Interview: Bev Fernandes, the latest mayor of Taunton

Bev is into her fourth month serving the community as Mayor of Taunton.

She has moved around a lot since being born in Mansfield, but now appears to have found her forever county after coming to Somerset 35 years ago.

"I’m proud to be from Nottinghamshire - it’s my home and is a very friendly place to live," says Bev.

"But I love Somerset, and there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t appreciate living here.

"We’re surrounded by some beautiful countryside, not far from the coast, and there are good transport links.

"We count ourselves very lucky living here."

Before discovering Somerset, Bev initially worked for the Inland Revenue in variously Mansfield, Alfreton, Kilmarnock and Penzance.

She spent time as a women’s Royal Navy reservist as a communications rating based in Nottingham, including a brief stretch in Gibraltar.

Following her marriage in 1986 to Nick, his job in the Royal Navy took the couple to Prestwick, in Scotland, and later Culdrose, Cornwall.

Bev says: "Nick was then posted on an 18-month deployment, so I moved out of married quarters in Helston and we bought our first home near Nottingham.

"We were there a couple of years until 1991, when Nick was posted to Yeovilton.

"When we had our son, Nathan, I stopped work to look after him.

"I later returned to work for Milsted Langdon in Taunton as a personal taxation assistant.

"I was there for three years, but we were living in Somerton at the time and coming into Taunton became difficult, so I left to do voluntary stuff such as advocacy as a parent representative on Somerset education and on various disability groups."

Bev was inspired to do so by Nathan, now 34, who has cerebral palsy and earned a first-class degree in business and business enterprise at Bristol’s University of the West of England (UWE).

"He’s an amazing young man and works as an advocate for disability, delivering workshops and working with eight universities," adds Bev.

On moving to Yeovil, she went on to work as an admin assistant at The Gryphon School, Sherborne, for 18 months.

Nick left the Royal Navy and started working in Bristol before the family relocated to the Taunton area, where she worked as an exam invigilator at Richard Huish College for five years.

In what spare time she had, Bev studied for an Open University degree in social services and politics in her 40s.

Her interest in local politics resulted in her becoming a parish councillor in Bishop’s Hull.

"I wanted to advocate for other people who can’t do it themselves," she says.

"I was interested in making a difference where I lived and seeing how it worked, what effect it had on the area.

"I wanted to make sure the council tax precept was spent effectively on things that benefit the village."

When Taunton Town Council was formed in 2023, Bev was invited to stand for the Lib Dems in Manor and Tangier.

Following her election, she has discovered it is a huge step up from a parish council.

"The town is bigger and serves around 57,000 people while there are around 5,000 in Bishop’s Hull," she adds.

"You’re expected to sit on committees and respond to residents."

After being elected deputy mayor by her peers last year, she became mayor this May, with Nick acting as her consort.

"The role means you chair the full council," she says.

"You’re the civic head and the face of the town council.

"I represent the council wherever I go.

"The civic role involves events such as remembrance occasions and flag raising in our parks.

"Anyone in our patch can invite the mayor to come along to their events. It’s incredibly diverse.

"I want to promote those organisations that don’t necessarily get a lot of attention.

"I’m the Armed Forces champion for the council and am keen to keep building links with veterans and those still serving, such as 40 Commando Royal Marines, and the mayor’s cadets."

As mayor, Bev has to be apolitical, representing everybody and making sure agenda items are debated properly at full council meetings.

She says: "Being mayor is time-consuming.

"A lot of the role is networking, and I see so much good stuff happening in Taunton that we don’t always hear about.

"It’s a huge honour, and I feel very privileged to do this.

"I’ve met people you’d never expect to meet, and they leave an impression."

During her year in office, Bev is supporting, as her chosen charity, Taunton Opportunity Group, a pre-school supporting children with special educational needs under five years old.

She will boost the organisation’s profile and raise funds through carols at the bandstand in Vivary Park during the festive season.

In what spare time she has, Bev teaches tai chi and researches family and friends’ genealogy, while she and Nick are volunteers with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.