Abbey Meads Councillor Peter Stoddart
Mayor of Swindon 2004/5
I have had a great year as mayor of Swindon with some wonderful memories and experiences.
I started my Mayoral year judging a schools fancy dress competition and had to bear the withering looks from the mothers of the unsuccessful participants.
I then opened a Pizza shop with children from the NSPCC and came out looking like a snowman.
At the beginning of July last year I had the privilege of representing Swindon at a Buckingham Palace garden party and eating her majestys little square sandwiches and Fairy cakes washed down with a cup of Earl Grey tea.
One of the many duties of the Mayor is receiving visitors from overseas they included visitors from Italy, Poland, Romania, France and Germany. I also met the High commissioner for Sri Lanka who expressed his countries gratitude for the overwhelming response to the Tsunami appeal.
It would take up too many pages to describe the 400 or so engagements that I attended during my mayoral year but I have planted many trees and attended 14 Christmas services and shaken hundreds of hands.
I had one or two disasters for example turning up for a dinner in a lounge suit when everyone else was wearing formal wear.
But I did score 2 goals out of 3 in a penalty shoot out at the County Ground and compete against a Polish Olympic rower in throwing the Welly. We tied!
It was a privilege to meet so many of the wonderful residents of Swindon and witness the multi talented singers, musicians, dancers and artists for whom Swindon should be proud .Some say Swindon lacks culture dont you believe it.
It has been a great honour to be Mayor of Swindon it is an experience I will always treasure.