Mayor of Worcester

Our local citizens’ advice service, CAB-WHABAC, were outside Asda this week to promote Energy Saving Week. They had a range of information about how to save money and use less energy in your home or get help with energy bills. Their winter checklist and energy saving booklet are really useful.

I recently met with artists Caro Sweet, Amanda Lewis and Anne Renshawe. Caro will be exhibiting her sculpture at the Guildhall soon. Amanda will be painting my portrait – watch my blog in a few weeks’ time for the finished result.

The energetic Anne Renshawe is also hoping to bring the Worcester Festival of Young Singers back to Worcester in 2016. They will be singing Faure’s Requiem and Five Days That Changed The World. If you want to hear the young choirs before that, they will be singing The Armed Man at the Royal Albert Hall on September 28 this year. Over 300 young people from Worcestershire will be taking part.

It was a real pleasure to welcome the Samaritans and Ronkswood volunteers to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Guildhall for tea and a tour. Thank you to both groups for all that you do for our community.

Les Miserables at Blessed Edward Oldcorne College was spectacular! The students brought pathos, passion and comedy to a sustained three-hour performance. It was a wonderful show. I felt tired just watching them.

Worcester University Arena was formally opened by Sir Philip Craven, Chair of the International Paralympic Association. Sir Philip goes back to Sochi in a few days’ time to prepare for the Winter Paralympics. Sir Philip also presented a trophy to the Tudor Grange Basketball Inclusive Zone team for winning the local schools BIZ competition.

Congratulations to Kay’s pantomime, which celebrated its 60^th birthday this year. Their version of Cinderella was tremendous fun, with some very talented singing and dancing. The ugly sisters were hilarious and managed to unnerve most of the men in the audience when they left the stage in search of boyfriends. Next year, Kays are performing Babes in the Wood. Don’t miss it!

It was a pleasure to welcome local Poet Laureate Tim Cranmore to the Parlour this week. As well as being a noted poet, Tim is a musician and recorder maker. You may have seen him recently on television, making novelty recorders out of carrots.

Worcester Volunteer Centre launched their new website on Tuesday. It carries a lot of useful information for anyone wanting to volunteer, run a charity or find funding. Many of their volunteers have been with WVC for years and seem to have thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Worcester Wheels, Young Roots and Young Volunteers and inter-generational work are just a few of the current projects, either supported or carried out by the Volunteer Centre – but the centre says it is happy to hear from anyone with a volunteering idea.

Phil and I also welcomed the Worcester Detachment of army cadets to the Parlour for a talk about what the Mayor does and the history of the mayoralty. They were a bit surprised to learn that Worcester has had a mayor since the reign of King James 1st and before that, a High Bailiff since the 1200s!

Phil and I would like to thank everyone who has invited us to share their events and special occasions in recent months, and to wish the people of Worcester a happy New Year ahead in 2014.

 One of the highlights of my Christmas was reading Woodbine Willie’s Poem, Christmas, at the Worcester News carol service in the cathedral. Thank you to all of you who gave so generously to the collection for the Mayor’s charities on that occasion.

 “Meet me at the Friends’ Door at 11.13 p.m.” – the invitation sounded like something out of a spy film. Actually, Phil and I were being invited to ring in the New Year with the Cathedral bell ringers. It was an energising experience! The bell-ringing chamber high in the tower swayed and trembled as the bell ringers pulled on the ropes and counted the changes.

 Aladdin at the Swan Theatre was a riot! Ben Humphrey had fun as Widow Twankey in totally outrageous costumes. Regulars included Fiona McGregor as a lively Genie of the Lamp; Liz Grand was suitably autocratic as the Empress of China; Gary Ellis made me feel tired just watching his high energy performance as Wishee Washee; and Graeme Brookes as Abanazer hugely enjoyed playing his first villain. Sergeant Ping Pong, alias Rob Leethem, chased around the auditorium, followed by a line of diminutive policemen from the DanceAcademy, and Aladdin himself was played with charm and humour by James Kenningdale.

 Apparently, they are doing Beauty and the Beast next year and I will definitely be there.

 

 

 

 

It gives me great pleasure, as Worcester’s Deputy Mayor, to be asked by the mayor to write this first message of 2014.

My wife Lynn, who is Deputy Mayoress, and I have had a busy few months attending lots of events which the Mayor Pat Agar couldn’t fit into her much busier schedule. Six carol services rounded off last year for us, which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Some of them were less grand than others but, among the highlights were wonderful choirs and music from the Women’s Institute, Worcester Male Voice Choir and the King’s School choir and musicians. Worcester has, quite rightly, a great reputation for its musical performances and our Cathedral is a magnificent venue for such events.

Our hard-working Mayor attended sixteen carol services so she and her consort, Phil, ought to know just about every Christmas carol off by heart now! She has certainly earned a week off writing this column.

One of the most important jobs of the mayor is to help raise money for charity and, especially at this time of year, we think about the plight of those without a home. Many would be sleeping on the streets, cold and hungry, without the help of charities like Maggs Day Centre, St Paul’s Hostel and the YMCA. So the mayor deserves our support and gratitude for her unstinting efforts all year round to raise our awareness of this need – as well as money to help local charities to do their vital work.

Let’s hope 2014 is a Happy New Year for everyone in our great city – with no-one being left behind.