Is Alison Clayhidon’s first woman chair in a century?

Clayhidon Parish Council has elected Alison Weekes as chairman, thought to be the first woman to lead the council since it was formed more than 100 years ago.
As a retired journalist she is the first non-farmer to take the chair in decades, although she admits she was brought up on a farm.

She moved to Deadbeer, Clayhidon with her first husband, BBC war cameraman Brian Hulls, nearly 30 years ago. After his death she worked in Taunton as Editor of Limited Edition magazine and News Editor of the Somerset County Gazette. Later she married another journalist, Gareth Weekes. Between them they have five daughters and 11 grandchildren.

Alison has been a governor of three Somerset schools, founded a branch of the adult reading charity Read Easy in Wellington, and was first elected a parish councillor in 2015.

She was away on holiday for the annual meeting on May 9, when Maurice Bendle announced he wished to stand down as chairman.

She didn’t put her name forward and had no idea anyone was going to nominate her. “It came completely out of the blue,” she said.

Richard Drew was elected vice chairman.