(SCHOOL CARETAKER)
(534)
Born at 38 Ardern Terrace, Braunstone Estate, Leicester on 1 September 1932 and educated at Folville Rise Nursery School, Imperial Avenue Infant School, Caldecote Road Junior School and King Richards Road Intermediate School, Leicester.
On leaving school at the age of 14 years, he worked in various gents’ barber shops and in a mattress making factory, a shoe components factory and as a rubber worker at Dunlop’s St Mary’s Mills. In 1971 he became a school caretaker, firstly at Evington Hall Roman Catholic Grammar School for Girls and then at Alderman Newton’s Boys’ School. Finally in 1979 he moved to be the caretaker at Abington High School, Wigston, Leicestershire.
He served two years National Service with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment from 1950-52. This was followed by five years service with the 5th Battalion, the Royal Leicestershire Regiment (TA).
He married Miss Colleen Smart at St Andrew’s Church, Leicester, on February 1955. They had two children, Robin and Elizabeth and granddaughters, Zoe and Clare Abbot.
First elected to the City Council in 1973 as a Labour Party candidate in the then Aylestone Ward and served until 1976. He was re-elected in a by-election in February 1978 again in the Aylestone Ward. Following boundary changes in 1982, Councillor Wigglesworth represented Eyres Monsell Ward. He served on a number of Council Committees and was the Chairperson of the Works Committee, Vice-Chairperson of the Housing Committee and Vice-Chairperson of the Personnel and Management Services Committee. He also served on the Housing Management/Maintenance Sub-Committee and on both the Leisure Services and Property Services Committees.
Councillor Wigglesworth was a member of the Transport and General Workers Union and held offices as the Services Branch Shop Steward, Health and Safety Representative and was a member of the Union’s Leicester District Committee. He was a member of the East Midlands Branch of the Leicester South Constituency Labour Party and a member of the Leicester District Ancient Order of Foresters.
Councillor Wigglesworth attended the Anglican Church of St Hugh of Lincoln, Sturdee Road, Leicester. He served on the Church Parochial Council and was a former Churchwarden.
He was appointed High Bailiff of the City on 23 May 1991 for the year 1991/92.
Councillor Wigglesworth was elected to the office of Lord Mayor of the City on 21 May 1992. He chose his wife Colleen to be his Lady Mayoress.
Councillor Wigglesworth had the distinction during his Year of Office to welcome a number of members of the Royal Family to the City. He received His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester on 1 June 1992 when he came to present the awards for the East Midlands Manager of the Year sponsored by the Hilton National Hotel. Councillor Wigglesworth met Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales upon her visit to Leicestershire to attend a Royal Gala evening for the Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester visited the Emily Forte Special School, Glenfield Road on 15 September 1992.
His Royal Highness The Prince Edward came to the City on 11 November 1992 to visit the British Shoe Corporation in Sunningdale Road and Sears Sports and Leisure, on the same site, where he was greeted by the Lord Mayor. The Prince also visited A & L Personal Finance at their Southgate Street offices. On 10 February 1993, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent visited the British Shoe Machinery Company Limited where he toured the complex accompanied by the Lord Mayor.
During his Year of Office Councillor Wigglesworth visited the twin cities of Krefeld and Strasbourg, in addition to which he received visitors to Leicester from the two cities. He also welcomed visitors from inside and outside of the United Kingdom – from Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, Italy, Spain and the Children of Chernobyl in Russia.
The Lord Mayor launched the City Charter, hosted the 25th Anniversary of BBC Radio Leicester, the first local Radio Station in the country, marked the renovation of the Clock Tower and welcomed the new book on the City, ‘The Quality of Leicester.’ He also attended the ceremony to mark the creation of De Montfort University.
On the sporting front, Councillor Wigglesworth joined the supporters of Leicester Tigers Rugby Football Club, at Twickenham, on 1 May 1993 to share in the Pilkington Cup Final victory against the Harlequins by 23-16.
Councillor Wigglesworth launched twin Appeals under the title Heart 2 Art Appeal with the aim of raising £100,000 in aid of the Heart Link Paediatric Unit ECMO Centre at Groby Road Hospital and the proposed Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and Arts. The total amount realised by the Appeal was £121,000.
Councillor Wigglesworth’s Year of Office was concluded on 20 May 1993 whereupon he was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor for the year 1993-94.
He died in Leicester on 22 February 2002, aged 69 years.
