The mayor

I am Robert Bettley-Smith, your Mayor for the Civic year 2025-2026.

Although from a Yorkshire family, I was born in Liverpool. Following the death of my father in 1956, we lived with my grandparents, near Leeds, until 1962 when the family moved to Flamborough.

Following school I spent a year farming, followed by the Royal Agricultural College, where I studied Estate Management. I then studied at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where I obtained a research degree and, of more importance, met my wife Judy, who was at Girton. We were married in October 1980. I joined the Ministry of Agriculture in 1980, based in Northampton and then Chelmsford, working for their advisory service and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor, joining the administrative civil service on promotion in 1985, based in Cambridge.  We moved to Betley in 1992 when I was appointed as the Ministry’s Regional Director, based in Crewe.

I had a period on secondment to the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group from 1998 to 2003, as their Chief Executive, returning to the now Defra to set up and then lead the Government Decontamination Service, based at RAF Stafford.

I served as an officer in the Royal Engineers (TA&VR) from 1976 to 1980, having joined the Wessex Yeomanry in 1974, as a Trooper, whilst at college.

We have three adult children: two sons and a daughter, who have left home. Last year we were blessed with the arrival of a grandson and a granddaughter, born in January and April respectively.

I have been a member of Betley (styled as Betley, Balterley & Wrinehill) Parish Council since 2003 and chairman since 2007. I was elected to the Borough Council in May 2022, as a ward councillor for Thistleberry, and was elected as Deputy Mayor in May 2024.

Judy will be my Mayoress and my High Constable will be my youngest son, Samuel. My two charities will be Papyrus, in the suicide prevention and support area, and Belong who work in the dementia area, based in the Borough. I shall be supporting three heritage organisations in my year: The Brampton Museum, The Apedale Heritage Centre; The Apedale Railway.  In addition to the usual fund-raising events, including the Mayor’s Ball on Saturday 21 March 2026, I shall be walking round the boundary of the Borough, in 10 stages, for Papyrus: the walk will be called “One Mayor Meandering”: a Just Giving Page has been set up specifically for the sponsorship of the Mayoral Walks.

Following Twinning Activities with Agny (France), in 1994 I set up and then managed a youth football club, which my sons later joined, and qualified as a (local) Football Association referee; finally retiring in 2009.

My other personal interests include walking an over exuberant black Labrador, called Sasha, standard gauge steam engines (I am a qualified fireman), collecting railwayana, industrial archeology, fruit growing, our village community and the Christian faith (and, for my sins, I have a Stoke City FC season ticket).