by Alex Wellman Smiles were broad and beaming as it was out with the old and in with the new at the Town Hall. Cllr Ralph Fox, Dollis Hill ward, marked the conclusion of his year as the Mayor of Brent with a grin and a ha

by Alex Wellman

Smiles were broad and beaming as it was out with the old and in with the new at the Town Hall.

Cllr Ralph Fox, Dollis Hill ward, marked the conclusion of his year as the Mayor of Brent with a grin and a handshake for his delighted successor.

Cllr Jim O'Sullivan, Barnhill ward, has taken over the top role after a year as the deputy and the formalities were sealed in the annual mayor making at Brent Town Hall in Forty Lane, Wembley on Wednesday.

The new mayor came to the borough in 1956 from his home in County Cork in Ireland and became a councillor in 1998.

Cllr O'Sullivan said: "I am very grateful for the opportunities in this borough but I'm also very proud of the traditions and culture of Ireland."

The mayor has served on many committees and the Executive for two years from 2006 until 2008 as Lead Member for Policy and Regeneration.

He also served on Innisfree Housing Association Board, Fortunegate Housing Board and is still an active board member for both Brent Housing Partnership and Willow Housing.

The Mayor has three sons, Michael, a sales and marketing director in telecommunications; John, who is a qualified pharmacist and Kieron who is hoping to train as a solicitor. They Mayor and his wife have six grandchildren.

Churchill's great grandson has been elected lord mayor of Westminster and is the youngest person to take up the role.

Cllr Duncan Sandys, 35, will attend more than 1,000 royal, diplomatic, church, military and community engagements during the year.

His grandfather, Lord Duncan-Sandys held a variety of posts during and after the Second World War.

Cllr Sandys said: "I will be devoting much of my time and energy to children's and young people's issues."

The Conservative councillor is married to American Mary Brown, who is a former communications director in the George W Bush administration.

Cllr Sandys, who serves on the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Council, has served the Vincent Square ward for the past 11 years.

In Camden, Cllr Omar Faruque Ansari (Lib Dem) was elected to serve the borough at a special council meeting last week.

Cllr Ansari, who served last year as deputy mayor, was born in East Pakistan and has lived in Camden since 1988, after permanently moving to Britain in 1973.

He was elected as a councillor to represent Kentish Town ward in May 2006.

The nominations and ceremony to vote in the new mayor of Kensington & Chelsea, to replace Cllr Joanna Gardner take place tonight.

The nominations to replace Andrew Johnson, Hammersmith and Fulham's, mayor, take place next Wednesday.

alex.wellman@archant.co.uk