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Jerry Williams with Wendy Munro, a Kentish Town Community Centre committee member |
Talacre bids fond farewell to a much-loved former mayor
FORMER Camden mayor Jerry Williams received a dewy-eyed standing ovation at his leaving do at Kentish Town Community Centre on Saturday.
Mr Williams, 83, the borough’s first black mayor and a popular trustee of the community centre who has lived in Camden for more than 50 years, is moving to Kent to live with his daughter this week.
A lifelong activist who worked on the railway after immigrating to London from Barbados in 1956, Mr Williams was instrumental in the campaign to create the Talacre Open Space, the 1975 opening of which he described as “the happiest day of my life”.
In a speech to fellow campaigners and trustees, Mr Williams said he would make good use of the free train travel he receives as a former train guard to visit Camden regularly.
After a vote last month, the Town Hall executive decided to grant Town Green status to the Talacre Open Space, meaning it cannot be built upon.
Speaking about the vote, Mr Williams said: “Last week I had the opportunity to lobby Camden Council about Talacre. We managed to do something that no other organisation will manage to do lightly – we split the coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.”
But he warned campaigners: “Don’t take your eye off the ball. They [the council] might change the goalposts and then you will have to fight for the Talacre again.”
Reminiscing on his arrival in Britain, Mr Williams said: “Everyone who left Barbados was given a book called Living in England. The book told us: ‘English people are very hard to get along with, but when they make a friend, it will be a friend for life.’ The book also advised us: ‘Join a union and a political party. And if you get lost, ask a policeman.’”
Finally, Mr Williams made a rousing call for young people to get involved in politics, saying: “It’s one thing making a lot of noise outside the kitchen, but if you get in the kitchen you can make the stove how hot you want it – so get in there.”
Dame Jane Roberts, a former leader of Camden Council, paid tribute to Mr Williams, saying he had “made a profound impact locally”.
Mr Williams was presented with farewell gifts including a bottle of rum and a card with a picture of a train on it. |
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