Anna to be fifth woman High Sheriff

She will be Shropshire's fifth woman High Sheriff, the third in a row and Anna Turner, of Prees Heath, saw her name recorded this week in a well-established ceremony at London's Law Courts.

Sheriffs are formally nominated on November 12 each year and enrolled on parchment by the Queen's Remembrancer.

Anna takes office next Spring and says: "The whole thing is steeped in tradition and you suddenly think 'this really is me'. But I am looking forward to it enormously."

She has also been talking clothes with our second female sheriff, Julian Morgan of Ludlow. "I'm absolutely thrilled, I am having her uniform. I admired it at the time and because we are both quite tall, it will fit perfectly. It's easier for the men, their uniforms can often just be passed from one to another."

A north Shropshire magistrate since 1990, Anna also intends to follow in the footsteps of our present high sheriff, Anne Gee of All Stretton. Anne pledged to highlight volunteering during her year, she is half way through the term and is certainly succeeding. Now, her successor promises to carry on that good work when she takes office.

She says: "I really admire what Anne is doing. Volunteers should be recognised at all levels, like quietly taking people to hospital, for instance."

A Viva Volunteering event which High Sheriff Anne Gee hosted at Shrewsbury's Prostar stadium recently, brought together many of the county's finest young people, led by Shropshire's Young Citizen of the Year Sarah Thomas, aged 14. Helping care for her mum, Carole, who has multiple sclerosis, she was the country's youngest member when she joined Shrewsbury's MS branch, aged 10. Mrs Gee said today: "It has been amazing. I knew how important our volunteers are but once I opened this door, I found there was so much more going on than even I thought.

"For the first time I am also going to present a High Sheriff's award to the Police Volunteer of the Year and carrying on with the High Sheriff's Citizenship Award."

While Sheriff in Nomination Anna Turner is also linking with Shropshire Waste Partnership and its Love Food, Hate Waste campaign. She has even agreed to be followed through her year to see how efficient she is. She says: "I do think we should all be concerned with waste and recycling."

Anna is married to John, has two grown- up children and works part-time in the family shipping business.

By Shirley Tart