Bernard William Hobman

  General Notes:

The Mayor's Special Award at the Review's Community Hero Thank You Awards was presented to Bill Hobman.

Mr Hobman represented Lydney at every level of local government over four decades.
As well as serving on Lydney Parish Council and Lydney Town Council for more than 40 years, he is also the last surviving Honorary Citizen of the town.

He represented Lydney on Gloucestershire County Council for 24 years including a year as Chairman. When he retired from the authority, he was made an Alderman in recognition of his service.
During that time, he was instrumental in getting the Lydney by-pass opened and he was heavily involved in bringing Primrose Hill School onto one site and updating the then Whitecross School which is now The Dean Academy.

He was a member of the Forest of Dean District Council for 28 years, serving nine as Chairman.

Among his achievements was to raise £60,000 in six months \endash alongside wife Val who was Chair of Lydney Town Council at the time \endash to build a swimming pool at the then Whitecross School. This was needed to prove local support for the project to obtain funding from the National Lottery.

He also served nationally and internationally as a member of the Local Government Association and as representative for Gloucestershire and the surrounding counties in Europe on the Committee of the Regions.
Mayor of Lydney Cllr Natasha Saunders also revealed he is a Freeman of the City of London which allows him to drive sheep over London Bridge and to get drunk once a year in the city without being charged.

She added: "He has never, yet, done either of these things."

He was also one of those who founded Lydney Community Centre and Age Concern in Lydney where he was chairman for many years.

He worked with organisations including Lydney in Partnership, the Bledisloe Trust and the Lydney Grammar School Foundation.
Mr Hobman worked for many years at Compton's and JD Norman in Lydney and was an active member of the Forest of Dean Labour Party.

He remains a committed supporter of a link across the River Severn between Lydney and Sharpness.

Cllr Saunders said: "Bill has has had a long career supporting the people of Lydney in many ways."

Bernard married Valerie M. Taylor Mar Q 1962 in Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.