Lincolnshire’s very first Mayor’s Sergeant Sandra Dykes steps down this week after attending hundreds of official events in Louth and district.
The ceremonial role of Mayor’s Sergeant is steeped in history. They carry the mace, which is topped with a crown to show the direct link to royalty and our laws, when accompanying the mayor in their ceremonial chains and robes. In history the mace would have been a sword so the sergeant at arms could fight off any attacker! Sandra explains it is for this reason the role has historically been undertaken by a person with a military background, particularly as they are familiar with the routine of parades and working with all members of society including royalty.
Sandra grew up in Larne on the beautiful Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. Uniformed organisations interested her from an early age, and she joined the Ulster Defence Regiment where she was one of the first females to undertake body searches. She served during the dangerous days of “The Troubles”, which required she checked her car for bombs every day and washing was never hung out in case her home could be identified. Such was her dedication she was promoted six months after she joined! She faced danger every day and recalls being ambushed on one occasion.
Her first marriage saw her move south to live in county Carlow where her husband worked as a research scientist, so she left military life behind. After seven years in Eire, they left for Lincolnshire and a research job at Nickersons! After the breakdown of this relationship, it was here in East Lindsey she met her second husband Iain, to whom she has been happily married for over 20 years.
Soon after, much to her surprise, she found herself back in uniform as the Centre Organiser for Louth Red Cross and then another uniform and on parade. She was first recruited by the late Mayor Fran Treanor who had heard the St Michael’s Teaching Assistant could be a good fit for the job. He knew she lived somewhere on Brackenborough Road but not the exact location – but Sandra’s neighbours were tight lipped when door knocked! Then one day, at the wheel of the little bus he drove he spotted her on the street. To Sandra’s surprise the bus stopped and he jumped out, told her about the role…and the rest is history!
Sadly, she had to retire, the first time, when her helicopter maintenance manager husband Iain’s job took them up to Aberdeen. She loved life up in Scotland, ironically leaving Louth to live in a Highland town called Alford! The only drawback was her family lived so far away. Son Gareth, who is a police officer trained in firearms, lives near Hull whilst Brian Is a paediatric physio in Leeds. Daughter Jenny and her family are now resident in Australia and Sandra undertakes the long journey every year to catch up with them too! But when Iain came back to Lincolnshire, she was only too keen to take up the sergeant’s role again, supporting Councillor Jeremy Baskett and his wife Bridget.
She has loved her time serving male and female Mayors making sure they are correctly turned out and are protected on official outings. She has happy memories galore but one in particular stands out – the day she met a world famous film star. On an official visit to Hull, accompanying Councillor Trevor Marris, Omar Sharif was the guest of honour at the University event. He was only too delighted to have his photograph taken with Sandra and they enjoyed a fascinating chat. She dismissed the fact he is not as tall as many of the stars…‘I’m only little too and he was a bit taller than me,” she laughed. Those memories are not set to fade, his photograph is still proudly displayed in her bedroom.
Sandra says ‘It has been a privilege to have held the role. I will miss the pomp, ceremony and support I have had from the people of Louth’.