The Charter Mayor of Bournemouth is Councillor Jackie Edwards.
About Councillor Jackie Edwards
Jackie was born in Essex where her father worked for Marconi on the early computers which at the time were massive and nobody had a clue what a computer programmer was. His job meant moving a few times including living on Singer Island near West Palm Beach in Florida for a year. The family returned to England although Jackie had just been chosen to be one of her school’s cheerleaders. Life in England was more academic and later Jackie went to Teacher Training College in Worcestershire where she got her Batchelor of Education. However, teaching jobs were difficult to get so she and her husband found a job running a wine bar in Devizes, Wiltshire. A couple of years later they bought their own restaurant, Le Jardin in Bath specialising in fish and game. A stream of celebrities were customers as they enjoyed the anonymity that Bath gave. Jackie remembers turning Hugh Cornwell from The Stranglers away as they were closed and it was late and the staff ready to go home. He was shocked! “But don’t you know who I am?” He said. Jackie did of course know who he was as their song Golden Brown was a massive hit at the time.
Both Jackie’s children were born in Bath but in 1993 the family moved to Bournemouth. Here they bought and ran a hotel on the East Cliff. After getting divorced Jackie ran her bed and breakfast until retiring in October 2023. In 2015 she was elected to Redhill and Northbourne which she has continued to represent.
Jackie found working 7 days a week and Council responsibilities left little time for leisure but did manage to fit in belly dancing and Zumba. She has also over the years learned upholstery, French polishing, curtain making and stained glass. Jackie has also written a book about the history of Bournemouth Hotels. She has a large collection of old Bournemouth postcards and holiday guides. Through the old pictures you can see how Bournemouth has grown and changed.
Jackie enjoys travelling abroad and also in this country. The Northumberland coast is on the list to explore although she gets a good telling off from her cat for daring to put her in a cattery!
Jackie is looking forward to her year as Mayor of Bournemouth and to meeting all the different people that live and work in this town she has called home for 32 years.
How to contact the mayor
You can contact the Mayor by email at mayorofbournemouth@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.
Deputy Mayor of Bournemouth
The Deputy Mayor of Bournemouth is Councillor George Farquhar.