TEARS were shed as the outgoing Mayor said his thank yous to his staff and consort. 

Cllr Mike Connolly was installed as Deputy Mayor following a year as Bury Mayor and Cllr Dorothy Gunther elected to the office this afternoon. 

In a heavily ceremonial meeting at the town hall at 4pm, Cllr Connolly nominated his colleague Cllr Dorothy Gunther to the role of Mayor, whose appointment was unanimously approved by the council. 

Cllr Connolly was emotional as he spoke of the joy and honour he felt in holding the Mayoral office for the last year, he his Consort, Ian Hargreaves, and in his own words began to 'blub'. 

After he donned the purple robes of the Deputy office, Cllr Connolly, said: "Ian and I have given it our best shot, before I was Mayor I was Leader and I thought I knew everything there was to know about Bury, but I knew 'nout'."

He recalled meeting the 'army of volunteers that are the back bone of the town'. 

During the last 12 months Cllr Connolly said he and Mr Hargreaves have attended 650 engagements and worn all six ceremonial chains of the borough. Not all at the same time he added. 

He said: "A thank you to Ian, he's been a constant support throughout the whole year and I couldn't have done it without him."

Cllr Gunther, aged 74, took her seat in the red robes of the Mayor to a fanfare from The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. 

 In her maiden speech she reflected on the others who had worn her robes and paid tribute to former Cllrs Evelyn Waite and Albert Little who she called the 'best mentors' anyone could wish for. 

She said her first memory of Bury was from 41 years ago, when she visited with her husband, Michael, now aged 75, to meet the man who would be best man at their wedding. 

The pair have been married 41 years and lived in Summerseat for almost 30 years. 

Her chosen Mayoral charities are the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Bury Hospice and Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.