By Margaret Crosby

Last updated at 11:31, Thursday, 10 May 2012

AS an NFU man, working for the Forestry Commission, the young Peter Tyson often found himself in talks with Fred Peart, the Workington MP who was agriculture minister at the time.

MR MAYOR: Taking the seat of office as new mayor of Copeland is Coun Peter Tyson, with mayoress Louise Tyson, his daughter-in-law

Now, aged 70, Peter takes on his own robes of office in public life, serving the Borough of Copeland as its mayor for the coming year. It is a borough he has served in the field of local government for 20 years.

He was installed as Copeland’s first citizen at the council’s annual meeting on Tuesday night, taking over from Coun John Jackson, who says he has had a wonderful year travelling all over the borough meeting a broad range of people and learning about the good work that supports the community.

Community is key for Peter Tyson too. “I care,’’ he says, and wants to do all he can during his mayoral year to support the communities of the borough and work for a better quality of life for all.

He has chosen the Air Ambulance and Hospice at Home as the causes he will support via the Mayor’s Charity Fund. And he will also make a consideration to the Kells 75 Group of HCPT which helps children with disabilities.

Birmingham-born, there is no trace of a Midlands accent in Peter, who arrived in Keswick as a child when his parents moved north.

In 1964 while working for the Forestry Commission he was transferred to Ennerdale and became the NFU representative for his co workers. Thereafter he was employed as a surface worker at Haig Pit, woodyard commissioner for Thames Board at Siddick and as a process worker at Marchon, where he stayed for 27 years and was a GMB shop steward.

A Greenbank resident for 40 years, Peter worked for about 10 years as steward of the Greenbank P & M Club.

Married to Joan, whom he met when she was working at a Keswick hotel, Peter has three grown-up children, Carol, Pauline and Peter, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His daughter-in-law Louise Tyson, 31, will be his mayoress. The mother-of-two is employed in the area of stakeholder relations at Sellafield.

Coun Tyson was proposed as mayor by Coun Peter Connolly and seconded by Coun Geoff Garrity, who will be his deputy mayor for the coming year.

Coun Tyson joined local government in 1990 when he represented Sandwith on Copeland Council. He served for six years before losing his seat to June Pickering. After a two-year gap he stood for the county council and won the Hillcrest seat in 1998. He returned to Copeland Council in 2007, again as Labour councillor for Sandwith.

He is a keen Whitehaven RL fan and also chairs Whitehaven & District Boxing Club. He sits on Whitehaven Trades Council and chairs West Cumbria Credit Union.

His chaplain for the coming year will be Father Aelred Grugan of St Mary’s Church, Kells.

First published at 11:08, Thursday, 10 May 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk