January 1966
FORMER MAYOR DIES: HE LOVED BEDFORD
Ald Alfred Leonard Nicholls, a former mayor of Bedford who was awarded the freedom of the Borough in 1960 for his outstanding services to the town, died at his home, 15 Merton Road, Bedford, on Saturday. Aged 70, he leaves behind a wife, formerly Miss A B Housden of Bedford, and three daughters, Eva, Freda and Janet.
Ald Nicholls once said: "I'm just an ordinary Bedford chap who has grown up in his home town. People don't want to read about me," when the suggestion was put to him that the story of his life should be written. He loved Bedford, was happy to serve the town, which he was convinced was the best place on earth. He might well have been described as "Mr Bedford".
The second son of the late Ald and Mrs William Nicholls of Cardington Road Bedford, Ald A L Nicholls was educated at Bedford Modern School. He entered the family's old established motor engineering business, Nicholls and Sons Ltd, St Mary's Square, Bedford in 1911 and relinquished the office of Managing Director only a year ago because of continued ill health. He continued to act as chairman of the company. He was a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry, the Fellowship having been conferred on him in 1950.
Following the example of his father, who was mayor in 1921 and 1927, he gained a seat on Bedford Town Council as a Conservative in 1935 for Kingsbrook Ward. After serving the ward for nearly three years he was defeated in November 1938 by a Labour candidate.
In the same month, however, he regained his seat in a by-election for De Parys Ward. He was re-elected in 1945 and has served on the Town Council continuously ever since.
Deputy Mayor in 1944-45, two years later he was elected Mayor and served for two and a half years in that office. He was elected an Alderman in 1949.
Ald Nicholls served on many Council committees and at the time of his death was Chairman of the Finance and General Purposees committee. His annual budget speeches were notable public occasions, for he always had a mind for figures and without any effort gave a closely reasoned and lucid account of the town's income and expenditure.
For 13 years he was chairman of the Waterworks Committee, and became the first chairman of the North Bedfordshire Water Board. He was a former Chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee and, indeed had been chairman or vice-chairman of most of the major committees, particularly Housing, Health and Highways.
It was in November 1960, at a special meeting of Bedford Town Council, that Ald Nicholls received the highest honour that Bedford can bestow on an individual - the Honourary Freedom of the Borough.
He had also been a Town Council representative on the Harpur Trust, the St John's Hospital Trust, and the Bedford Municipal Charities and a member of the Great Ouse River Board. He was also a member of the Council of ther Association of Municipal Corporations and was Deputy Traffic Commissioner for the Eastern Traffic Area.
A member of the County Fire Services Committee and of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, he was for 14 years president of the Bedford and district Fire Brigades Association.
Ald Nicholls distinguished himself in action on the Western Front in 1917 and was awarded the Military Cross. During the 1939-45 war he was Civil Defence Area Controller and Fire Guard Officer.
The funeral service is to take place at St Peter's Church on Thursday at 2.30.