3 May 2011

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.

THE garden behind East Court Mansion is to be renamed the Rolley Terrace in honour of newly-retired Town Clerk Chris Rolley.

The announcement was made at a Meridian Hall reception to mark his retirement after more than 25 years in post.

Among the many friends and family who came to pay tribute to Chris, a former Town Clerk of the Year, was MP Nicholas Soames who broke a previous engagement to be at the event, saying it was “a great honour” to be included in the guest list.

“When I was first elected as the MP for East Grinstead I came along to ‘an audience’ with Chris,” he joked.

“I have never regretted it, and I am very grateful for the sound, careful, pragmatic, sane and sensible advice he has given me for the past 14 years.

“Chris has been absolutely brilliant.”

In paying his own tribute to “the Reading lad” who has spent the past quarter century devoted to the affairs of East Grinstead, Mayor Stephen Barnett said Chris had always “fought his local corner very strongly” while at the same time fostering good relationships with community groups and other Councils.

“Localism is the new buzz word,” he said, “but he has been practising it for years.

“When we looked for a replacement for Chris we knew that making the right appointment was critical: so the people who appointed him 25 years ago deserve enormous accolades for making a fantastic, fantastic choice.”

Town Council leader James Baldwin announced that because Chris had requested a collection made to mark his retirement should be given instead to the town museum, councillors had devised a surprise gift which he was not in a position to refuse – the renaming of the garden behind East Court Mansion as the Rolley Terrace in his honour.

Replying to the good wishes of all those who had paid tribute to his long service, Chris said he would be kicking off a retirement which he hoped would feature fewer evening engagements and more sporting activities, with a three-day bike ride across the country from Workington to Sunderland.

Looking back over a career in which he had worked with 26 mayors, and been instrumental in bringing the town its own theatre complex and museum, he said had no regrets about staying in one post for over 25 years, when he had originally only planned to stay for four.

“You can chase success by constantly moving, and that is what I did until I came to East Grinstead. But then I realised you could get just as much satisfaction by staying in one job and aspiring to high standards.

“The Big Society is not a new concept – it is what East Grinstead is all about. It’s a great town, full of great people, and the council staff have been a joy to work with.

“God bless you all.

“God bless East Grinstead.”

Retiring town clerk Chris Rolley, centre back, with (l-r):
Andrew Metz (his daughter Hannah’s fiancé ), Mayor Steve Barnett, Hannah, wife Sue, mother Maureen and Council leader James Baldwin