Category: News

AS the newly-elected Town Mayor, Nick Hodges had a particularly pleasant duty to perform on Saturday when he opened the TV-themed fete at St Peter’s, his daughter Olivia’s primary school.

AFTER scooping the Mid Sussex Times prize for the Best Chip Shop,  Rick Martin of the Harbour Fish Bar in Ship Street donated his winner’s chequer to Town Mayor Nick Hodges, for one of his chosen charities.

Nick was presented with the cheque on Saturday when OAPs were able to buy fish and chips for just 99p, sponsored by Norwegian Cod.

FOLLOWING the election of Cllrs Nick Hodges and Dick Sweatman as the new Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor respectively, the following changes have been made to other Town Council appointments.

Cllr Rex Whittaker is the new Council Leader.

Cllr Jacqueline Beckford is the new Leader of the minority parties.

Planning Committee:

Members: Cllrs Dabell, Favor, Mainstone (chair), Osborne, Saull, Scott, Sillitoe, Whittaker and Wyan.  Ex officio Mayor and Deputy Mayor (vice chair).

Public services Committee

Members : Cllrs Mrs Beckford, Mrs Belsey, Mrs Bennett (chair), Mrs Brunsdon, Reeves, Saull (vice chair), Webster, Whittaker and Wyan.  Ex officio Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

Amenities and Tourism Committee

Members: Cllrs Mrs Beckford, Dabell, Favor, Mainstone, O’Brien, Osborne, Reeves, Saull (vice chair) and Wyan (chair). Ex officio Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

Finance and General Purposes Committee:

Members: Chairman of the three standing committees plus Cllrs Mrs Belsey, Mrs Brunsdon, Osborne, Reeves, Saull, Sillitoe and Whittaker.

Charities to be determined at the June meeting.

NEW Town Mayor Nick Hodges pictured at one of his first official engagements with Mid Sussex District Cllr Peter Reed for the opening of the Bluebell Railway’s water tower at its East Grinstead station.

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

THE final fundraiser for Cllr Margaret Belsey, last year’s mayor, will be a Race Night which had to be postponed from earlier in the year. It helps to fulfil Margaret’s mayoral pledge that no-one suffering from cancer in East Grinstead need ever feel they are alone.

EAST GRINSTEAD TOWN COUNCIL elected a new Town Mayor for 2014/15 last night at the Annual Council Meeting.

CLLR Nick Hodges received the chain and signed the declaration of office from the outgoing Town Mayor Cllr Margaret Belsey, at the meeting at East Court.  In accepting the role for the next year Cllr Hodges introduced his two charities The East Grinstead Museum and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).  The Town Mayor said “One local and one lesser known charity, but both are deserving and I look forward to raising their profile and hopefully some much-needed money over the next year”

In his acceptance speech Cllr Hodges outlined his admiration for the diligent way that the outgoing Town Mayor had undertaken her duties and highlighted the need for a good support system in her close family, which was recognized in gifts from the Councillors for both Margaret and her consort Edward.  The Town Mayor then said how he looked forward to his own family – Mayoress Lucy and daughter Olivia – helping him to discharge his duties.

Cllr Hodges first duty as Town Mayor will be attending the East Grinstead Meridian Rotary Club on Wednesday night: he has been invited to be an honorary member for the duration of his year in office.

EAST GRINSTEAD Town Mayor 2013/14 last night announced a provisional total of £15,000 raised for the Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Unit in East Grinstead, her official charity.

CLLR Margaret Belsey chose the charity as she wanted to make the pledge that “no one should face Cancer alone” a reality in East Grinstead.  It has been agreed that a large portion of the money raised will be spent on the Macmillan service that is based at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

The former Town Mayor (who handed the Chain of office for 2014/15 over to Cllr Nick Hodges at the Meeting) said “I am delighted with this amount, the supporters of my events have been very generous, it is a charity that has so many demands placed on it and every penny matters.  It has been hard work but I have enjoyed it and seeing this total is so worthwhile”.

Events organised have included quiz nights, a Christmas bazaar, raffles, auctions and a James Bond-themed Casino and Ball.  One final event  –  a race night –  had to be moved from its planned date and is to take place on May 27^th in Meridian Hall.  Cllr Mrs Belsey thanked the incoming Town Mayor for allowing her to hold the event during his year of office.

Cllr Nick Hodges, Town Mayor 2014/15, has chosen The East Grinstead Museum and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) as his Charities for the year.