LAST year the Queen attended 417 official functions in Britain and abroad – but her busy diary barely puts her in the same league
as Plymouth’s Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. In the year since May 2008 Brian Vincent and his partner Pauline Murphy have attended more than 600 official functions in Britain and abroad. Despite a punishing schedule of events ranging from an hour upwards, they also held down full-time jobs. Brian, 59, the Labour councillor for Efford and Lipson, leaves home at 5.30am for a 6am start in the Plymouth Citybus office – if he isn’t already up and about on civic business. “On Friday May 1 we were up on the Hoe at 5.30am for the Plymouth Morris Dancers,” he says. Pauline works for South West Public Transport Information Ltd. “They have given us tremendous support. If it wasn’t for our employers we wouldn’t have been able to get as involved as we have been,” Brian says.
Pauline, with her multi-coloured hair, patterned fingernails and go-for-it enthusiasm, has been an unmistakable presence across the civic calendar.