He enjoys getting tattoos, goes mountain biking, plays football and listens to the Clash – not your traditional town mayor! Graham Webb was voted in as a Townstal councillor and then mayor nearly six months ago. He says his main priority is to “change the face of the town council” so it becomes more open and engaging and making sure the people of Townstal are never alienated again. By day Graham is a gardener and his interview with Steph Woolvin took place in a shady courtyard high above the town…
Graham is a councillor for the Townstal ward and says in his time in office, both as a councillor and mayor, if the only thing he achieves is to bridge the gap slightly between Dartmouth and Townstal he’ll be happy. “I was born at the top of town and know that there has always been the ‘divide’ where Dartmouth is considered the posh part getting all the resources and attention and Townstal is somewhat ignored. The issues up there are not considered as important as the historic tourist hotspot at the bottom, and people are told things will change but they never do.” He wants to start addressing the issue straight away and has already dealt with concerns over the state of the Longcross cemetery. “People complained about the area becoming over grown so I immediately organised for a Town Council team to go in and tidy it. That kind of thing does not need to go through a committee! If we can just take more immediate action on issues like this, it will mean a lot.”
Graham has had to learn about policies and procedures. He says it’s all a bit more involved than he realised! “There are quite a few committees and stages to go through for things like planning applications. I know a lot of issues like parking; youth activities and health care are complex without a short-term fix. I just want to make sure the council is always active in pushing decisions forward and telling everyone what’s happening. There’s been a long history of mistrust, with communities feeling decisions are made behind closed doors, so I think we need to get better at communicating on all kinds of platforms including social media.”
Graham says being mayor doesn’t give him any extra power over council decisions, but he can use his status to put pressure on higher authorities. The role allows him to chair meetings and carry out ceremonial duties and he says it’s an important job: “In many ways the mayor is the face of Dartmouth and the ‘pomp’ is all part of the job. We are an historic town and it’s expected that a mayor with his or her chains will appear at important ceremonies such as the opening of Regatta, the naming of a new lifeboat or a BRNC passing out parade. The role is effectively a PR one.” He says he wasn’t daunted taking on the role, he admits he had a little insider knowledge as his father was Dartmouth mayor back in the 80s. “My first job was pretty jammy as I got to board The World cruise ship when it moored near the castle, that was a treat! It really is a floating luxury block of flats. I was astonished by the amount of leisure space on board with so many restaurants, a gym, pool, golf course, shops, tennis courts and theatre!” The speeches are proving to be Graham’s nemesis so far. He says he prefers to do things adhoc as his memory isn’t the best! However many of the speeches need to include important information with facts and figures so he has to learn them.
Graham runs the speeches over in his head at work whilst taking a break from Radio 2’s Popmaster quiz! He has been a gardener for over 10 years creating his business ‘Gardens By Design’ from scratch. He goes everywhere with his loyal Red Setter Fergus and says working in the town can have its problems, parking and getting equipment up and down narrow steps being two of them. “I also have to deal with people with delusions of grandeur. One family wanted to put a pool in such a small garden they wouldn’t even have had room to walk around the sides!” When he was younger Graham actually wanted to join the RAF like his father and older brother, but a diagnosis of diabetes scuppered that dream.
So he considered career choice number two - a punk rocker! This rebellious streak in him emerges at full council meetings when he goes against the accepted norm of wearing a tie, opting for a flamboyant shirt instead. “I’m getting a reputation for my shirts! They have all kinds of designs - lemons, bananas, bicycles, poppies and golden dragons.” Graham stays active playing football once a week and mountain biking when he can. In 2017 he raised £1,500 completing a 200 mile ride across the Yorkshire Dales for children with cancer. Graham also volunteers at Dartmouth Community Chest, which helps local people in fuel and food poverty. “It’s a rewarding task at times, but it’s also very hard. People don’t always want to admit they need help and I’ve had men close the door on me before when I’m delivering food parcels. But many of the people we help are so grateful they end up becoming volunteers themselves.”
When he isn’t helping vulnerable people or on his bike Graham spends time with wife Jayne and their seven children and three grandchildren! “They’re dotted around the UK, but we meet up when we can. I also enjoy the odd bit of fishing. The most interesting thing I’ve ever caught was a wheel trim from a Vauxhall Corsa! But I do on occasions bring home a tasty snack for Jayne to prepare for dinner!”
First published By The Dart magazine October 2019
