Jenny gave us a brief resumé of the varied events she has attended as Deputy Mayor, both for the 1st and the 2nd times round. She explained how she got involved in politics, after Phil Willis stood down in the Harrogate area, she had enjoyed visits to the European Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Meeting Terry Waite at a Literary Lunch was a highlight, as well as a Women’s Day lunch from a diamond expert, who left with his magnificent examples in a plain carrier bag – safer than in a locked briefcase, apparently.
Jenny was also involved when Syrian refugees first came to the UK and,of the 200 initially sent to North Yorkshire, Harrogate housed 50. She helped to provide valuable support for them, which in turn became the organisation Harrogate District of Sanctuary – which now includes Knaresborough – and has helped to settle Afghans, Iraqis, those from Hong Kong and from Ukraine, and is still going strong.
Jenny returned to politics in 2022 and saw through the changes when Harrogate Borough Council of 40 wards (including Ripon, Knaresborough and many villages) became Harrogate Town Council of 19 wards, under the newly re-organised North Yorkshire Council. She described the many meetings, with attendant paperwork, the “chain gang parades”, and the action plan “Vision and Values” for the town. She has seen being on the Council as a way of raising the profile of the many colleges, care homes and charities in the area.
Her talk included some humorous highlights from her private life, as she married, divorced then re-met and remarried– as she said – her husband of 50 years but with a 40 year gap.
Her fee for today’s talk was going to go to Harrogate Homeless Association.