Drumming and jigsaws - how the WBC Greens leader relaxes from politics

Carolyne Culver is the self-effacing leader of West Berkshire’s Green group.

It’s the minority party with three councillors – but colleagues across the political spectrum hold her in high regard.

“I think it’s because I work hard, and I take things very seriously, and I always answer calls from people,” she shyly admits.

She is still the only councillor with a 100 per cent attendance record, and admits to being a bit of a workaholic when it comes to community issues.

And now fully on the campaign trail to keep her Ridgeway ward and build on the three Green seats in May’s local council elections, she says there is no time for time off.

“During an election campaign you don’t have time to do anything else. And if you do then you are not doing it properly. We don’t take anything for granted.”

So does she ever switch off?

“I do play the drums,” she said. “I quite like rock music so I’ll often drum to The Cure, The Smiths, The Killers. I’m not going to say Led Zeppelin – that would make me sound arrogant!

“The good thing about the drums is you can listen and play along so you can keep it as simple as you want. It’s good. I really enjoy it. It's the sound, the loudness, the aggressiveness, so it’s a really good stress buster!

So would she join a band?

“I did go into Hogans and had a lesson, and the chap said I was good, and that there aren’t enough women drummers. But I don’t know – I’m nearly 50!

“I do also enjoy jigsaws, but that doesn’t sound as cool does it?”

Carolyne Culver first got involved in politics when she was 17.

“I was against the poll tax. I went around my sixth form college wearing a sandwich board with anti poll tax and anti Thatcher messages on it. That was 30 or so years ago now."

She studied history at Sussex University where she got her first taste of Green politics. Six years ago she did a degree in political economy, and was a Labour Party councillor in Rushmore near her home town of Aldershot.

The Greens first stood in West Berkshire in 2015 – they got some votes, but no seats on the council.

Four years later, after some hard campaigning and a bigger profile for the national Green Party, she and two other Greens got elected.

“We pursue typically green policies locally, such as planting more trees and wild flower verges, ensuring green space is protected, better recycling etc.”

As for the highs and lows of four years in charge, she said it was really good working with her colleagues David Marsh (Green, Wash Common) and Steve Masters (Green, Speen).

“We are a close knit group and agree on pretty much everything, and another good thing is that we have been able to attract many more members and that is reflected in how many people are standing this time.

“We have achieved things like the council declaring a climate emergency, and I feel proud that we have been able to influence this kind of thing. I’m sure the other political parties won’t agree with that, but it is clear we did have an influence there.

She said the lows generally fall into how the council operates as an executive system, where key portfolio areas are headed by, in effect, a cabinet member. She says the lack of debate on many key issues had stymied any chance of offering alternative voices and views.

“Motions are delegated to secret advisory groups and it takes months to get an answer and nine times out of ten they say no to it anyway. Similarly with the budget. Last year we proposed money for the food bank and were told no because the food bank wasn’t in enough need. Breath taking really. But we keep trying, and keep pushing our ideas forward anyway.”

She is particularly proud of getting cash to help local community issues through the members community bids where councillors can apply for up to £5,000 in match funding for their wards. Examples include playground surfacing, a community orchard, speed indicators in villages and wifi for schools.

“Speeding through villages is one of the things I get most complaints about,” she adds. “There has been a particular problem in West Ilsley which has a steep hill into the village and a chapel at the bottom of it which has been crashed into three times. We have desperately tried to get buffer zones for example.

“The Greens have secured more funding per councillor than the other parties have. We always go out to the parishes and ask what they need money for. You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth can you?”

The Greens are fielding 18 candidates, with a manifesto pledge to operate collaboratively at council and Ms Culver, a keen champion of getting more women into politics, says she is proud that women make up more than half of the Green contingent going into election battle on May 4.

“I would hope that anyone who gets elected will give it 100 per cent.”