‘Local legend’ is new mayor of St Edmundsbury

St Edmundsbury Borough today welcomed a man described as a ‘local legend’ as its new mayor.

After a year as deputy mayor, Patrick Chung was voted in as the borough’s new mayor, taking over from Robert Everitt, at the council’s annual meeting in The Apex, Bury St Edmunds. The new deputy mayor is Julia Wakelam.

Proposing Cllr Chung as mayor, Cllr Sarah Stamp said: “The man is quite simply a local legend.

“The number of people across the borough who know him and regard him fondly is simply breathtaking.”

She said he came to the borough in 1970, opened Bury’s first Chinese restaurant and was proud to have been the first person from an ethnic minority voted onto the town council.

Mayor Chung said: “It is an honour to be nominated and I would like to thank you all.”

Speaking of his involvement with a Hong Kong trade event, he added: “It is my hope and belief that this year will be a wonderful opportunity to create openings to drive international trade.”

His adopted charities are the Samaritans, West Suffolk Hospital’s Rainbow Ward, East Anglian Children’s Hospices and Bury Women’s Refuge.

In a vote of thanks to the departing mayor, fellow councillor John Griffiths described Cllr Everitt as a ‘hyperactive mayor’. He said Cllr Everitt had shown the mayoralty and the council’s work to schools and community groups and had worked to promote business in the borough.

Cllr Griffiths added: “I and we councillors are immensely proud of you.”

Cllr Everitt said: “It’s been an amazing place to be mayor.”

Accepting her nomination as deputy myor, Cllr Wakelam said: “If you had told me a few months ago that I would not only be reelected as a borough councillor but standing here as deputy mayor, I wouldn’t have believed you. I would have thought your were quite strange.

“I will do my very best to justify the trust my fellow councillors have put in me.”

To see who is doing what in St Edmundsbury’s new cabinet click here