Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress 2011 to 2012

Councillor Peter Brookshaw

Family

Peter is a twin and was born into a family of 12 siblings at the start of World War 2. He was evacuated from Royal Navy Avenue as a baby to Tapely Manor at Instowe in North Devon. This was a place of safety during the Blitz and was arranged by Nancy Astor for the benefit of the children of the city. Peter returned to Plymouth in 1945 and lived in Northdown Crescent, Keyham. Peter is married to Brenda and they have two children, Brendan and Theresa.

Education

He went to North Prospect Primary School and then to Little Dock Lane Primary School when the family moved to the newly constructed Duncombe Avenue at Honicknowle. Peter was one of the first pupils to attend the brand new Honicknowle Secondary Modern School and he left at 15 years of age to attend Plymouth College of Art and Design to study painting and decorating. After five years of combined study and work placement Peter gained a City and Guilds of London Institute qualification in painting and decorating. Peter was offered a full time teaching post at the college but declined it to work in the private sector.

Career

Peter worked for Selleck, Nicholls and Williams a large painting and decorating company for 33 years working his way up to the position of area supervisor for Devon and Cornwall. Peter was also a private landlord and ran a successful string of rental properties across the city for 25 years as well as his own decorating company South West Decorators.

Political career

Peter has always taken an active interest in politics and he became a City Councillor in 2000. He has been an active Ward Councillor for Moorview, Glenholt and Eggbuckland, he has held two Cabinet posts and was a School Governor for 15 years. He has held the Housing Portfolio, the Safer and Stronger Communities Portfolio and the Sports, Leisure and Culture Portfolio. His greatest achievements in his Cabinet work include the seamless transfer of City housing stock to Plymouth Community Homes, one of the biggest such transfers in the UK. He is proud to have negotiated an excellent result for the residents of city housing stock. Peter has also been the driving force behind the building of the Plymouth Life Centre and is looking forward to its opening later this year.

Interests

Outside of work, Peter was a sergeant in the Devon Army Cadet Force at Camel's Head detachment. He was a talented sportsman playing cricket for Plymouth Nondescripts and rugby for Plymouth Albion and Plymouth Devizes which was an architect’s team from the Polytechnic. Peter was keen on weight training at Jackson Studios in Seymour Avenue and he met Arnold Schwartzenegger when he came to the city in the early 1960s. Peter was also a member of the Plymouth Judo club in Virginia House. Peter has always taken an interest in his appearance and was voted Plymouth Best Dressed Man in 1961. Even today he is known in Council for his flamboyant taste in shirts. Peter loved ballroom dancing and went to Geraldine Lamb’s school of dancing where he met Brenda, his wife to be. She maintains that he has been leading her a merry dance ever since.

Peter was also part of the Scott self-build group that built 12 bungalows in Eggbuckland and was his first family home with his wife and two children. He was instrumental in building Eggbuckland Church Hall and the 42nd Plymouth Scout hut.

Peter and Brenda enjoy travelling and have been all over the world experiencing different cultures and lifestyles. Peter has a strong sense of natural justice and, through his portfolio work on Social Inclusion, has worked hard to ensure that Plymouth is a safe place for all its residents and a vibrant multicultural waterfront port.

Peter has always had an active interest in sport and is convinced that involvement in sport of any kind has a positive effect on young people. He is the President of Devonport Amateur Boxing Club and has been involved for many years with encouraging young people to engage in sports. He has coached teams competing in the Devizes to Westminster Canoe race, Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Ten Tors teams and been a keen supporter of school rugby, football, cricket and hockey. Peter has always been involved with local charities and has organised a significant number of events over many years to raise money for them.

Peter is honoured to have been selected to hold the office of Lord Mayor. As a Plymothian through and through he has always admired those that have held the title and is proud of the direct historical connection that the Lord Mayor has with Sir Francis Drake and other city fathers.

Peter is looking forward to his tenure as Lord Mayor of the best city in the World and wishes to focus on improving opportunities for young people of all abilities to engage in sport in the run up to the opening of the Life Centre and the 2012 Olympics.

Mrs Brenda Brookshaw

Brenda was born at Fleet House in Yealmpton and was educated at Highfield Junior School and Laira Green Secondary School. She left school at 14 to take up an apprenticeship as a ladies and gents hairdresser at A B Gordons in Higher Efford Road. She worked as a hairdresser in the Cooperative's 'Popular' Salon up until she had her children Brendan and Theresa.

She was a member of the Salvation Army 'Sunbeams and Lifesaving Guards' and was instrumental in helping them to make the transfer to the Brownies and Guides and became their first Tawny Owl.

Brenda has also been a School Governor and she takes an active interest in local politics. She met Peter, her husband to be, at a ballroom dancing class and has always enjoyed dancing, travelling abroad and socialising.

Brenda has always been involved with helping young people and was the Brown Owl for the first 1st Glenholt Brownie Pack for over 10 years. The highlight of her Guiding career was when her pack was part of the cast in a film called 'Mildred’s Revenge' made at St John’s with Russ Abbott.

Brenda was an active Townswomen's Guild member for 15 years. She was a member of the Guild craft club, keep fit association and drama club where she particularly enjoyed playing Prince Charming in the pantomime.

Brenda still loves all sorts of craftwork and is a member of the Plymouth Flower Club. She is a member of Sutton Ladies Luncheon Club and regularly attends Emmanuel Church where she and Peter were married in 1965.

Brenda loves spending time with her grandchildren, Henry, Rosie, Oscar and Lewis particularly swimming and making unusual craftwork items with them.

Brenda is very proud to support Peter in his role as Lord Mayor and is looking forward to attending as many events as possible as Lady Mayoress, to assist in raising awareness of encouraging young people of all abilities to become involved in sport.

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