Mayor of Worcester

It is 78 years since Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau but the images and memories never fade for the survivors of the Holocaust. We were privileged to hear first hand from Mindu Hornick MBE as we marked this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day last week.

Secondary school students from across the city joined civic and faith representatives, rapt at her experience. We heard readings on the theme of ordinary people like you and me, having allowed this to happen. Still allowing it to happen in places across the world. And left sombre and moved by hauntingly beautiful music and the pledge of young people to remember the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur and Bosnia. Our concern must be, where next.

Over the weekend I was really pleased to read out best wishes from Hezhou at our own Chinese New Year celebrations held at the Porcelain Works site. Lots of people of all ages watched the Lion Dances, firecrackers, and the giant panda as we welcomed the year of the rabbit. I am one – how many more of you are equally blessed with longevity, peace and prosperity? Not being much of one for symbols and beliefs, I was nevertheless struck by the fact that my zodiac sign is a water element too.

Nice to see friends there from way back and also some of the students from China who had been to the Parlour a few weeks ago.

The Deputy Mayor and I had a good catch up with our ‘esses’ talking about life in the Parlour and the amazingly diverse people and things you get to meet in this role. What I’ve found helpful and what he can look forward to.

But I finished the week still thinking about Mindu and hope that her message to us all means we can stop being ‘ordinary’.

 

Sweets, history, ancient and modern, and questions of morality have made to an interesting week at the coal face.

In mourning the passing of Mr Simms sweet shop we must say, long live Mr D! We opened a new venture, same premises on the High Street and bought a few samples for later.

I was with the Council’s Army Covenant Champion to meet veterans young and old with the Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP. These trips are always interesting and an opportunity to reflect on our recent history and Worcester’s long engagement with the military and public service.

That longer history was reflected at a meeting of a resurgent Partnership concerning the Battle of Worcester in 1651. A lot of our modern identity is rooted in that last battle of the English Civil Wars, not least our heritage and tourism offer so a drive to raise awareness with the aim of education and economic investment is very welcome. Events and visitor trails are promised. With the support of the Mayor, the MP and the Joint Leader of the Council let’s hope for progress.

And so to morality. Whether your favourite version is Frank Sinatra or Louis Armstrong (mine), Mack the Knife is a classic song – but who knew it was from the Threepenny Opera, written by Brecht, based on an 18th century satire of Italian operas? Well the Sixth Form College do now – and they delivered a slightly cleaned up (really???) production with a talented and emotional performances. The leads were great and a strong chorus and rhythmic band backed them up wonderfully in a play of misery and questionable morals. There was no place to hide on the front row, from the beggars and the tarts but I shall treasure my invitation to the coronation!

 

The Almshouses provided by Worcester Municipal Charities are a key partner in providing social housing, not through new build, but through adapting and renovating their existing properties. It was indeed wonderful to be able to open, along with our MP, another four flats in Ingelthorpe’s Yard at the back of the Hopmarket last week. WMC now have 100 flats for the single homeless and retired. Even more astonishing is that this charity has been going since the 1590s but a sad sign we still need them in the 21st century. It was great to see old friends and colleagues at the event too, people dear to me over the last 35 years.

At the other end of the scale, the Apprenticeship Awards for schemes run through Hereford and Worcester Group Training. Around 300 people attended Sixways (can’t say that too often these days) for the ceremonies, certificates and excellence awards. Vocational apprenticeships are as valuable as qualifications achieved in academia, plus you get paid! And they are not only for young people leaving school and college, but a large number of people with jobs are using the apprenticeship model to further their careers or even change careers. Really well done!

In between I had a long conversation with the City Council Managing Director about what is going on now and planned for the future in Worcester, across art, culture, employment, investment, development, heritage, tourism, housing, cost of living, flooding, and of course Millwall.

Worcester Twinning Association met this week to receive reports from the various towns we are linked with in France, Germany and Lithuania, and beyond. Indeed I had had New Year greetings to us all from our sister city in China, Hezhou, ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations due next week. It’s the year of The Rabbit, in case you were wondering.

 

 

 

I read the Mayor’s Column this week. No, I mean I read it. Out loud. For the Talking Newspaper. Last week’s sounded great – one of my better ones I am sure you agree! The Talking Newspaper has been around Worcester for over 40 years and is doing a great job, adapting with technology and run by volunteers  (new volunteers are always welcome!) so that people with sight impairments can keep up with local news.

One of the more predictable events of this New Year, with all that rain, is of course the havoc it brings to our Severn flood plain. I hope those most affected have been able to develop some mitigation and prevention, and know where to go for support and advice. Natural and captivating, it is also worrying, unpleasant, dangerous even, for those caught up in it. And a cold snap will bring its own problems, especially in these financially challenging times.

In advance of Chinese New Year I hosted a small party of Chinese students this week. They are studying at our University which has a great reputation in China. With local businesses I visited our sister city of Huizhou a few years ago, along with Hezhou, the wider Guangdong Province and that area of the South China Sea. Really interesting experience and it was great to talk to these young people about their culture and their experiences of Worcester (all good by the way).

I also met the Conservation Officer of SAVE, a national heritage organisation, who lives in Worcester, to discuss various projects and their implications and opportunities. Ironically I had also been to look at progress inside the Scala Theatre. It is a beautiful building and this will be a fantastic resource when it is fully restored and operating as an arts venue.