Following the Town Council Meeting on Wednesday 15th September, a ceremony was held to bestow the prestigious and rare accolade of ‘Honorary Freeman of the Town’ on the recently retired Town Clerk, Andrew Bailey, in recognition of his contribution to the Town Council and the parish of Great Aycliffe.
Andrew is only the fourth person to receive this honour, following on from former Councillors Don Vickers and Eric White and current Councillor Bob Fleming.
Andrew started working at Great Aycliffe Town Council in 1989 as Director of Leisure and Environment, eventually taking on the role of Town Clerk in 2006. He retired in May this year after 32 years of service.
During his time working for the Council, Andrew made a huge difference to the town, leading on the construction of the Town Park and West Cemetery, the extension of the Council Works Depot, the development of the Great Aycliffe Way and the improvement of numerous parks and play areas across the town.
The Mayor of Great Aycliffe, Councillor Mrs. Sandra Haigh, had the honour of presenting Andrew with a commemorative scroll to recognise his long and distinguished service to the Council and the Community.
Councillor Eddy Adam, who tabled the original motion to award the honour, led the tributes while Councillors Arun Chandran and Bob Fleming both gave speeches recognising Andrew’s knowledge, character and integrity, his many achievements over the years, and thanking him for his contribution and service to the Council and community.
Andrew commented “This is a fantastic honour and something that I did not expect or work for”, and made a brief speech recognising the contribution and support he had received from former colleagues and councillors.