Mayor of Ellesmere Port

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Mayor of Ellesmere Port

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Councillor John Stockton, current Mayor of Ellesmere Port. Elllesmere Port Locality Team is part of Cheshire West and Chester Council.

We work closely with elected members and in partnership with the Police, Fire Service and other partners in Ellesmere Port

27/10/2026

Mayor of EP weekly blog w/b 19/10/26

20/10/26: The Lady Mayoress and I were invited to the Institution by the Bishop of Chester, the right Reverend Mark Tanner and the Induction by the Venerable Michael Gilbertson Archdeacon of Chester, of Reverend Stephen Sutcliffe at St Paul’s Church Hooton. This was a poignant and moving ceremony. The joy that was evident in both Rev Stephen Sutcliffe and his new parishioners was inspiring. We wish him well in his future endeavours in his parish.

21/10/26: We were invited to attend the graduation ceremony for West Cheshire College (EP site), held at Chester Cathedral. We were also joined by Cllr Alan Smith in his role as Sheriff of Chester. The event was led by Helen Nellist (Deputy Principal) and there was an outstanding inspirational speech by the remarkable Karen Darke. She is a Paralympic Gold Medallist who was paralysed by a fall on a mountain. The way she has overcome this tragic event to forge a new life is truly inspiring. The wonderful 63 students who were graduating will have derived a lot of inspiration from her. This was a truly special event!

25/10/26: We were invited to attend the annual All Nations Day at the Centre 4 Renewal Church by Pastor Peter Peters. We were also joined by our very own Cllr Lisa Denson (Deputy Mayor and who also won the musical chair game) and her husband and consort Chris Denson. This was another inspirational event; with many performances from poets, musicians and dancers. They were all terrific! Lisa and I both gave short speeches on Pastor Peters chosen subject this year of “words”, which were well received. The whole event was a truly wonderful experience (there was a joyful atmosphere throughout the afternoon)and many thanks to Pastor Peters for the invitation.
Have a great week ahead everyone…. 😊

23/10/2026

The Mayor and Mayoress of Ellesmere Port Councillor John Stockton and Beverley Stockton invite you to be present at the service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph Civic Square on Sunday 8th November 26. All welcome. Uniforms and medals may be worn

19/10/2026

Mayor of EP weekly blog: w/b 12-10-26

13-10-26: Pick up painting kindly painted by David for auctioning for my Mayor’s two charities- the People’s Pantry and the Robbers Dogs. David has painted (see photo below) a beautiful, pastoral painting. Many thanks David and Martin from the Port Men in Sheds.
14-10-26: We met the lovely Megan Evans (Miss Cheshire 2026) at the EP library. Megan has agreed to join us on some events when she can, inc. my climb up Snowdon next year in May, 2027.
16-10-26: We attended the institution/induction of the new vicar ( Reverend Cannon Lyndon Bannon) by the Bishop of Chester, Mark Tanner at Christ Church, Willaston. This was a charming and poignant event, as the congregation welcomed their new vicar.
18-10-26 The High Sheriff of Cheshire, Lynn Pegler, invited us to the start of the Legal Year Celebration, held at Chester Cathedral. This involved a civic procession and a service in Chester Cathedral. This was a suitably solemn and formal event with over 200 people present. A marvellous occasion!
Have a good week everyone…… 😊

12/10/2026

Week Commencing 05/10/26

08/10/26 the Lord Mayor of Chester Charity Night @ Eaton Hall
Bev and I were very kindly invited by the Lord Mayor of Chester and her consort Deb Parker to their Charity Night raising money for the Lord Mayor’s chosen charities. We were entertained by Amelie: a 15 year old student from the Hammond School and by the Proud Marys, a choir of roughly 30 people. Both of these acts were very good and helped to make it an excellent evening. Eaton Hall is a beautiful venue and definitely enhanced the enjoyment of the occasion.

10/10/26 Trafalgar Day to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21 October 1805 held in the Holiday Inn Ellesmere Port.
Bev and I were invited by Lieutenant Commander Toni Cioma MBE and his wife, Mary Cioma, to attend the Trafalgar Day dinner. This was attended by Justin Madders MP and his wife Nicole. In attendance were a number of councillor colleagues and people from all walks of life. We were also joined by Major Andrew Brownrigg of the Royal Marines, who was the guest speaker. This was an excellent occasion and a lot of money was raised for their charity.
These were a terrific couple of occasions and many thanks for the invitations for my wife and I to attend these events.

28/09/2026

This is the start of the week when the Lady Mayoress and I went on our official twinning arrangement with the lovely people of Reutlingen in Germany. This is to celebrate 60 years (since 1966)of twinning with Reutlingen.

25/09/26 Our flight took off from Manchester at 2.50pm and we landed in Germany at 5.40pm (local time). We were greeted by the lovely Petra, who had arranged for us to travel by taxi to our hotel in the heart of Reutlingen.
We went out this evening to restaurant Rebstockle and met our fellow colleagues from Germany (Oberburgermeister Thomas Keck, Robert Hahn and Anke Bachstiger), Switzerland and Hungary (Andrea & John) . This was a superb evening and a great way to get to know our colleagues and to forge friendships…

26-09-26 This morning we went on a city walking tour with Mayor Angela Weiskopf. This was a great introduction to the beautiful city of Reutlingen, which has an older inner circle and a more modern outer section. Both of them complement each other, to make this a most beautiful and vibrant city: one of the wealthiest in Germany.
Later we had lunch at Café Sommer with Mayor Weiskopf, Anke Bachstiger and others.
In the afternoon we went on a walk to the Reutlingen Natural History museum. Here we enjoyed a talk on the “Power of Fire.” This very educational talk informed us of the power and cultural importance of fire in our culture. Excellent! We were joined by the lovely Fritz and Jenny Schafer; with Fritz acting as my interpreter for the talk.
Late afternoon we enjoyed the reception at the Town Hall, with Mayor Keck and other distinguished guests. Here we exchanged gifts of friendship and were joined by other councillor colleagues from Reutlingen.
From here we went directly to restaurant Alexandre, where we enjoyed a lovely meal with the friendship group. It was also good to see the flags of our respective nations flying in unity with our European colleagues.
Later, we enjoyed a special event “From the Ashes” to commemorate the city fire of March 1726 when 80% of the city’s houses were burned down. This event was held in St Mary’s church and attended by 100s of people. It was a very poignant event involving acting, music (great guitar player) and a stunning light show.
Later still, we enjoyed a get together in the Sommerlaube near to the church.

27/09/29 We were picked up this morning by taxi and driven to the Reutlingen Fire Brigade where we were given a guided tour of the station by Matthias Hertler. This was a remarkable tour of the station involving a look at all their fire tenders, communication systems and how they handle emergencies. Whilst we were there, there were 3 emergency call outs and it was great to see them in action. The Lady Mayoress and I enjoyed a ‘trip’ in a cherry picker which went up to the giddying height of over 150 feet! We were joined by Mayor Robert Hahn and his colleague Mayor Roland Wintzen.
Matthias, Robert and Roland accompanied us with Anke, Elke, Lady Mayoress and I for lunch at restaurant Karlshohe in Betzingen. We were also joined again by Fritz and Jenny Schafer who enjoyed an excellent lunch with us.
Our final official event on this day was to be driven to the Lichtenstein Castle about 15 miles from Reutlingen. This is a gothic style castle that was built over 200 years ago. This is a stunning castle and one which was built somewhat precariously on rocks some 820 metres above the valley below. An amazing feat of construction and one which survives to this day in very good condition. We were joined at this event by Petra and three American teachers from Reading in the USA.
This concluded our official events for the two full days we have been here this week.

22/09/2026

20-09-26 Many thanks to everyone who came to my Civic Sunday at St Thomas’s Church with the lovely Reverend Rachel Newell presiding over the service.
This was a special service to bless my Mayoral year. The service itself led by Reverend Newell was very good, focusing on my vision for the year: unity, peace and everyone being welcome here in Ellesmere Port. Special thanks must go to the Lady Mayoress, Mayor’s assistant) and (driver) for all their hard work on the day.

15/09/2026

EP Mayor’s blog w/b 7-9-26

8-9-26 John (owner of Market Carpets) very kindly donated a cheque for £100 to the Mayor’s fund. This was very generous of him and will contribute to the overall Mayor’s fund at the end of the Mayoral year to go to my two chosen charities.

8-9-26 Later the same day the Lady Mayoress and I had been invited to take part in the induction of the new vicar at St John the Evangelist church. The induction was conducted by the Bishop of Chester, the Right Reverend Mark Tanner. We were joined by my two cadets Juliette and Kieron. This was a very moving ceremony and I’m sure the new vicar, Reverend Claire Mitchell, will do an excellent job for her parish.

9-9-26 Bev and I met with Reverend Rachel Newell at Flora’s Cafe in EP. Also in attendance was my Mayor’s Assistant Julie. We discussed my Civic Sunday on the 20 September and made good progress in agreeing the order and content of the service.

9-9-26 Later that same day in the afternoon the Lady Mayoress had organised an afternoon tea with Tracey and colleagues at Hollymere Extra Care Home. My two cadets, Juliette and Kieron, were again in attendance and did a great job helping out. This was a lovely occasion with many of the home’s residents enjoying a lovely afternoon tea. Many thanks to the Lady Mayoress and all the staff who were involved in making the afternoon such a success.

10-9-26 The Lady Mayoress and I were invited to attend an event thanking the volunteers who help make our Green Spaces (We have 10 green flags across the borough) so special. Cllr Stuart Bingham (Cabinet member) and I gave speeches thanking the volunteers for their tremendous work ( There are as many as 2000 volunteers that help out in our parks and gardens across CW&C). The Friends of Stanney in my ward are part of this and I personally want to thank them for all their hard work in making Wolverham a better place to live. They do a fantastic job and this chance to thank them for their work was an honour.

12- 9-26 We went to an excellent gig in the Flea Market on Saturday night at 7.00pm. The headline act was one of Ellesmere Port’s very own son’s Ian Prowse and Amsterdam. They were very good (A combination of The Waterboys and The Levellers would be a good description of their musical genre). It was a terrific evening and we wish Ian and his band all the very best with their new album.

13-9-26 The Lord Mayor of Chester, Cllr Margaret Parker, invited Bev and I to attend the Battle of Britain Day held at Chester Cathedral. This was a hugely impressive event, with over 100 air cadets, senior air staff and many civic dignitaries and Cathedral Staff in attendance. The event was to commemorate the 86th year of the Battle of Britain in which many men from Cheshire fought in and thanks to their efforts Britain won the battle for air supremacy and this helped the Allies win the war.

We had a very busy and enjoyable week conducting our Mayoral duties and many thanks to everyone who helped make this week so memorable.

07/09/2026

Mayor of Ellesmere Port blog for w/b 31-08-26

5-9-26: Bev and I were invited by Charlie (Chair of the Overpool Allotment Association) to their Overpool fund raiser at their allotment site. We had the pleasure of meeting Charlie and other allotment holders. We saw amazing sunflowers, pumpkins and a whole range of vegetables. We gave out raffle prizes and were given a guided tour of the site by Bobby (10 years old) and his mates….. we had a lovely time and many thanks to Charlie and the team for inviting us….

6-9-26: We were invited to attend the Merchant Navy day in Liverpool at Our Lady and St Nicholas Parish Church under the guidance of the new Rector Reverend Dr Philip Andersen, the Rector of Liverpool. This was a very formal occasion: after the commemorative ceremony in the church I went to lay the wreath on behalf of Ellesmere Port at the Merchant Navy Cenotaph at the waterfront. The weather was kind to us and we enjoyed some time looking at the magnificent buildings on the waterfront and have my picture taken with The Beatles…. This was a great and important event and Bev and I enjoyed it very much!

31/08/2026

28-8-26 Bev and I were invited to the opening of the new (upgraded) market in Ellesmere Port. This was a lovely occasion where the leader of the council, Cllr Louise Gittins, opened the market with distinguished guests, market traders and members of the public in attendance.

29-8-26 (am) Bev and I were invited to the opening of the carpet shop in EP market. John (shop owner) had organised the event, with food and drinks for all in attendance. We were joined by Cllr Margaret Parker (Her Worshipful Lord Mayor of Chester), Justin Madders MP and Barbara Bosch (former Oberburgermeister of Reutlingen) arrived with Fritz (Friends of Reutlingen group) and distinguished guests. This was an excellent occasion and we wish John and his colleagues all the best for the future.

29-8-26 (am) Bev and I attended the opening of the magnificent new care home, Willowmere. Justin Madders MP was also in attendance. This is simply what a care home should be for everyone requiring care in their later years. This remarkable care home has wonderful bespoke rooms for residents; a cinema room, hairdressers, dining rooms on each floor, viewing rooms, a bar for those who want a drink, private rooms and a lovely atmosphere throughout the home. The staff are outstanding (thanks Lorraine, Liz and Rachel) and it is clear that residents there will get first class care and attention. Willowmere is a wonderful addition to the care community in Ellesmere Port and I wish it every success for its future.

29-8-26 (pm) During the evening, the Lady Mayoress and I, attended the Robbers Dogs event, the Growlers weekend. The RDs are one of my chosen charities (they raise money for equipment for people with disabilities) and this was a great night of rock music and dancing. All the RDs guys were great with us: making us feel very welcome. I was asked to present awards to various bikers and I also gave a speech thanking them for their work in the community. I look forward to working with them across my Mayoral Year! Many thanks to Martin, Ian and the guys for their hospitality and the best of luck with their fund raising efforts!

17/08/2026

12-08-26: The Lady Mayoress and I attended a lovely solar eclipse event at Hope Farm Church. We arrived at 5.00pm and were greeted by Fritz and Steve. I made a brief speech to open the event and then we were taken round the church to see all the activities that were going on. This included a live feed from Greenwich Observatory, music and lots of free burgers and hot dogs for those in attendance. There were well over 200 people there and it was exactly the sort of inclusive event that I want to see during my Mayoral year. Bev and I would like to thank all the fantastic volunteers, who worked so hard to provide the food, drinks, music and even the solar eclipse glasses; which helped make it such a superb event for everyone in attendance… Fantastic, well done everybody!
☀️🌙🕶️🌞
13-08-26: Bev and I were invited to the Port Men in Sheds site, where in just over 2 years (from 2024), Martin and his team (over 80 members), they have transformed a largely derelict site into the vibrant, giant workshop we see today. This organisation welcomes any man who wishes to join and, again, this welcoming, inclusive community is exactly what I want to see in Ellesmere Port. Martin showed Bev and I round…. and what they have achieved in such a short period of time is quite simply remarkable! Congratulations to everyone involved and we look forward to seeing you all again…. 🪜🪑

Address

4 Civic Way
Ellesmere Port
CH650B

Website

https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/your-council/councillors-and-committees/ellesmere-port-mayor

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