYS TRIBUTE: HOLYHEAD 2019

 

 A well-remembered photograph which turned out to be the defining image of Middlewich's short-lived 'Community Mayoralty'. On September 15th 2019. at the Shrine of St Winefride in Holywell, Middlewich's twin town. Mayoress Lynne Hardy lights a candle for Town Clerk Jonathan Williams who had passed away a short time before. The occasion was the Mayor of Holywell's Civic Service.

A NEW MAYOR FOR MIDDLEWICH - TWENTY EIGHT YEARS ON...

Photo: Peter Cox

David Roberts

Monday 18th May 2020

Monday 18th May 2020 is a historic day for the town of Middlewich.

Tonight the Town Council, for the first time in its forty-six year history. will be meeting, not in the Victoria Hall, or the Wych Centre, or even the Council Chamber in the Victoria Building, but online.

The change has been brought about by the need for 'social-distancing' because of the current Covid 19 outbreak. Many town, borough and county councils are doing the same thing with, as the old phrase has it, necessity being the mother of invention.

LINK: FIRST EVER ONLINE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING 18th MAY 2020

One of the items on tonight's agenda is the annual appointment of the Chairman of The Town Council, successor to Russell Watkinson, the current Chairman.

In previous years the Council Chairman has taken on the role of 'Mayor of Middlewich' the terms 'Mayor' and 'Chairman' being, for most purposes, interchangeable.

Last year, as is well known, this all changed with the council's introduction of a 'Community Mayor' to act as the town's First Citizen and take on the ceremonial role previously carried out by the Chairman.

As is also well known things didn't quite work out as they should have done and the 'Community Mayor Project' is currently suspended, with the council seemingly still determined to make a success of what is, when all's said and done, still a brilliant idea.

This then, is the state of play on this 18th of May.

But we thought this might be an opportune moment to travel back in time no less than twenty-eight years to the 18th May 1992, when our old friend Peter Cox, well-known supporter of the Rail Link Campaign and founder member of the original Folk & Boat Festival among many other good causes in Middlewich was installed as Mayor of Middlewich,as successor to Gerard Devaney. Peter was proposed by Cllr Colin Barrass and seconded by Cllr Dot Roberts.

And the 18th May is also special because it's the birthday of our late, and still very much missed, Town Clerk, Jonathan Williams, who sadly passed away last September.

It's worth noting that Peter acknowledged the fact that his inauguration occurred on Jonathan's thirtieth birthday by including this note in his speech:

'...at this point I would like to say that it is a special day for our Town Clerk. It's the day when he leaves his twenties behind him. I would like him to receive these token gifts in appreciation for the work he does.'

Note: What those token gifts were is not recorded, but we're sure that Peter will let us know in due course.

Peter Cox and the then thirty-year old Jonathan Williams pictured together on the occasion of the launch of the Middlewich Waterside Trail on the 27th May 1992.
(Photo: Peter Cox/Middlewich Chronicle)

Peter made a complete record of his year as Mayor of Middlewich and we are grateful to him for allowing us access to it. It's a treasure-trove of information on just what was going on in Middlewich twenty-eight years ago and on the amazing amount of things that a committed and hard-working Town Mayor can expect to get involved with during his, or her, term of office. We look forward to many more glimpses into this invaluable archive.

Sadly, Peter hasn't been too well recently and we're sure that everyone will want to join with us in wishing him a speedy return to good health.

David Roberts
Editor,
The Middlewich Diary

FAREWELL JONATHAN, 4th OCTOBER 2019

4th October 2019

Today Middlewich had to say goodbye to its long-serving Town Clerk, Jonathan Williams.

A sad occasion, it goes without saying, but Jonathan being Jonathan, the almost tangible love and respect everyone felt for him tempered the sadness just a little bit as his dedication to the town and its people and to his family and friends shone through.

The service took place at St Mary's in King Street and, as you'd expect, the church was packed out with family, friends, councillors,  former  councillors and employees and Mayors and Chairmen from surrounding towns.
Congleton Constituency MP Fiona Bruce also came along to pay her respects.

A 'Guard Of Honour', made up of former Mayors of Middlewich accompanied Jonathan into church.
Father Peter Dutton was his usual calm and reassuring self, helpfully explaining the way the service worked to those of us who were unsure, and interspersing the proceedings with fond memories of his own dealings with Jonathan.

The eulogy, given by a friend, Kel, who has known him as 'Charlie' since his time at University, vividly evoked Jonathan in his younger days as he prepared himself for the role for which he will forever be remembered, the Clerk to the Middlewich Town Council.

His kindness and helpfulness and his impish sense of humour were recalled, along with his ability to focus on people and help them, quietly and without fuss, to achieve what they wanted to do.
The ways in which Jonathan helped Middlewich and its people are, of course, too numerous to mention, but he was actively involved in events like the Folk & Boat Festival, the Roman and Norman Festivals, the Middlewich Street Markets and hundreds more.
It has been well said that Jonathan Williams helped this town in more ways than many people will ever know.
After a private interment at Middlewich Cemetery, everyone gathered at the Victoria Hall to enjoy refreshments and to reminisce about the man whose sudden loss has left such a large hole in our community.
Yes, a sad day, as was to be expected, but one in which the quiet, unassuming, humorous and always kind presence of Jonathan made itself felt.
None of us will ever forget today, and none of us will ever forget Jonathan. R.I.P.

David Roberts and Lynne Hardy
Community Mayor and Mayoress of Middlewich

This also appears on THE MIDDLEWICH YEAR