1973
(515)
(RETIRED PATTERNMAKER)
Born at Anstey, Leicestershire, on the 30th April, 1906. In 1913 his parents moved to Leicester and after leaving school he was accepted as an apprentice patternmaker at the Premier Pattern Making Company of Leicester, a skilled trade he was to follow until his retirement in 1971.
Throughout his working life Councillor Wakefield was a dedicated trade unionist, having held various offices in the United Pattern Makers' Association, and he is a former President of the Leicester Branch of the Union.
In 1933 he married Gladys Martin. He has a son and two grandchildren.
Councillor Wakefield was first elected to the former Leicester City Council at a bye-election in July, 1955, as representative of St. Margaret' s Ward. He was re-elected to the former City Council as representative of St. Margaret's Ward in May, 1970. In 1971 he was appointed High Bailiff. Councillor Wakefield served on many of the former Council's Committees, including Highways, Parks, Museums and Libraries. He was, at different times, Chairman of the Children's Committee and the Town Planning Committee.
A life-long Methodist, he held the office of Senior Society Steward at the Belgrave Hall Methodist Church for over twenty years.
After many years of voluntary social service amongst various organisations in the City, he helped to establish in Leicestershire the Cheshire Home for the incurably sick at Staunton Harold and accepted the office of Chairman of the Leicester Friends of Staunton Harold, a position he held for two years. He was later appointed Vice-President of the Branch.
Councillor Wakefield has the distinction of being the first Lord Mayor ever to visit soldiers on active service, when he visited the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment and the 47th Light Regiment, Royal Artillery in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, a visit which was not without some risk to his personal safety owing to the conflict which exists in Northern Ireland.
A visit to Tiger Company of the Royal Anglian Regiment at Canterbury and the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment in Cyprus also took place during his Year of Office.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh visited the City on 2nd May, 1973, to see the activities of local youth taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
In May, 1973, Councillor Wakefield led a Civic delegation to Krefeld for the 600th Anniversary Celebrations of Leicester's Twin City in Germany.
The Haymarket Centre was opened by Councillor Wakefield on 5th June, 1973, and on 30th November the same year the new Haymarket Theatre was opened by Sir Ralph Richardson, the celebrated actor.
His Year of Office is unique in that no previous Civic leader of Leicester ever served on three Local Authorities in the same year.
Local Government reorganisation was an important feature of the Year. On 7th June, 1973, Councillor Wakefield was successful in being elected representative of the St. Margaret's Ward in the District Council elections whilst still serving as a member of the same Ward on the then existing City Council.
Elections for the new Leicestershire County Council, in accordance with the Local Government Act of 1972, took place on 12th April, 1973, and Councillor Wakefield was elected to that Council as one of the representatives of St. Margaret's Electoral Division.
At the meeting of the District Council held on 19th June, 1973, he was elected as its first Chairman and served as such until the 4th April, 1974, being Lord Mayor by virtue of his chairmanship after the 31st March, 1974.
With effect from midnight on that day the Local Government area known as the County Borough of Leicester, the Corporation created by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I on 1st June, 1599, and the then existing elected City Council which acted on behalf of the Corporation, were abolished in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1972.
The title of Lord Mayor was, however, preserved by a grant from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 approving the use of the title by the Chairman of the new Council.
