Mayor of St Neots — June round-up

Director of Neotists Richard Slade was elected as Mayor of St Neots in May 2024 and has been writing a regular column for the Hunts Post since then. For those who don’t get the paper delivered or subscribe, we thought it would be useful for members to read about it too.

By Richard Slade
I start my second year as Mayor of St Neots with a trip to Priory Park to support their Friends group in an annual Bioblitz. It was a joint exercise organised with the district council and involved some citizen science, where visitors were encouraged to record the plants and animals they saw using the iNaturalist app. This helps the team gain insight into the state of nature in the park.

Mayor and Mayoress with members of Priory Park Friends Group and ecology officers from the district council

The Mayoress and I enjoyed dancing at this year’s St Neots Folk Festival on our new Market Square and even managed a sneaky photo with the whole group. Thank you to all the dancers and musicians — local, regional, and national — who brought the square to life.

A very underdressed mayor alongside the folk festival performers

The following weekend was our annual Armed Forces celebration. For the fourth year in a row, I was honoured to attend and be part of both the opening and closing ceremonies. This year I was joined by Deputy Lieutenant Jennifer Crompton, along with mayors and deputies from across the region. I spent two lovely days at the event, speaking with members and ex-members of the armed forces, cadets, stallholders, dignitaries, performers, volunteers, and residents. The overwhelming feedback was that everyone had a great weekend — many describing it as having a true ‘festival feel’.

Mayor and Deputy Lieutenant, Jennifer Crompton meeting vetrans at Armed Forces weekend

Last year we signed the Armed Forces Covenant — a pledge to support those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces. I’m pleased to say our new website now includes a dedicated section with useful contacts for anyone in need of support.

It was a pleasure to join Giovanni, Ella, and Alex for the grand opening of Vino Tapas and Wine. Sadly, I didn’t have time to stop for lunch, but I assured them I’d be back with the Mayoress for dinner very soon. Good luck with the new venture in this perfect Market Square location.

It got a mention in the Hunts Post, but I want to again say thank you and well done to Peppercorns Academy for their 24-hour drum-a-thon to raise money for local cancer charities. I had the honour of starting off Simon and Will on a very warm Saturday morning — and it was brilliant to hear they raised over £1,000.

I was also delighted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sweet Paradise with owners David and Sarah. We’re very lucky to have so many thriving independent shops on our high street, and this well-known store is loved by so many of us who grew up enjoying their confectionery. I couldn’t resist picking up my favourite sweets — a bag of strawberry bonbons — just in time for the evening’s next event: a visit to the St Neots Choral Society concert. Led by Reg Searle and the orchestra, they performed beautiful works by Haydn, Mozart, and Handel.

The Mayoress and I also attended a charity fundraiser hosted by St Neots Rotary at the Chaii Hub. With proceeds from tickets and the raffle supporting the Rotary Club’s chosen charities, it was wonderful to support both them and a fantastic local venue.

Last but not least, it was great to meet the team behind last Saturday’s charity fundraiser at St Neots Rugby Club, which raised funds for the MND Association and Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. It was quite emotional to speak with residents affected by the disease and to hear about the vital support provided by these local groups.