He may live on the mainland now, but Swale’s new Mayor is an Islander born and raised.

Cllr Alan Willicombe, 63, was installed as the borough’s top dignitary at a mayor-making ceremony at Sittingbourne’s Wyvern Hall last Tuesday.

Both he and wife Jean are the Conservative ward members for Woodstock in Sittingbourne.

Mr Willicombe was born in Minster and went to school in Sheerness, before leaving to spend 25 years in the Army.

He said: “I love the Island, especially as a child, because there was so much to do – swimming, fishing, long walks and boating.”

Grandfather

He returned to the Island in 1989 after a stint managing a pub in Brighton.

His mother, Doris, and siblings still live in Sheppey, except one sister who lives in Norfolk.

Mr Willicombe, a father of four and grandfather of six, started early retirement in December 2006 after being made redundant from Smurfit Townsend Hook, a paper and packaging company in Snodland.

He has been a Swale councillor for nine years, taking on the role after his local councillors failed to fix a problem.

“I decided to stand myself and fixed the problem within 12 months,” he said.

“I intend to try to visit every school in Swale, if it is humanly possible, as young people’s achievements should be recognised.

“There needs to be more for young people to do. The biggest problem is the older generation’s perception of youth.

“Because of the way they dress and their loudness, older people can be intimidated by some young people, but it is usually a misconception.

“There are so many small organisations that don’t get enough attention, and these

are the people that I want to meet.”

The couple will be raising funds for Demelza House, Swale Young Carers and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The Willicombes take over from outgoing Mayor John Morris (Con, Sheppey Central) and his wife, Ann, from Eastchurch.

A vote of thanks to Cllr Morris was proposed by Cllr Ken Pugh and seconded by Cllr Sue Gent, and he was praised for his role as borough ambassador.

Cllr Morris presented cheques totalling just more than £8,920 raised by him for the Mayor’s Charity Fund and given to Macmillan Cancer Support’s Kent Appeal, received by Kent fund-raising officer Laura Burtenshaw; Swale Youth Development Fund, represented by chairman Rose Moreton; Kent Music, received by acting chief executive Robert Hoult; and BRFM Training, represented by Keith Baldock.