THE NEW Mayor of Bewdley said she was ‘looking forward to a busy but rewarding year, representing the town’s people’.
Coun Nicole Harper spoke after being elected at the Annual Town Council Meeting last week, adding she was relishing representing and supporting the town at a wide range of functions across the region, including charity, community and formal events.
She will be supported by her husband William Barry as her consort.
Coun Harper has chosen three local charities to support during her term of office – The William Mills Foundation, The Emily Jordan Foundation and The Rob Poysor Fund for Cardiac Risk in the Young, who, she said, all undertook wonderful work within the community.
Coun Sharon Harvey was elected as Deputy Mayor.
Coun Harper’s background
Coun Harper came to England from France as a student but fell in love with the country and decided to stay.
She holds a degree in English from the University of Aix-en-Provence and an MPhil from Aston University.
She lived first in Birmingham, then Stourport and Kidderminster before settling in Bewdley in 1978 when she married local artist Peter Harper.
Her career started in high schools and on teacher training programmes but for the last 20 years of employment she was a senior lecturer at Birmingham City University.
She has also travelled the world extensively as Director of International Affairs for the Business School, responsible for establishing joint degree programmes overseas as well as the recruitment and care of international students.
In 2008 she and her husband moved to France after her parents were both diagnosed with dementia.
Championing the Bewdley community
She returned to Bewdley in 2020 and, after the death of her husband that year, she became more involved in community life.
She was elected as Labour councillor for Wribbenhall in 2023 and has been active on Bewdley Town Council and various committees before becoming Mayor this year.
She recently married Bill Barry, a retired judge, and they both live in Wribbenhall.
She coordinates the Community Speed Watch scheme for Bewdley and is a trustee of the Bewdley Dementia Support Group.
Her main aim is to serve the community to the best of her ability, with a particular emphasis on green issues, health and wellbeing.
