1976
(518)
{COMPANY DIRECTOR)
Born in Leicester on 27th September, 1908.
Joined the Leicester firm of hosiery mercers of W. N. Gutteridge Ltd. in 1924 and was made a Director of the Company in 1938. He enlisted in the Territorial Army in 1939 and served as a member of the 44th Searchlight Regiment throughout the World War (1939-45).
Married Miss Dorothy Crosby on the 2nd July, 1938, and has a son and a daughter, both married, and he has two grand~ children.
Councillor Toft was elected to the City Council as representative of the Wycliffe Ward in 1957 and in 1970 was elevated to the Aldermanic Bench. He was elected High Bailiff of the City in 1972. He
was Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of the former City Council prior to re-organisation and in the re-organised City Council he was elected
to represent the Castle Ward and is Chairman of the Planning and Improvement Committee.
The year of office was marked by the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Leicester when a sung eucharist was arranged at the City Football Ground, Filbert Street in the presence of His Grace The Archbishop of Canterbury
on 13th June 1976, and the Year of Office coincided with the Centenary of Leicester Town Hall. Further features of the year of office were the opening of Waterloo Way on 26th August 1976 and the official opening of St. Matthews
Way by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent on 27th October 1976. Her Royal Highness also opened the new Wycliffe Home for the Blind in Gleneagles Avenue the same afternoon.
Councillor Toft maintained the interest of the mayoralty in the army regiments associated with the City of Leicester and visited the 47th Field Regiment at Sennybridge Camp, South Wales, and the 16th Signal Regiment in Krefeld, Leicester's twin City in Germany.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Leicester on 31st July 1976.
Charitable causes were a feature of his year of office and he maintained his long association with the Leicester Guild of the Physically Handicapped, of which he is a Director.
In April 1977 he was host to a visit to Leicester by the Oberburgermeister and a delegation from Krefe1d and he represented the City Council on the Lord-Lieutenant's Committee for the preparations for the Celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Year and the Silver Jubilee Trust Fund.
