Shelagh Sandle War baby, Shelagh Sandle was born in Fillongley but her very first school was St Gregory’s in Henley Street, here in Stratford-upon-Avon.  She lived with her family at the ‘Red Horse, in Bridge Street where her father was the manager. His work, and later her own, as a teacher, saw Shelagh living in places as diverse as Leamington Spa, Newcastle on Tyne, Northern Ireland, North Berwick, Fareham and Watford.  Throughout the intervening years, her father owned Hylands Hotel, now Hylands Residential Care Home, still a family business, so Shelagh and her young family visited Stratford-upon-Avon on many occasions before settling here permanently in 1986. Shelagh spent the last ten years of her teaching career at Marie Corelli School.  In 1997 she changed direction, becoming the well known local postmistress in Shottery.  After just one year of opening, the Post Office was awarded the accolade of being the Best Small Office in the Community of Coventy and Warwickshire.  Shelagh is heartbroken at the demise of the Post Office services.  Along with many others, her shop and Post Office closed in 2003.

Liberal Democrat for Guild & Hathway since 2006

Shelagh’s children, two sons and a daughter, were all educated in Stratford-upon-Avon but now live as far apart as Bristol, London and Edinburgh.  Shelagh takes every opportunity to support the arts and her children have inherited her love of the theatre and cinema.

Her faith and her church are one of the most important things in Shelagh’s life and she is a regular attendee at St Gregory’s and the Catholic Church in Shottery, and is active in all aspects of parish life.  Soroptimists International is also important to her, and she takes every opportunity to promote the organisation of business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and children throughout the world.

Being a Governor of the High School and teaching privately has enabled Shelagh to stay in touch with children – her great love.  Conversely, Shelagh also responds very well to old people and serving on the Municipal Charities and the Hylands Residential Care Home enables her to keep an eye on the welfare of the elderly, the two most vulnerable sectors of the community.

Councillor Shelagh Sandle joined the Town Council in 2006 as a ward member for Guild & Hathaway.  She was returned at the 2010 Parish Election and was honoured to become Mayor soon after.  Shelagh serves on the Planning Consultative Committee and the Finance & Scrutiny Committee but does her best to attend as many standing committee and working party meetings as possible.  As Mayor, Shelagh is President or honorary member of so many societies and organizations, they are too numerous to mention

Shelagh is a committed ‘Green’ supporter and is a passionate re-cycler.  She firmly believes that it is possible to make Stratford-upon-Avon a town free of plastic bags, in line with other forward thinking towns.