A Gent of a Mayor
Councillor Catharine Sarah Frances (Katie) Gent BA (Hons) Mayor of Richmond Upon Thames 1990-91
The Woman Catharine Sarah Frances (Katie) Walsh was born during the last quarter of 1940 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire and her mother’s maiden name was Pearson. She became a Philosophy, Politics and Economics Graduate at Oxford University, gaining a BA (Hons) and during the third quarter of 1964 aged 24 married Allan R Gent in Oxford. Allan and Katie later moved to Barnes in Richmond, London and During 1977 she joined the Imperial College of Science and Technology working part time in the Language Laboratory within the Associated Studies Department, later known as the Humanities Programme. With the expansion of the European Union Katie’s job became full time and her role escalated, she took responsibility for the language laboratory and found herself providing self-access courses in all major languages and giving advice on how to use them to an increasing number of staff and post graduates, as well as administering and providing materials for daytime and evening classes with 35 teachers and over 1,200 students a week. Katie also spoke several languages including French, German and Italian and Allan also worked at the college in the Civil Engineering Department. During 1982 Katie began taking an interest in Richmond politics and joined the local branch of the Liberal Party and became a founder member of the Barnes Community Association – Environmental Group (BCA). In 1986 she was elected to represent Barnes Ward on the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames coming second with 1950 votes and being part of the new ruling Liberal Democrat Group, who had taken over control of the council from the Conservatives with 49 seats against 3, and who would run the council for the next 16 years. Within 12 months she was elected Chairman of the Planning Committee, which during her tenure was responsible for approving a new stand at the Twickenham Rugby Club. In May 1991 Katie was elected as the 26th Mayor of the London Borough of Richmond, with Allan as Consort. During her term of office she officiated at the visits to the area of the Princess Royal, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Her Majesty The Queen Mother and Her Majesty The Queen.
Katie retained her Barnes seat in the local elections of 1990, 1994 and 1998 topping the poll on every occasion. At the 1998 election the Liberal Democrats retained control of the council with 34 seats against the Conservatives with 14 and Labour with 5. Katie was Cabinet Member speaking on Environmental issues, and was described as a formidable champion on the subject within the Borough, and voiced the community's concerns over the planned extension of Heathrow Airport and night flights. She was described as the trusted expert within the Liberal Democrat Group and one you could always turn to for good advice. She could also however be a controversial figure and in June 1999 shocked an audience during a major debate on traffic congestion and whether Richmond Park should be closed to motorists, when she admitted using the route herself as a short cut in her car, and that there were more important matters to be debated, this was all the more shocking to the audience in view of her cabinet position. Katie was also a governor of Lowther Primary School, where she helped implement a school improvements building programme, a trustee of the Barnes Workhouse Trust, a driving force behind the Thames Landscape Strategy, involved in the process that led to the Barnes Wetland Centre and a member of the HACAN Clear Sky Committee.
In the election of 2nd May 2002 Katie's fortunes turned when she and 18 colleagues lost their seats in one night, and the Conservatives gained control of Richmond Council with 39 seats. The Liberal Democrats retained only 14 and Labour lost all of theirs. Katie came fourth in Barnes with 1221 votes, having been a Councillor for the entire 16 year run of Liberal Democrat control. Having lost her seat Katie became the Chairman of the BCA from 2003 until 2005 applying her considerable talents and helped by the fact she already had many contacts in Barnes. In April 2014 she signed a friendship link with the Mayor of Le Pecq-sur-Seine in France, Alain Gournac, something in which, as a fluent French speaker and with family living in France, she took a continuing special interest. Katie became the longest serving member of the BCAs Executive Committee. From the time that she became chairman of the BCA in 2003 Katie found herself courageously fighting a life threatening condition, about which she was always very open. A vital part of her therapy was to keep going as she had always done. During the summer of 2012 she contemplated a trip to Le Pecq for and official visit, but instead she and Allan took a trip to Lyon. Katie died a few months later on 7th February 2013 following her battle with cancer and aged just 72. The chairman of the BCA Mike Spillane said of her “The BCA and the people of Barnes owe Katie a huge debt of gratitude for all that she has done over very many years. We offer Allan and her family our very deepest sympathy”.
The Story The Past Mayors & Consort Jewels awarded to Katie & Allan Gent were acquired in London on Monday 22nd September 2014, whilst, coincidentally undertaking some research on another Mayor of one of Richmond’s former authorities Barnes. Having seen a set of medals in Stephen Wheeler’ shop in Camden Passage, he was tracked down to a flea market in Covent Garden to negotiate a good price. Whilst waiting for him to finish a conversation with another customer, he offered them the jewels awarded to Katie and her husband. Thankfully the other customer was not interested, and patience could not be held any longer and Stephen asked direct if the jewels could be looked at. A decision was made to take them immediately and a deal struck for them and the other group of medals. The next day plans had been made to visit the Richmond Local Studies Centre to complete research on Alfred Lawrance, a former Mayor of Barnes. Whilst in the library, they were also able to produce a file of information on Katie Gent. A telephone call was made to York House in Twickneham, home of the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames Council, and permission gained from the Mayor’s Secretary to visit and take a photograph of Katie in Mayoral Robes from the gallery. A bus was taken from Richmond to Twickenham, and York House located. Photographs were taken and unexpectedly access to the Council Chamber, that was being redecorated, was allowed and pictures taken on the past Mayors Roll of Honour. The newspaper cuttings taken from the local research library, google searches on the internet and usual trawl of Ancestry.com have allowed this brief biography to be pieced together, and a local hard working Richmond Councillor recorded and remembered for posterity. It also proved to be an interesting two days in London as the research was not expected, and lead to some interesting excursions to different parts of London.
Coat of Arms The borough's history is reflected in the coat of arms, which was officially granted on 7 May 1966. It is: Ermine a portcullis or within a bordure gules charged with eight fleurs-de-lis or. The crest is: On a wreath argent and gules out of a mural crown gules a swan rousant argent in beak a branch of climbing red roses leaved and entwined about the neck proper. The supporters are: On either side a griffin gules, armed and beaked azure, each supporting an oar proper, the blade of the dexter dark blue and that of the sinister light blue. The portcullis was taken from the arms of the Municipal Borough of Richmond; the swan crest, from the arms of the Municipal Borough of Twickenham; and the griffin supporters and oars from the arms of the Municipal Borough of Barnes. Red, gold and ermine are the royal livery colours, reflecting Richmond's royal history. The swan represents the River Thames, which flows through the borough. The oars are from the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, reflecting the fact that the Boat Race between the two universities ends at Mortlake in the borough.
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south-west London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas, the London Boroughs of Richmond, Twickenham and Barnes, amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. Three districts of the area are within the London postal district. It is governed by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council. The borough is home to the National Physical Laboratory and the attractions of Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre that draw domestic and international tourism. The borough is approximately half parkland – large areas of London's open space fall within the borough boundaries, including Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, Bushy Park and Old Deer Park. The predominant other land use is residential use and most businesses within the boundaries consist of retail, property improvement/development and professional services; parts of it – including Barnes, Richmond, St Margarets, Cambridge Park and Marble Hill, some areas of Twickenham and much of East Sheen – rival Stanmore Hill and Kenley as the highest house-price districts and neighbourhoods of Outer London. In 2006, research commissioned by a major mortgage lender found that, on the quantitative statistical indices used, the borough had the best quality of life in London and was in the top quarter of local authorities nationwide. A neighbouring authority in Surrey achieved the best quality of life in that report. Demography is a diverse picture as in all of London: each district should be looked at separately and even those do not reflect all neighbourhoods. Whatever generalisations are used, "the fine-grained texture of London poverty" by its minutely localised geography must always be taken into account according to an influential poverty report of 2010. Every borough bar one – Richmond-upon-Thames – contains at least one ward with an above-average level (for London) of working-age adults receiving out-of-work benefits, but even this borough – reflecting the best result – has two standard poverty indices of sixteen in which it is placed in the worst quarter of boroughs.
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south-west London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas, the London Boroughs of Richmond, Twickenham and Barnes, amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. Three districts of the area are within the London postal district. It is governed by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council. The borough is home to the National Physical Laboratory and the attractions of Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre that draw domestic and international tourism. The borough is approximately half parkland – large areas of London's open space fall within the borough boundaries, including Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, Bushy Park and Old Deer Park. The predominant other land use is residential use and most businesses within the boundaries consist of retail, property improvement/development and professional services; parts of it – including Barnes, Richmond, St Margarets, Cambridge Park and Marble Hill, some areas of Twickenham and much of East Sheen – rival Stanmore Hill and Kenley as the highest house-price districts and neighbourhoods of Outer London. In 2006, research commissioned by a major mortgage lender found that, on the quantitative statistical indices used, the borough had the best quality of life in London and was in the top quarter of local authorities nationwide. A neighbouring authority in Surrey achieved the best quality of life in that report. Demography is a diverse picture as in all of London: each district should be looked at separately and even those do not reflect all neighbourhoods. Whatever generalisations are used, "the fine-grained texture of London poverty" by its minutely localised geography must always be taken into account according to an influential poverty report of 2010. Every borough bar one – Richmond-upon-Thames – contains at least one ward with an above-average level (for London) of working-age adults receiving out-of-work benefits, but even this borough – reflecting the best result – has two standard poverty indices of sixteen in which it is placed in the worst quarter of boroughs.
Jewel Details:
- Past Mayors Jewel: PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF RICHMOND UPON THAMES TO COUNCILLOR KATIE GENT MAYOR 1990-91
- Past Consort Jewel: PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF RICHMOND UPON THAMES TO DR. ALLAN GENT MAYOR'S CONSORT 1990-91
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This page last updated 21 Oct 14