New Eastbourne mayor and deputy voted in

Mrs Mattock was voted in at a meeting of Eastbourne council at the Town Hall last night (Wednesday).

Independent Conservative councillor Kathy Ballard was also voted in as deputy mayor.

It is the first time in more than 20 years that councillors from different parties have served in the mayoral office together.

Mrs Mattock, the council’s deputy leader and lead member for financial services, has served as a councillor for St Anthony’s ward since May 2007. She moved to Eastbourne in 1971 to study at the Eastbourne Teacher Training College where she qualified as a teacher and met husband Alan in her final year.

Her career in education included teaching in primary schools, prisons, colleges of further education and finished with teacher training.

Now retired, Mrs Mattock loves walking, is a member of two local rambling clubs and recently completed the 100-mile trek along the South Downs Way. She is also a regular volunteer at Bodiam Castle where she is a costumed interpreter and tour guide.

Mrs Mattock takes over from Pat Hearn who was mayor for two years.

Councillor Ballard, elected to Eastbourne council in 2015, has lived in the town for 14 years.

A qualified doctor, who left the health service to bring up her two children, she is a school governor at Parklands Infants School and a non-executive director of Eastbourne Homes. She has interest in charity work and aims to be a trustee of East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Crossroads Care charity during her term as deputy mayor.

Photos by Steve Curtis.