Applause and thanks to ‘political powerhouse’
DISTRICT councillors have followed up tributes to their respected colleague Lewis Rose with a round of applause at a meeting that followed a crowded thanksgiving ceremony in Ashbourne.
There was standing room only in St Oswald’s Church on Thursday, as people paid their last respects to Lewis Rose, a former district council leader and ‘political powerhouse,’ who died earlier this month at the age of 74.
Before business got underway at Thursday’s meeting of Derbyshire Dales District Council at Wirksworth Leisure Centre, the councillors – many of whom had just attended the service in Ashbourne – stopped for a minute’s silence, before leaders of each political party took turns to pay tribute to their former colleague.
Leading the tributes was Conservative leader, Councillor Garry Purdy, who took over the leadership from Mr Rose in 2019.
He said: “It is a huge privilege to lead the Derbyshire Dales District Council, and I think whoever followed Lewis would have a very, very hard act to follow.
“He served more than 50 years with some of those who were at church today, and it’s a phenomenal record. And he’s one of those characters that pops up every so often to lend himself to his community and he was held in such high repute, as was in evidence today, and with all the calls that have come in to me, and to the chief executive, in other words his reputation spread far and wide. My personal view now members is that I hope we can think about a legacy for Lewis, some kind of permanent memorial, as a fitting tribute. That’s just my personal thought.
“But I think after someone has given such hard long service for such a long time, I think the least we can do is find something to remember him by.”
Councillor Steve Flitter, a Matlock St Giles councillor and Liberal Democrat, was next to speak. He explained it was 1974 that Mr Rose first came to the district council.
A fellow old hand in local politics, Cllr Flitter recounted the intertwining encounters he had had with another of Ashbourne’s political heavyweights, George Ward, who was a mentor to Mr Rose as he was starting out.
“Lewis was a politician, a true politician, and we learned this afternoon that he was dedicated to politics.
“He believed in Derbyshire Dales. We didn’t think at that time it should be named Derbyshire Dales, but it was a good decision.
“He respected the whole of the Derbyshire Dales but, in saying that, it’s like many of us, he was fighting for his own ward, in and around Ashbourne.”
Cllr Flitter agreed with Cllr Purdy that a legacy should be created for Mr Rose. He would like to see the quote “speak no evil” included in the memorial, as a mark of respect to Mr Rose and “his strong values of respect and commitment.”
I think whoever followed Lewis would have a very, very hard act to follow.
Cllr Garry Purdy