Mayor of Worcester

After the success of the annual Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre last weekend, it’s continued to be a wonderfully festive week in Worcester, and I’ve had the pleasure of joining several Christmas celebrations across the city.

I visited RGS The Grange, where I was warmly welcomed by parents, staff and pupils before enjoying the delightful Year One and Year Two nativity play. The children gave a charming performance full of enthusiasm and Christmas spirit – a real highlight of the season.

I was also honoured to open the first ever Festive Market at the Perdiswell Rose Care Home, a brilliant new event bringing residents, families, staff and neighbours together. It was lovely to see the home buzzing with music, stalls and laughter.

Christmas is not complete without panto so it was great to join audiences at the Swan Theatre for this year’s pantomime, Sleeping Beauty. The cast put on a fantastic show full of energy, humour and audience participation – the perfect way to keep the Christmas magic alive across Worcester.

I was also delighted to welcome local historian Bob Blanford to the Guildhall this week, where he generously donated his complete 10-book collection charting Worcester’s past.

Bob is no stranger to the Mayor’s Parlour – he’s spoken to around 60 mayors over more than half a century, first as a newspaperman and later as the Council’s press officer.

His return with this remarkable gift felt especially fitting. Bob’s latest work, Bob Backenforth’s Definitive Worcester As Never Seen Before Picture Book, is a stunning 288-page visual journey featuring almost 1,000 images that capture the city’s changing face.

From historic panoramas and cathedral views to the river, Edgar Tower and key moments from the Battle of Worcester to the hoar frost of 2010, it’s a treasure trove for anyone who loves our city. I’m looking forward to using some of Bob’s stories in my guided tours of the Guildhall.

Finally, during this festive season it’s important to remember that not everyone around the world enjoys the rights and freedoms we value here in Worcester.

10 December marks Human Rights Day, the anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

With that in mind, I met with members of Amnesty International at Script Haven to discuss their campaign highlighting ongoing human rights violations across the globe. I was pleased to join them in sending Christmas cards to individuals who are courageously defending those rights.

I chose to write to Ellinor Guttorm Utsi, who is working to ensure Sámi voices in Norway are heard and their rights upheld.

This week, I had the great pleasure of opening one of Worcester’s most beloved traditions – our Victorian Christmas Fayre. Every year, this event feels like the true beginning of the festive season, and standing before the crowds once again reminded me just how special our city is at this time of year.

Since traders on New Street and Friar Street first launched the Fayre back in 1992, it has flourished into one of the Midlands’ best-loved Christmas celebrations. As I looked out across the bustling streets, now home to more than 200 stalls, I felt an enormous sense of pride. The Fayre showcases everything that makes Worcester shine: our history, our creativity, our hospitality, and above all, the warmth of our community. Over the weekend of the Victorian Fayre, we expect more than 150,000 visitors to share in that magic.

Our entertainment programme this year is particularly strong, with live performances on stages across the city. Choirs, brass bands, folk groups, school ensembles and acoustic performers bring a festive soundtrack to every corner. Add to that the costumed Victorian characters, musicians, lively street performers and the wonderfully atmospheric Gin Lane, and Worcester truly becomes a living Christmas card.

I was also pleased to thank our generous sponsors – The Conservatory on Friar Street, CARS Service Centre Worcester, and Fit Out Management UK. Their support helps us deliver an event of this scale, and I am grateful to them, as well as to our stallholders, volunteers, contractors and the outstanding staff at Worcester City Council who work so hard behind the scenes.

As tradition demands, once the formalities were over, as Mayor I climbed aboard the splendid Galloper carousel – the beating heart of any true Victorian Fayre. It is a joyful reminder that even in the busiest of seasons, there is magic to be found.

But perhaps the most moving part of the evening took place in Cathedral Square, where we switched on the Christmas tree lights. I was joined by two very special helpers – five-year-old Archie and his four-year-old sister Ava. Archie, who lives with mitochondrial disease and is registered blind, can still see coloured lights, making him the perfect person to help illuminate the tree. Their courage, determination and recent fundraising for The Lily Foundation embody the very spirit of Christmas.

As we counted down together and the tree burst into colour, Worcester lit up – not just with bulbs, but with hope, togetherness and joy.

It was my honour to declare the Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre 2025 officially open.

Merry Christmas, Worcester – enjoy every moment.

Last week reminded me once again of the remarkable community spirit, creativity and resilience that defines Worcester.

Three very different events – a FoodCycle community meal, the relaunch of Business Buzz Worcester, and the monthly Bike Worcester Critical Mass ride – each showed our city at its best.

I began by visiting the FoodCycle session at the Tolladine Centre, where volunteers turn surplus food into freshly cooked meals every Thursday evening.

FoodCycle’s approach is simple but powerful: great food, shared together, can tackle loneliness, support well-being and reduce waste.

Speaking with volunteers and guests, I was struck by the warmth and sense of belonging that has grown around the meal. People talked honestly about the pressures they face, from rising costs to social isolation, but also about how much difference it makes to have somewhere welcoming to go each week.

As organiser Alison Robinson told me: “The weekly meal gives people a chance to get together and enjoy good food and company.”

I am grateful to the volunteers whose dedication makes this lifeline possible.

Later in the week, I attended the relaunch of Business Buzz Worcester – celebrating a new host, a new venue and a refreshed chapter for this growing networking community.

Since its arrival in 2023, Business Buzz has become a valued meeting place for small business owners from across Worcester and Worcestershire. What makes it special is its simplicity: no membership, no pressure, just open and friendly conversation.

During the event I spoke with entrepreneurs about their ambitions, challenges and hopes for the future.

As I said on the day: “Business plays a vital role in Worcester’s story… Events like this strengthen that fabric – not just through commerce, but through community.”

My thanks and congratulations go to the new hosts, Nina Fortuna-Franks and Cristina Fitzer, for bringing renewed energy to the network. The group now meets at the Cosy Club every second Wednesday of the month.

The week ended on two wheels as I joined around 20 cyclists for Bike Worcester’s monthly Critical Mass ride. Wearing my helmet – and even the Mayoral chain – I rode through the city on my refurbished Bike Worcester bike to show support for safer, more accessible streets.

Critical Mass is a visible and positive statement that cycling should be a realistic option for everyone. After the ride, I said: “Taking part isn’t just about cycling – it’s a statement that we need safer, more welcoming streets for everyone who wants to ride.”

I want to thank the Bike Worcester volunteers for their tireless work promoting active travel, refurbishing bikes and campaigning for better infrastructure.

From shared meals to shared ideas to shared miles on the road, the week captured the best of Worcester: connected, compassionate and forward-looking.