WELLINGTON’S first ever mayor is set to miss out on the town council’s 50th anniversary celebrations due to ill health.

Peter Critchard, who became the town’s mayor in 2008, said his heart was telling him to go, but it just wasn’t possible to make it. He said: “I want to be there, I really do, but I can’t do it. In my absence I would like to extend my thanks to all the staff, councillors and public who supported me during my time as mayor.

“I would also like to thank all the councillors for putting up with my wicked sense of humour. I wish you all well for all of the work you re doing in our town of Wellington.”

Speaking to the Wellington Weekly News, Mr Critchard remembered with fondness his time as the town’s mayor, when he supported the introduction of the Street Pastors initiative, which has become a staple of the town’s nightlife.

Mr Critchard spoke of his amazement at witnessing the sight of the pastor’s dog collars causing young revellers to clean up their acts. He said: “The street pastors were launched under my mayorship, which I supported and remain very proud of.  “I actually went out one night with them and learned an awful lot. The police would come around and say there’s a problem but no laws are being broken.  “The pastors would go down and the young people would be ‘effing and blinding’, until they saw the dog collars when they completely changed – it was amazing to watch.  “It is an brilliant initiative. The street pastors are there to help keep young people safe and they do a great job.”

Mr Critchard said another highlight was a commemoration of the town’s ‘land girls’ - when local women who worked on farms during the war were formally recognised for their wartime service. He said: “All the ladies from the Land Army came to have sandwiches, teas, sticky buns.  “The town council handed out certificates – one lady said ‘I wasn’t in the land army I was in the Timber Corps – we made the props for the coal mines’ – I thought wow, you were always learning in the role.”

But Mr Critchard said his proudest achievement was his chairing of council meetings, where under his auspices party politics took a back seat and Wellington was put first - something he said he is pleased to see continues to this day. He said: “I think my best achievement was chairing the council meetings. I am proud to say Wellington Town Council is not political. All the parties are there but is very rare they make play out of it  “Everybody around that table cares about Wellington, whatever their views about how to get there.” The 50th birthday celebrations continue over the weekend when a civic service is held in the parish church on Sunday. All surviving councillors and staff of past and present are invited, along with guests from Wellington’s twinned towns in Germany, France and Portugal.