Stratford Town Councillor was a man of the people
STRATFORD has sadly lost a man of the people with the news former town councillor, Chris Wall, died last week.
Tributes have been paid to Cllr Wall who was dedicated to serving his community in Bishopton, where he was ward member, and totally immersed himself in the role and function of being a Stratford town Councillor.
A previous edition of the town council’s Bridging the Gap revealed that councillor Chris Wall was born in Birmingham and educated in Solihull and Oxfordshire.
He spent many years teaching local history, but while on duty working in security, a serious incident left Chris semi-blinded.
After a spell at the Royal National Institute of Blind People, Torquay, he entered a new stage in his career in the entertainment industry.
The owner of a massive collection of 78 RPM gramophone records, Cllr Wall travelled extensively visiting residential, nursing homes and clubs throughout the country.
Councillor Wall was elected to the town council as a representative of the Mount Pleasant Ward (later Bishopton) in 2006 and returned in 2010. He stepped down in 2022.
He strived to ensure a fair share of services for the ward, particularly wheelchair access to pavements.
While a representative for South Warwickshire Housing Association (SWHA), he helped form Bishopton Residents’ Association and the SWHA Garden Competition.
He was a founder member of the SWHA Greet Team and a member of Friends of the Earth, and fully supported green issues.
Fellow town councillor for Bishopton, Cllr Victoria Alcock, this week told the Herald:
“Chris was already very settled at the town council when I was first elected.
What struck me straight away was his love for the traditions of the council.
He loved every parade, every meeting, every event. Wearing our traditional robes made him very proud, and heaven forbid he ever heard anyone say anything different.
My fondest memories are at the opening of the Mop Fair. Most of us councillors would look at the very large rides, such as Storm, and all have the same reaction. "No Thank you."
Chris however was always up for the adventure and would always have a go.
In Bishopton he was known everywhere. He loved to run his sunflower competition and many happy days were spent by Chris as he potted up sunflowers and took them out into the community and talked to the residents about how best to grow them. There are many, many sunflowers still growing in Bishopton due to him.
Every year, for many years, he would invite people to a birthday party at The Squirrel pub, where he would play music and use the occasion to raise money for local charities. It wasn't his birthday that he was bothered about, it was, in his words "when people couldn't say no."
His love of music is what people remember Chris for. He could name songs, name singers and was always great to have in a pub quiz.
His last legacy, one that will live on long after all of us have gone, is the work he put in to having a footpath named after Joe Whittaker, a young lad who lived in Bishopton who sadly lost his life while serving with the army in Afghanistan.
Joe’s Mum, Naomi, had this to say of Chris.
"Chris had such a kind heart, generous spirit and a great sense of humour. He threw himself into fundraising projects with gusto and I remember him growing sunflower plants in every inch of space he could find, which we sold to support military charities. I was so grateful to him for initiating and organising the naming of ‘Whittaker’s Way’ after my son Joe. Such a character, a huge loss to the community."
Councillor Alcock added: “Chris, you will be missed.”
Stratford’s newly elected mayor, Jason Fojtik, also paid tribute to his friend and fellow councillor, Chris Wall.
“Chris was a well-established councillor and he was just a lovely person who put everyone before himself. He’d go to care homes with his gramophone collection and play music to people with dementia and bring them back from that condition and it just gave them so much joy.”
