The Rotary Club of Northallerton
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Photographs by Rotarian David Lock PHF copyright
PRESIDENT THIRD TIME AROUND
A Rotary Club has overcome an unexpected major setback, to continue operating
under the Rotary motto “Service Above Self”.
Joy Rowley had been President Elect of the Rotary Club of Northallerton for the past year, preparing to take over as President on 26 June for the new Rotary year starting on 1 July. However, sadly Joy died suddenly in June.
Faced with the urgent need to find a new president, the Club accepted the generous
offer from Ken Blackwood to take on the Presidency for a third time.
The handover took place on 26 June. Outgoing President John Prest told Club members: “It has been a true honour to be Pres ident of the Club of which my father was a founder member. It has been a wonderful year, and I have been proud to represent the Club and Rotary at many events. I have been a great fan of Chopsticks over the years, a Northallerton charity offering work and activities for people with learning difficulties.
On my visits there I have found a most uplifting atmosphere. The higlight of my year as President was to present Chopsticks with a cheque for £3,214, raised at various events during the year. I know that they will put it to good use.
New Pre sident Ken Blackwood said “In the light of Joy’s unexpected death, I was willing to take over at short notice as President for the third time. I am looking forward to using my experience of the role to make the most of the year ahead and represent the Club in any way I can.”
Northallerton is a market town and civil parish near the River Wiske, North Yorkshire, England.
It is an administrative centre of the North Yorkshire District and has served as the county town of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1889 to 1974 and of North Yorkshire from 1974 to 2023. The town lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It had a population of 16,832 in the 2011 census an increase from 15,741 in 2001 Northallerton is made up of four wards: North, Broomfield, Romanby and Central.
There has been a settlement at Northallerton since Roman times; however, its growth in importance began in the 11th century when King William II gifted land to the Bishop of Durham. Under the Bishop’s authority Northallerton became an important religious centre. Later, it was a focus for much conflict between the English and the Scots, most notably the Battle of the Standard, fought nearby in 1138, which saw losses of as many as 12,000 men.
In later years trade and transport became more important. The surrounding area was discovered to have large phosphorus reserves. These brought industry to Northallerton due to the easy trade routes. Lying on the main route between Edinburgh and London, it became an important stopping point for coaches travelling the route, eventually superseded by the growth of the railways in the 19th century. Lying in the centre of a large rural area, Northallerton was established as a market town in 1200 by Royal Charter, and there is still a market in the town today.
It continues to be a major retail centre for the local area. As the administrative centre for the North Yorkshire Council, and several other associated public sector organisations have their headquarters in the town.