David Chapple was appointed mayor of Oundle to suceed Paul King on the 7th of May. Chapple has a wealth of experience as this is his third stint as mayor of the town. His tenure will commence with the much needed refurbishing of the Queen Victoria hall. The new mayor has also promised further updating of council buildings.

Born in Norwich in 1954, he attended the Norwich Grammar School, now Norwich High School. He almost went to Oundle School as a boy, but boarding didn’t appeal to him at the time and he declined the oppportunity, a decision which he said he later regretted. However, after moving to Oundle in 1981 and having seen the full potential of the town and school, he sent both his children to Oundle School. He has been a solicitor for 30 years at a firm in March.

He became a councillor in 1986. During his time on the council he has become involved in financial affairs and has served as chairman of the finance committee. In Chapple’s first term as mayor he signed the twinning charter between Oundle and Andrésy. In his second term he signed yet another Twinning charter, this time with Nauort. Commenting on his visit to Andrésy, Oundle’s twin town, Chapple recalled: ‘I was treated like royalty and I felt that Oundle must return the welcome I received’. This prompted the introduction of a budget for hospitality.

His interests include a wide variety of sports from football to motoring racing, emphasising, ‘I’m more of a spectator and fan than a player’. He is a Norwich City FC fan. Music is also an interest. He admits to a love of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and also finds time to frequent classical concerts.

When asked about his favourite places to go in Oundle he said, ‘The Talbot Hotel always provides a good environment for meetings. I am a great fan of the Oundle Cinema as well’.

On the best aspects of Oundle he said, ‘Oundle is an extremely dynamic town, considering its size, there is constantly so much going on. A great place to live.’