A former mayor of Shipston has taken on the baton as the president of the town’s brass band.
Fay Ivens, who served as Shipston’s mayor from 2012-2013, has been appointed president of Shipston Town Band. Mrs Ivens takes over from another former Shipston mayor Ronnie Murphy, who has stepped down after many years in the role.
Mrs Ivens said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed the president of such an important and much loved Shipston institution. The band has been a central part of town life for more than a century, and in fact I was the mayor in its centenary year and was able to take part in its celebrations then. So, I feel really proud to now be representing this wonderful group of musicians as their president and look forward to being a part of the next chapter in the band’s story.”
Mrs Ivens served on Shipston Town Council between 2009 and 2021, and she is also been a member and Chairman of Shipston in Bloom, helping the town secure the Britain in Bloom Heart of England Gold Award. She is a previous recipient of the prestigious Ann Sankey Medal (now the Shipston Community Award) and is the serving president of the Rotary Club of Shipston.
The chairman of the band, Liz Smith, said: “The whole band is thrilled that Fay is our new president. It is a role that needs someone who truly knows the town and its people, and there is nobody better placed to fulfil that role than Fay. I thank her on behalf of the band and all the musicians involved for agreeing to be an important part of our music making!”
The band’s conductor, Alex Bland, introduced Fay as the new president to the audience at a concert on the penultimate night of the recent Shipston Proms festival, held at St Edmund’s Church.