Meet your councillor for Wilton & Sherford on Taunton Town Council

Vanessa Garside 

I have been the Mayor of Taunton since May 2024 and loving the role! 

I first came to Taunton as a young graduate teacher of English, Drama and Spanish at Bishop Fox's Grammar School for Girls and later at Richard Huish College. I have worked in beautiful Taunton for 33 years, introducing both children and adults to English and European culture. I am a Chartered Manager and a published author. For 10 years I was the President of the World Art Games UK. 

I've experienced the joy of being a successful single parent and the heartache of being the sole carer of a dear mother with dementia. I've experienced Taunton in its heyday and its decline. I want you to help me rebuild Taunton as the welcoming, vibrant county town which we can all enjoy.