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Around Town Meets...
The Mayor of Barnsley
By Brian Elliott
 Anyone meeting Councillor Len Picken, Barnsley’s mayor, can not help but notice his great passion for the town, its people and communities; and also for its scenery.
I would not like to be in anyone’s shoes who puts Barnsley down in his presence. Yes, he will certainly recognise that there are problems still to be tackled, campaigns and projects to be continued, but is fiercely proud of his home town.
‘The people are wonderful’ said the Mayor and ‘the countryside all around us is fantastic’. He told me that about 30% of the Barnsley Metropolitan area was in the Peak District National Park, ‘something that many outsiders just don’t realise’. ‘It’s a lovely place to live’, he continued, saying: ‘We have a lot of history but also a great future as a 21st century market town. That’s what we are all striving to achieve.’
My meeting with the Mayor took place in the Mayoress’s Parlour, a pleasant ground floor room of the town hall in July when he had been in office a few, very busy months, which including the great downpours in June when parts of the Barnsley area were badly affected by flooding. He was full of praise for the work of the emergency services, the police, fire and ambulance workers, as well as the many local organisations and volunteers who helped in the crisis.
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 The Mayoress, Janet Henson, Councillor Picken’s daughter, was upstairs in the Mayor’s Parlour, continuing to host a reception for a girls’ football team, from Holyrood School, who had managed to reach the semi-final of a large (over 220-team) competition held at Sheffield United’s Academy.
I asked the Mayor if there was any preparation for the job. In one sense, he told me, it had been a learning situation for many years. As a councillor he had always supported the mayoral team whenever he could, especially in respect of any event in a local community setting.
He also mentioned that attending a Yorkshire training day amongst many other fellow mayors and mayor-elects, held in Bradford, was very useful and gave him more confidence before starting. What also has helped was the mayoral support staff which he described as a ‘first class team’, helping to make his role as Mayor run so smoothly.
Mayor Picken described his first few months in office as being ‘very hectic’ but that he had ‘enjoyed every minute of it’. One of the highlights was the annual Mayor’s Carnival when the weather was kind for a change. The event attracted people of all ages but the Mayor was particularly pleased to see so many young people take part in the celebrations, some of them even joining in the dancing from town centre pubs. It was a very long day for the Mayor and Mayoress to be on duty but the enthusiasm of everyone made it such a memorable and worthwhile occasion. The Mayor also told me how much he looked forward to representing the town and borough at home and abroad at so many other forthcoming events. He mentioned in particular how pleased it will be to open new Barnsley area schools, saying how important it was for children to be given the right foundation for learning.
I had met Councillor Picken for the first time about three years ago when compiling my book Yorkshire Mining Veterans. A mineworker for more than 40 years, working at pits such as Wharncliffe Woodmoor 4 & 5, North Gawber and Ferrymoor/Riddings, not only did he provide excellent information based on his experiences but he was also a great supporter and friend of the entire project.
It was whilst working at what had become known as Ferrymoor/Riddings that Len first became actively involved in politics and public service, when he was elected, unopposed, as an NUM representative for the Riddings (Grimethorpe/Barnsley area) men. However, his interest in politics goes back even further, to at least 1960 when he joined the Labour Party. I asked Councillor Picken if there was anyone in particular whom he admired and perhaps influenced his early thinking. Immediately he referred to Clem Attlee, the Labour leader and Prime Minister who Len regarded as a great politician and a ‘wise man’, someone who ‘moved us out of postwar depression’ and helped to create massive social reforms, changes that affected the lives of every family. In particular, Councillor Picken cited the establishment of the National Health Service as being the greatest political achievement of modern times, giving working class people at long last the free and accessible service that they deserved. It did, he said, ‘open the eyes of working people and made them aware of what medical care could be available and, for the first time, younger people could understand why so many old and ill people had been dying unnecessarily, with no treatment’.
A self-confessed ‘community man’, Councillor Picken’s local patch includes Around Town’s premises in Athersley North as well as Athersley South, New Lodge and parts of Rotherham Road, Smithies and Carlton, an extensive area of over 10,000 people who he has represented for over 20 years. Councillor Picken’s tried and tested approach to this community is to walk through the area whenever possible, picking up problems and concerns in the course the day. It is public transport that he uses when not on civic business, which also provides opportunity to meet people. Councillor Picken is also involved in a variety of council cabinet and committee meetings, particularly in areas such as Health, Planning & Regeneration.
Health has been a great interest of Councillor Picken over many years. On a personal level he has always tried to keep himself reasonably fit. When he was working, life underground, making headings, certainly required a lot of strength and fitness. Following retirement, he continues to enjoy gardening and walking in the countryside, something he strongly recommends to ‘clear the cobwebs’ and keep the mind active. Fit for the Future is the Mayor’s chosen theme for his period of office. Whenever possible, Mayor Picken is also keen to promote local charities such as the Barnsley Hospice and after care for cancer sufferers.
The Mayor told me that he was delighted to hear the news about the recent lottery grant which will begin the process of establishing a museum and archive in the Town Hall dedicated to the story of the long and interesting history of the town and district. Known as the Experience Barnsley project, he feels it will also be a tremendous educational resource once it is opened.
As far as coal mining heritage is concerned, the Mayor also reminded me of the new memorial and garden area which will soon be placed in the Town Hall grounds, as a tribute to local miners and their families. Another monument and tribute that the Mayor is keen to establish relates to the terrible Wharncliffe Woodmoor 1, 2 & 3 disaster of 1936 in which 58 men lost their lives. A re-sited memorial to this tragedy, in a safe but visible public location has been in his thoughts for some time and would bring him a great satisfaction if realised during his office as Mayor.
Barnsley has been fortunate to have a succession of excellent Mayors in recent years and Councillor Picken is certainly carrying on this tradition. Perhaps even more importantly I feel sure that his conscientious and kind approach - and great sense of community - will be remembered by many people for many years to come.
Published Autumn 2007. All information correct at time of print.
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