Mayor of Worcester

Monday 19th: Employment among young people is a serious issue. I was therefore pleased to attend an exhibition in the Guildhall put on by a number of local employers many of whom have taken on apprentices. The “Worcester News” got behind this campaign to extend apprenticeship numbers. We heard speeches from a representative of “Worcester Bosch”, Robin Walker, MP and The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Ian Duncan Smith, MP among others. Awards were presented to those who have made a major contribution to apprenticeships.

Today the Royal Grammar School (RGS), Worcester celebrated its 450th. Anniversary of the granting of the Elizabethan Royal Charter in 1561. This was marked by a visit by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal. Jane and I had the honour of being in the welcoming party. The RGS, now combined with the Alice Ottley School, has achieved a great deal both academically and in sport. At one point during our tour I was drawn into an informal practice of lacrosse… not easy in mayoral robes!! However I don’t think I disgraced myself and seemed to remember the technique learned when I played for Oxford University in the1960’s!!!

Tuesday 20th: At the “Promises Auction” held at the Swan Theatre on 14th. July Mrs. Julia Bridges made the maximum bid for “Tea and cakes in the parlour and a tour of the Guildhall”. Today she brought eight friends and we all enjoyed homemade scones by the Mayoress, strawberry jam and cream… tea and cake (also made by the Mayoress!).

Wednesday 21st: Twenty six female students, lead by Jutta Feuerstein, from Hohere Lehranstalt fur wirtschaftluche Berufe (a college for business professions) in Austria are spending a week in Worcester on an educational visit. Of course the Guildhall was on their list! They were impressed by our City and its cleanliness compared with some other places. They just could not understand why anyone would drop litter in their streets… this would not be socially acceptable in Austria!

Thursday 22nd: Rob Byrne is the new Communications Manager for the City Council. I was pleased to welcome him to the parlour for a chat about communications in general. Rob certainly wants to broadcast the good things about our City which fits in well with my priority for this mayoral year.

Friday 23rd: The Annual Awards Ceremony for the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service took place in the glittering Assembly Room of the Guildhall this evening. As Mark Yates QFSM, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive, pointed out “This event ….is one of the highlights of the Service’s calendar”. The importance of the event was marked by the presence of Mr. Michael Brinton, Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire and Lady Rosalind Morrison, High Sheriff of Worcestershire. The awards were presented for a variety of achievements including long and meritorious service and a Young Firefighter award, volunteer of the year. It was an evening of pride.

Saturday 24th: A great day! The new Warndon Youth & Community Centre is complete. The old community centre has been transformed into a state of the art modern facility. It is all the result of the Worcester Community Trust, City and County Councils and others working together. I had the pleasure of “cutting the ribbon” with Councillor Ed Moore, Chairman of the County Council.

I am always pleased to support new small local businesses. So Jane and I were very happy to accept Angela Morris’ invitation to attend the opening of the “Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair, Hair and Beauty Salon” in King’s Street.

In spite of the dry Summer what a bumper crop of apples! I spent the afternoon picking apples in my son, Mark’s, garden on the south side of Ankerdine Hill.

Sunday 25th: Over a thousand years Worcester Cathedral has required rebuilding and repairs. Nothing remains of the original building founded in 680 with Bishop Bosel as its head. The current cathedral dates from the 12th and 13th centuries although the crypt dates from the 10th century and the time of St. Oswald, Bishop of Worcester. In the 1970’s it was realized that much work was required on the fabric and especially on the tower. The Worcester Cathedral Appeal was set up in 1988 and over the 20 years since 1991 restoration was carried out. Today there was a special Choral Evensong to celebrate the completion of this work. The Very Reverend Robert Jeffrey, Dean 1987 – 1996, gave a fascinating sermon on the structural work over the last millennium and referred to I Corinthians 3: 1 – 16 (“…..like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it.”).

Norman Crypt, Worcester Cathedral (Photo from Wikipedia)

We live in a beautiful city

 

Monday 12th: Worcester is blessed by having many excellent eating places. The new Balti Mahal Restaurant, in Astwood Road, that I helped to open today is another and I am sure will be welcome in that part of the City.

Home-Start Worcester & Wychavon is a charity registered in 1984. Jane and I attended the AGM this evening in the Chapel of Berkeley’s Hospital. It is yet another valuable organization “in which volunteers offer support, friendship and practical help to young families under stress in their own homes helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown, and emphasizing the pleasures of family life”.  At this AGM we heard a talk given by Emma Jordan (Worcestershire PCT Team Leader for Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Services) and Ann Lonbay (Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) Needs Pathway Project Manager) about their work. It was astonishing to learn that in excess of 50% of all school children have SLC problems: this leads to increased risk of later unemployment and crime among other affects on life. For more information see the “Worcestershire SLCN Pathway”

Tuesday 13th: No Mayoral engagements today. I spent the morning and afternoon on the City Council’s Scrutiny Committee cross Party panel gathering information from residents about their car parking concerns. It is a huge problem for many but I do hope we do not raise expectations for rapid solutions. The evening was taken up by attending the Scrutiny Committee itself.

Wednesday 14th: A day of anticipation waiting for the post to arrive. But at last I found that all six members of our Worcester City team going to the Adentan Municipal Assembly in Ghana on Saturday have received their visas. This means that the Local Economic Development project (financed through the DfID) will progress adding to the successes of this last year.

The long established firm of solicitors, “Harrison Clark”, held its annual summer “garden” party and celebration in the Assembly Room of the Guildhall this evening. It is not often that Jane and I have the opportunity to meet so many legal professionals!!

Thursday 15th: The day began with a meeting at 9am with the team going to Adentan on Saturday. Everything is now settled: it’s going to be an interesting week helping with the development of the “Adentan News”, the setting up of a “Federation of Businesses”, a course on business management and assistance with a local “Master Plan”.

10am: A meeting with representatives of Noah’s Ark to continue the planning of the fund-raising event in May 2012: a joint venture with the University Business School.

Noon: I “received” the keys of the new minibus acquired by “Worcester Wheels” run by the Worcester Volunteer Centre. This is such a valuable community transport service ably run by Sally Ellison, Hedley Burton and their team.

A quick dash back to the Guildhall for 1pm to welcome 27 American students, from the University of Minnesota Duluth, who are at the University of Worcester on a one year “Study in England Programme”. It is always pleasing to see how thrilled they are with all that they are shown on a tour of the Guildhall. I was fascinated by a comment written by one in my Visitors’ Book: “America!! But England is better”. I told them of the visit, in 1786, by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (who became the second and third presidents respectively of the USA) to Fort Royal Hill and their disappointment of the locals’ lack of knowledge of the Battle of Worcester in 1651: “And do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for?” The students are now determined to climb the Hill.

Friday 16th: At 9.30am. I saw off the City Council’s team of six to Adentan in Ghana. We wish them a safe flight and look forward to their report on return.

A fund-raising coffee morning in Kerswell Green at 10.30am. before going to Warndon Community Centre for the annual Onam Festival. This is an ancient tradition and the biggest and most important festival of the State of Kerala in south-west India. The Kerala community of Worcester (about 250) celebrate this festival for ten days during the Malaylee month called Chingam (our August – September). It also marks the annual visit of the historic King Mahabali, is a time of thanksgiving for the harvest, a coming together of families, friends and peoples of all communities and new clothes (Onakkodi) and games for the children. A central feature is the nine course meal called Onasadya. Jane and I were privileged to be invited to this celebration day of Thiruvonam and enjoy the ceremony and wonderful vegetarian food

Happy Onam!

“Transition Worcester”, with other Transition Groups in Evesham, Malvern and Pershore, held a conference and exhibition in the Guildhall: “Powering the future: towards sustainable energy”. I was pleased to address briefly the conference at the beginning of the afternoon session. This is an important subject: even if you do not believe in climate change and its effects (and I do believe in them!!) everyone must surely understand that carbon-based energy is finite, discoveries of oil are getting less, prices are rising and at a time when personal money is stretched. So whatever we can do to reduce our consumption must be wise.

Powering the future: towards sustainable energy event

Saturday 17th: The Friends of the Swan Theatre presented their sixth annual Variety Show this evening. It was fantastic and included Barry North, Laura Synuck, Sue Black, Academy Dance, Sean McMahon Irish Dancers, Dentith and Price and the Ladies and Gentlemen Ensemble. It was a sell-out. Great fun and great entertainment. “Thank you” to Paul Parker, the Show Producer, and the performers who gave their time freely. The funds raised for the Swan are so vital.

Sunday 18th: One of the special pleasures of being Mayor is going to civic services of neighbouring towns and district councils. Today Jane I attended the Civic Service of Bromsgrove District Council held at The Parish Church of All Saints’. It was conducted by The Rev. Bev Robertson.

Monday 5th: A most enjoyable lunch in the Worcester County Cricket Club with the Worcester Rotary Club. This is the first opportunity I have had to attend since my inauguration as an honorary member.

It is important for the Mayor to get out to the wider communities of the City. Therefore Jane and I were pleased to be invited to, and to address, the Warndon Parish Council meeting held this evening in the Lyppard Grange Community Centre. The Parish Council is so important for the management of a number of issues that affect the day to day lives of the community.

Tuesday 6th: The UK Chinese Education Foundation helps young Chinese in Britain to understand and learn about their homeland and culture. With the invitation of Mr. Frankie Tsang, Jane and I enjoyed a fund-raising banquet at his “Four Seasons” restaurant in Powick. It was fascinating to experience Chinese company, entertainment and of course the excellent food.

Wednesday 7th: The Mayor has a small capital fund dating from 1986. The committee, which I chaired today, decided on how to award small grants to needy applicants.

Did you all remember to change your television over to “digital” today?!!

Thursday 8th: Worcester is proud of its charity St. Richard’s Hospice Foundation. Jane and I attended the 25th Annual General Meeting this evening at Wildwood Drive and chaired by John Bawden. In my previous life as a Consultant Physician at the Worcester Royal Infirmary and since I have seen an amazing advance in our care of people suffering life-limiting conditions. St. Richard’s Hospice provides “a free, unique and individual package of support, whatever the patient’s physical, emotional or spiritual needs”.

Friday 9th: A group of twenty council officers from Bangladesh came to the Guildhall for a meeting with City Council officers to hear about our shared-services arrangements. I had the pleasure of welcoming them to the Parlour and then later took them on a tour of the Guildhall. Yes, the cells were the highlight!!

The Worcester Society of Artists has arranged its 64th Annual Exhibition in the Worcester City Art Gallery from tomorrow (10th September) until 15th October. Jane and I were privileged to have a private viewing this evening and to officially open the exhibition. It was wonderful and so well worth going to see. I was given the choice of a picture to hang in the Parlour until next year. The Society, established in 1947, exists to “encourage the appreciation, understanding and practice of the visual arts and is open to everyone”.

Worcester Society of Artists 64th Annual Exhibition at Worcester City Art Gallery

Saturday 10th: A day off!! As Chairman of the Worcestershire Branch of the Oxford University Society I accompanied a full coach of Society members to Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. The picture of the Mansion House is what is always brought to mind but there are numerous old huts and buildings that were used throughout the Second World War. The breaking of enemy codes and cyphers, the Enigma machine cypher being the most famous, by the hundreds of men and women at Bletchley was crucial. The war was probably shorted by a year or more.

Mansion House, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

“Cabaresque” at the Swan was outstanding and a great credit to Katie Love and her “De:Fault” Theatre. Jane and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Sunday 11th: Heritage Open Days for 2011 are 8th -11th  September and celebrate England’s fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are usually closed to the public. It is an annual chance to discover hidden treasures and to bring to life local history and culture. Entrance to our Guildhall is of course always free although not usually open on a Sunday. So for most of today it was open with Frank my sword bearer, Paul Harding one of our mace bearers, Jane and myself all being available to welcome anyone to the Parlour and the rest of the Guildhall. We were delighted by the numbers of people who came in and these included visitors from Belgium, The Czech Republic, China and Wales. Everyone seemed thrilled by what they saw.

I am sure that “9/11” is a day when we can all remember where we were in 2001. I can. I was working in Masaka in Uganda. My son telephoned me to tell me of the terrible news from America: at that moment a television newsflash came on in the hotel where I was staying and I saw for myself. Everyone of several nationalities was stunned. I remember how the local Ugandans reacted… we all felt the same horror.

Monday 29th: Last Wednesday (24th. August) I helped the local Red Cross Society with the planting of a “Family” oak tree in Gheluvelt Park to raise awareness of the International Day of the Disappeared (30th. August) and the International Tracing and Message Service. Today Jane and I visited the Red Cross stall in the High Street set up to yet further remind us of the plight of the “Disappeared” and their families.

I spent a couple of hours writing an article on “Poisoning with drugs and chemicals in South Sudan: how big is the problem?” for the South Sudan Medical Journal. It’s a big problem in parts of Africa: kerosene (paraffin) in children and organophosphates (herbicides and insecticides) in adults. We need to know more of the situation in South Sudan.

The “Worcester Festival” has been a resounding success: we all owe a great big “Thank You” to Chris Jaegar and his team. And what a fantastic fireworks display enjoyed by thousands of people assembled in South Quay beside the river! There were patterns and colour combinations I certainly have not seen before.

Worcester Festival Fireworks 2011 taken at Fort Royal Park – Photo courtesy of Andrew Kelsall

Worcester Festival Fireworks 2011 taken at the Riverside, Worcester – Photo courtesy of Dave Grubb

We have the Chinese to thank too because it was in China that fireworks originated in the 7th century. The Chinese firework-masters (pyrotechnicians) became a highly respected professional class developing many kinds of fireworks and explosions, effects and colour.

Royal Fireworks – Image from Wikipedia

Tuesday 30th: A day of planning for future events. I met representatives of my three chosen charities (Leukaemia Care, Noah’s Ark and Worcester Farmers’ Overseas Action Group). The two main events are still on track: A “Murder Mystery Evening” on Friday 14th October and a “Business School Evening” and talk on “The History of Medicine in Worcester” at the Castle Street campus of the University on Wednesday 9th May 2012. If you know of anyone who would like to contribute by sponsoring part of these do let me know.

Some of the FOAG team during a visit by The Right Hon. Andrew Mitchell, MP

Susan O’Kane, Cllr Roger Berry (Deputy Mayor) and I gathered in the Parlour with Lt. Col. Gerry Taggart RE (Retired) who has worked tirelessly with the planning for Armed Forces Day celebrations next year (30th June 2012). He has “put out feelers” to the various organizations and has had a most encouraging response. Now comes the hard work of putting everything together. And we are also thinking about what we may do in 2013!!

The third meeting was to discuss, with the Rotary Club of Worcester, our joint charity dinner event on Friday 10th. February 2012. The plans are going well and it should be a great evening to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne. Food, entertainment, costumes (“Coronets and Tiaras”) and decorations all in the style of the 1950’s: don’t miss it!!

Wednesday 31st: Mike Harrison, Head of the Cleaner and Greener Department of the Worcester City Council, leaves tomorrow after 34 years’ service. He is the last of the Senior Officers who were here when I was first elected in 2004. He has helped to guide the Council through difficult times. I was privileged to speak at his farewell party in the Guildhall.

Mike Harrison’s Farewell Party at the Guildhall

Thursday 1st: A most memorable day. Twenty eight Junior Army Enlistments came to the Guildhall for a ceremony to swear the Oath of Allegiance for joining the Army. They had been carefully selected by Major H.L. Kennedy MBE Rifles (Area Recruiting Officer) and his team. Although life will be tough for these young men and women during their training over the next year or so I have no doubt that they will all get through. I had the honour of presenting each one with their Oath Certificate. The City, County and their families should be proud of them. To reflect the importance of this event I invited the recruits to sign the Mayor’s VIP Visitors’ Book.

Junior Army Oath of Allegiance at the Guildhall

Professor Omar Faruque, Editor of the “Dhaka Post”, is visiting friends in Worcester. He paid a courtesy visit to me in the Parlour and presented a copy of his recent publication of a detailed study of the Bangla Deshi community in the UK.

Friday 2nd: The “Big Bag Donation 2011” appeal is made by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). From today until Friday 16th. September “Big Donation” bags will be available from the Cathedral Plaza Shopping Centre. Everyone is asked to fill a bag with saleable goods from books and CD’s to bric-a-brac and then return it to the BHF shop on Mealcheapen Street. Jane and I attended, with John Kendrick, Centre Manager of the Cathedral Plaza, the launch of this appeal and to donate bags of books and clothes. BHF shops have a problem with maintaining their stock due to commercial collectors – companies that collect stock on behalf of charities for financial gain. The need to extend research into heart diseases and improve care continues to out outstrip the resources available so the BHF is vital. For more information visit www.bhf.org.uk.

Saturday 3rd: For the first time since the Battle of Worcester on September  3rd 1651 a Service of Commemoration was held in the Cathedral at 11am. The procession, which Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Jane and I joined as it passed the Guildhall, was spectacular with pipes and drums and costumes of 360 years ago. Canon Paul Tongue conducted the service beginning with the construction of a Drumhead on the Quire steps. Prayers of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles I were recited and Canon Tongue gave a history about Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 1656) who was organist of Worcester Cathedral from 1597 – 1654. Lord Faulkner spoke of the fascinating story and importance of 3rd September 1651, this being the date of the last battle of the civil wars which had begun in 1642. We also enjoyed organ music composed by Thomas Tomkins. The proceedings ended with a “March Past” the Guildhall with Lord Faulkner, Robin Walker MP, Jane and I and others taking the salute. Great Britain is as it is today because of the defeat of Charles II by Oliver Cromwell.

This evening there was a gathering of the Battle of Worcester Society at the Commandery. From there we processed to the top of Fort Royal Hill with its wonderful views of the City and where a short Drumhead service was conducted by Canon Paul Tongue and Ben Humphreys to commemorate the closing stages of the Battle of Worcester.

Battle of Worcester Procession to Fort Royal Hill – Photo Courtesy of Andrew Kelsall

Ben reminded us that in 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (became the second and third presidents respectively of the USA) visited Fort Royal Hill. John Adams was disappointed at the locals’ lack of knowledge of the battle and said “And do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbors and your children that this is holy ground, much holier than that on which your churches stand. All England should come in pilgrimage to this hill, once a year”. We too should take note of this.

Battle of Worcester – Fort Royal Hill – Photo Courtesy of Andrew Kelsall

Sunday 4th: It seemed as though most of the Mayors and Chairmen across Worcestershire were at The Blue Lagoon in Evesham this evening. It was a “Curry Evening” to raise funds for the Mayor (Cllr. James Bulman) of Evesham’s charities.