Mike Thomas has been re-elected as Helston's mayor for a second year at the Guildhall last Tuesday.

During an evening of ceremony, the mayor was led into the hall by his beadle and mace bearers, all in full regalia, before announcing his term of office had expired and calling on councillor to elect a new mayor.

The mayor gave a speech in which he said the amount of respect the office holds had been "both humbling and a confidence builder," and gave a brief résumé of his civic year, including visits, openings, Culdrose Air Day and the welcoming of the new base commander, and a brief mention of the opening and subsequent closing of a block of public toilets.

He also told those gathered about the successful year he had had with the mayor's charity fund, with dances at the Godolphin Club, the Mayor's Ball, and three crosswords produced by mayoress Briege Thomas raising over £5,000 for the League of Friends of Helston Community Hospital and the Mayor’s Fund for Enterprising and Deserving Young People, as well as other appeals including a positive response from local businesses to the foodbank's Christmas appeal.

He added that this year's chosen charity will be the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, and he will also be raising and spending money to support other local causes.

He thanked the council for being "an absolute joy to work with," deputy mayor Mark Upton for his support, town clerk Chris Dawson and added: "I am grateful to all our staff for all the work that they do for our council."

The mayor also looked to the future, with the possibility of more responsibility for the council as Cornwall Council budgets are tightened, and important planning decisions including major housing developments on the edge of the town.

He concluded: "The in vogue expression is ‘aspiration’. My aspiration as mayor of Helston was, and still is, to do all that I humanly can do for this town, a town that we all care so strongly for.

"I look forward very much to the forth-coming civic year."

Following the mayor's speech, Councillor Mark Upton was chosen to be deputy mayor for a second year, with Fred Angove and Nigel King confirmed as mace bearers, Jim Moran as beadle, and the Reverend David Miller as the mayor's chaplain.