Monsieur le mayor

Len Tingle Editor The Politics Show BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Ken pitches for post of Mayor of St Ceneri le Gerei

Ken Tatham is the first Englishman to serve as a French mayor. What is more, Yorkshire-born Ken now has such a taste for French Politics that he is now bidding to break another Gallic electoral record.

He is campaigning to become a member of the regional assembly in his part of Normandy.

The village of St Ceneri Le Gerei, about eight miles from the medieval city of Alencon, is a place well known to the English.

These days tourist trek the 300 or so miles from the channel port to visit what is officially classified as one of France's most beautiful villages.

St Ceneri le Gerei in Normandy

English invaders

In the past, the English were not quite so welcome.

"Have a look at this. We are very proud of it," says Ken Tatham.

"This stone commemorates the struggles of the local people in the Hundred Years War.

"There's another monument a few metres down the road which marks the spot where the local castle was demolished by the invaders."

From William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, through the Hundred year's war of the 15th, to the Napoleonic campaigns of the 19th the people of St Ceneri Le Gerei have fought against what were seen as invading armies from England.

English Mayor

"Well, they don't seem too worried now about me taking over," says Ken, who was born in Leeds 63 years ago.

Ken Tatham, Mayor of St Ceneri le Gerei

"In fact, in the latest edition of the regional tourist guide book they mention that the village has an English mayor.

"I think they believe that will attract a few more visitors."

Executive post

Ken's move into the world of politics was almost by accident.

He is married to a French woman, speaks the language fluently and moved to Normandy to run a number of businesses in the area.

"My wife was on the local council. She got fed up of me always coming up with ideas so she virtually challenged me to take on the job myself".

Thirteen years ago he did just that and was elected village mayor. It is far from an honouree post.

He is an executive mayor with much the same powers as Ken Livingstone but on a rather smaller scale. The village has just 60 houses.

"I'm responsible for planning, the roads, registering births marriages and death," says Ken as he showed the Politics Show around the tiny village town hall.

"I've also got a police card. When the Gendarmes come to the village I'm theoretically in charge of them".

Len Tingle reports from Normandy village

Spring campaign

He's now busily campaigning for April's local elections where he is standing to become a member of the regional assembly.

"It's a bit like a County Council in England. The area I am contesting covers 17 villages and around a third of Alencon- around 200,000 people.

"Few even know I'm English. Occasionally I hear the odd jibe about them trying to keep out the invaders for so long but it's all a bit of a joke now".

The Politics Show

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The East Riding of Yorkshire is opening brand new libraries and is leading the country in providing a new generation of giant mobile libraries.

Sunday 02 March 2008 from 12:00 GMT on BBC One.

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