THE new mayor of Ely officially took up his post this week at a special inauguration ceremony. City of Ely Cllr Richard Hobbs was handed the chain and robes of office by the out-going mayor Sheila Friend-Smith, at a ceremony held at The King s School s Ha

THE new mayor of Ely officially took up his post this week at a special inauguration ceremony.

City of Ely Cllr Richard Hobbs was handed the chain and robes of office by the out-going mayor Sheila Friend-Smith, at a ceremony held at The King's School's Hayward Theatre on Monday night (May 10).

The coming year will be Cllr Hobbs third stint as mayor following spells in 1995 and 2001 with David Pritchard announced as Chaplain for his time in office. The ceremony, which was attended by the Dean of Ely Cathedral as well as representatives from the police and fire services, also saw Cllr Brian Ashton elected as deputy mayor.

In his acceptance, Cllr Hobbs spoke of his desire to maintain the high standards of his predecessor and also spoke of his aims for the next year, he said: "I am looking forward to this year for many exciting times, in particular the visit of our friends from our twin city of Ribe in Denmark.

"Every year presents new challenges for a mayor and my mayoress and I are both looking forward to this year and meeting as many people as possible."

The mayor also announced his adopted cause for the upcoming year would be a campaign to get the Ely War Memorial updated to include the names of those who have lost their lives in conflicts beyond 1945.

Cllr Hobbs said he had contacted the Royal Naval Association and all the military organisations in Ely to inform them that the war memorial needed updating.

"We need to recognise those people who have lost their lives in the conflicts since 1945."

Cllr Hobbs said money was also needed to improve the lighting, fencing and the railings surrounding the War Memorial and he hopes everything will be in place in time for Remembrance Sunday in November.

In her final act as mayor, an emotional Shelia Friend-Smith, said: "I would like to offer my best wishes to the new mayor who I know will do a fantastic job.

"I would also like to say 'thank you' to the council who gave me the opportunity to be mayor for the second time."

The new mayor of Ely, Richard Hobbs in full mayoral regalia on Monday night. 0001DM0509 Photo: DAN MANSFIELD.