13 May 2014

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

Mayor Nick Hodges

OUR new Town Mayor and East Grinstead’s first citizen for the coming year is Cllr Nick Hodges.

Town Mayor Nick Hodges

Nick is East Grinstead born and bred, and other than a three year period when he was studying in Wales, he has lived in the town all his life.

Indeed having been born at home in Kennedy Avenue, unlike most of  his contemporaries who were born at Cuckfield maternity hospital, Nick has been a home-town boy from the moment he opened his eyes.

He went to school at St Mary’s and Sackville and has been a member of various cub and scout packs, and football teams, over the years.

“East Grinstead,” he laughed, “runs though my veins.”

Nick now works as a solicitor in Redhill where he has been in partnership for the past 20 years:  his wife Lucy – originally from Reading – moved here when she worked for British Caledonian.

The couple have been married for 15 years, and their daughter Olivia, almost ten, attends St Peter’s Catholic school. Nick’s mum is also still living in East Grinstead and his brother in Crawley Down.

Nick first stood for election to the Town Council in 2011 at the invitation of Cllr Heidi Brunsdon.

“I wanted to put something back into the town as I do hold it very dearly.  I had taught GCSE Law at night school for a year back in 2003/2004 and enjoyed giving something back then, so I relished the challenge of standing for the Council and was fortunate enough to be elected.

“Since then I have chaired the Charities committee for the last 3 years and had a spell as vice chair of Public Services.  Before I was deputy mayor I was on every committee, and I like to get to as many meetings as I can.

“My main interest is my family, but I also am a keen Crystal Palace supporter and am a petrol head too.

“I was honoured to be Deputy to Margaret and enjoyed meeting the people of the town in that role, and I hope to be able to serve the town well as Mayor.

“The father of one of my friends was Mayor when we are at school, and I have played football with another former Mayor, Lee Marmara –  and could see the good that they did for East Grinstead.

“I hope that I can follow in Margaret’s footsteps and do as well as she did, and as Liz Bennett and John Saull before her.”

Nick with his wife Lucy and daughter Olivia

Nick receives the congratulations of his predecessor Margaret Belsey who handed over the chain of office last night.

Deputy Mayor Dick Sweatman

OUR new Deputy Mayor is East Grinstead decorator Dick Sweatman.

Dick, who grew up in Edenbridge, has lived in the town for 31 years.

He regularly cycled over to East Grinstead as a youngster to use the Brooklands swimming pool and remembers seeing the Rolling Stones in concert at the Whitehall theatre.

And he eventually decided to move to East Grinstead because at the time it was slightly easier to get a foothold on the property ladder here than in Edenbridge.

His daughters Gemma and Sarah both went to Sackville school, and his wife Janet works with Sarah at T J’s Loft hairdressing in Whitehall Parade.

Dick became a councillor in 2011 when his wife became so fed up with his disillusionment with politics she suggested he get involved himself.

So he joined the local Conservatives to deliver leaflets, and before he knew it he had won seats on both the Town and District Councils.

“I just wanted to put something back into the community,” he said. “I’ve known this town all my life and it has been good to me – and I enjoy helping people out with their problems and pointing them in the right direction.”

But being deputy mayor is something that hadn’t really ever crossed Dick’s mind.

“It certainly wasn’t something I had aspirations to do, but when I get involved in something I like to give it 100%.

“It is a huge privilege and I look forward to doing whatever I can to support the Town Mayor in the coming year.”

Nick with his deputy for the coming year, Dick Sweatman