(RETIRED DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER)
(533)
Born at Heanor, Derbyshire on 14 November 1926. Both his father and grandfather were coal miners. Educated at Heanor Grammar School.
He obtained a BSc (Special Chemistry) London in 1951 and a Diploma in Education at the University of Leicester in 1952.
He served in the Army from 1945 until 1948 and reached the rang of Sergeant. Following demobilisation he came to live in Leicester.
He married June Thomas at St Elvan’s Church, Aberdare, Glamorgan, on 26 August 1950. They had three children, Mark, Georgina and Jennifer.
Initially he worked for Rolls Royce, Derby before moving to take up a post in the Bacteriological Laboratory at Boots Limited, Nottingham. He then entered the teaching profession and taught at the Wyggeston Boys’ School, the Roundhill School, Thurmaston and the Alderman Newton’s Boys’ School in the City. His final post was that of deputy head teacher at Alderman Newton’s School from 1974 until his retirement in 1987.
Councillor Grundy first stood, unsuccessfully, as the Labour Party Candidate in Westcoates Ward in the City Council elections in May 1960. He was elected to the Council in 1973 as a representative for the North Braunstone Ward and became a Councillor for Westcoates Ward from 1983 onwards. His main interests were in Planning and Improvement, Public Service and the Environment. Councillor Grundy was the Vice-Chairman of the Estates Committee in 1974 and the Chairman of the Planning Committee in 1987. He also served on the Policy and Resources Committee.
He became the Chair of the City of Leicester Twinning Association in 1979.
Councillor Grundy stood as a Labour Party candidate for Parliament on two occasions – South East Leicester in 1966 and 1970. In the General Election of 1970, he was defeated by Tom Boardman (Conservative) by a mere 106 votes.
He was appointed High Bailiff of the City on 18 May 1989 for the year 1989/90.
Councillor Grundy was elected to the office of Lord Mayor of the City on 23 May 1991. He chose his younger daughter Mrs Jennifer Sandelson as his Lady Mayoress.
Councillor Grundy’s Year of Office will best be remembered for the three separate visits to Leicester by members of the Royal Family. On 31 October 1991, His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester came to the City to visit the Leicester Polytechnic where he laid the foundation stone of the new School of Engineering and Manufacture. The following day, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales arrived by helicopter at Victoria Park where she was welcomed by the Lord Mayor. Her Royal Highness, as Patron of the National Charity ‘Homestart,’ visited the headquarters on London Road on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the commencement of the charity in Leicester. She also visited the Info Hostel in Elmsleigh Road followed by a Buffet Luncheon at the Grand Hotel. In the afternoon, the Princess visited the Leicestershire Aids Support Services in New Walk where she officially launched the ‘Friends of LASS’ scheme.
On 6 November 1991, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited Leicester to learn, at first hand, developments in Britain’s first Environmental City. He arrived by helicopter at Leicester City Football Club Stadium at Filbert Street, where he met officials and players. The Prince later met local and national business leaders and representatives from environmental groups at a buffet luncheon at the Royal Mail. In the afternoon, he toured Eco House, the unique environmental show home at Western Park.
The most hazardous event in his Year of Office took place on 29 September 1991 when the Lord Mayor, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, undertook a parachute jump from 12,000 feet in aid of his Charity Appeal. Each was attached to an experienced parachute instructor in tandem jumps.
Over a period of two and a half days in September 1991, the Lord Mayor embarked upon a walk around Leicester and the surrounding suburbs to highlight his Appeal for young people without a home. He walked for fourteen hours per day and on the night of 12/13th September, he spent the night in a cardboard box. The next night was spent in a stable, normally occupied by two Shire horses at Farm World, Stoughton. The Shire horses were moved out of their stable as they objected to the Lord Mayor’s presence!
During the Civic Year the Lord Mayor maintained the tradition of visiting the twin City of Krefeld . Councillor Grundy received athletes from Switzerland, India and Italy, students from Jerusalem, musicians from Russia and ambassadors, dignitaries and representatives from the United States of America, Egypt, Australia, India, the Philippines and Tanzania.
The Lord Mayor chose two Charity initiatives – one at home, the other abroad – for his Year of Office, his twin Appeal was named the Roof and Tap Appeal. The aim was to promote a scheme to enable homeless young people, in Leicester, to build their own homes. In addition he sought to raise money to assist people in Leicester’s twin city of Masaya, in Nicaragua, to dig wells to provide clean water. The joint Appeal raised £91.000.
Councillor Grundy’s Year of Office was concluded on 25 May 1992 whereupon he was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor for the year 1992/93.
He died in Leicester on 5 October 1994, aged 67 years.
