KEIGHLEY town mayor Councillor Peter Corkindale has spoken of his “amazing” two years in the role.

He said the pandemic had brought huge challenges and tragically claimed lives locally, which he hopes will be commemorated with an event once the situation allows.

But he also pays tribute to the “brilliant” people of the town, whom he said he’d felt “extremely fortunate and privileged” to represent.

Cllr Corkindale was elected mayor for a one-year term on May 16, 2019.

However, he was re-elected to continue for an unprecedented second year following the Covid-19 outbreak and the start of lockdown.

“The council felt it would be unfair to expect someone else to take over the mayoralty at a time when very little was happening and so decided to re-elect me – something I was happy to do,” said Cllr Corkindale, who steps down from the role this Thursday.

He attended more than 100 events during his first year or so in office.

His opening engagement was the unveiling of a Duke of Wellington’s regimental memorial in Halifax.

“It was a fabulous day and I was immensely proud to be present – representing the people of Keighley,” said Cllr Corkindale.

“As the ceremony unfolded I reflected on that young lad being brought-up on Bankfield Drive at Braithwaite who was now sat as a guest of honour and mayor of his home town – it still makes me pinch myself.”

Other highlights of his first month included a visit to the Airedale Shopping Centre to support the Keighley in Bloom team and to Central Hall, where he met volunteers from organisations including Keighley Healthy Living and Dementia Friendly Keighley.

“The job of a mayor in my view is to promote the town and its people and to remind everyone what a wonderfully diverse and friendly place this is,” said Cllr Corkindale.

“I am aware of the ‘glass half empty’ merchants and the doom-and-gloom pedlars – who if they put their energies into promoting rather than demoting the town, might find the gems that abound.

“Keighley has the first Carnegie-sponsored library in England and the last surviving Edwardian inland promenade in the country, it was the first town in the world to twin with another – a twinning that still exists today, 100 years later – we have the first butterfly memorial garden dedicated to stillborn children and premature infant deaths outside of Scotland at Airedale Hospital, and we are the founding town of the One Britain One Nation movement.

“I know the town has its problems, but if we do nothing then what will our legacy be? I am a ‘glass half full’ type of individual, as are many others out there for whom to do nothing is not an option!”

Other events attended during his opening year ranged from galas to Keighley Show, and from Keighley & Airedale Business Awards to a school book launch.

“I also enjoyed awards nights at Keighley College and the town council’s own awards – both for schools and businesses,” he said.

“There were Rotary lunches and charity race nights, for my chosen charity the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and support for the Special Olympics team which returned festooned with medals from Abu Dhabi.

“I attended the Keighley Amateurs panto at Victoria Hall, the candle-lit carol service and the Young Musician of the Year event at Keighley Shared Church, numerous pensioners’ lunches and the giving of hampers to the staff at Airedale Hospital – this was before the awful pandemic we have been living through, during which those people – all of them – have been heroes to me.

“When I have met all those that give of their time, I was never disappointed. I was always made welcome and enjoyed every minute; this town is full of brilliant people.”

Cllr Corkindale said the onset of the pandemic led to the postponement of major events that were being planned for the town.

Keighley was due to host a visit from the mayor of its twin town, Poix-du-Nord, in northern France and a new twinning charter was scheduled to be signed.

And a festival of transport was being organised.

“Little did we know that a Covid virus would bring normal life to a complete standstill,” said Cllr Corkindale.

“On Friday, March 13, 2020, I attended my last pre-Covid event – a Rotary charity lunch at the Dubrovnik Hotel in Bradford – and lockdown became a reality for us all.

“It was apparent that this was something that would not just go away. There was no cure and no one knew when or if a vaccine could be produced – so began the era of Zoom meetings and self-isolation.

“I lost friends to Covid – as I know many people did – and it is my hope that when we can hold a commemoration and celebration of the lives of all those who sadly left us, we do so. I envisage an event to not only commemorate those we lost, but to say ‘thank you’ to every single person who kept us safe, tended to our needs, emptied our bins, drove the buses and did all the things for which we are eternally grateful.”

Cllr Corkindale said one incredible story to “come out of the blue” had been that of Keighley-born Captain Sir Tom Moore, who captured the nation’s hearts after walking laps of his garden and raising more than £32m for NHS charities.

“We were contacted by his family to say he had expressed a desire to visit Keighley – his family home and the grave of his parents and grandparents – so on July 31 last year Captain Tom and his family came to visit us and I was honoured to award him the freedom of the town,” said Cllr Corkindale.

He added that despite the restrictions during the pandemic, he had still taken part in Zoom meetings, attended the Long Lee vaccination clinic and made some socially-distanced visits – including to the Sue Belcher Centre, Branshaw Golf Club, The Knowle, TS Dolphin and Keighley Bus Museum.