A new commemorative board which lists the name of every person to have received a Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Civic Award during the last 21 years has been unveiled this week.
The wooden board, pictured here alongside members of the town council, was displayed for the first time at last Sunday’s Civic Service and is now in the town council’s Jaycroft Road chambers where it is to be permanently sited.
Deputy Mayor Cllr Neville Jones explained the history of the board this week and recounted some of the reasons why the award winners had been recognised over the last two decades.
“From admirals to lollypop men; from lifesavers to dance-teachers; from weather data collectors to gardeners, many worthy names sent in by the public have received Civic Awards over the last 21 years.”
“45 came from Burnham and 32 were from Highbridge. There was one honourary award to the Burgmeister of our German twin town of Fritzlar, Herr Reinholt Koch, but also a similar award to Sam Langford of the HMS Burnham Association, our wartime adopted destroyer, and one posthumous award to Hector Heal who in fact died before award day.”
“Eight awards went to those serving in our emergency services – the police, ambulance service, RNLI, BARB and St John Ambulance.”
“Services to sport have attracted six awards including one to Patrick Mallaghan, then from Bristol who travelled twice a week from that city to establish the Monarchs Gymnastics team out of King Alfred School.”
The idea of holding an annual Civic Service has also been adopted by several other local towns across Somerset.
