Veteran councillor marks 40 years

Councillor Denis Beeston who has been awarded a certificate for 40 years srvice as a parish councillor.

Nottinghamshire County Council has presented Coun Beeston with a certificate in recognition of decades of unstinting service for the benefit of his community.

The 83-year-old has served the village as a member of the parish council for an unbroken total of 44 years.

He has also been their Labour representative on Gedling Borough Council for 32 years and a governor at the village’s Hawthorne Primary School for 38 years.

The man they know as ‘Denbo’ adds the accolade to the MBE he received from Prince Charles in 2009.

He has even had a road, Beeston Close, named after him.

Coun Beeston, who lives on Mayes Rise in Bestwood Village, said: “It is a lovely certificate.

“Many thanks tothe council - I am very proud to have all those years of service recognised.”

He said since he started as a councillor in 1972 he had seen huge changes in Gedling and Bestwood.

He said: “The council rates we used to pay then would get you a list of things as long as your arm but it all dwindled down and you don’t get so much nowadays.

“It was a different type of life back then when the pits were still open.

“You only had to ask the National Coal Board and they would help projects in the village.

“There are some big cuts coming and it breaks my heart when I hear that people are losing their jobs.”

He said he was still proud to be a councillor.

“I always said I was a councillor for 24 hours a day and if you need me phone me.

“My surgery is the street and the Welfare. If you need me I will come up and see you.

“In the role of a councillor I will work my bones off to give back the confidence the people gave me when they went to the ballot box.”

Among his proudest achievements he lists fighting and winning a battle to get Article 4 restrictions lifted on homes in the village affecting householder developments.

He is currently campaigning for better bus services for Bestwood.

He said: “These days the rule is If you don’t use it you lose it.

“I am fighting to get one an hour - we get the 141 and that finishes at 6pm and there is no bus on Sunday.

“The only thing you can do to get in and out of Bestwood at night is to walk up the footpath and catch a tram.

“We have had the lighting improved to make it as safe as possible for people.”

The veteran , who was re-elected onto Gedling Borough Council in May said he intends to serve for the full term, but added it would be his final one.