Bexley's Current Deputy Mayor
The Mayor has appointed Councillor Ray Sams as Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Bexley for 2008/9. The Deputy Mayoress is his wife, Mrs Diane Sams.
Ray Sams was born in East Wickham, Welling in 1940 and has always lived in the Borough. He attended the local schools at East Wickham and Elsa Road Secondary and at 15yo decided he wanted to leave school and to take up his chosen trade as a motor mechanic. He secured a full apprenticeship at the local Lewis Evans Garage and after five years he became fully qualified. Ray enjoyed his time at the garage. The owner and his son were both racing drivers and while he was there, he remembers working on former Prime Minister Ted Heath’s car.
After a period working for WJ King in Long Lane, Ray went to Woolwich College as a Motor Vehicle Technician. He enjoyed his work there immensely, looking after the classrooms, laboratories and workshops, helping prepare them for lessons.
Ray had met his future wife, Diane, during the 60s at a local restaurant. They have a daughter, Julie. In 1970, the opportunity had come his way to take up the post of lecturer at the Erith College of Technology (Bexley College) at Tower Road. He taught motor mechanics to people of all ages and he found this work very satisfying.
Throughout this period of his life, Ray had been interested in business and he and Diane had already opened their first shop selling records by 1965. The business, selling singles and albums, in Plumstead High Street went well and in 1970, Ray opened two more shops – in Bexleyheath and Erith Town Centre. All had the name TW records and with the businesses all flourishing, Ray decided to quit the motor trade and work for himself on a full-time basis.
1980 witnessed another side of his entrepreneurial skills when he and colleagues formed a partnership to open the Chaparal Restaurant in Erith Town Centre. He worked with the restaurant until 1983 when he returned to concentrate on the records business.
In 2005, retirement from business beckoned, but Ray had always been interested in politics, particularly with local issues. His brother Brian, sadly now deceased, was Mayor of Bexley in 1981/2 and his sister-in-law, Rita, was Mayor of Bexley for 1997/8. Ray had always supported them in their political life and with more time on his hands, he decided to stand as a Councillor for the St. Michael’s Ward at the May 2006 local elections. To his delight, Ray was successful and he has served in that role since. Ray says: "I am delighted to be appointed Deputy Mayor to Mayor Nick O’Hare. I have thought about my brother Brian and what he would have thought of me in my new role. I am sure he would have been proud.
"Diane and I are looking forward to meeting as many people as possible throughout the coming Mayoral year."
Ray has been involved in so many aspects of charity work for all of his adult life and he has served on successive Bexley Mayor’s Charity Committees for over 18 years. He enjoys sport, playing golf whenever he gets the opportunity, although he realises his handicap may suffer this year because of his Mayoral commitments. He has supported Charlton Athletic FC since 1950 and has been a season ticket holder since 1990. |
