HE WAS once the king of the Castle ward, now he is Reading’s first citizen, some 50 years after first being elected to the borough council.
Cllr Tony Page was just 19 when he won a seat in the now defunct Castle ward, and to mark his golden anniversary, on Wednesday, May 24, he became borough mayor in a ceremony held in Reading town hall.
His deputy will be Cllr Glenn Dennis.
Over his time with the council, Cllr Page has helped oversee the launch of The Oracle, the pedestrianisation of the town centre, numerous changes to Reading Buses, and other modernisations, such as the creation of Green Park and Kennet Island.
He dwelt on some of these during a speech at the event, reflecting on his time as a student at the University of Reading, the ‘eventful times’ of the 1970s which he was elected in, and his role in the 1990s of help Reading Buses move.
“As chairman of the company at the time, I had a very active role in the relocation of the old bus depot, from Mill Lane to the brand-new facility, as it was then, in Great Knollys Street, which opened in 1997,” he said.
“That unlocked both sides of the River Kennet and facilitated the Oracle development as we know it today. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Cllr Page also celebrated the opening of the Christchurch Bridge over the River Thames in 2015, despite the scepticism it had received, and also expressed frustration at the lack of progress over the Reading Gaol site.
“In just a few short months, it will have been 10 years since the Ministry of Justice abruptly shut down Reading Prison December 2013, when all the prisoners moved out the last person,” he said.
“It was obvious at the time that development of such a historical site was always going to be a challenge.
“Can you imagine the abuse this council would have received from ministers if we allowed such a valuable and important historical asset to deteriorate without any progress being made in determining its future in nearly 10 years? It remains a huge disappointment.”
He said the council remained committed to a plan to convert it into an arts centre.
“While I’m stepping back from frontline politics as of this evening, you can be sure your mayor will continue to work alongside stakeholders, councillor colleagues and community groups to lowering the MOJ to make the only choice that allow us to create something extra special for us,” he said.
His two mayoral charities will be the Berkshire Refugee Support Group and the Stroke Association.
During the meeting, tributes were made by leader of the council Cllr Jason Brock (Labour, Abbey) and Cllr Karen Rowland.
Cllr Brock said: “I cannot do justice to his 50 years of service. He’s an outstanding teacher, a confidant without peer.”
Cllr Rowland praised him for being a mentor, serving with honesty and integrity, and having a 12-hour-a-day work ethic.
