A PROSPEROUS ands vibrant town is the aim of the new mayor of Tavistock.

Cllr Norma Woodcock took over the post last week for the third time since she joined the council 28 years ago. She told councillors she would work hard to justify the confidence shown in her.

And she said that as there were no 'large financial uncertainties of arbitration in this mid-term of office' the council would be able to move on with dormant plans.

There were plans to upgrade the facilities in the pannier market and to give consideration to the council building and Court Gate, together with the former library building.

Cllr Woodock said: 'We have exceptional responsibilities and opportunities in influencing the life of the town and are able to contribute significantly to its commerce and leisure and historic environment.'

The council was one of the top 41 richest town and parish councils in terms of assets and its aim was to manage those to the maximum benefit of the town.

Management had changed with the times, and while there was concern at the financial cost of the Best Value scrutiny and the staff time involved it had given a good focus and had allowed valued input from non-council members.

'Consulting with the wider community brings a wider insight and we hope to do the same in the coming year,' Cllr Woodcock said.

Significantly, there had been the establishment of new bodies and agencies with new initiatives which gave potential access to funding. Particularly notable was the Tavistock Forward Group with its Town Alive

project.

Cllr Woodcock was proposed as mayor by retiring post-holder Cllr Judith Williams. She said that during her term of office she had always been able to rely on Cllr Woodcock's expertise and judgment from her many years as a councillor.

During recent years when the council had been constricted by legal and financial problems, it had been Cllr Woodcock who had held and ably controlled the purse-strings. She knew that the chain would be passing to 'a safe and sturdy pair of shoulders'.

Cllr John Wright said the dictionary definition of a woodcock was 'a game bird, tasty, territorial, fiercely loyal and dangerous to those who hunt it'. As this was the ideal balance of qualities for the post of mayor he had great delight in seconding Cllr Woodcock for the position.

The new mayor's consort, Gerry Woodcock, declared that, in the words of Queen Victoria, he would 'work very hard to be good'. He said he was 'part of a long tradition of male consorts, whose patron saint was Dennis Thatcher!'

The new deputy mayor, Cllr Ken Sanders, was proposed by Cllr Woodcock, who said he had 'proved himself a fund of wide counsel and good contributor'. It was the second time he had been her deputy.

Cllr Sanders said: 'I will work as hard as I can to secure the economic and cultural future of the town'.

Cllr Williams was keen to stress her thanks to the people of Tavistock, as well as her colleagues, for their support. 'I was made to feel welcome wherever I went,' she said.

There were several highlights of her term of office, including the civic reception for local Olympic bronze medallist pentathlete Kate Allenby.

It had been 'a wonderful year of office'.