2005 MARY ELAINE DRAYCOTT
(HOUSEWIFE)
(547)
The Lord Mayor was born in Baker Street, Leicester on 4 December 1948. She later moved with her family to the newly-built Thurnby Lodge council housing estate in the city. Educated at Thurnby Lodge Primary School and Spencefield Secondary School, Downing Drive, Evington.
Upon leaving school, Councillor Draycott entered the Boot and Shoe trade and was employed by Messrs J. Percival and Co. Ltd., 50 Rolleston Street, Leicester, initially, as an office junior, then later as the office manager. She met her future husband, Raymond at the factory where he was also employed as a clicker.
They were married at St Joseph’s Church, Uppingham Road, Leicester in 1969 and had two daughters, Carol and Kate. Both daughters obtained degrees. Carol was awarded a degree in Literature and History at Staffordshire University in 1993, prior to commencing a career in Local Government finance. Kate obtained a degree in Geographical Studies at Worcester College, which became part of Coventry University, and went on to became an Underwriter in the City of London.
The Lord Mayor decided to enter public life in 1976, vivid and disturbing images of the Vietnam War prompted her to embark upon this course. Her major interest was in the field of housing.
Councillor Draycott represented the Coleman Ward, in the city, on the Leicestershire County Council from 1989 to 1996 and the same ward on the Leicester City Council from 1991 onwards. She served on a number of important committees including the Police Committee from 1992 to 1994, the Fire Authority from 1997 to 2004 and the Environment Agency East Midlands REPAC. The Lord Mayor was also the Chair of the City Housing Committee and later held the Cabinet Lead for Housing.
In addition, the Lord Mayor served as Chair/Cabinet Lead for Finance and as Deputy Leader of the City Council.
From 1997 to 2004, she was a Justice of the Peace on the Leicester Bench and was also a School Governor at Rowlatts Hill Primary School from 1989 onwards.
Her hobbies consisted of listening to music, particularly on the radio, and reading.
Councillor Draycott was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor of the City on 20 May 2004 for the year 2004/2005.
She was elected to the office of Lord Mayor of Leicester on 19 May 2005.
The Lord Mayor chose her elder daughter Carol to be her Lady Mayoress. Miss Draycott was born in Leicester and was educated at Coleman Primary and the City of Leicester schools prior to going on to Staffordshire University. Her hobbies included photography, reading and history.
In addition, Councillor Draycott’s husband Mr Raymond Draycott undertook the role of Lord Mayor’s Consort. Mr Draycott had worked for 25 years in the shoe industry followed by 16 years with the Royal Mail.
He was a member of the Communication Workers Trade Union and had been a blood donor for 12 years.
Mr Draycott was a member of the Leicester Owls Athletic Club and, as a keen runner, he had completed 7 marathons and entered over 300 other races.
As both the Lord Mayor’s husband and their daughter were in full-time employment, the unique arrangement of having a Lady Mayoress and a Lord Mayor’s Consort enabled each of them to give effective support to the Lord Mayor outside of their working commitments.
The Lord Mayor had the distinction of meeting two members of the Royal Family during her Year of Office. On 6 June 2005, she was presented to Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal when she visited the Mowmacre Primary School, Bewcastle Grove, Leicester. Her Royal Highness was there to meet members of the Leicester Junior Inclusion Project (YIP) for eight to twelve year olds.
On 30 September 2005, Councillor Draycott met Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester when she opened the new extension to the Laura Centre in Tower Street, Leicester. The Centre provided counselling and bereavement care to parents and children.
A second visit to Leicester, during the Mayoral Year, was made by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on 4 May 2006. On this occasion, the Lord Mayor met Her Royal Highness when she opened the new premises of the St John Ambulance at St John Centre, 132 New Walk, Leicester. Her Royal Highness then visited the firm of Jack Masters Ltd., Knitted Goods Manufacturers, 129 Grace Road, Leicester.
Her Majesty the Queen celebrated her 80th Birthday on 21 April 2006 and the Lord Mayor marked the occasion by hosting a Celebratory Afternoon Tea, at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel, to which citizens of Leicester, who celebrated their 80th Birthdays during 2006, were invited.
During Councillor Draycott’s Year of Office, Leicester’s twinning links were further strengthened. During June 2005, visitors were received from Krefeld and Rajkot and three months later the Lord Mayor welcomed the Chief Fire Officer of Krefeld to the Town Hall. In November 2005, she hosted a reception for a party of Krefeld Apprentices and received parties of students from Strasbourg during January and March 2006.
The Lord Mayor welcomed many other visitors to the Town hall including a group of Spanish students from the Ardmore Language School, parties of students from Minsk in Belarus and Japan, Government officials from Chandigarh, India, a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly and the Queens Park Hockey Club from Trinidad. She also welcomed the Lord Mayor of Chester, Councillor Mike Jones on a courtesy visit whilst in the city.
On 25 April 2006, Councillor Draycott hosted a Civic Reception, at the Town Hall, for a delegation of eleven of the twelve Bishops from Denmark who were in Leicester on a three day visit to the city.
Leicester’s developing links with the city of Haskovo in southern Bulgaria were extended with a three day visit by the Lord Mayor to Haskovo in September 2005. During this important visit, Councillor Draycott was honoured at an official ceremony, at the Ivan Dimov Theatre where she was bestowed with the title “Honorary Citizen of Haskovo.” During the visit an Agreement between the City of Haskovo and the City of Leicester on social, economic and technical co-operation was signed by Georgi Ivanov, the Mayor of Haskovo and the Lord Mayor on behalf of Leicester.
Two months later, a deputation from Haskovo made a three day visit to Leicester, at the invitation of the Lord Mayor. A Civic Dinner was hosted by Councillor Draycott, at the Belmont Hotel, for the visitors which included the Mayor of Haskovo, the Bulgarian Ambassador and the British Ambassador to Bulgaria. On 3 May 2006, the Lord Mayor attended Bulgaria’s National Day Reception at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in London.
Councillor Draycott hosted a Charity Gala Dinner, at the Athena, on 6 May 2006, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Council of Faiths. The Gala Dinner marked the outstanding contribution the Council of Faiths had made to the city over the previous twenty years.
The city’s connections with the armed forces were maintained with a visit by the Lord Mayor to the 16th Signal Regiment stationed in Germany. During her visit, in August 2005, Councillor Draycott presented the Leicester Sports Trophy to 230 Signal Squadron of the Regiment. The link between the City and the 16th Signal Regiment was formed 25 years earlier when the regiment was based in Krefeld.
In November 2005, the Lord Mayor hosted a Civic Reception, at the Town Hall, for the Submarine Renown Reunion.
On 2 May 2006, Councillor Draycott hosted a Civic Dinner in honour of Major-General John Sutherell, the Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment.
The year 2005 marked the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and two important events, to commemorate the great sea battle, took place in the city. On 23 October, the Lord Mayor attended the Trafalgar Bicentenary Service at Leicester Cathedral followed by a Celebration of the 200th Anniversary which she attended, at the National Space Centre, on 28 October.
A memorable civic event occurred on Sunday 22 May 2005, when the Town Hall was re-opened following an extensive programme of refurbishment. Councillor Draycott formally reopened the Town Hall and, following the ceremony, a large number of people attended the Open Day held to celebrate the occasion.
The Lord Mayor attached great importance to the Citizenship Ceremonies, held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, in which United Kingdom nationality was formally conferred upon people who had chosen to become citizens of the United Kingdom.
On 24 April 2006, the Citizen of the Year Ceremony was held at the Town Hall. Councillor Draycott, who considered this event to be highly significant, was privileged to award the honour to Mrs Kathleen Bassett who was celebrating her 90th Birthday on the day of the presentation. Remarkably, this lady had served as a voluntary helper, assisting all age groups, for 69 years dating back to 1937. Her work on behalf of Leicester’s Twinning Committee drew special praise and remained ongoing.
Councillor Mary Draycott was proud to have been Lord Mayor of the City where she was born and had lived all of her life. The fact that anyone could aspire to become the First Citizen of Leicester also gave her a sense of pride. She was touched by the warmth and kindness she received from everyone and was amazed by the vast amount of voluntary work which she evidenced across Leicester.
The Lord Mayor’s Better Health Appeal was launched to raise funds to purchase three pieces of specialised equipment for breast cancer and prostate cancer and for research into asthma.
The Better Health Appeal raised the sum of £100,000.
Councillor Draycott’s Year of Office concluded on 18 May 2006 whereupon she was appointed High Bailiff for the year 2006/2007.
