Tribute to Outgoing Chairman

Speech by Cllr Zoe Patrick delivered to Full Council on Tue 6th Apr 2010

I should like to pay tribute to Cllr. Tony Crabbe for the service he has given to the council over the last two years. I know that he was certainly conscious during his last year that we had in effect not had 'our turn' in seeing Cllr. Purse take office. It was a shame that we had to break that tradition, but Cllr. Crabbe has been very fair to me as Leader of the Opposition. I have been invited to many events over the last 2 years, and just to pick on some of those enjoyable times, I should like to mention the 'Singing Histories' celebration in the Westgate Library, several sessions where we gave out long service awards to those people within the various directorates of the council and last but not least the tour on the open-decked bus around Oxford which we was put on for the services personnel of Bicester garrison. There were many other occasions to which I was invited, too numerous to mention here, but I certainly made every effort to come along if I could, and Cllr Crabbe was always jovial on all these occasions and had no difficulties in making everyone feel very welcome. I am sure he will remember these two years with fondness as he returns to his political role within the council.