Minutes:
The Mayor, Councillor Makinson, asked members to observe a minutes silence to reflect on the terrible milestone of 100,000 Covid-19 deaths nationally and more than 675 deaths in Barnsley. In addition, she commented that many more had died and suffered from the wider impact of the pandemic.
She also asked Members to mark the sad passing of Captain Sir Tom Moore as well as local war veteran Mr Tom Hicks a Royston resident aged 101 who both sadly died recently.
Mr Hicks had lived in Royston until his sad passing last week. He had served as a Royal Engineer and was attached to the 1st Para Squadron. He fought in North Africa, Sicily and in the Battle of Arnhem where he was parachuted in on the 17th September, 1944. After days of intense fighting he, along with many comrades, was sadly captured and forced to work in lead mines until the war was over. Tom lived to an amazing age of 101, was still actively playing tennis locally until the age of 99. He was an active member of Barnsley Breakfast Club for veterans and to celebrate his 99th birthday he had been invited by the then Mayor, Councillor Steve Green, to the Town Hall for a party in the Mayor’s Parlour. For his 100th birthday his friends from Barnsley Breakfast Club arranged a special party at the Darfield Road Working Men’s Club in Cudworth. There would be many residents across the borough who had fond memories of Tom and the Mayor had no doubt that he would be missed by many.