Beccles Town Clerks
Mrs Claire Boyne: Town Clerk
I was born in Lowestoft and have lived there all of my life. I married my husband Phill
in Kos in October 2010 and we have a little daughter called Darci. After leaving college
at eighteen I went to work for Waveney District Council in their finance department. I
started as a Trainee and gradually worked my way up to become a Senior Accountant,
being responsible for Capital and Treasury Management.
I became the Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer to Beccles Town Council in June
2010. The work is very different to what I was doing at Waveney, but the Deputy Clerk
has been a great help to me in my first few months in guiding me through the intricacies
of the workings of a Local Council. I have certainly very much enjoyed the change and
the interaction with lots of different people on a daily basis. The work of a Town Clerk
is very varied, but is ultimately rewarding as the results are tangible and benefit the
residents of Beccles.
I am looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the role over the coming years
and dealing with the challenges that I am sure the future will hold.
Mrs Jula Janney: Deputy Town Clerk
I was born and bred in Lowestoft. After attending Lowestoft College undertaking a
Secretarial Course, my first employment was at the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries
and Food. Before getting married in June 1973, I changed my job and I worked as
Secretary of a welding business based at Ellough Airfield, Beccles. When this business
relocated I worked at Wm Clowes in the Production Planning Department until the birth
of my first child in 1976.
After twelve years of looking after my husband and bringing up our three children, I was
advised of a job at the Town Hall as Secretary to the Town Clerk, Fred Leah in 1987
for 8 hours per week. I was given the position and with much trepidation started in the
October. I thought I would soon get into the swing of things as I had worked in local
government and thought it wouldn’t be too different; how wrong was I?
The workings of a town council are very different from anything I have experienced
before. Having 16 bosses (+ the Town Clerk) to work for and also dealing with the
general public was a real learning curve, but I have felt quite at home making many,
many friends and associates during the 23 years (and still going) at the Town Hall!
I remarried in June 2006 and in November I was promoted to Deputy Town Clerk. I
undertook and passed the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA) in March
2008. Beccles Town Council has now achieved Quality Parish through the hard work
of Berenice Broom, Town Clerk (r’td). The new Town Clerk, Mrs Claire Boyne, will be
undertaking the CiLCA portfolio in the very near future.
My three children all live in Beccles, and I am the very proud Nan to seven
grandchildren!