Former Mayor Jean Hornby chokes with emotion in parting speech

Former Mayor Jean Hornby just prior to her parting speech at Rochdale Town Hall

Jean Hornby was fighting back the tears as she delivered her parting speech after her year’s service as Mayor. In a moving oration, that was also laced with a tinge of bitterness at her recent election defeat, she paid tribute to her Consort Barrie and her family and friends along with Council support workers without whom she said she could not have done the job.

Mrs Hornby revealed that almost £30,000 had been received for the Mayor’s charity during the year and thanked the Charity Committee for their work, and made special mention of contributions by her sister Sheila and friends who raised £1,300, Heywood Market who raised £4,300 and Heywood Advertiser Reporters Michael Byrne and Vicky who jumped out of an aeroplane to raise the “magnificent” sum of £4,300.

Mrs Hornby said she had been privileged during her term of office to see two new schools open in the Borough and added: “I have no fears for the future of this borough, the children are tremendous.”

Mrs Hornby revealed her distaste for tactics in the recent local election campaign in her former ward of North Heywood saying: “It has been a splendid year but I am of course very disappointed not to have been re-elected. Some say that is politics, I am not so sure. This is the only job where you end up getting fired for doing a good job!”

However, she quickly put her comments into perspective by comparing the loss of her seat to the Mayor of Salford’s loss of partner and her grand daughter Sienna’s question of whether her grandmother was now pleased that she would be able to pick her up from school now that she was no longer Mayor.

Mrs Hornby, choking with emotion, ended her speech by thanking the guests who had packed the Town Hall for the Mayor Making Ceremony for attending and parted by saying: “It has been an honour to represent the Borough.”

Councillors from all three parties paid tribute to the “dignified” manner in which Mrs Hornby had carried out her duties; fellow Heywood Councillor, Labour’s Brian Davies, said she had “done brilliantly in raising almost £30,000 for charity.” He added that her dedication to the office of Mayor had cost her the ultimate sacrifice of her seat but he “hoped her skills could still be used in other areas.”

Conservative Councillor Jane Gartside echoed those sentiments saying: “The loss of her seat is hard to bear, but Jean is a fighter and she has the support of her husband Barrie to help her through.”

Lib Dem Councillor Irene Davidson, herself a former Mayor, said: “Jean has now joined a very exclusive club of former Mayors and I am sure after a busy year she is looking forward to putting her feet in a bowl of hot water.” She added that it was sad to see Mrs Hornby lose her seat but felt sure that she would soon be back.

Councillor Davidson reserved her final words for the person fulfilling what is often an unsung but vital role; that of Mayor’s Consort. Of  Barrie Hornby Councillor Davidson said he had done Jean proud and remarked that “in every photo Barrie was at Jean’s side with the same beaming smile on his face.”