Hadfield Photography, Chester
first published on the Chester Culture Blog
chesterculture.wordpress.com
by Meghan Caldwell
Chester Culture meets
Jill Houlbrook
Lord Mayor of Chester
We sat down with the Lord Mayor to hear what this year was like for her.
The term of office for Lord Mayor Jill Houlbrook and Lady Mayoress Rachel Walker is sadly nearing its end. In just over 6 weeks on May 15th Deputy Lord Mayor Mr Bob Rudd will be handed the keys to the city.
Jill says that she and Rachel will miss the experience and have enjoyed it immensely.
The mother daughter team are the first such team working together as Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress in Chester. They have loved working together and Jill says it has brought them even closer. Her two grandchildren have also helped out at many functions. A family oriented team working together.
The position of Lord Mayor is a ceremonial position and Jill has attended hundreds of events during her year in office.
When asked, out of the hundreds of events that she has attended , if she could name a few favourites she really had to think for a moment. “I have been asked this a few times and it is really hard to choose- there have been so many wonderful people and events. One that really stands out is the homecoming march for the 1 Battalion of the Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) who had recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan .”
The Parade was in June 2013 and Jill was very proud to attend .
A humorous memory is that of a visit to a local primary school. The Lord Mayor attended on a day where the children were celebrating a “Superhero Day”. The children were in awe of her big gold chain and thought she must be a superhero too! They asked if she would come into the Bat Cave and if she had a Bat Mobile. Laughing she told them no that she didn’t have a bat mobile but indeed a very nice car that she could be driven away in as Lord Mayor-- upon her departure as she waved them good bye she overhead one of the reception students claim “WOW- she really DOES have a Bat Mobile!!”
Jill loves meeting people and seems to be very approachable. Something that is essential in a city like Chester where people do like to really be involved.
Jill is a great supporter of Culture in Chester. We spoke about the Odeon Project and she is very excited about this plan. The plans for a new theatre , cinema and library are well under way and due to be complete in 2016.
(you can see more about the plans for this project by clicking on this link:
Jill comes across as very open minded , positive and sees great things to come in Chester. She expressed the sentiment that we all need to be involved in our communities however big or small and work together to achieve a common goal. She is always happy to see how so many people are active in their areas- promoting a better life for themselves and their neighbours.
Events for the Lord Mayor range from opening ceremonies, to Cathedral Events, Concerts, University Honours events, attending a birthday for 100 year old Cestrian, Citizenship Ceremonies, joining in on parades, opening the Chester Christmas market, school events, shop and business openings and the list goes on.
She was open to any event that wanted her to be there and tried to fit in as many as at all possible.
We asked Jill what she thinks about social media and if it has changed the way politicians and leaders deal with their public. She actively uses Twitter and Facebook to deal with the community and says she loves how it is can illicit such an immediate response. “If someone tweets that they see a problem—a hole in the road- I can respond to it directly.” Jill is one of the first Lord Mayors to use Twitter so actively and it has been a major instrument for her in communication with the public.
There have a few instances where the people of Chester have reported problems and they have been dealt with much quicker due to the faster information flow. Therefore making this system a problem solving tool and communication enhancer.
Social media is also a great way to promote events in Chester. It seems to be the way forward in getting information of upcoming events in the city and reminding people what is on offer. The Lord Mayor follows local events herself and attends as many as she can.
Jill agreed that more can be done in promoting Cultural events in Chester but that people have to be proactive as well. She encourages people to try new things-- attend events in and around Chester and not just stay with what they know.
We discussed some her favourite events like the Mid Summer Watch parades, Winter Watch Parades, North Gate Festival, Theatre in the Park, The Pride Festival (which will take place this year in the Grosvenor Park) and so much more. Jill is passionate about keeping active and attending as many events as possible too. She loves the fact that so many of these events are grass roots-- organized by people because they are passionate about their ideas – and they follow through. We all need to sick together and support these ventures!
The Lord Mayor is involved in and
supports many charities. Her main charity as Lord Mayor is Adoption Matters . This is a wonderful charity helping to support and train people to be adoptive parents and guide them on this journey. They are also trying to make the process easier for everyone so that more children can be placed into loving families. The Lady Mayoress also works full time for the charity and is very involved is supporting adoption.
As the year comes to an end and The Lord mayor has to hand over the keys-- she reflects on an amazing year where she met many many new people. Was honoured to attended countless events where she stood by the people of the community. Enjoying every moment
I asked her if she had anything to add at the end of our meeting and she said
“Yes, a Big Thank You to the people of Chester!!
All the best to Jill Houlbrook and her continued career as councillor and active supporter of her community.
Many Thanks for taking the time to speak with Chester Culture.
Facts about the Lord Mayor of Chester:
A ceremonial post lasting one municipal year.
23 cities in England have Lord Mayors
Lord Mayor is a civic head
