The Town Mayor
The Town Mayor is the first citizen of the town and is elected to the post by fellow Councillors at the Town Council’s annual meeting in May each year. The role of Mayor is a non-political position and during the mayoral year, a Mayor puts aside council duties to concentrate on the role as the town’s first citizen.
The Mayor chairs Town Council meetings and attends many functions within the town. These include representing the Town Council at civic functions, receiving dignitaries, opening events, talking to clubs and societies and visiting schools. The Mayor asks the Deputy Mayor, and on occasion a past Mayor, to stand in if they are not available.
The current Mayor is Councillor Rob Comber
The current Deputy Mayor is Councillor Louise Timlin
Cllr Rob Comber says: “I am particularly pleased to be taking office at this time, the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the role of Wokingham Town Mayor. Over these fifty years Wokingham has changed significantly, due to both national and local factors, and I hope that throughout that time, it has been a friendly and welcoming place. Certainly in the thirty years that I have lived in the town itself, I have found it a wonderful place to live, to work, and to have a family. I put myself forward for election to the Town Council, and later for the role of Mayor, because I wanted to help ensure it remains so for the next generation.
For me, one of the wonderful aspects of the Town Council is that a large part of what we do is focused around bringing the community together, and to create opportunities to improve the experience of living here for all the residents of the town. From the marvellous Wokingham Fun Day, which provides a lot of free entertainment for the children of the town, through the summer Party in the Park, which is for all ages, to the Firework evening, all parts of the town can, and do, come together. From the recently established Lunar Festival, through Wokingham in Bloom, to the Christmas tree lights, we strive to enhance everyone’s experience of Wokingham.
One of the things I have found in my work for the council is the sheer number of people in Wokingham who are involved in charities, in support groups, and who contribute in whatever way they feel they can. I have been both astonished and considerably humbled by the generosity of so many people who have given of their time, effort, and money, in support of everything from the young to the old, from open spaces to individual trees, in groups large and small. A year ago, I did not know whether I would have the time, the commitment, or the drive to be Mayor. Now I know I do. I am honoured to have been elected as Mayor of this wonderful town.
If there is anything I can do to help, as Mayor, by attending your organisation’s events, or otherwise contributing, please contact me at [email protected].”
The Mayor’s Charity
Each year the Mayor chooses a charity to support during his or her year in office. This year the Mayor has chosen Share Wokingham.
If you would like to make a donation to the Mayor’s Charity, please contact the Civic Officer
The Mini Mayor
The Mini-Mayor role is an initiative where the Town Council works with Wokingham primary schools to select a Year 6 pupil to become Mini-Mayor during their school year.
Once appointed, the Mini-Mayor attends some key Wokingham events with the Mayor and we see this as a great opportunity for a young pupil to play a bigger part in the community and be a real role model and ambassador for their school.
The current Mini-Mayor is Celia from Evendons Primary School.
The following pupils were appointed in previous years:
2023/2024 Leah Vas (Floreat Montague Park Primary School)
2022/23 Jayden Hawie (Windmill Primary School)
2021/22 Joseph Gallagher (St. Teresa’s Catholic Primary School)
2019/20 Stanley Shambrook (Evendons)
2018/19 Amber Murray (Westende)
2017/18 Caitlyn Hyde (St. Paul’s)
2016/17 Elysia Ellis (Westende)
2015/16 George Bradley (Hawthorns)
2014/15 Joseph Southan (St Teresa’s)
2013/14 Lucy Parker (Hawthorns)
Past Mayors
WOKINGHAM TOWN MAYORS
2023 Sally Gurney
2022 Maria Gee
2021 Tony Lack
2020 Tony Lack
2019 Lynn Forbes
2018 Julian McGhee-Sumner
2017 Peter Lucey
2016 Gwynneth Hewetson
2015 Philip Mirfin
2014 Martin Bishop
2013 Martin Bishop
2012 Peter Martin Lucey
2011 Peter Martin Lucey
2010 UllaKarin Clark
2009 UllaKarin Clark
2008 Brian Willis
2007 Brian Willis
2006 Dianne King
2005 H (Danny) Miller
2004 H (Danny) Miller
2003 Philip Norman Harding
2002 Linda Barnes
2001 Anthony Barber
2000 Anthony Barber
1999 Frederick William Clark
1998 Philip Norman Harding
1997 Jack Lawrence Earnshaw
1996 Tina Marinos
1995 Ann Amanda Davis
1994 Charles Philip Hudson
1993 Charles Philip Hudson
1992 Robert John Wyatt
1991 Jeanne Burnett-Wilson
1990 Frederick William Clark
1989 Frederick William Clark
1988 John Peter Green
1987 John Peter Green
1986 Marion Fergusson Kelly
1985 Keith Cattran
1984 Ann Amanda Davis
1983 David Rees Ireland
1982 David Rees Ireland
1981 William Frederick Donald Austin
1980 Marion Fergusson Kelly
1979 John Debenham Butcher
1978 Peter Alexander Henton Johnson
1977 Robert Benjamin Naish
1976 Margaret Büsst
1975 Alfred George Skedgel
1974 John William Tattersall
WOKINGHAM BOROUGH MAYORS
1973 Stanley Leonard Bowyer
1972 Ian Robert Henry Crail
1971 Reginald Child
1970 Edward John West
1969 Horace Alfred Chapman
1968 Jean Marjorie Davy
1967 Ernest Everitt Bland
1966 William Charles Arthur Smith
1965 John Edwin Chapman
1964 John Edwin Chapman
1963 Phyllys Pleasance Pigott
1962 Phyllys Pleasance Pigott
1961 Phyllys Pleasance Pigott
1960 Alfred George Skedgel
1959 Frank Moles
1958 Frank Moles
1957 Ernest William Goodchild
1956 Cecily Elizabeth Arnold La Bouchardière
1955 William John Willey
1954 Reginald Hooper Brimblecombe
1953 Walter Granville Jackson
1952 Albert Thomas Ilott
1951 William John Willey
1950 Stanley Leonard Bowyer
1949 Mary Hay Corfield
1948 Mary Hay Corfield
1947 Mary Hay Corfield
1946 Norman Carson Lawrence
1945 David Goddard
1944 Walter Charles Fullbrook
1943 George Alfred Cheeseman
1942 Ernest William Reeves
1941 Ernest William Reeves
1940 Ernest William Reeves
1939 Ernest William Reeves
1938 James Egerton Thorpe
1937 Frank Stanley Perkins
1936 Frederick John Barrett
1935 Frederick John Barrett
1934 Henley Frank Curl
1933 Charles Mansfield
1932 Albert Ebenezer Priest
1931 Albert Ebenezer Priest
1930 Albert Ebenezer Priest
1929 Albert Ebenezer Priest
1928 Ernest Seward Whaley
1927 John Bridges Eustace
1926 John Bridges Eustace
1925 John Bridges Eustace
1924 John Bridges Eustace
1923 John Bridges Eustace
1922 Moses Blake
1921 Moses Blake
1920 Philip Sale
1919 William Thomas Martin
1918 Henry Charles Mylne
1917 Henry Charles Mylne
1916 Henry Charles Mylne
1915 Henry Charles Mylne
1914 Henry Charles Mylne
1913 Henry Charles Mylne
1912 William Thomas Martin
1911 William Thomas Martin
1910 Henry Charles Mylne
1909 Daniel Norton Heron
1908 Daniel Norton Heron
1907 Henry Charles Mylne
1906 William Thomas Martin
1905 Henry Charles Mylne
1904 Henry Charles Mylne
1903 John Headington
1902 Edwin Cecil Hughes
1901 Edwin Cecil Hughes
1900 Edwin Cecil Hughes
1899 Thomas Manley Wescott
1898 William White
1897 Daniel Norton Heron
1896 George Thorne Phillips
1895 Edwin Ifould
1894 George Thorne Phillips
1893 William Barnard Mower
1892 William White
1891 Tyndale William Heelas
1890 Daniel Norton Heron
1889 William Moorcock
1888 Thomas Briant Martin
1887 William Goodchild
1886 Thomas Manley Wescott
1885 Thomas Manley Wescott
Lord-Lieutenant
His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenants are the representatives of the Crown for each county in the United Kingdom.
The current Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire is Mr Andrew Try.
The Town Council invites the Lord-Lieutenant to attend key events but he is understandably not able to be present at them all.
High Sheriff
The role of the High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. The origins of the Office date back to Saxon times, when the ‘Shire Reeve’ was responsible to the king for the maintenance of law and order within the shire, or county, and for the collection and return of taxes due to the Crown. Today, there are 55 High Sheriffs serving the counties of England and Wales each year.
Berkshire’s High Sheriff for 2024/2025 is Alexander Barfield
The Town Council invites the High Sheriff to attend key events.
Wokingham High Steward
Unlike the High Sheriff, the role of High Steward does not change each year; the position is for life or at such time he/she feels that are unable to continue with the office. Each has its own coat of arms which can be seen inside the Town Hall.
Historically, a High Steward would have been an eminent man, who was a medium of communication between the Crown, the government and the town. In more modern terms he would have the ear of the king and government ministers and would “lobby” on behalf of the inhabitants of Wokingham. This is not the case anymore although the High Steward today should still be an eminent man or woman, and should be someone who can get involved with all the people of note in the town.
The High Steward of Wokingham is Lucy Zeal who was appointed in 2018