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Chadsmead Branch Interview with Cllr Mike Fryers 9 May 2008
Mike Fryers, a Conservative City and District
Councillor for Chadsmead Ward kindly agreed to be interviewed
by Chadsmead Branch members for this website.
Chadsmead Conservatives:
Could you
tell us a little about where you grew up and what school you
went to and your life before politics?
Cllr Mike Fryers:
I was born in Lichfield and have lived here all my life, in
fact my family have lived in Lichfield since at least 1793. I
went to St Joseph’s Primary School and Lichfield Central
School. When I left school I was an apprentice butcher at
Fellows Butchers in Tamworth Street, which is now Thrales
Restaurant, then, when he retired and sold the business, I went
to work for Tesco, firstly in Burton-on-Trent as a butcher, then
promoted to manager in the Lichfield store and then promoted to
Regional Meat Specialist covering the whole of the Midlands.
Following numerous courses including 3 months at Hull University
I was promoted to Regional Fresh Food Executive where I had a
large number of stores on the fresh food side under my control.
Subsequently I took early retirement.
CC:
You have now been a local councillor for 6 years so how did you
get involved in politics?
MF:
Through Walt Fisher who got me involved very early on in going
around the country helping the Conservatives in by-elections.
Then he decided, with others, to set up a new Branch in
Lichfield which grew into the Curborough Branch and I was
involved in that for 2 or 3 years. I had to drop out for a
while because I was working away most of the week, however,
after I had taken early retirement, I got involved with the
Chadsmead Branch through Marjorie Simmonds who I had lived
opposite for 34 years and, after canvassing for Michael
Fabricant, our MP, because of my local knowledge, I was
encouraged by Branch members to stand for City and District
Council.
CC:
I know that you worked hard to achieve the playground off
Oakenfield so how did you feel when it was opened?
MF:
I was
absolutely over the moon. There were two things I promised
personally when I first stood for council. One was to try and
get a playground built in the Ward, which we succeeded in doing
despite the lack of space available and I think that was superb.
The other was to get Christian Fields turned into something
that everybody in North Lichfield could use as parkland. Since
it is about to be declared as the first local Nature Reserve by
Lichfield District Council I am absolutely delighted with the
help we have had and the way that has been brought forward. It
just goes to show that, if you work on a project and stick to
it, although it may take a long time, it can happen.
CC: What
are your thoughts on the new police station being built in our
Ward and the benefits this might bring?
MF:
I am pleased
that the new police station is being built in our Ward and I
think the benefits to the police are that, where it is situated
on the corner of Eastern Avenue and the Western By-Pass, they
can access most parts of Lichfield pretty easily and much more
easily than trying to drive out of Frog Lane.
CC:
What do you think of the proposed Birmingham Road development?
MF:
I am delighted
and think the sooner it is built the better as it will bring so
much more trade into the City. I think we also need to help the
trade in the City Centre as it is now. I personally feel we
need to make the whole of the City Centre traffic-free. I know
this sounds controversial, to aid this we must also make areas
on our car parks for the disabled as close and accessible to the
City Centre as possible. I feel it would help everyone and
enhance the whole of the City and increase trade both to the
market and to all the shops in the City Centre. Personally, I
should like to see a barrier system to control the traffic as in
other cities and towns around the country. People need to feel
safe when shopping, not dodging traffic.
CC:
What do you think about the current level of
policing in Lichfield?
MF:
Policing is paid for through Council Tax and no one wants to
increase that. I feel Lichfield is policed well and that the
police are doing a very good job. They walk Chadsmead
with us on a regular basis and I think we work well together.
CC:
Do we need more PCSOs to deal with such matters
as parking outside schools?
MF: The
PCSOs do a grand job in Lichfield and especially in the area
that is under my control as a councillor. With regard to the
problems caused by parking outside schools, which applies
throughout the country, we need to educate parents to walk their
children to school where possible.
CC:
How do we follow on from the
recent excellent Council Election results nationally
with the Conservatives way ahead in the polls?
MF: I
think we have done a superb job recently. The Conservatives are
growing in North Lichfield, with the majority of the City and
District Council seats and we have a super candidate in Alan
White for the Lichfield City North division in the County
Council elections in 2009. This is a key seat that we shall go
all out to win to achieve Conservative control of the County.
CC:
You lead a busy life working as a City and District Councillor
for Chadsmead. What do you do to relax?
MF:
I am
currently spending a lot of time on researching my family
history and have traced them back in Lichfield to 1793. The
family tree has not only gone backwards but also sideways in
both directions to include about 900 names - about 45 pages if
printed off! I am also a Walk Leader with Age Concern Walk and
Talk, walking on a regular basis and our small group has grown
tremendously over the last two and a half years.
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