Mayor’s Week: 9 – 16 April 2015

Mayor’s Week: 9 – 16 April 2015

Gosh, what an exciting week, starting off with a visit by Princess Anne to officially open the Oncology Centre at the Royal Hospital.

The evening at The Monday Night Club’s Big Spring Party at the Barbourne Ex-Services Club was tremendous fun, with some 100 youngsters and their carers there. It is some time since I had been to a disco and this one had the distinct advantages of there being loads of food and the music being not too loud, so that you could have a conversation. It was very amusing when, as I went outside to admire the sunset across Pitchcroft, the DJ announced: “I see the Mayor is going outside for a quick fag”, given my fierce anti-smoking activities over the decades! It is always important to join in the spirit at such events – even at the slight risk of losing one’s dignity – so I let myself go on the dance floor to do the YMCA dance – I sincerely hope there were no photographers around! A big thank you to Helen Gill for organising these immensely important and hugely popular events.

I was inspired by my visit to Sight Concern in Sansome Walk where I saw just what vital support and care they provide to people across the whole range of blind and partial-sightedness.  It was very humbling to see the incredible achievements and determination of people with these conditions. Sight Concern punches well above its weight in successfully helping people – but they desperately need more funding for a service that is life-changing to those who receive it.  Well done Jenny Gage and staff.

I was delighted to have maintained the tradition of the Annual Mayor’s Medical Lecture in The Guildhall, which this year was on Anaesthesia, Anaesthetics and Anaesthetists. In a format understandable to the lay person, Dr John Prosser gave us a fascinating reminder of how vital and skilled is this essential but often overlooked aspect of medical practice.

Among my guests to The Parlour was a group of Exchange students from Mondonedo in Spain.  It’s amazing how perfectly these 15 year olds all spoke and understood English, reinforcing my long-held view that we Europeans should live and work more closely together.

 

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