From our Local County Councillor James Fitch
Farewell
IN 1981 I was agent to the Liberal candidate, Felicity McMahon in the County
Council election. Four years later Felicity did not wish to stand, so I picked
up the baton and ran successfully in the 1985 contest. The next four years were
fairly tough since the Liberal / SDP Alliance formed a minority administration
in the face of Conservative and Labour opposition.
As a busy representative of your village and also District Councillor for Bottisham I decided to take early retirement from ICI and became a full time councillor.
Partly as a result of a high rate demand we made halfway through that council; partly because of a national surge by the Conservatives under Mrs Thatcher we suffered at the 1989 election and I lost the Burwell seat to Geoffrey Woollard. Four years later in 1993 I won it back and have represented you ever since.
A great deal happened during those years. I started as Chairman of Personnel ante Police Committee (for two years) as well as taking a strong interest in such things as the Fire and Rescue Service (as a member of that Authority). Also I helped with your school, Social Service establishments like Downing Court, the Burwell Day Centre, which I backed from the first meeting to form it in June 1985, the Prospect Trust and playing field in Reach, cycle ways Burwell - Swaffham Prior - Swaffham Bulbeck - Lode, and of course a large amount of traffic calming in Burwell. The list could continue but you get my drift.
During all these years I have attended your Parish Council on a regular basis, and I am grateful for the courteous and friendly attitude of the many parish councillors. It has been a remarkably harmonious relationship and a pleasurable experience for me. I have always tried my best; indeed, that has been my only election promise to villages.
I would like to end with sincere thanks to all those people who have rewarded me with their votes during these last twenty years. I shall maintain a continuing interest in the future progress of your village.
On behalf of our readers, Crier Editors would like to express their gratitude for the great service James Fitch has given to this community over so many years, and which we can see clearly in so many of his achievements. We are very disappointed that he is retiring. It is very hard to see how anybody could replace him! But it is an extremely well-deserved retirement, and we would like to further him all our very best wishes for the future.