May 20th 2026
Beccles Town Council has elected its new town mayor. At the council’s Annual meeting on Tuesday 19th May 2026, Councillor Joe Athorn (pictured below) was elected as Mayor for 2026-27. Councillor Alan Hopley was elected as Deputy Mayor.
Cllr Athorn joined the council in 2024, having fallen in love with the town after moving to Beccles in 2023. At 35, he is the second youngest mayor since the town council was created in 1974. He named his wife Tammy as his consort – the couple married at St Michael’s in Beccles in April this year.
Cadet Corporal Hazel Dobromylskyj (pictured below) took on the role of Mayor’s Cadet.
Councillor Athorn announced that his mayor’s appeal will be ‘Illuminating Beccles Quay’, to put festoon lighting at Beccles Quay.
In the Mayor’s acceptance speech Cllr Athorn stressed the importance of the council engaging with the community. He also thanked outgoing mayor Barry Darch and other councillors for their encouragement and his family for their support in allowing him to take on the role of mayor. He ended by promising to “pour my blood, sweat and tears into the role in the next year”.
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