[C]arlisle City Councillor Trish Vasey has been appointed Carlisle’s first citizen for the Municipal year 2017/2018.
Councillor Vasey has taken on the Mayoral role after serving a year as Deputy Mayor to former Mayor, Cllr Colin Stothard. Sworn in at today’s Mayor Making Ceremony (Monday, 15 May) in the City Council Chamber, the Conservative Councillor for Belah recited the ancient Mayoral Oath giving her allegiance to the city and its citizens.
Councillor Jessica Riddle was sworn in as the Deputy Mayor.
Cllr Vasey has lived the majority of her life in the city of Carlisle. Born in 1944, in the close knit community of Caldewgate, the family moved to Harraby in the early 1950s.
She attended Inglewood Primary School, St Bede’s School before moving to St Patrick’s Secondary School, now known as Newman School.
She left St Patrick’s when she was only 14 years old to take up employment in Linton Tweed Factory where she worked until the early 1960s. She then headed for London where she worked in the fashion industry for three years. On returning to Carlisle she embarked on a career as a Beauty Consultant in “Binns Department Store”, a position that spanned over four decades. During the 1970s she launched many cosmetic companies.
In the 1980s she took a complete turn in career and opened a confectionary shop in Currock with her husband, Rodney. The shop also held ties with Routledge’s Bakers, a well-known bakery in the city. With her husband Rodney, they ran this successfully until they started their family.
After her children started school, she then returned to House of Fraser where she stayed in a job that seen her become a familiar face to so many people until her retirement in 2007. Not long into her retirement she began her political career after always having a love for politics. She was elected as a Councillor for Belah Ward in 2007 and still holds her seat.
During her time as a councillor, Cllr Vasey has been a member of various committees including Appeals Panels; Community Overview & Scrutiny Panel; Environment & Economy Overview & Scrutiny Panel; Licensing Committee; Regulatory Panel; Gambling Policy Working Group; Licensing Policy Working Group; Performance Task & Finish Group; Waste Services Task & Finish Group and Infrastructure Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
In her personal life, she enjoys musical theatre and travelling. She also loves to take walks around the Lake District but her main pleasure in life is spending time with her grandchildren. She has two granddaughters in Carlisle and a grandson who lives in London where she makes regular trips to visit him.