The Saturday Talk - Sir Rodney Brooke

Ilkley resident Sir Rodney Brooke CBE had a long career in local government.

Starting aged 15 as office boy in Morley Town Hall, he rose to become chief executive of West Yorkshire County Council, the City of Westminster and the National Association of Metropolitan Authorities.

His memoir The Winding Stair is stuffed with anecdotes of dramatic incidents in his career – the last reading of the Riot Act, the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, the violent death of Helen Smith in Saudi Arabia, the Bradford City fire and the £42m surcharge on Dame Shirley Porter.

His career spanned the great days of local government through to its present decline.

We are delighted to welcome Sir Rodney back for a further Saturday morning talk. Those who attended last time will know him to be an excellent speaker with a unique insight into many national events that we can all remember from being on the news at the time.