The Worshipful The Mayor of Blackpool - Councillor Allan Matthews

Welcome Address

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Councillor Allan Matthews was born in Blackpool in May 1946 and educated at Waterloo Primary and Tyldesley Secondary Modern School.

He started his professional career as an apprentice welder/engineer and then became a trainee butcher with the Co-op after the engineering company folded.

He started working for British Gas (then the North Western Gas Board) in 1965 and he attended Preston College to obtain his City and Guilds in Gas Fitting.

He became a member of USDAW at the age of 15 and later joined the GMB, of which he has been a member for over 36 years.

He was elected on the Council on 8 May 1991 as a Councillor for Tyldesley Ward and has served on most of the main committees.

He is, at present, Chairman of the Community Services Policy Review Committee and he also serves on the Development Control and the Education and Cultural Services Policy Review Committees.

He became a member of Blackpool Council of Youth in the early 60s and still retains his interest in youth issues as Chairman of the Council’s Youth (and Development) Forum. He is also the Council’s representative on the Prince’s Trust, currently chairing the Blackpool and Fylde Committee.

He married Angela, who is the Mayoress for 2006-2007, at Holy Trinity Church, South Shore, 35 years ago. They have four grown up boys and three grandchildren.

Councillor Matthews’ main interests are local history and social history and in his younger days he was a keen cyclist and swimmer.

He was appointed as Deputy Mayor of Blackpool on 14 May 2001 and became Mayor of Blackpool on Monday 15 May 2006.