Tony Downing is the 123rd Lord Mayor of Sheffield.
Lord Mayor Tony Downing
Tony Downing was born on 11 of July 1944 to Olive and Robert Downing in Tiverton a small market town near Exeter South Devon, he was born at the end of the Second World War, and his Father was serving with the Army Medical Corps.
He grew up in Tiverton and went to the John Heathcote secondary modern school until the age of 15, his first job was as an apprentice Millwright and later at the local lace factory.
In 1963 at the age of 19 Tony moved to Sheffield with his family as his Father was struggling to find work where they lived and Tony’s first job in Sheffield was at English Steel on Shepcote Lane from there he went on to work in haulage as a driver.
Tony was brought up in a Christian family who were members of the Salvation Army and at the age of ten he began learning to play the cornet and subsequently joined the band along with his Father, since then brass bands have always been a passion of his.
Tony met his wife Val and they were married in January 1966 at the Salvation Army on Duke Street and went on to have five children four girls and a boy.
In December 1977 Tony went to work for South Yorkshire Passenger Transport as a bus conductor and a driver, he remained there until he retired at 65. During his time at SYPT Tony was a trade union representative with Unite the Union and is still a fully paid up member.
Tony joined the Labour Party in 1983 and entered into local politics, from there he was elected to represent Mosborough, as a ward Councillor in 2011, a very proud moment in his life.
Tony’s interests are brass bands and politics. He is a Sheffield Wednesday supporter and has been a season ticket holder for many years. One of the proudest moments of Tony’s life was being elected to represent, his adopted city, this great city of Sheffield as Deputy Lord Mayor and subsequently becoming the 123rd Lord Mayor of Sheffield.
Lady Mayoress, Mrs Val Downing
Mrs Valerie Ann Downing was born in the severe winter of 1947 on the 14 of February (St Valentine’s Day hence her name) she was the second child of six to Kathleen and Cyril Cone and has lived in Sheffield all her life.
Val attended Pipworth Road School from aged five to fifteen, and due to her Christian upbringing attended the Salvation Army Citadel (where her Father was a bandsman) until around the age of sixteen.
Val’s Father was a keen musician and was involved with brass bands all of his life and played with various bands, including Cresswell Colliery Band, Cortonwood and Dannemora of which Val was the band librarian. Val had the privilege to attend Sheffield Wednesday home games when the band played on the pitch.
Val met Tony through her cousin and they became husband and wife in January 1966, at the Salvation Army.
They have five children four daughters and a son, ten grandchildren and a great granddaughter.
Val worked in office and retail until the family came along when she remained at home to raise the children, as the family got older she worked part time in various retail outlets. Her interests are baking, knitting and following Sheffield Wednesday. Val has always been supportive of Tony’s political and council interests and is a member of the local Labour Party.
Val family has always lived Sheffield and she was honoured back in 2016 to receive her Mothers Women of Steel medal for her work in munitions during World War Two at Thomas W Ward and Sons following a family tradition of working for the company.
Val has really enjoyed her time as the Deputy Lady Mayoress of Sheffield and has already met so many wonderful people in this great city. She is looking forward to her year as Lady Mayoress.
Inviting the Lord Mayor to an event
Please contact the Lord Mayor’s Office if you would like to invite the Lord Mayor to an event. If you are sending an invite in the post or by email please include appropriate details such as the date, time, place and type of event.
The Lord Mayor has a full programme of civic engagements and it is not always possible to fit in events at short notice.
Lord Mayor’s Charity Fund
Charitable donations are given to the Lord Mayor from various individuals and organisations throughout the year. These are controlled by the Lord Mayor’s Office acknowledging donations, banking the money and keeping appropriate records. This year the money collected in the Lord Mayor’s Charity Fund will benefit: