It is official! Councillor Mark Franklin has been elected as the new Mayor of Bromyard for the civic year 2024-2025. After taking on the role of Deputy Mayor in 2022, Mark has voted in as Broyard’s 20th Mayor at the Annual Meeting of the Town Council.
Mark and his wife Jenny have lived in Bromyard since 1990 and after more than three decades, he’s still excited to call this town home. In this blog, we’ll get to know our new Mayor a little better and explore his vision for Bromyard.
We recently had a chance to sit down with the Mayor himself and chat about his journey, what makes Bromyard so special and what’s next for our lovely town.
What brought you to Bromyard?
I moved to Bromyard in 1990. I’m originally from Burton-on-Trent, but I’ve called Bromyard home ever since. It was love that brought me here – I met my wife Jenny, who’s a true Bromyardian and after living in other places in Herefordshire, Bromyard felt like home.
What do you love most about Bromyard and what would you reccomend for visitors?
Bromyard may be small, but it has everything you need – great independent shops, lovely pubs and beautiful countryside. It’s the perfect spot for dog walks and with places like Bromyard Downs and Bringsty Common nearby, it’s a peaceful place to live with plenty to explore.
What is your favourite place in Bromyard?
It’s tough to choose, but I’d say Brockhampton Woods. The lake there is peaceful and walking along it on a sunny day is really special. The view from the top of Bromyard Downs, looking down over the town, that’s quite special as well.
How do you see Bromyard’s arts, businesses and artisan shops contributing to the town’s tourism?
I think they do make an important contribution. And I think as a council, we want to encourage that and to help them. You know, people do like to see our independent shops, like the Bakers in the High Street. And of course, now we’ve got Peter Cook’s bread. And we’ve got a number of businesses around tourists,like the Rookery Woods. So, there is quite a lot going on.
Would you imagine Bromyard becoming something like Ludlow?
It’s tough to compete with bigger towns like Ludlow, but for its size, Bromyard does incredibly well. We’d love to see more small businesses, food outlets and craft shops open. The community is supportive and welcoming to new ideas, so it’s an exciting place for growth.
What steps have you taken to make Bromyard a great destination for people of all ages?
We’re working on improving tourism through better publicity and new projects. The Bromyard Trail and the Visit Bromyard leaflet help visitors explore and we’re working on making the town more accessible, with better signage and facilities.
What’s your favourite local food or drink?
I’m a fan of HPA beer – it’s always available and I enjoy it every time. As for food, we used to go to the ‘Live and Let Live’ pub on Bringsty Common. It’s a great spot for a meal.
When you’re not in mayor mode, where do you like to go to relax?
We love heading to Pembrokeshire for a quick getaway. It’s a peaceful place and we try to go every few months. I’d also love to get back to Madeira, which we’ve visited a few times and always enjoy.
