A FORMER pupil of Belfast Grammar School noted for her sparkling smile is the new Ribble Valley mayor.

Graduate nurse Coun Jenny Grimes, of Langho, is as much noted for her lilting Irish accent as her passion for skiing, cycling, cooking, Scottish country dancing, mountain climbing, gardening and the Guides.

Coun Grimes trained as a nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary and worked as a specialist in social therapy and care for the elderly.

She is married to Dr David Grimes, medical director of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Trust.

The couple have two sons and a daughter.

Coun Grimes, who studied for a BSc in nursing studies in her spare time, has been a Ribble Valley councillor since 1991 and is a member of the planning and community committees. Despite her numerous pastimes, the Liberal Democrat's real passions are said to be people - and talking!

Coun Grimes told fellow councillors and guests at her mayor-making ceremony that her chosen charities would be Lancashire Youth Orchestra and Castleford Home for the Elderly, Clitheroe.

Lone Labour councillor Bert Jones, who holds the balance of power in the council, played the gentleman's card and sided with the Tories in their nomination of Coun David Smith, a senior tutor at Longridge High School, as deputy mayor.

"I was merely upholding the principle that the mayoralty alternate between the two main parties. It is called playing fair," he said.

After the mayor-making, Coun Denis McWilliam announced his decision to retire to Germany with his wife, Christel.

The well-known cycling enthusiast cited ill-health as the reason for his resignation. He leaves the safe Liberal Democrat seat of St James's, Clitheroe.

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