Cllr Bert Pawle, a district councillor for the ward of 'Harpenden North', was officially made Mayor of the City and District of St Albans on 14 May 2008 at the annual council meeting.

He previously served as the district's Deputy Mayor in 2004/5, and also in Harpenden, once as their Deputy Mayor, and twice as their Mayor.

Bert Pawle was born in 1934 in Westminster, London. In 1940 at the start of the war, he and his family moved to Ruislip in Middlesex, where he won a place at Pinner County Grammar School. After completing two years of National Service with the RAF in West Germany, he went on to work in shipping spending some time in West Africa; with plastics at ICI in Welwyn Garden City and banking for the last thirty years of employment, based mainly in the West End of London.

In 1965 he married and moved to Harpenden from St Albans, where he and his wife Pamela raised two daughters, one of whom now lives in Scotland. They have five grandchildren and like to spend as much time together as possible.

In the mid sixties, Bert became involved in the conservative party in Sandridge, initially helping with their annual village gymkhana. After he retired he became more involved in politics. His areas of interest include planning, community services, health and policing and he considers having a connection with local residents and local bodies to be very important.

He manages to find time to spend with his extended family and support Arsenal FC, in that order, as well as doing some gardening and DIY for relaxation. Having been an active governor of a local primary school for ten years, whilst struggling to find time to complete his Open University degree course, he is lobbying for an eight-day week!

Nevertheless, Bert is very pleased to be the new Mayor of St Albans City and District, which he considers a great honour, and is looking forward to representing the district as well as renewing past acquaintances.

Davina Mansell, Information & Communication Officer, Public Relations
Tel: 01727 819316 Email: d.mansell@stalbans.gov.uk www.stalbans.gov.uk