JANE HARDY INTERVIEW

Jane Hardy

is a feature writer who has interviewed a few of the big names from Arlene Foster to Mrs Thatcher.

OUT OF AFRICA

Belfast’s Lord Mayor, Kate Nicholl tells Jane Hardy that although she was born and raised in Zimbabwe, she regards Northern Ireland as home.

When Kate Nicholl (33), Belfast’s new Lord Mayor sworn in this month at Stormont, was growing up in Africa, she never considered politics as a career. The Alliance councillor really wanted to act. Ms Nicholl, speaking down the line says with a laugh: “I always thought I’d be a famous actress. I’m not sure what roles but I had this performance streak.” She agrees that the ability to take the stage also helps in a political career. “It’s about being onstage, being able to project your ideas in a way.”

Veteran Alliance politician Anna Lo was Ms Nicholls’ mentor when she went to work as her researcher after graduating from University College, London. She’d studied anthropology, undoubtedly a fascinating subject but not one that automatically ties in with any particular career. “I came home, got the job and Anna Lo encouraged me to consider politics.”

Ms Nicholl says she was slightly nervous when the Alliance Party co-opted her onto Paula Bradshaw’s old council seat. “They were big shoes to fill, but in the end I topped the poll.” It’s clear Kate Nicholl wouldn’t want any other job and agrees politics is the big drug. “It gets into your bloodstream.”

Nicholl’s early life, though, took place in a fairly idyllic part of southern Africa. “You’ve been to Africa, Jane, you know that big sky. It gets under your skin.”

Not totally idyllic, however, as this was the ‘90s and President Robert Mugabe was in charge of Africanisation and what turned out to be an economically justified variant of ethnic cleansing. The white community, - and Kate Nicholl regards herself, like fellow Zimbabwean Richard E Grant (“I always forget he comes from the same place.”), as African, - were hounded out.

Nicholl’s parents separated during this period. She recalls her mother Helen facing life as a single parent in an increasingly hostile environment. “I was away at boarding school and she was alone in our home in the country outside Harare. One night she said she returned to our house. The electricity cut out, then she tried to ring a neighbour but the phone lines were also down.” With a South African mother and Northern Irish father, Kate’s family headed to Great Britain.

Although she missed the African landscape, it was a relief. She always wanted to revisit, although didn’t until after she’d settled in Belfast and was in a relationship here. Eventually her now husband Fergal Sherry, an accountant, revealed his emotional side. He produced the engagement ring when he and Kate were visiting her birthplace. “He said we had to go back as he wanted to see where I was brought up. We saw my school and where we’d lived.” It was a surprise, Nicholl reveals. “I really didn’t expect it, no, but of course I said yes.”

They had met a couple of years earlier during a chance encounter outside the Duke of York pub, Belfast. As Kate Nicholl recalls, she thought she was grabbing someone to help take a photo and mark the moment – in fact, she was gaining a life partner. “I was having a drink with my friend and we wanted a double selfie. I turned round, asked Fergal and he recognised me as we already followed each other on social media.” The rest is personal history.

Yet the troubled side of life in the dark continent also shaped Kate Nicholl. In Zimbabwe, she says she went to school with the children of the first (white) farmer murdered in the country after the land seizure policy was implemented in the country in 2000.

As a young, attractive woman operating in a world still largely dominated by men, Ms

Nicholl says that she has experienced the tough side of public life. “I was trolled and when I took my new baby Cian into Stormont and was breast feeding, he actually attended his first meeting at four weeks, some people had problems with that. Yet it’s the most natural thing in the world.” Although she remains active on social media, Ms Nicholl has disabled direct messaging on her Facebook account because of this. “If people need to get in touch, they know they can email me.”

We touch on the importance of the #MeToo campaign and Kate Nicholl says she feels times have changed for the better. “Fortunately, I think things have improved which is good.”

Talking to Ms Nicholl, you sense optimism. Our new Mayor is a bit of a Tigger and refreshingly sees a bright future both for Belfast as a city and Northern Ireland generally in spite of the challenges we’ve experienced in the COVID-19 and Brexit eras. Her term of office coincides with the centenary of the formation of Northern Ireland and she aims to visit as many organisations as possible. “June is also refugee month and I’ll be supporting that. I’m an outsider and I know it’s important for people to see figures like them in power. At

“June is also refugee month and I’ll be supporting that. I’m an outsider and I know it’s important for people to see figures like them in power. At Belfast City Council, we should be leading the way but we don’t have enough people of colour working here and so we are appointing a race champion who will see there is proper representation from all sections of society and that we get more people elected from diverse backgrounds.“

Belfast City Council, we should be leading the way but we don’t have enough people of colour working here and so we are appointing a race champion who will see there is proper representation from all sections of society and that we get more people elected from diverse backgrounds.“ Belfast City Council will also encourage its employees to learn about other faiths and cultures. Ms Nicholl adds: “Often people feel they can’t take time off to do this but we aim to arrange visits to the Islamic centre, say, in work time.”

Brought up Church of England in Africa, Kate Nicholl reveals that although she doesn’t have faith herself (“I am agnostic.”) she almost envies those who do. “It’s impressive, something I envy in a way, and I am interested in religion. My father Kenneth is similarly agnostic and my mother is almost atheist although she was brought up high Church.”

Ms Nicholl’s parents, although separated, both live in Holywood. That helps with babysitting and it’s somewhere she and her husband enjoy socialising. “I love eating out and in Holywood we go to the Bay Tree. When in Belfast, I go to the General Merchant for their breakfast. It’s always the broken eggs and avocado with chorizo and it’s just delicious. Now they use bacon, but I miss the chorizo.”

The Lord Mayor also eats porridge every

Kate pictured with her husband Fergal and their son Cian.

day. We discuss variations on this theme and Ms Nicholl explains how she zhooshes up the oatmeal dish. “Oh, I add Greek yogurt, honey, granola.”

She has an inclusive vision for her adopted home. “Anna Lo always used to say racism and sectarianism were two sides of the same coin. But we need to tackle sectarianism and as I said, make sure everyone is welcome.”

Kate Nicholl wants to start the campaign young and she is calling for Belfast’s children to write her letters expressing what they want from their city. It’s an inspired and inspiring idea. The Mayor reads something at the start of sessions, and Ms Nicholl, new holder of the 129-year-old office, aims to use the youngest citizens’ contribution to remove some of the historic pomp. She says: “Usually people read a piece of scripture or something historic but that’s not really my style. I’ll use some of the children’s ideas.”

Regarding the political culture here, Kate Nicholl says generously that all Northern Irish representatives work hard. “If you look at their case work, they do. And there’s talent in different parties, also looking back, some very brave people. It could be the same-old but it’s not.” And certainly won’t be in 2021-2022 with the new Lord Mayor in charge.