(To be circulated before the meeting).
Minutes:
Death of former Councillor Martin Leathley
It is with sadness that I report the death of former Councillor Martin Leathley, who passed away on 10 September 2021, at the age of 81.
Martin was elected in 1994 and represented the Keighley North Ward until 2002. He was also Town Mayor of Keighley in 2002, when the office was reinstated, and was the first Keighley Mayor for almost thirty years.
He was a hardworking and devoted Councillor who will be warmly remembered for the energy, enthusiasm and dedication which he brought to his role.
Martin was committed to public service and had a strong desire to help others, which informed all the work he undertook.
He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him and I have written to his widow and family to extend our sympathy in their loss.
The Death of Dr Rudolf Oscar ‘Rudi’ Leavor, BEM
It is with sorrow that I report the death of Rudi Leavor, BEM, on 27 July 2021 at the age of 95.
There can be few people involved in the Civic life of our District who had not met, and been charmed, by Rudi. His old world demeanour, ready wit and ever present sparkle-in-the-eye combined to leave an indelible impression.
Chairman of the Bradford Tree of Life Synagogue, Rudi devoted much of his life to promoting interfaith relations here in our District. His quest for people to live in harmony with one another doubtless sprang from the harrowing experiences he and his family suffered in fleeing Nazi Germany, together with the loss of many family members in the Holocaust.
The power of education ran like a golden thread throughout Rudi’s life and he ensured his traumatic experiences were vividly conveyed to younger generations. He spoke to many groups across the country and worked with the Jewish Museum in his Berlin birthplace, to whom he donated some family artefacts and where he also spoke.
Rudi proudly made Bradford his home and brought up his family here. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2017 for his interfaith work with Muslim and other community leaders and was pleased to be considered an ‘activist for peace’.
Rudi was, for many years, a stalwart member of the Lord Mayor's faith advisory team, as well as a steadfast supporter of the Civic office and countless Lord Mayor's Appeals.
His loss to this District and its communities is a great one and I have written to his family to express our condolences. He will be remembered with deep affection and enduring respect, both in Bradford and further afield.
A celebration of the life of Dr Rudi Leavor will be held in Bradford Cathedral on Sunday, 14 November at 5.00pm. This is an invitation-only event that will be livestreamed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/be1mk76uKpI If you would like an invitation, please email: rudi@bradfordcathedral.org
DEATH OF JACK TORDOFF, OBE, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF JCT600
I also regret to report the death of Jack Tordoff, founder and Chairman of JCT600, at the age of 86.
Jack Tordoff’s father, Edward, had begun the business in Bradford in 1946, alongside two partners, but sadly died at a relatively early age in 1950, when Jack was only 14. When he was 15, Jack left school to become an apprentice motor mechanic in the business. At 21, after leaving the army and completing his National Service, he returned to the Company and bought out the other two original partners and began selling cars.
The business, which started life as a workshop and single filling station, went on to become a household name and one of the County’s great success stories. Today, with a turnover of over £1.3 billion, it has 54 dealerships, represents 25 of the world’s leading car marques and employs 2,300 people from the North East, through Yorkshire and into Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The Company celebrated its 75th birthday this year.
In 1983, he took Bradford City Football Club out of Administration and served as Chairman for four years, remaining its honorary Life President. He was active in stabilising the Club’s affairs and helped rebuild the stadium after the devastating fire, ensuring the survival of professional football in Bradford. The Company has been the Club’s main sponsor for the last ten years and the relationship is one of the longest standing in English football.
Mr Tordoff was awarded an MBE and was, in 2018, made an OBE. His contribution to Bradford was enormous and his deep pride, as both a Bradfordian and a Yorkshireman, were well-known. His legacy is certain to be an enduring one, and I have written to his widow and family to express our sorrow at his passing.
I am sure Members will wish to join me in extending our deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who have died.
Plymouth Tragedy
I am sure we were all deeply shocked to learn of the shootings which took place in Plymouth on 12 August 2021.
It is scarcely comprehensible that acts of such savagery can take place on British streets. In sorrow, we came together on the following Monday morning, with flags lowered, to share a minute’s silence remembering all those who died, were injured or affected by the atrocity and to stand alongside the people of Plymouth in solidarity.
I have also written to the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, and the Leader has written to her counterpart there, to express our shock and sympathy at this tragic time.
Commemoration Service at the Memorial Wall, Cenotaph Gardens
A service of commemoration will take place on Sunday, 24 October at 2.00pm in Bradford’s Cenotaph Gardens, to mark the addition of three inscribed names to the Memorial Wall.
The duty and sacrifice of Servicemen David Frances Kenehan, James William Cannon and Lawrence Walker, who died in service in the Korean War, will be remembered at a short service led by the Acting Dean at Bradford Cathedral, The Reverend Canon Paul Maybury and attended by the Lord Mayor and our Armed Forces’ Champion, Cllr Joanne Dodds.
The important addition of these three men to the Memorial Wall comes about following extensive research undertaken by local historian Malcolm Atkinson, to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude.
75th Annual Bradford Festival of Remembrance
I should like to remind all Members and Officers that the 75th Annual Bradford Festival of Remembrance will take place at Bradford Cathedral, at 5.00pm on Sunday, 7 November, 2021.
It will feature the City of Bradford Brass Band, the Bradford Cathedral Choir directed by Alex Berry, and talented soprano, Martha Hayward, who will be leading the community singing. The service will also feature the traditional Parade of Standards and Acts of Remembrance.
Please do show your support for this worthwhile and important event, which remembers the courage and sacrifice of all the members of the country’s armed forces who have lost their lives, been injured or continue to place themselves at risk in the line of duty.
Tickets are free but booking is essential, directly with the Cathedral please https://bradfordcathedral.churchsuite.co.uk/events/d2t3i7b8
Further information is on the Cathedral website.
Remembrancetide
I should also like to remind all Members that we mark Remembrancetide in November.
The intention is that Remembrance Sunday will be observed on Sunday, 14 November, 2021 with a Civic service, an Act of Remembrance and wreath-laying ceremony at Bradford Cenotaph at 11.00am. Other local services take place at various locations throughout the District and a full list will appear on the Council’s website.
A short ceremony at the Bradford Cenotaph, led by The Reverend Canon Paul Maybury, Acting Dean at Bradford Cathedral, will mark Armistice Day at 11.00am on Thursday, 11 November, 2021.
