John
Alfred
Kirkman


1939 -

John Kirkman

The chairmanship of a local authority is not easily earned as members must firstly show a reasonable length of service and secondly need to be accorded the respect of the voting majority. Admirable men have lost their chance because they were blackballed for personal reasons that were entirely outside the scope of the appointment but it is generally accepted that the job goes to the one who is considered the most worthy for that year.

In May 2005, John Kirkman was elected chairman of South Kesteven District Council, a particular honour because despite his long service with the authority, he had no political affiliation, sitting as an independent since he first entered the council chamber 22 years ago and could not therefore call upon the unswerving support of political colleagues.

He pondered on the difficulties facing independent councillors in an interview with The Guardian newspaper on Thursday 17th April 2003 in the run up to that year’s local elections when SKDC was made up of 29 Conservatives, three Liberal Democrats, 13 independents and 12 Labour members, but at one point the independents were running a joint administration with Labour.

"We were actually making the policies but then the Tories began winning seats and moved into power”, he said. “If we could attract more independents then I'm sure we could take overall control. But there will always be a struggle to find people to stand as independents. Being a councillor is an ever-increasing commitment and it is very difficult for people to find the time. We do not have the party machinery to give us that extra support and, without it, being an elected member can be a very hard slog."

John Alfred Kirkman was born at Boston on 14th December 1939 and attended the Staniland Primary School before moving to Boston Grammar School in 1951 where he achieved A levels in mathematics, physics and chemistry, although his preferred strength was in sport, playing at county level in soccer and athletics.

On leaving school in 1958, he joined the Meteorological Office, becoming a civil servant with the Ministry of Defence, and was sent to RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, as an observer and in 1964, was posted to RAF Laarbruch in West Germany. Returning to Britain in 1967, he was sent to the radio-sonde station at Aughton, near Ormskirk, Lancashire, where he received his first promotion through the Civil Service Commission and two years later was posted to the rocket research station at RAF Aberporth in West Wales until 1974 when he was posted to RAF Wittering, near Stamford, on promotion as a forecaster.

John had married Jean Taylor, a former pupil at the Kitwood Girls' School in Boston, in April 1961, when she was working as a professional photographer, and they have two daughters, Julia, born in Germany in 1967, and Bridget, born in Wales in 1971. They chose to live at Bourne, buying a family home in Stephenson Way in May 1974 and have remained there ever since, a convenient choice for his last posting to RAF Cottesmore in 1981 soon after the base re-opened as the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment and it was here that he received his last promotion to Senior Meteorological Officer, retiring in December 1999 at the age of 60.

By now he had become involved with local affairs, successfully seeking election to Bourne Town Council in 1979 as an independent candidate, serving as Mayor of Bourne on two occasions, from 1985-86 and again from 2000-01. In 1983, he won his seat on South Kesteven District Council for Bourne East and in 1989 was elected to Lincolnshire County Council for the Bourne Abbey division.

Representing the town at all three levels of local government was arduous and the hours long and in the spring of 2005, he decided not to seek re-election for the county council seat. There is no doubt that such a decision came as a result of a great deal of heart searching by someone who had devoted so much time to public service and it was obviously a wrench to leave. But dissatisfaction with an increasing workload was evident in January 2003 when he was quoted as saying: "A back bench councillor carries out an average 150 hours a month on county council work. That's 1,800 hours a year and to get £6,000 in allowances is less than the minimum wage."

This is not however a case of the rate for the job but of hours expended to the detriment of other activities. "Sixteen years is not as much as some", he told the local newspapers, "but it is a long period and during that time the commitment required has increased, particularly so over the last two to three years, and these responsibilities are likely to increase significantly. Having fully considered this commitment, I have come to the decision that I no longer wish to give so much of my time undertaking those duties but will, instead, use it to the benefit of my family and myself."

His public record is impressive, notably as a former member of the Lincolnshire Police Authority and as the current chairman of the governors of the Abbey Primary School in Bourne and of Bourne United Charities during 2004-05, and he remains a trustee. He is also noted in Bourne for his work at election time, insisting on knocking on every door in his ward to show his face, answer questions and seek support for another term, a tiring and time consuming task but one that he completes at every election.

Despite his public work, he maintains a busy private life gardening, dabbling in watercolour painting and playing golf, a game to which he was introduced in Germany and has played ever since, although it is a constant battle to reduce his handicap. He and Jean also derive great pleasure from their family and as an added bonus, daughter Bridget and her husband Darren have made their home in Bourne with their two children Ethan and Ellie.

“We have always said that you cannot put a financial value on the benefit of living in a town like Bourne”, he said. “There are problems, difficulties and often annoyances, and perhaps too much growth, but in spite of all that, it is a good place to live and bring up a family. This is a busy year for us both but being chairman of the district council gives us the opportunity to sing the praises of Bourne whenever we can.”


WRITTEN SEPTEMBER 2005

See also The council tax - a brief explanation

NOTE: Photograph courtesy South Kesteven District Council

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