1967 – 11th May – Kenilworth Urban District Council – Election

Abbey Ward (3 seats)

*E. Thomas Evans	Conservative Party	632
*Ronald Stansfield	Conservative Party	594
*Joan Salkeld	Conservative Party	485
Edgar Emerson	Labour Party	231
Aubrey Walters	Labour Party	212
Mrs M. McClellan	Labour Party	210
T. Thompson	Liberal Party	179
Mrs R. Hertz	Liberal Party	165
K. Hatwood	Liberal Party	139

Borrowell Ward (3 seats)

Kenneth Rawnsley	Conservative Party	595
Victor Chance	Conservative Party	590
Edward Player	Conservative Party	571
Helen Dore	Liberal Party	496
Dennis Archer	Liberal Party	334
Peter Thompson	Liberal Party	309
Derek Sharrock	Labour Party	159

Park Hill Ward (3 seats)

Harry Potts	Conservative Party	615
Bernice Gardner	Conservative Party	584
Spencer Harrison	Conservative Party	543
L. Nixon	Liberal Party	299
Jan Mokrzycki	Liberal Party	288
Mrs V. Billet	Liberal Party	267
Anthony Diggins	Labour Party	231
Mrs E. Tidy	Labour Party	223
Mrs S. Harris	Labour Party	222

Castle Ward (3 seats)

*Leonard Smalley	Conservative Party	810
Anthony Whittaker	Conservative Party	770
*Bill Whiteman	Conservative Party	747
Peter Smith	Liberal Party	329
Dora Greenway	Liberal Party	319
Edward Flint	Liberal Party	209

Windy Arbour Ward (3 seats)

+new ward+

*Florence Adcock	Conservative Party	926
Derek Moore	Conservative Party	840
Richard Watson	Conservative Party	840
Robert Butler	Liberal Party	529
Haydn Thomas	Liberal Party	510
Mrs N. Tyrell	Liberal Party	486

St John’s Ward (3 seats)

+new ward+

*Jack Cox	Conservative Party	597
Eric Bernard Smith	Conservative Party	476
*Christopher Webster	Labour Party	458
Michael Coker	Conservative Party	420
Dennis Jakeman	Liberal Party	364
Thomas Caswell	Labour Party	332
Bill Wozencroft	Labour Party	307
Mrs H. Eggins	Liberal Party	205
James Cook	Liberal Party	192

*denotes retiring member

EXTRA WARDS ADDED – BUT A ‘PARTY’ ROW BEFORE ELECTION

Just before the election there was a bit of a rumpus between the Liberals and Tories. Liberal agent, Peter Thompson, who was also standing in Borrowell ward, was threatening legal action against them over an ‘ale and cheese’ party that the Kenilworth Conservative Association were hosting. Mr Thompson claimed that the party, for which electors could attend and meet their candidates, is an offence under the Representation of the People Act. Apparently, penalties for contravening this act could be a £200 fine, six months imprisonment, a five year ban from voting or in the case of a candidate, disqualification from contesting an election for ten years. He added; “With this event the Conservatives are sailing very close to the wind”. But Mrs Dixon, treasurer of the Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth Conservative Association, replied; “We are not contravening the act because people who are coming will be paying 5 shillings a ticket and they will have to buy their own drinks”. Well, that clears the matter up, Mr Thompson!

Due to the increase in the town’s population this was the first KUDC election which would return 18 members instead of the long established number of 12. At the time of the election the council was down to only 10 members due to recent resignations.

To accommodate the six extra councillors, two new wards were introduced, Windy Arbour and St John’s. This meant the redrawing the boundaries of all the present wards. As in previous elections three members would be elected from each ward.

With these extra wards, 46 candidates contested the election, 19 Liberals, 18 Conservatives and 9 Labour.

Labour’s Chris Webster who switched from Borrowell to the new St John’s ward, prevented the Conservatives from ‘sweeping the board’.

Now with 18 seats and based on the the old wards the Conservatives gained two seats in Borrowell and two from the Indepenents in Castle.

Conservative candidate, Dr. Leonard Smalley, topped the poll in Castle Ward. He had previously sat as an Independent (or unattached) for more than 30 years. But possibly fearing that the ‘Independent movement’ had now run its course, decided to stand on a tory ticket.

Florence Adcock headed the poll in Windy Arbour with 926 votes, the most by any candidate in the election.

Space at the council house in Southbank road was now considered too small to accomodate the extra councillors, officials and members of the public at monthly meetings. So it was decided to hold ‘summer’ meetings in the guardroom at the castle gatehouse but it was too cold to use in wintertime! This arrangement continued until 2005 when English Heritage decided to convert the room into a museum, so the council were kicked out.

KUDC Councillors

17 Conservatives (E. Evans, R. Stansfield, Joan Salkeld, Florence Adcock, Bernice Gardener,K. Rawnsley, V. Chance, E. Player, H. Potts, S. Harrison, L. Smalley, A. Whittaker, B. Whiteman, D. Moore, R. Watson, J. Cox, E. Smith)

1 Labour (C. Webster)

Chairman 1967-70

Chairmans Chain of Office – Courtesy of Warwickshire County Records Office. (ref. PH (N) 600/147/3)