Councillor Roger Bailey has become the first member of the Coventry Society to serve as Lord Mayor of Coventry, marking a proud moment for both the Society and the city he has spent a lifetime promoting and supporting.
Roger’s connection with Coventry runs deep. His parents moved to the city when he was just one year old in search of better opportunities, and Coventry became the family’s permanent home. He was educated at St John’s School, Woodlands School and Henley College before beginning a successful career in IT, working for companies including Jaguar Cars and IBM.
Roger’s enthusiasm for Coventry’s history, heritage and transport developed from an early age, heavily influenced by his parents’ careers in public transport. His mother, Maureen Bailey, was a pioneering figure in Coventry transport history, becoming one of the city’s first female bus drivers and later its first woman inspector. His father was also a bus driver, and together they inspired Roger’s lifelong fascination with buses and transport heritage.
Over the years he has built an extensive collection of transport memorabilia and written a number of books covering Coventry’s transport history as well as buses in Hong Kong and India. He also worked closely with the Coventry Transport Museum, helping identify archive photographs, organising exhibitions and supporting events including toy and train fairs.
Alongside his transport interests, Roger became one of the Midlands’ most respected professional tourist guides. He achieved his Coventry Green Badge qualification in 1995 and was awarded his prestigious Heart of England Blue Badge in 2002, a qualification requiring extensive historical knowledge and examination. During his long career in tourism he worked on open-top sightseeing buses in Stratford-upon-Avon, guided visitors at St Mary’s Guildhall and worked in tourist information centres in both Coventry and Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. He has held leadership positions in numerous guiding organisations, including Chair of the Heart of England Tourist Guides Association and Chair of the Coventry Guild of Tourist Guides. In 2010 he received the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism award at the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards.
Roger has represented Cheylesmore Ward since 2014 and has served as a councillor for 16 years in total. Throughout that time he has served on the Planning Committee, where his detailed understanding of Coventry’s architectural and historical heritage has proved invaluable. He has also held several Shadow Cabinet roles and served as a director of the Belgrade Theatre. A passionate supporter of Coventry’s cultural life, he was also involved in the city’s successful UK City of Culture bid.
Well known for his enthusiasm and approachable nature, Roger often dressed as historical characters during guided tours and public events, helping bring Coventry’s past to life for residents and visitors alike. His long involvement with Coventry Heritage Open Days demonstrated his commitment to making local history accessible to everyone, even arranging heritage bus tours between venues.
In accepting the office of Lord Mayor, Roger spoke of his pride in serving “this wonderful city” and described the role as an extension of his lifelong public service. Alongside the Lady Mayoress, Pauline Venables, he will support charities including the Royal British Legion (Coventry Branch), Age UK Coventry and the Coventry Music Museum during his mayoral year.