Mayor of Worcester Blog

Pre-Christmas activities help us to overcome the depressive effects of shorter days, longer nights, colder weather and the recent heavy rain. The High Street in front of the Guildhall was thronged with a large happy crowd of children and adults last Thursday when Pudsey Bear helped me switch on our Christmas lights.  BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester presenters Elliott Webb and Matthew Boyden hosted two hours of live entertainment before the High Street was flooded with light from our beautiful gold and silver Christmas decorations.

The mayor of Ross-on-Wye invited us to their Christmas Market on Sunday afternoon where we witnessed the lighting of their Christmas tree. Whilst on a completely different scale to our own Victorian Fayre, Ross is a charming town and their Christmas Market had about 40 stalls selling a wide range of goods to enthusiastic visitors.

I opened Worcester’s annual Victorian Christmas Fayre on Thursday which, as usual, attracted large numbers of visitors to our city. I was also delighted to welcome guests from our twin towns in Germany, France and Lithuania. Every year groups of people from Kleve, Le Vesinet and Ukmerge sell their traditional wares from stalls in our Fayre. They are most welcome here and I arranged to fly their national flags in Cathedral Square and over the Guildhall in their honour.

Jeffrey Carpenter, Clifford Lord, Derek Prodger and Robert Rowden are four former councillors who served our city for a combined total of over 100 years.  I was delighted to host a ceremony at the Guildhall in their honour and to confer upon each of them the title of Honorary Alderman. Councillors work long and antisocial hours for the benefit of local people – work which few are prepared to do, so it is right that we thank those who give long service. Friends and families came to support our new aldermen at a very happy event.

 

Last week was dominated by services of remembrance for the large number of people who fought to protect our country during the two world wars, and those involved in armed conflicts since that time. Many local people are related to these heroes. We are grateful to the Royal British Legion for organising events and selling poppies. The money raised helps care for injured service personnel and families of those killed or maimed.

I laid wreaths at the war memorial in front of the Cathedral at 11am on 11th November and on Sunday 13th. I also laid wreaths in St George’s Chapel inside the Cathedral and at the grave of Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy (Woodbine Willie) in St John’s Cemetery.

These services were very special and people turned out to show their respects. Two minutes of silence in Cathedral Square was especially poignant.

Serving soldiers, volunteer reserves, cadets, British Legion members, police cadets, St John Ambulance and others formed a magnificent procession on Sunday from the Cathedral. The Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire and I took their salute as they passed the Guildhall.

On Friday evening the Cathedral hosted the Lights of Love service for St Richard’s Hospice. A candle-lit service was followed by a gathering at St Andrew’s Spire where the names of loved ones who died from life-limiting illnesses are listed. Those left behind are grateful for this opportunity to share with others their fond memories of those no longer with us.

A much happier occasion was the presentation by the Lord Lieutenant, on behalf of HM The Queen, of a British Empire Medal awarded to the family of Dawn Clements, who passed away before she could receive it herself. Dawn helped save thousands of lives by raising awareness of polio. The infection took the life of her first husband, Birmingham City and England player Jeff Hall, in 1959, aged 29. She worked tirelessly to spread the word about the importance of vaccination.

The highlights of the week were the many events which celebrated the achievements of our young people.

We had the honour of attending two of the nine University of Worcester graduation ceremonies in the Cathedral. This year, a record number of students received well-earned awards for their hard work. The Chancellor, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, attended and we were delighted to share his table for lunch.

Later we enjoyed Walking on Sunshine, performed by Worcester Musical Theatre at the Swan. Talented youngsters from Harlequin Stage School and Wilden and Claines primary schools performed superbly.

The Worcestershire Group Training Association awarded many successful engineering and commercial apprentices at a special celebration event we attended on Monday.

Training Ship Ark Royal celebrated its seventh birthday by awarding some very impressive young cadets, immaculately turned out for their presentation evening.

Finally, young sportsmen and women were recognised at the Hereford & Worcester Sports Partnership’s fifteenth Annual Sports Awards.

Most of these events rely heavily on the efforts of unpaid volunteers and we should all be grateful that they challenge and inspire our young people so that they become confident, successful adults.

King George V Playing Fields (also known as Brickfields Park) is situated in the centre of Rainbow Hill ward, which I represent as a city councillor. I have been working for months with a small number of local people to bring back the fireworks night, which took place on 3 November this year. It was a real pleasure to open the event and to thank those who made it happen. The display was spectacular and gave hundreds of local families a great night out.

The Lions Club’s Charter Evening was at the cricket club on Saturday and I was pleased to thank members for all the very worthwhile activities they organise, to help both local and overseas communities in need.

We returned to the Cathedral on Sunday afternoon for the County Council civic service, at the invitation of chairman Tony Miller.

My Family Fun Day on Friday (28 October) attracted hundreds to the Guildhall. Children jumped on a bouncy castle, watched magicians, had their faces painted, were tattooed with glitter, joined sports activities and coloured in pictures. Parents joined tours of the building and whole families were photographed with me and the sword-bearer. The day was a real success and I hope it can be repeated in the future.

My charities, Midlands Air Ambulance, YHA Breaks for Kids and Action for Children, will all benefit from the public donations received. I thank them all – along with Worcester Community Trust, Freedom Leisure, Miraculous Magic, Rev. Jim Brown and former mayors Pat Agar and Andy Roberts, for entertaining our guests. My thanks also to Tesco St Peters for providing cakes and serving refreshments.

Remembering those who were killed and injured during the two great wars – and many battles since – is important to most of us. We also fondly remember those fortunate to return home safely, but who also protected the freedoms we all enjoy today.

Last Thursday (27 October) I unveiled a poppy sculpture in CrownGate shopping centre and placed the first of 3,000 poppies on the installation. Since then, members of the Royal British Legion have received many generous donations from passers-by who added their poppies and have turned the sculpture into a mass of red petals.

On Saturday, I launched the official start of the Poppy Appeal from the Guildhall steps. There was a short service of remembrance and thousands of poppy petals fell onto the forecourt from above.

Gheluvelt Park on Sunday morning was the location of a moving service focused on our local heroes who served in the Battle of Gheluvelt 102 years ago. Many were killed or injured but they prevented the German advance in Belgium on 31 October 1914. We will remember them with gratitude.