Mayor’s Week: 9-14 August 2014

Mayor’s Week: 9-14 August 2014

Worcester Festival has a week still to run and has been thoroughly entertaining so far. The Gugge 2000 band blasted us out of our socks outside the Guildhall to launch the 17 days of events, activities and fun. Gugge 2000 are festival regulars and are always invigorating.

Gugge 2000 band
Gugge 2000 band performing to an enthusiastic crowd

Festival mascot, Percy the Peacock, was dancing and strutting his/her stuff. Does anyone know if Percy is really a boy or a girl? If you find out, let me know. Whatever the answer, Percy certainly adds to the atmosphere.

Phil and I thoroughly enjoyed the festival launch at the Swan Theatre. I am planning to do some of the Cathedral tours. They sound utterly fascinating. Secret Egypt at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum sounds spooky. I may also try that. A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been an absolute delight for audiences at the Commandery – and thank goodness the weather has been kind. At this point, I haven’t even begun to look at the music festival events, which would be a pity to miss.

The week would not be complete without international visitors to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Guildhall. This week, we welcomed a charming group of Japanese students who are visiting Worcester University.

We rounded off the week with bell ringing at Old St Martin’s. The bells of St Martin’s are quite an experience. They are a mix of old and new, with five pre-Georgian bells, an old Sanctus bell and a new ring of ten bright modern bells. The sound was glorious! I was not surprised to learn that the bells of Worcester are among the best in the world.

Mayor’s Week: 1 – 8 August 2013

Mayor’s Week: 1 – 8 August 2013

Copacabana played to a packed house at the Swan Theatre last Thursday, with the young cast producing some fine character acting to go with Barry Manilow’s music. The song and dance numbers sparkled, the costumes were lavish and the young performers of the Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Youth Section were genuinely impressive. I can’t wait for the Swan’s next musical extravaganza, “Anything Goes” – it will be a real treat for Cole Porter fans!

Friday was very different – I welcomed forty burly rugby players to tea and a tour of the Guildhall. Many of them were from our twin town of Worcester, Massachusetts. They were extremely polite and very smart in their club blazers, and delighted to be in Worcester, UK. In their professional lives, they are teachers, engineers, medical and care professionals etc. – all sharing a love of the game with rugby-loving Worcester, UK.

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Phil and I also attended a gala dinner with the players at Worcester Rugby Club, and I spent a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday afternoon watching a friendly match between teams from the two Worcesters.

We also attended a final presentation by young people who have followed a Prince’s Trust course. They demonstrated a stellar array of new skills and a strong sense of teamwork. Along the way, they raised the funds and did the work necessary to complete a charity project in the local community. Congratulations to them, and best wishes for the future.

Mayor’s Week: 18 – 24 July 2013

Mayor’s Week: 18 – 24 July 2013

Worcester International Festival of Young Singers has been very visible in our streets, at the Cathedral and in the Guildhall this week. It was very exciting to welcome so many acclaimed conductors and talented young singers to the city for the world’s newest choral festival.

Young Internation Festival for Young Singers at the Guildhall
Photo by Mike Henley

Phil and I joined guests and staff of St Paul’s Hostel for a fund raising dinner earlier this week. St Paul’s kitchen is well known for good food and we were not disappointed. They produced a salmon and prawn mousse, a roast beef main course and a trio of desserts. Several of the staff live at the hostel and are kitchen volunteers or apprentices.

We had a number of international visitors to the parlour this week, including the Bishop of Arua in Uganda and his party, and a group of Korean trainee teachers of English. It was a real pleasure to chat with them all and show them around the Guildhall.

BBC Hereford and Worcester staged an outdoor broadcast with the theme, “Are we making the most of our riverside?” I am not sure what the final verdict was, but I do think the riverside has improved beyond recognition in recent years.

Dancefest treated us to performances by young dancers aged from pre-schoolers to teens. In the first dance, Goldilocks smashed the furniture when she broke in – the three bears were not amused. Many other dances were inspired by children’s stories or carnival. Dancefest can be found on both Twitter and Facebook.

Mayor’s Week: 10 – 17 July 2013

Mayor’s Week: 10 – 17 July 2013

Phil and I visited ASPIE this week – a charity which supports adults who have Aspergers Syndrome.  People with Aspergers often excel – as mathematicians, musicians, accountants, and much more. Shockingly, it is currently taking 22 months to get a diagnosis of Aspergers in Worcestershire.

We spent Tuesday evening with the Guides. I had the pleasure of presenting several Guides with their Baden Powell Awards and hearing about their activities.

This week, Blessed Edward Oldcorne School celebrated their fiftieth anniversary with a special mass, presided over by Archbishop Bernard of Birmingham. Prayers were also said for Denise, wife of the Bishop of Worcester.

On Friday evening, we attended an evening of songs, traditional and modern, in aid of Acorns and Maggs. Thank you to the Chapter 8 singers for a magical evening.

Cutting of the cake at St Swithun’s evensong!
Cutting of the cake at St Swithun’s evensong!

St Swithun’s evensong is always a wonderful experience. The bells rang a welcome as we processed along the High Street and the Gentlemen’s Volunteer Choir sang from the gallery. Try taking your sandwiches to St Swithun’s on Friday lunchtimes if you enjoy live music with your lunch. I plan to!

The new Dines Green development got under way on Monday. There will be 51 new Worcester Community Housing homes, a youth centre, shops and a church. By next spring, the heart of Dines Green will be amazing.

Worcester Repertory Company triumphed again with Shakespeare at the Commandery. They gave us the funniest version of the Tempest I have ever seen. Congratulations to Chris Jaeger and the whole team! I certainly plan to see the Merchant of Venice at the Cathedral in October.