Mayor of Worcester

On Sunday the mayoress and I attended the Wychavon Civic Service which was held at the parish church of All Saints in Evesham.  The chairman of the council, Cllr Robert Raphael, chose the theme of the service as a thanksgiving for Covid-19 heroes, and we heard a series of testimonials from leaders of the local voluntary sector about the fantastic work that was done during the pandemic to help those in need.

Wednesday was the National Day of Reflection, marking the anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown. Staff and councillors from the city council were joined by county council chairman Steve Mackay and firefighters, gathering at the Guildhall entrance at noon. Following the minute’s silence, I read out a short address.

On Friday morning I attended the Cube International Showcase & Open Day, which was held at their new premises at Broomhall. I met Cube International’s CEO, Ed Boardman, Perry the Bull (the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games mascot) and some international sports personalities. As a sports fan myself who has bought tickets for the Birmingham Games it was a fantastic engagement.

In the evening I had my charity concert by Worcester Concert Brass. The event was called In Celebration, recognising both the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the band’s 40th anniversary. The musical director Chris Licence, who also performed, is a former Worcester city councillor, and like me, a past mayor’s consort. They performed a selection of favourites including theme tunes from film and television and other popular pieces.

Today I have a full diary including the opening of new art gallery in Crowngate, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire Award presentation and the Knife Angel memorial service in the Cathedral. I’ll also be at the volunteer awards presentation in the Commandery before attending the grand opening of the Belmont Care Home.

 

Last Sunday the Mayoress and I attended the Tewkesbury Town Council Civic Service in the beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey that dates back from the 1100s. The service took the form of a choral evensong and featured music with local connections to the town and county. The service was for Joanne Raywood, who is the Tewkesbury Town mayor.

On Wednesday I welcomed a group of students from New College Worcester to the Parlour in the Guildhall. I spoke about my role of Mayor and gave the visually impaired students an opportunity to feel the splendid mayoral chain of office that I have the privilege to wear.

The following evening the Mayoress and I were invited by Lord Faulkner to the launch of the Worcester City Football Family and Friends Club. The last few years have been difficult for the club, but now they are back in the city at Claines Lane and I am sure will go from strength to strength. The club isn’t just the First Team who play in the Midland League, but also include many women, youth, and veterans’ teams that cover all ages and abilities.

Yesterday morning I visited the Old Fire Station on Copenhagen Street, which is soon to open as a new residential block. In July I saw the early stages of this conversion project, so it was fascinating to see some of the completed apartments.

In the evening the Mayoress and I were at The Art House on Castle Street for the Worcester Mela. We both wore Indian dress and enjoyed the delicious Asian food and entertainment that was on offer.

Today I will be attending the Young Enterprise Trade Fayre in High Street and this evening the Worcester Festival Choral Society’s performance of Bach’s St. John Passion in the Cathedral.

I suppose it was inevitable that sooner or later I would get a positive Covid Test. Thankfully my symptoms are relatively minor and are like a heavy cold, but it has meant I have had to curtail some of my plans for this week. I was disappointed I could not attend the Knife Angel launch event in Cathedral Square on Wednesday. I was due to accept a certificate that honoured the City Council’s work in combatting violence in our city.

The Knife Angel is an amazing eight-metre-high monument constructed out of knives handed to the police, that was produced by the artist Alfie Bradbury of the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire. It is a fitting memorial to those you have lost their lives to knife crime. The statue’s presence is being used to discourage people from using the knife for violent and aggressive behaviour. There is an amnesty box at the base of the statue, where knives van be handed in and safely disposed of.

On Monday evening I did make the Twinning Association Annual Meeting. Former City Councillor and Mayor Liz Smith stepped down as Chair of the Association and I wish her replacement Rosemary Campbell every success. It was good to hear once again about future visits after the problems of the past two years. After the business of the meeting Dill Porter gave a fascinating presentation on our early football connection with Worcester, Massachusetts. One of my predecessors as mayor, Sir Arthur Carlton, was one of the early promoters of twinning arrangements that led to a series of matches held in the late 1920s between representative teams from our now twinned cities that alternated between here and the USA.

On Thursday I was pleased to arrange a street collection licence on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. If you are in the city centre on Saturday then look out for members of Worcester Vigornia Rotary Club with their collection buckets.