2006 PAUL THOMAS WESTLEY
(FORMER MUSEUM SERVICES ASSISTANT)
(548)
The Lord Mayor was born in North Braunstone, Leicester on 23 August 1949. He was educated at the Bendbow Rise Infant School, Cort Crescent Junior School and Wycliffe Secondary School. He later undertook a course in Business Studies at Charles Keene College, Leicester.
After leaving school, Councillor Westley worked for the Rank Association in three of Leicester’s cinemas over a period of 18 years during which time he rose from doorman to the position of manager. He then spent a further 18 years with the Leicestershire County Museums Service, where he was responsible for security and staffing issues.
The Lord Mayor had four children, two sons Paul and Michael and two daughters Charlene and Annette.
Having joined the Labour Party when aged 17 years, the Lord Mayor was elected to the City Council in 1995 to represent the Beaumont Leys Ward. He served on a number of committees including Commercial Services, Property Licensing and Education and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny and was the former Cabinet Lead for Best Value and Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee.
Councillor Westley was proud of the fact that his father and grandfather were market traders and that his family had an ongoing connection with Leicester Market, where they sold clothing, throughout a continuous period of 100 years.
In 2004 the Lord Mayor was elected President of the National Association of Market Authorities which represented 125 Council markets across the country. He was the Chair of the Retail Market Section and was a member of the European Working Party for Markets.
His other interests consisted of history and travel.
Councillor Westley was elected to the office of Lord Mayor of Leicester on 18 May 2006.
The Lord Mayor chose his younger daughter, Annette Michelle Westley to be his Lady Mayoress. Miss Westley was born in Leicester and educated at St Patrick’s and the English Martyrs Secondary Schools. Upon leaving school, Annette worked in the retail trade followed by a care role in a Residential Home for the Elderly.
She became a full-time mother looking after her six year old son Adam and, in her spare time, enjoyed music and travelling.
The Lord Mayor was privileged to meet his Royal Highness The Duke of York, on 9 November 2006, when he visited CoFresh Snack Food Limited, Lewisher Road, Leicester. After touring the premises, His Royal Highness opened the new factory by unveiling a commemorative plaque.
His Royal Highness then visited SPS Technologies Limited, 191 Barkby Road where he toured the factory prior to unveiling a commemorative plaque which marked 70 years since the company was founded.
The important twinning links continued to feature prominently with a number of major engagements undertaken by Councillor Westley during his Year of Office. In June 2006, a delegation from Krefeld led by the Oberburgermeister, Herr Gregor Kathstede paid a four day visit to Leicester. The visit was concluded by a Civic Dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, for his guests at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel.
In September 2006, the Lord Mayor visited Krefeld and, during his three day visit, he attended the World’s largest street fashion show, which was being held there. The following month, Councillor Westley gave a Civic Dinner, in Leicester, for a delegation from Rajkot. During the Mayoral Year, trainee students from Krefeld and students from Strasbourg were received by the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall.
Many other visitors from overseas were welcomed by the Lord Mayor to the City including the Bulgarian Ambassador Dr Lachezar Mateva and Mrs Mateva on 26 June 2006. The Ambassador was received for a second time in February 2007 when he led a group of civic dignitaries, from Haskovo, to mark Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union.
Other important visitors to Leicester were Ednah Molewa, Premier of the North West Province of South Africa and Cyril Ndaba, Deputy High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa on 5 October 2006. They came on an official visit to build cultural, political, sporting and economic links and met with the Lord Mayor and Leaders of the Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council.
On 16 October 2006, Councillor Westley welcomed Abbas Reshem, Major of Az Zubayr, the second largest city in Basra province, Iraq, who headed a delegation to Leicester. Meetings were held with representatives from the City’s two universities, the Leicestershire Constabulary and the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service during the visit which was intended to assist the Iraqi city to move forward in its economic and social development.
Other visitors received by the Lord Mayor, at the Town Hall, included students from Australia, Japan, Minsk in Belarus, Spain and the International Punjab Writers’ Conference delegates, members of an Orchestra from Gujarat, India and a Trade Union delegation from Bangladesh. A party of 85 Norwegian teachers was welcomed by Councillor Westley at the commencement of a three day visit prior to visiting a range of primary and secondary schools across the city.
On 25 May 2006, the Lord Mayor attended the Mayormaking Ceremony for the Mayor of Derby, Councillor John E. Ahern who, in turn was received by Councillor Westley on a visit to the Town Hall on 17 April 2007.
The City’s close ties with the Universities continued throughout the Mayoral Year. A notable engagement was carried out by the Lord Mayor, on 21 July 2006, when he attended the investiture of Lord Waheed Ali of Norbury as Chancellor of De Montfort University. The ceremony took place at the Church of St Mary de Castro followed by a celebratory lunch at the University.
One of Councillor Westley’s proudest moments, during his Civic Year, was to welcome the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment, on 20 March 2007 when the Battalion exercised its Freedom of Entry to march through the streets of the City with Colours flying, bayonets fixed and band playing.
The Battalion (The Poachers) had returned from an arduous and demanding tour of duty in Iraq and the Lord Mayor hosted a reception, for all ranks, at the Nottingham Oddfellows Club in Humberstone Gate where he was privileged to be able to convey the gratitude of the citizens of Leicester to the Officers, NCOs and men of the Battalion.
A number of sporting achievements received recognition during Councillor Westley’s Mayoralty. On 29 August 2006, he hosted a Civic Reception, at the Town Hall, for the players and officials of Leicestershire County Cricket Club to mark the winning of the Twenty 20 Cup. The Leicestershire Foxes defeated the Nottingham Outlaws by 4 runs in a closely contested cup final, at Trent Bridge, on 12 August 2006. In achieving victory, the Club was successful for the second time in three years, in this particular competition, and became the first team to win the trophy for a second time.
On 20 November 2006, the Lord Mayor gave a Civic Reception for the Leicester Ladies Hockey Club following the Club’s successful season in which they retained the English League title and triumphed in the ensuing League Cup. The Club had emerged as the country’s top women’s team and had qualified to play in the European Cup.
Councillor Westley also hosted a Civic Reception, on 14 May 2007, for local sporting stars to celebrate their achievements. The guests included Mark Selby who was runner-up in the 2007 World Snooker Championship, the Leicester Monarchs Cycle Speedway Club and several other of Leicester’s sporting clubs.
A unique civic occasion took place on 19 February 2007, when the Loving Cup of England was received by the Lord Mayor, at the Town Hall, on behalf of the citizens of Leicester. The cup was being taken on a “Grand Tour” of every city in England prior to being used on the Top Table of the National St George’s Day Banquet at the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall, London on 23 April 2007. The celebration of St George’s Day was a means of raising monies for the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the Association of International Cancer Research.
Two further important civic events took place during Councillor Westley’s Year of Office. On 13 June 2006, the Lord Mayor unveiled a portrait of the late Councillor Ramnik Bhagwanji Kavia, Lord Mayor of Leicester 2003-2004, on the first floor at the Town Hall.
During October 2006, the Lord Mayor was presented with two framed illuminated addresses by Ian and Sue Davidson, descendents of Alderman William Wilkins Vincent who was Mayor of the Borough in 1902/03 and again in 1910/11. The addresses were copies of speeches read out at the end of each of Alderman Vincent’s terms as Mayor. These important documents were placed on public display at the Town Hall.
Another memorable engagement was the visit to the Guildhall, London on 1 May 2007, where, in the presence of other Lord Mayors, Councillor Westley attended the Graduation Ceremony in respect of a group of Career Academy students from the City of Leicester College. The Graduation Ceremony celebrated the achievements of the students who had completed a two-year Career Academy programme.
Councillor Westley considered it had been a great honour and privilege to have been Lord Mayor of the city where he was born and bred. He thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many people during his Year of Office and derived particular pleasure from visiting many of the city’s schools and having the opportunity to welcome groups of children to the Town Hall.
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal “Caring for People” was in support of two local charities, LOROS (Leicestershire and Rutland Organisation for the Relief of Suffering) to enhance the quality of life of patients with cancer and Heart Link, formed in 1981, which had developed into an organisation which raised funds for facilities and vital equipment to assist children suffering from heart defects.
The Caring for People Appeal raised the sum of £27278.17
Councillor Westley’s Year of Office was concluded on 17 May 2007 whereupon he was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor for the year 2007/2008.
On 15 May 2008 he was appointed High Bailiff of the City for the year 2008/2009.
