Keswick’s new town clerk Vivien Little could not have chosen a more high-profile moment to start her role — thanks to internet sensation Jackie Weaver.
Vivien, 47, takes up her five-day-a-week post with Keswick Town Council on March 8 and will be among those observing via Zoom at tonight’s video meeting.
She will be hoping things are a bit quieter than they were for Jackie, her counterpart with Handforth Parish Council in Cheshire, who gained global fame as the star of a virtual meeting that went viral.
It showed her coolly calming online warring factions as they shouted each other down during a series of heated debates, much to the amusement of internet viewers.
“I haven’t seen the full video, only the potted highlights on the BBC,” said Vivien, who lives in Carlisle and currently works for Eden District Council.
“It does highlight that there can be some very strong personalities!” she added.
“I hope the difficulties that she (Jackie) faced has helped people understand the job.
“People laugh about town clerks but they do a lot of good work for the community and fill a very important function.
“People underestimate how important a town clerk is. They are the cog that keeps the town council going,” said Vivien.
Originally from Moffat, in Scotland, she spent 20 years working in Hampshire before moving back to Cumbria in 2016 to be near her mother in Dumfries and Galloway.
Vivien said: “It is going to be a big change and I’m looking forward to a new challenge with more responsibility, from what I see.
” I don’t know Keswick all that well other than coming as a tourist, but it is a very vibrant community.
“I have spoken to the mayor and he seems very switched on and understands what is happening in the community. There seems to be a lot to get your teeth into.”
She has been Eden’s democratic services team leader, ensuring it functions democratically and that “procedures flow” within meetings.
“With the potential for a unitary authority coming up, I know the importance that town and parish councils will have.,” she said.
Because of coronavirus restrictions, Vivien is likely to be working from home rather than at the council building in Main Street for much of her time initially.
She was an online observer at last month’s virtual Keswick Town Council meeting and is looking forward to stepping into the shoes of Lynda Walker, who is retiring after 13 years as town clerk.
Lynda will take charge of her final town council meeting this week, although she will also be in the hot seat for a parks’ trust meeting at the start of next month.
Lynda described the notorious Handsworth Parish Council meeting as “an absolute nightmare.”
