Mayor puts down roots for jubilee (From Wharfedale Observer)
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Mayor puts down roots for jubilee
9:36am Thursday 17th May 2012 in News
Otley Town Mayor, councillor Mary Vickers, and her consort, councillor Jim Spencer, plant the tree helped by the school council
Otley’s new mayor has planted a tree to mark the start of the town’s official diamond jubilee celebrations.
Councillor Mary Vickers (Lib Dem, Prince Henry) was joined by pupils and her consort, councillor Jim Spencer (Lib Dem, West Chevin), for the ceremony at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School on Tuesday.
Children from the school council helped Coun Vickers, in her first official visit as mayor, plant a juneberry tree which she said was “the very first to be planted in Otley to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee”.
She told the pupils: “This tree is very special and will take 10 years to grow to 25ft.
“It’s similar to you as you’re growing, because it needs water, light and heat just like you.
“If you look after this tree as the school council and measure it every few months, I’ll come back next year before I finish my time as mayor and see how much it has grown.”
Headteacher Cecilia Knight told the children they were “very lucky” to have a visit from the mayor less than 24 hours after she had taken the chains of office at the town council’s AGM, which was held at the school the night before.
