Mayor of Worcester

‘Change’. That appears to be the theme of my diary in a week that even saw me in a Santa suit, white beard and all!  But more of that later.

The University’s carol service proved like no carol service I’ve ever attended before:  but then any event organised by Students’ Services and the Students Union is unlikely to conform and was all the better for it. Quite brilliant. Also diverging from the norm, the Rev. Ray Khan’s officiating at Bromsgrove Community carol service the next day broke every festive tradition in the book, fully deserving the same starry accolade.

Nor is my official Christmas card like any other in the past; its youthful designer, James Allison from Hollymount School, fully deserving his prize which I was only too happy to present in the Guildhall on Wednesday.

At least the King’s School carol service in the Cathedral fully restored the tradition of Christmas, to the evident delight of the sell-out audience.  Mine too!

Yet more change when a new chapter in Worcester’s incredible social history – or in this case anti-social history – burst on the scene with the launch of local author Bob Blandford’s book on the City and County jails in the Parlour – me playing my part by conducting tours of the cells in the darkest and deepest depths of the Guildhall.

And so to the man in the Santa suit… this was me aboard Worcester Lions’ Santa Sleigh, to be left me humbled by the generosity of people.

The Rotary Club accounted for most of my time over the weekend – from filling the bags for Christmas parcels, to delivering 540 parcels to residents of almshouses and elsewhere, followed by the traditional Christmas lunch at the cricket ground.

The week ended with me chatting to Chris Jaeger about changes to next year’s Arts Festival, followed by a reception for City Council staff who very quickly demolished my wife’s own special bhajis, pakoras and samosas –all making for a very joyful week.  No changes there, then!

A Merry Christmas to you all.

‘Tis the season to be joyful – and why wouldn’t I be when my days are filled with meeting wonderful Worcestershire people all doing wonderful things at this wonderful time of the year? Just to give one example – it’s as good as impossible to put into words the honour of being asked to dig the first footings for a new scheme of 70 self-contained independent living units for the elderly at Whittington.

The next day, I had the absolute joy of watching toddlers from the King’s St Alban’s pre-prep school perform their nativity, while the official opening of the Christmas Tree Festival showcasing 89 charities’ trees in the Cathedral just filled me with so much admiration for every single group represented.

Small Business Saturday gave me the opportunity to visit five local firms that the City Council has helped to start-up, while being asked to choose one of dozens of worthy works from the Worcestershire Society of Artists at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum proved well-nigh impossible. Cinderella at the Medway Community Centre was a sheer delight and I have to admit that the words to describe the perfection of Worcester Male Voice Choir’s concert in Pershore Abbey simply don’t exist.

Of course, the season inevitably involves a hectic round of carol services. The Freemasons’ Grand Master service, BBC Hereford and Worcester’s Celebration of Christmas concert, County Council Chairman Peter Tomlinson’s Christmas Carol Concert, the Worcester Scouts’ and the University’s annual carol services were all worthy of the highest accolades. There was not a moment in any of these house-full events that was less than enchanting.

Sandwiched-in between this whirlwind of a calendar were even more events, including the Crossroads Caring for Carers Christmas Charity Event. The talent on show for the final of RGS’s Star Search at the Grange proved a serious eye-opener, while the Mayor of Stourport’s Pre-Christmas Charity Dinner quite made my week. Phew!

It proved to be jingle all the way when I was joined by the mayors and civic heads of the surrounding districts – collectively, nicknamed ‘the chain gang’ – for the opening of the 27th Victorian Fayre. Sadly, my power over those that control the weather is direly limited. But despite the really dreadful conditions my heart was warmed more than I can say by the amount of Worcester souls who still braved the elements and turned out for what’s never less than the most shining highlight in the city’s winter calendar and the official signal that Christmas has begun. So long as Worcester folk continue to show such spirit and support, the Faithful City will never have cause for concern, so my thanks to all.

A further gladdening prospect was the number of traders who continue to set-up their stalls here year after year. I even had the opportunity to chat to one who was at the first Fayre and has not missed one since. That came as I had the pleasure and delight of judging the Best Victorian Dress and Best Stall competition. Judging is based on the combination of Christmas spirit and Victorian dress and while every stall offered plenty of one or the other, the winners were those who fully entered into the spirit of things by demonstrating both. My congratulations to them.

Entering no less into the Christmas spirit, the Victorian Fayre Fringe that I attended in the Hopmarket continues to grow at a rate of knots – and long may that pleasing trend continue, too.

Another feature that makes the Victorian Fayre so super-special is the welcome presence of the official representatives of our twin towns, Le Vésinet, Ukmerge and Kleve – all of whom remained here to attend the Twinning Association Christmas dinner. I so hope that Brexit won’t detract from the enduring friendship we enjoy with our very special European ‘twins’ and that the pairing notion will continue to flourish.

All in all, an enchanting week, commendably – and most impressively – topped by the RGS Year 1 and 2 Christmas performance. Wonderful.

Well… a week that began well, ended well and had lots of good news in between!

The Best of Worcester Awards showcase the awesome talent of our schoolchildren – it’s a terrific event for the city and a start on the mountainous task of deciding who, among the thousands eminently eligible, is to be included in the running for the winners’ prizes next April. It was a privilege to be a part.

It’s a rare event that gets me toe-tappin’ and hands clappin’ but my, what a brilliant performance the Worcester Musical Theatre Company put on at The Swan Theatre on Friday. ‘Celebrate the Season’ sensationally recaptured my 50s, 60s and 70s youth.  Own-up time: I was left buzzing for hours and hours, long after it had finished!

Another day, another delightful dose of music.  Worcester Festival Choral Society’s Mozart’s Requiem in the Cathedral on Saturday was so poignant and moving that I, the Bishop and the Dean all broke with tradition by standing up and applauding, the entire audience following suit.

The RBS wreath-laying memorial service at Astwood marking the debt we owe to Commonwealth servicemen proved as moving as ever on Sunday.  Later on the same day it was my pleasure to journey to Birmingham for an update with the owners of TV stations serving 168 Asian countries, which are airing Worcester’s pioneering moves to provide for needy children.

The scourge of seagulls besieging Worcester has been a controversial issue for as long as I can remember and, like it or not, action of some kind really needs to be taken.  A fruitful meeting to finalise exactly what we could do accounted for much of Wednesday afternoon.  I was happy to leave my consort, my daughter Parveen, to discuss Britannia Square Residents’ Association’s particular concerns about gulls in the city – of which, more on both in due course. The inaugural lecture by UoW Professor Tracey Williamson on the impact of dementia on carers, and an illuminating briefing into the work of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association at Dancox House, completed a week of action.