There has been much water under the bridge since I first set up this website. That was back in 2021 and 4 years later much has changed.
I firmly believe in local democracy at all levels. I also believe that a locally elected person should listen to the local electorate and represent those views. One of the main reasons for wanting to be a councillor was that I enjoyed the satisfaction of being able to advocate for the people who needed my help.
My understanding is that the governments devolution plans may cancel the election of County Councillors in May 2025 – and it is cancellation, not delay, because if the plans go ahead the elections in May 2026 will be to the new Unitary authority.
As it is not certain that the elections will be cancelled most political parties are working on the basis that County Council elections in May 2025 will go ahead. The Conservative constituency Associations have been interviewing and selecting candidates to stand. I have considered this very carefully and put my name forward for selection – for the Thedwastre North division. This is the same division that I represented from 2004 through to 2021 with a boundary review that has excluded Tostock to the east and Finningham to the north.
I was born in Pakenham and my parents, Alan and Diane Bauly, moved to Tostock in October 1959. I have a sister, Sara and a brother, Michael (Owner of Ticehurst Gravels). I went to Elmswell Primary School and then to the County in Bury St. Edmunds.
I spent a year at Norwich City College studying Accountancy and then worked at a local firm of accountants and then went self-employed, book-keeping for a few years before working for Geo. Gittus and Sons in Saxham.
In 1985 I married my husband, Chris. I had first met him in January 1971 and we had stayed in touch. He had joined the Army and was a bomb disposal officer. We were mostly posted in England but had a couple of years in Germany before we settled in Badwell Ash in 1994.
Chris died in 2001 and after a few years I moved to Norton (2005) and then to Woolpit (2013).
I have worked for myself and for local firms most of my life. I am currently working part-time for Greene King but also run my property business in Tostock.
I was first elected to Mid Suffolk District Council in 1997 for the Badwell Ash ward, then again in 2011 for the Elmswell and Norton ward and finally to the Woolpit ward in 2015. I was first elected to Suffolk County Council in 2002 for the Thedwastre South division. In 2005 there was a boundary change and Elmswell and Woolpit became part of the Thedwastre North division. I became the County Councillor for Thedwastre North in 2005. I was asked to be the Cabinet member for Finance and Resources in May 2005, a role I continued until stepping aside in 2013. I had also been Deputy Leader of the Council from 2008 through to 2013. In 2014 I was Vice-Chairman of the Council and the following year I was Chairman. These are mainly ceremonial roles – representing the County Council at various civic events around the county. I was back again as Deputy Leader from 2016 through to 2018. In that two years I had Cabinet roles that covered Broadband and then Highways. My period as Cabinet member for Highways included the Beast from the East in the winter of 2017/18.
I have been running Ticehurst Yards Business Centre since September 2020.