Have-a-go Castle Point mayor councillor Mrs Wendy Goodwin can't wait to drive a train this weekend.

She will be leaping aboard one of the engines chugging round Waterside Farm, Somnes Avenue, Canvey, thanks to Canvey Model Railway Club.

Then she is set to ride on an open top bus round Canvey - following an earlier experience aloft on the upper deck of the Stephenson's seafront bus, newly extended into Hadleigh this year.

Mrs Goodwin, 67, of Sidney Road, Benfleet, is determined to pack as much into her mayoral year as possible.

This all-action approach to local politics began 30 years ago when she turned up for the first time to the St Mary's ward meeting of Castle Point Conservative Association and promptly won a committee post.

Mrs Goodwin said: "When my children were quite small I had no outside interests and I met a lady who was involved with the local Conservatives.

"She asked me to come along, so I went to a meeting and the whole committee resigned over some issue, so I came out as social secretary."

Published Friday July 23, 2004

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