Respected councillor takes over as mayor

Buy photos » Coun Anne Taft, the new Mayor of Droitwich. Picture by Rob George

A RESPECTED town councillor has been elected as Mayor of Droitwich for the second time following a meeting on Monday (May 21).

Coun Anne Taft was handed the prestigious honour at the annual meeting of Droitwich Town Council with fellow Conservative councillor Tom Noyes becoming deputy Mayor.

The hard-working councillor, who represents the Tagwell ward on the town council, was previously Mayor in 2004/5 and told The Standard she was delighted to accept the honour once again.

She said: “I was born and brought up in Droitwich so I am thrilled to have been offered the position for a second occasion.

“It’s a very great honour especially as Droitwich is my town, there are a lot of people who come into the town and eventually become councillors but who were not born here.

“I was born here and although I have been out and about I have always had the pull back to the town.

“It’s obviously going to be a very busy year, especially for the first couple of weeks because we have got the Olympic torch and then the Jubilee weekend.

“My three granddaughters are all coming along to that to see what is going on and I think there is plenty of events for children so it will be an exciting time I am sure,” she added.

Coun Taft’s election continues her family’s long association with local politics as her late mother Anne Sandles was a former three-time Mayor of the town.

“My parents were involved in council work, my mother was also made a freeman of the town and sat on Wychavon District Council as well as the town council while my father was a former Wychavon and county councillor so its run in the family really.

“I do think they would be delighted to see this, it’s just a shame they are not here to see me carry on the ‘family tradition’ as it were,” Coun Taft added.

As well as her council duties, Coun Taft has also been an integral part in the Classic Car rally which has been a feature of the St Richard’s Festival for the past six years.

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