Terry Reeve Town Reeve for 2023-24

Terry Reeve was announced as the new Town Reeve, and head of Bungay Town Trust, at the Trust's annual meeting at Fisher Theatre on Tuesday 5th December.

Mr Reeve, a retired journalist who celebrated his 80th birthday in April 2023, becomes Reeve for the fourth time, having previously served 1996-97, 2002-03 and 2014-15. He is the first person to serve four terms as Town Reeve since 1905. He also served as Mayor of Bungay 2011-13

Stephen Honeywood announced as new Town Reeve for 2022-23

Stephen Honeywood has returned to the place of his birth to take on the role of Town Reeve of Bungay.

He was installed into the unique and ancient office at the annual Bungay Town Meeting on Tuesday December 6th and is looking forward to a busy year as the town’s figurehead.

Mr Honeywood, who is 67, was born in the town, and after, leaving Bungay Grammar School worked at Barclay’s Bank, and later the Halifax Building Society in Norwich before returning to the town as the then Peterborough Building Society’s youngest manager at the branch.

After a long career in banking – which took him away from the town for many years (he was finally manager of the Yorkshire Building Society’s business services centre of excellence and trustee director of the society’s pension scheme) he retired back to Bungay three years ago.

He has been active in several organisations since, and he said of his latest role:

“It is obviously a big honour to be asked to be Town Reeve. I have been a feoffee (member of the Town Trust which the Town Reeve heads) for 30 years despite living away. Now being back in the town and involved in a lot of organisations it is great to have this opportunity. I hope I can live up to the role.”

During his year of office Mr Honeywood, who is married with three grown up children and grandchildren, hopes to work with the town council and other town organisations on plans to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, the first coronation most people can remember.

“I am sure we can make a good occasion of it,” he said.

He also hopes the Trust can continue to develop monthly Saturday markets, alongside the ancient Thursday market which the Trust is responsible for. He praised feoffee Emma Beese for the work she had already put into that development.

Continuing the initiative to enhance the Castle site and the Castle Hills to make it a green haven in the town centre for residents and visitors alike is another aim, and he hopes it be involved with the plans for the Black Shuck (Black Dog) festival and a life-size statue of the legendary animal which terrorised a church congregation in 1577.

Working with the business, tourism and heritage group, of which he is a non-council member, will aslo keep him busy.

Mr Honeywood, whose work took him away from Bungay in 1987, is currently chairman of the Bungay Castle Trust, treasurer and chairman of the Friends of St Mary’s Church, treasurer of The Bungay Society and chairman of the finance committee on Bungay Town Trust. He is also a trustee of Bungay Community Centre and Bungay Medical Centre.

“I wanted to be involved in the town as soon as I came back,” he explained. “Although living away for 30 years I always kept in touch with friends in Bungay, and while living in Lincolnshire still made the five-hour round trip to attend town trust meetings regularly.”

Mr Honeywood was installed as the new reeve by outgoing reeve Olly Barnes, who said:

“I am thrilled thst he agreed to take on the role and I wish him every success.”

It is another historic Bungay tradition that the new reeve is chosen from town trust feoffees by the outgoing reeve.

 

Town Dinner for 2022 cancelled

Town Reeve Olly Barnes has decided not to hold the Town Dinner this year. The potential cost of £60 per head was prohibitive, especially bearing in mind the pressures on many family budgets at the moment. Hopefully the annual Dinner will return in 2023.
 

Feoffees attend proclamation of King Charles III

Many of the current feoffees joined Town Reeve Olly Barnes in attending the proclamation of the accession of King Charles III at St Mary's Church on 11th September - see photo below.

Town Trust fund free Platinum Jubilee mugs for all primary school children in Bungay

The Trust were pleased to provide a free mug to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee for every primary age child in a Bungay School - this covered Bungay Primary School, St Edmund's Primary Schhol and Castle East School.
Town Reeve Olly Barnes visited Bungay Primary to distribute the mugs, and Deputy Reeve Judy Cloke and Mayor Tony Dawes visited St Edmund's Primary school - see photo below of their visit.

 


Olly Barnes announced as Bungay’s new Town Reeve

At the annual Bungay Town meeting in December, outgoing Town Reve Judy Cloke announced Olly Barnes as her successor.

Olly Barnes was installed into the unique and ancient office at the annual Town
Meeting on Tuesday, Dec 7th, and in looking forward to a busy year in the role he said:

“My focus will be to make open spaces accessible to everyone. I have already made a start with The Drift (in Outney Road), which is nearly done. Getting improved lighting under the Butter Cross is important, and I have plans for the Castle Hills, to make then into a town park.

It can be a beautiful place (the Hills are situated just off the town centre). The Town Trust needs to focus on that and the other areas of land it owns.”

Mr Barnes, who is 51 and lives in Nethergate Street, said he was looking forward to getting started, and to getting volunteers from throughout the town to work on the project.

The identity of the new Town Reeve is a strict secret until the outgoing reeve names their successor at the Town Meeting, as Judy Cloke did last night. It is a long-standing Bungay tradition that the outgoing reeve choses his or her successor from the feoffees (members) of Bungay Town Trust, which the reeve heads. Bungay is the only town anywhere in the country that retains the ancient office, and it is one of its great assets.

Mr Barnes said he was quite surprised and honoured to be asked to succeed Mrs Cloke, who he said had done a sterling job in the role over two years - her time was extended because of the pandemic which severely curtailed activities.

“I shall endeavour to work with all organisations in Bungay, and be involved collaboratively with the many plans for the Queen’s platinum anniversary,” he said.

“I am looking forward to the year with some trepidation but I am excited to get going, It will be good to give the parks a kick-start, and start work in earnest post-Covid.”

During his year Mr Barnes will be supporting Crisis, the charity for the homeless.

Born in Thurlton, Mr Barnes moved from Norwich to Bungay in 1997, and soon became involved with town organisations. He became a member of the town council after being disgusted at the state of the River Waveney through the town, and during his five years as a councillor served as Mayor in 2016. He also became a member of the Castle Trust and was chairman for three years.

For some years he was involved with boat-building. Later he worked in the maintenance side at Blickling Hall, and is currently in the grounds maintenance department at South Norfolk District Council.

Mr Barnes is married to Alice and they have two children - Hannah, 23, who lives and works in Norwich, and Henry, 21, who is working in the Caribbean.

Mrs Cloke welcomed Mr Barnes to the roe asl “the best candidate for the job.”

To invite Olly to a function, please email bungaytowntrust@yahoo.com or write to Town Reeve, Bungay Town Trust, 16 Broad Street, Bungay, NR35 1EN.