There is so much talent amongst the city’s young people but many of us just don’t get the chance to see it. I was part of a judging panel at Hollymount Primary School of kids reciting poems (from memory!) and reading a creative writing piece about the monarchy. This competition, organised by the Rotary club, was good last year but virtual. It was even better in person with the whole school sat in thrall to their peers.

I was delighted to see so much imagination and enthusiasm for the Worcester Carnival floats, undampened by the weather. The work and support given to these young people by parents, school staff and volunteer group leaders always fills me with admiration.

I was pleased, along with Cllr Riaz, to represent the city at the well-attended Memorial Service for Professor Michael Clarke. He may have been completely unknown to many people but he was very influential across a wide range of fronts not just in Worcester, but nationally – the Three Choirs festival, Birmingham Ballet, Local Government Training Institute are just a few amongst many others.

The tenth birthday celebration event for The Hive turned into a busman’s honeymoon for me, talking about archives with the mayoral chain on! In fact it had been while I was on archives duty that I had most the direct involvement with Michael Clarke in relation to the Elgar Archives, when he was at The Firs.

On Sunday I met fundraiser Klint Varndall, halfway through a marathon walk from Upton and back to raise money to help two children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy to visit Disneyland Paris

Then on Tuesday I chaired my first proper Council meeting, ever wondering if the ceremonial sword behind my head was once owned by Damocles.

The big ‘but’ in this week’s list is that I have tested positive for Covid, so to everyone who was at the events mentioned above, sorry if you got it from me. It has been a bit of a wake-up call that maybe things have got a bit lax, as cases are on the rise again. Masks, hand-washing, open air are again the order of the day in our house.

And huge apologies to those who I had hoped to meet this coming weekend, at the Commandery’s open air theatre, the Lord of the Rings exhibition in the Museum, and the Srebrenica memorial event on Monday, amongst others.