Mayor Councillor David Hale
Mayor of Ipswich 2008-2009
I was born in Ipswich - quite a few years ago! Although my family moved away when I was a youngster, I did the sensible thing and came back to the town 48 years ago! Since then I have always lived and worked in Suffolk.
As for my working life, I spent 31 years in the Fire Brigade, ending up as Assistant Divisional officer based in Colchester Road. I loved, and still love, the Fire Service and all fire-fighters have my undying respect and admiration. That is one of the reasons why I have chosen the Fire Fighter's Charity as one of my three nominated Charities.
Being asked to be Mayor made me feel very proud and humble. I can promise you one thing: I will do my very, very best to represent all the people of Ipswich. I am looking forward to meeting thousands of people from all walks of life and listening to what they have to say.
Ipswich is my town. I love the place and always have done. There is much to do and so much to see. It has a rich history and proud heritage but is also not afraid to change.
I have been a Borough Councillor since 1999 but I do have other interests! One of my hobbies is steam trains and I am a member of the Bluebell Railway Society. Another is horse-racing and I love going down to Goodwood in particular. While I can't always pick a winner I hope I can stay the course and put in a good performance!
I have chosen three charities for my year in office, one I have mentioned already and another also reflects the respect I have for emergency services. That is the East Anglian Air Ambulance who do a fantastic job and I hope to raise their profile in Ipswich as well as raise much-needed funds for them.
My third charity is the East Anglia Children's Hospice. This is another fantastic organisation who care so much for youngsters with life-threatening conditions and their families.
Inga Lockington will be a tough act to follow and I know she will be a supportive deputy Mayor over the next 12 months. She has achieved a great deal and has been a great ambassador for Ipswich.
I am proud to announce that my consort for the year is my cousin, Betty Baskett. We are both looking forward immensely to the year ahead and know that we can rely on you for support.