Meet Cllr Hilary Dollman

March is Women’s History Month, and across the globe, the achievements of women are being celebrated. There are five women on the Thame Town Council. This week, we meet Cllr Hilary Dollman.

Tell us about yourself – where were you raised, schooled, and what is your connection to Thame?

I was born in a town called Flixton, which is now a part of Greater Manchester. I attended Urmston Grammar School for a year before my father remarried following my mother’s death and we moved to Ashton on Mersey next to Sale in Cheshire and I then attended Sale Grammar School for Girls.

After school I pursued courses at two further education colleges and worked as an au pair in Monaco where I learned to speak French. I also worked in Brussels as a personal assistant to men of three different nationalities before moving to London. After 6 years, I moved out of London and got a job working for a local group of free newspapers – one of these was the Thame and Risborough Times for which I sold advertising space. 

Thame was one of my ‘patches’ so I visited local retailers here and fell in love with the town, admiring its lovely wide High Street and Market Square.  Luckily, I found a house to rent here and the rest is history!

What do you consider to be your greatest contribution / achievement, and why?

One of my greatest achievements is passing GCSE Maths Grade 3 in order to qualify for a B.Ed. course, despite being pretty useless at Maths at school and only obtaining a CSE (as they were called then), and despite my daughter being unwell on the day of the exam! Also, obtaining a 2.1 Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in my mid-forties.

What is your vision for Thame? How would you like to see the town evolve over the next 10 or 20 years?

My vision for Thame is for a place people want to come and visit because it has retained much of its identity and history as a market town with an interesting mix of necessary and individual shops and enjoyable events.  Where people really care for one another, residents’ views are listened to and individuals’ needs respected – a truly democratic society.

Who is your shero (woman you regard as a hero), and why?

Sue Perkins – funny, willing to try anything, yet empathetic and sensitive.  Also Katherine Hepburn – feisty and strong – played interesting characters. 

What is the greatest advice you have ever received or lesson you have ever learned?

Primary school slogan – “Good better best, never let it rest, ‘til the good is better and the better best”.  Also, “What is worth doing is worth doing well”.

How would you like to be remembered?  

Someone who made a difference to people’s lives.