THE town's mayoral chain has retuned to a familiar torso – with Vaughan Clarke re-elected to the post for the second time in three years. Outgoing mayor Paul Molloy, who enjoyed an active stint alongside his wife, June, handed over the reins to Mr Clarke at Petersfield's Festival Hall last Friday. In his first speech as the new mayor, Mr Clarke looked forward to "an eventful year", during which he aimed to restore some of the town's ancient history. "I am enthusiastic, have a feel for the town's history, an interest in getting things done, and greatly support the volunteer ethos in the town," he said. "For centuries, Petersfield has had two annual fairs – the Taro Fair in October and the Petertide Fair, which took place in the The Square on July 10. This ancient fair was for selling goods, amusements and toys. "It is sad to relate that when Petersfield Urban District Council purchased the market rights from Lord Hylton in 1902 one of their first actions was to abolish the July fair. Maybe it is about time to think about restoring our ancient heritage," he said. Expressing his desire to use The Square to "maximum advantage", Mr Clarke also noted three "critical matters" – Petersfield's inclusion in the South Downs National Park, and youth shelters and a skatepark for younger people. "I hope these will be resolved satisfactorily over the next year," he said, before announcing his mayor's charities for the next 12 months. "I have decided to concentrate on two local charities, namely the Petersfield Scout Group, who are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, and the Petersfield open-air swimming pool, the only heated outdoor pool in Hampshire, which has ambitious plans for the future." Wearing a Lord Nelson tie, the genial Mr Clarke paid tribute to his predecessor, Paul Molloy, as "a person who really enjoys life". "He also enjoys other people, and he has put in a tremendous amount of work and he has achieved major successes. "One of them relates to the football club and the junior football club, by bringing the whole lot together," he said. Mr Clarke also praised Mr Molloy's "immaculate hairstyle", adding: "In the town council chamber he is known as matinee man, and many times I have felt I have been in a black and white picture." Paying tribute to the "first-class staff" at Petersfield Town Council, Mr Molloy reflected on a busy year. "This year has been punctuated by a number of major town events – some opening up new avenues of community participation," he said. "Primary among these was the August bank holiday weekend in The Square which, helped by an unexpected few days of glorious weather, was a huge success. "Due to the hard work and perseverance of a small group of volunteers, this has now been translated into bigger and better plans for the future. "We are all looking forward to a repeat of the bank holiday weekend this year, but before then, on the spring bank holiday weekend (at the end of May), Petersfield is hosting a food festival in close partnership with the farmers' market. "This hopefully will be the forerunner of an annual event. The will and the vision is in place for an even more vibrant town – all it needs is the co-operation and the will of others to help make it happen. "Another huge event was Petersfield Town Football Club's game against the Chelsea veterans. The game got wide press coverage, so suffice to say that it really was a hugely enjoyable community and family occasion. And Chelsea have actually asked Petersfield if they can come again next year – they enjoyed the occasion so much," he added. After Mr Clarke's wife, Gill, was made mayoress, nominations for deputy mayor took place – with the council split between two contenders. Mr Clarke nominated Hilary Ayer for the post, ponting to her achievements and interests in the town's young people. "She's also someone of the right height to rest your elbow on," he quipped. Ken Hick nominated Chris Jenner, saying: "He's done some hard work for this town." Both candidates received four votes each, with Mr Clarke's casting vote seeing Mrs Ayer elected. n Petersfield Town Council has been reduced to 11 councillors after Tory member Spencer Wisdom resigned because of work commitments. Elected to represent the Heath ward, Mr Wisdom, a solicitor, asked the council to "forgive him for leaving at this juncture". Mayor Vaughan Clarke said: "Basically, he's had to resign because he moved job and now works later hours. It is a tragic loss because we could do with young people on the council," he added. It is undecided whether Mr Wisdom's replacement will be appointed by interview or via a by-election.