May will be an important month for Conservative Councillor Dennis Doe, for four days after he is officially sworn in as the new mayor of Kingston he will celebrate his ruby wedding anniversary.

But the celebrations will be put on hold while Coun Doe and his wife Carolyn attend the traditional mayoral service at Kingston parish church on May 11.

They have decided their 40th wedding anniversary will remain a low-key event, postponing any formal celebrations until next year.

It is this sentiment of putting public service first that has won Coun Doe, 65, much support and his election as mayor last week was greeted with applause in the council chamber.

It was at Durham University where he was studying politics that he met his wife and the couple married on May 11, 1963.

They later settled in Kingston where they raised their three children, Lalage, Charles and James.

He first stood for election in 1986 in the St Mark's ward in Surbiton where he continues to live.

Having represented the area for eight years he stood in the Tudor ward and was elected. He continues to represent the area today.

He and Carolyn are also local preachers at Kingston Methodist Church and have close ties with many voluntary organisations.

But Coun Doe sees his election as mayor as one of the highlights of his time on the council.

"It is a great privilege to be mayor. What I would like to do is to help Kingston be proud of itself and to grow positively as a community."

The prospect of hundreds of public engagements does not faze Coun Doe, who has overcome a period of ill health, and he said he was looking forward to meeting people throughout the borough.

He is now in the process of finalising details about the charity he wishes to support during his mayoral year.

April 29, 2003 10:30