Friday October 24 1986

Mid Sussex times

Records fall in ‘crooked’ election

The Independent State of Cuckfield celebrated the election of the new mayor in style on Saturday.

Villagers and visitors lined the streets as a colourful procession of floats and walking groups wound its way round the village headed by the new mayor, Martin Ingebretsen in his donkey drawn carriage.

The election for the title this year sunk to a new level of corruption as a record amount of money was raised for village charities.

Martin, who was the Kings Head candidate, is the nephew of the retiring mayor Ron Knight.

And while Ron was mounting his own campaign he was also secretly supporting Martin, and narrowly beating the challenge of Pam Egerton, the Cuckfield Society candidate. With one penny counting as one boat, Martin totalled £2146.65 compared to the total of £1823.88 raised for Pam. Overall more than £4000 was raised and the Independent State declared the election a resounding success with the highest ever amount collected in its history. One of the main moneyspinners behind Martin's campaign was a competition in which the prize was two return airline tickets to the Seychelles, donated by Kirsty Vik, regional manager of the Seychelles Tourist Board.

The winner was Cuckfield resident Mr Gordon Brewster, who was given the tickets on Saturday.

On receiving the robe from retiring Mayor Ron Knight, Martin thanked everybody for voting and also the other two candidates for their part in raising a record total.

He was then initiated in a round of ‘He's a Jolly Good Fellow’, struck up by the New City Jazzmen. 

Saturday's procession began at Warden Park School and made its way to the Kings Head in the High Street where the traditional handing over the key took place, with landlord and high sheriff Martin Lindley making the presentation. 

In his position as mayor, Martin will be spending the next year helping to raise funds for the benefit of village charities.

Thank you to the Mid Sussex Times for the article and the images.