Mayor
Cllr Tony Heywood
A born and bred Lancastrian, Tony was educated at Bolton School and Middlesex University, including a one-year research project at Churchill College Cambridge, obtaining a BA Honours degree in Social Science.
The most significant outcome of the research project, which was into the assessment of teaching practice in teacher training colleges, was the discovery of a love for the theatre.
Following the degree, he began working as a theatre director, including time as Associate Director at the Overground Theatre in Kingston upon Thames and at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill in London. He also started his own fringe venue in 1985, which is still in operation at the Hen & Chickens pub on Highbury Corner in Islington. He also worked for five years in collaboration with the musician, Tom Robinson, co-devising and directing a number of shows that toured to a range of towns and cities in the UK, Europe, Japan and Australia.
Alongside this, Tony also worked in the teaching profession, teaching Maths, European Studies and Social Studies in schools around London. He also worked for eight years as a tutor on a range of performing arts degree courses at Middlesex University. In 1994, Tony moved to Guernsey in the Channel Islands to take up the post of Head of Drama at Ladies College in St Peter Port.
Most recently, Tony venture into the world of commerce, spending ten years as Director of IT Customer Relations at the head office of Specsavers, which is based in Guernsey. As his parents lived in Nether Stowey for the last thirty five years, Tony has been a frequent visitor to Bridgwater and he returned to live here in 2010.
Mace Bearer
Chris Hocking
Born in Bridgwater and educated at St Margaret’s School and Dr Morgan’s School before finishing education at Taunton School.Career began with Natwest Bank in Taunton followed by seven years with Bridgwater Building Society. Appointed as Advertising & PR Manager for Chelsea Building Society, based in Cheltenham, before returning to Bridgwater in 1984. For 12 years ran his own advertising and print company before joining Bridgwater College as Carnival Placement Co-ordinator, (a post he still holds). Establishing and organising courses for people involved in carnivals throughout Somerset, parts of Devon, Dorset & Wilts.
Involved with Bridgwater Carnival for 40 years, initially as a member of Marketeer’s Carnival Club and now a vice-president of Wills C C. Joined the Bridgwater Carnival committee in 1985 and held the post of Publicity Officer for 19 years before becoming President of the committee and serving the maximum three year term in this role. Now a Director and Trustee of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Ltd, Chris compered the annual Carnival Concerts for 18 years and now organises the entertainment in the town during the day of Bridgwater Carnival and is also responsible for leading new projects.
Chris became a professional Toastmaster in 2003 and now officiates at weddings and functions throughout the south-west, and beyond. Other interests include amateur theatre and rugby (as a spectator these days!).
Still living in Bridgwater, he is married to Linda and has two children, two step-children and six grandchildren.
Mayoress
Lily Heywood
Lily Heywood moved to Bridgwater from Guernsey in 2010. Originally from Azerbaijan where she was raised by her piano- teacher mother and lawyer father, she is fluent in Russian, Azeri ( which is close to Turkish) and English.
She studied and obtained a degree in Business Economics at The Azerbaijan State Economics University in Baku.
Lily currently works as a part time teaching assistant.