Recently, Emma and I visited the Mayor of Woking, Councillor Rob Leach, in his parlour at Woking Borough Council offices to record an interview with him for Radio Woking.

Rob is the 53rd and final Mayor of Woking as he heads towards the new unitary authority in early 2027. Rob told me it feels strange being the final Mayor of Woking, but also an honour. After 2027, there may be an elected Surrey Mayor, and it is hoped there will be a ceremonial Mayor for Woking to represent the town and attend local events.

Rob is from Devon. It was his work in the Civil Service, working for the Home Office, that brought him to Woking in the 1980s. He found it to be everything he hoped it would be – a nice sense of community and good transport links into London, where he was working at the time, as well as easy access back to Devon if he wanted it.

Woking has changed a lot since the 1980s. Rob told us he sees the Woking of 2026 bringing more people to live in the centre of the town, making Woking more of a community. He was particularly keen on the coffee shops in the town, which he frequents regularly, and told me his go-to order – a semi-skimmed flat white. Rob also loves doing The Guardian crossword and keeping fit with visits to the gym or going for a swim.

Emma asked Rob what he has learned about Woking so far during his mayoral term. He told us how he has discovered the different parts that make up the town and mentioned visits to retirement homes and finding out how they work as a community. He also spoke about finding out about different organisations, such as Men’s Shed, and the work they do with retired people who want to keep active, doing things socially and creatively.

Rob’s charities this year are The Phoenix Cultural Centre and Woking Youth Theatre. Performing arts are a big part of Rob’s life, and he recalls being part of a drama workshop group as a teenager. When he moved to Woking, he got involved with running Woking Drama Group as a way of connecting with the community. This led to him working with Woking Youth Theatre.

What has been the highlight so far? Rob told us it was forming a good working relationship with the Mayor of Rastatt, Woking’s twin town in Germany, which he got to visit early in his term. We, of course, have Le Plessis-Robinson as our twin town in France, which Rob is yet to visit.

You can hear our full conversation with the Mayor of Woking on Radio Woking on my Sunday morning show on September 6, or catch up afterwards at jonandrews01.podbean.com

You can listen to my shows on Radio Woking every Sunday from 9am until noon, and on Wednesdays from 7am to 9am. Tune in via Radio Woking, on DAB Digital Radio, or ask your smart speaker to “Play Radio Woking”. To get in touch, email [email protected] or send a voice note via SpeakPipe.