MALCOLM MEASURES HAS BEEN OUR CLERK TO THE PARISH COUNCIL FOR 25 YEARS THIS MONTH - Thank you Malcolm and a word from him.....

Malcolm J Measures MInstAM,MMS

Twenty-five years ago, on 1 July 1996, I was appointed as Clerk/RFO (Responsible Financial Officer) and Proper Officer to Marwood Parish Council. The appointment also included acting as Clerk to Marwood Poor Lands Charity (later I became, and still am, a Trustee).The interview was held in the old Parish Council Hall in Milltown and was attended, inter alia, by Nigel Spink, Ken Spear, Lily Tanton, Sheelagh Darling, Margaret Pover and Harold Hopkins; names many will remember. There have been many changes over the years.

     The appointment was for 2.5 hours per week and “just get the job done” and to attend a Parish Council Meeting, one evening every six weeks and to be paid once every six months.

      In June 1998 I was appointed Town Clerk at Ilfracombe, (part time) to run concurrently with Marwood. Ilfracombe was experiencing some difficult times and my main role was to get the Town Council back into a “working order”. It took a few years and following my cancer operation I left in 2006, continuing with Marwood.

      Since July 1996 I have arranged and attended over 280 meetings, written over 5000 Minutes, and prepared 30 pages of accounts with over 800 entries, with a total accountable amount of over £270,000.

      Perhaps the most pleasing and satisfying achievement (if I may call it that) was the management and investment of the capital funds (on behalf of the Parish Council/Trustees), from the sale of the old Council Hall, realising an additional £50,000, providing a total of almost £190,000 towards the cost of the new Community Hall.

      In April 2011 I became Clerk to the Council for Heanton Punchardon Parish Council, to help them through a difficult time. I am still there!

      My local government experience began 55 years ago with a West London Borough on 14 February 1966 (a good year for football fans).

       I took early retirement (as the Principal Personnel and Management Services Officer) and moved to North Devon in 1994 where I had spent many happy holidays and camping with The Boys' Brigade.

      If all goes well, I will complete my three score years and ten, plus ten in December this year. Psalm 90 vs 10. “The years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength, fourscore, yet their span is but toil and trouble”. I think the last few years have proved this to be true although my childhood years, through and after WW2, were not easy.

      I look forward to going beyond this time-scale; there's lots to do, but oh, how times have changed!

Thank you to all who have helped me through the last twenty-five years; there's more to come.

 Malcolm “M”

Cllr Malcolm Higdon

The Old Malt House

Kingsheanton  EX31 4ED

01271 373420 malhigdon@aol.com

Cllr Christopher Wallis

Woodgate  Cottage

Milltown EX31 4HG

01271 850260  wallis.fiona@googlemail.com

District Cllr Frederick J (Joe) Tucker

3 Shorelands Way, Barnstaple EX31 3AB

01271328890

frederick.tucker@northdevon.gov.uk