Mayor of Worcester

As Deputy Mayor it is always an honour to step in for the Mayor when he is away and to represent the Faithfull City.

Being invited by Colin Kinnear OBE, founder of the Bransford Trust, to the fantastic Three Choirs Festival has been a highlight for me. Colin and the Trust have supported this world class festival for many years and have done so much good for the city in so many ways that it was only fitting that he was honoured by Her Majesty The Queen with an OBE this summer.

People often don’t realise how difficult it is to perform or speak in front of large crowds – although it’s an occupational hazard if you’re in the public limelight and a profession such as ours! It’s obviously even harder for children, which is one of the reasons I was so impressed by the pupils in a production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through All Sorts Of Performing Arts Centre at Bishop Perowne High School. It was a wonderful rendition with a modern twist and it was a joy to see the children produce a fine and confident performance in only five days. Very impressive!

Then it was time for the Worcester Foodie Festival and I found myself being grilled (instead of the fish he was cooking!) by celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. In front of a packed crowd at the newly opened Cathedral Square, Jean-Christophe, like a true professional, charmed and wooed the crowd with his envious long hair and rich French accent, whilst giving me some banter.

Cathedral Square looked magnificent and served the purpose it was designed for extremely well. It’s a much-needed open public space for events like these.

It was heartening to see that there were so many varieties of food on offer at the festival and a significant amount from local independent food operators. It is important to support our independents to keep that unique edge that Worcester has. Well done Worcester BID (Business Improvement District) for a successful weekend.

I was invited to the Horizon Community Centre to join in the celebration of the Eid Festival. This was a lovely family event where everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The food prepared by volunteers was excellent and the children really enjoyed the entertainment provided.

Saturday started with me opening the new visitor experience at The Commandery. As well as brilliant improvements to the rooms and interactive visitor participation, The Commandery has taken on IT improvements to offer an even more informative visit. If you are at all interested in this piece of the City’s history with its involvement in the Civil War then I’d recommend a tour of the exhibition.

From there a I took a walk up to the brand new Cathedral Square where, together with a representative of the developers, I officially opened this new precinct. With its great views of the Cathedral this area with new restaurants and shops will, I’m sure, be an attraction for visitors from other parts of Worcestershire and its surrounds. All good for the City’s economic growth and prosperity.

On Tuesday the Mayoress and I visited Bishop Allenby Hall at St Stephen’s Church where the Reverend Andy Todd together with volunteers from the parish had organised the opening of a café. The idea is to encourage visitors to use the hall as a meeting place and certainly anyone feeling lonely would receive a very warm welcome together with a nice cup of tea and choice of cakes.

The week was rounded off with a very enjoyable evening at the Swan Theatre to watch the Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society Youth Section (WODYS) perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Whistle Down The Wind. Having seen them in rehearsal I can honestly say they have gone from strength to strength. They are an incredibly talented group of youngsters who put their heart and soul into entertaining the audience.

An exciting week this one, starting with a Procession from the Guildhall to the Cathedral together with the Mayors of Gloucester and Hereford to mark the opening of the Three Choirs Festival. The Cathedral choir were in excellent voice which everyone appeared to enjoy it.

We followed this with a visit to an exhibition at the Guildhall opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, detailing the WWI battle at Gouzeaucourt, France. This French town and Worcester have links going back many years when Worcester residents helped to restore services there.

What a great week for Worcester when we have visits from two members of the Royal Family in one day!

On Tuesday HRH the Duchess of Gloucester attended the New Hope Children’s Centre to see for herself the magnificent work being carried out by Jean Wilson MBE and the staff there. The After School and Holiday Centre run activities for children with special needs. The Duchess saw children enjoying themselves and being encouraged to join in a number of pursuits.

That same day saw the arrival of HRH the Prince of Wales who was visiting the Cathedral to watch a performance of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, part of the Three Choirs Festival. This was a brilliant performance, obviously enjoyed by His Royal Highness, who took the time to speak with all those in the orchestra and choir before leaving.

However, meeting distinguished guests to our city didn’t stop there. Previously on Sunday while starting the Go Dad Run race in aid of Cancer charities, I was able to thank Colin Jackson for coming to Worcester to support the event which drew a record number of runners.

Also this week I met trustees of Aspie’s, the charity that runs a day centre for adults with Asperger’s syndrome. Speaking with a number of those who were benefitting from the service it provided, it was apparent that they enjoyed the setting where they were able to meet others in a similar situation and have time to themselves.

My week ended with a full council meeting when I announced that to help raise money by way of donations for my chosen charities I will do a tandem Skydive later in my year in office

Another week and yet more diverse events to attend. It started with an evening at No.187 Squadron of the Air Cadets, who have reached the last three finalists of a national competition judging individual skills and drill presentation. The squad was inspected by Air Commodore Dawn McCaffertey CBE who, I believe, was very impressed with their turnout. Have to wait to see if they win!

On Friday I visited St Peter’s Baptist Church, where the AGM of the Worcestershire Association of Carers took place. As well as the actual meeting where officers were elected, there was lots of information that was passed on relating to how carers themselves are supported and receive respite. Much of this was told by way of stories from carers themselves, who praised the association for their assistance. This is yet another organisation that seeks volunteers to assist them in their work.

On Sunday so many supporters of Cancer Research UK turned up at Pitchcroft to encourage relatives and friends taking part in the Race for Life. There were two courses: the 10K and 5K. Suffice to say I had the easiest task of just starting the race. But on a serious note, an impressive amount was raised by way of donations which will go towards preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer and saving so many more lives.

However, on Tuesday I did start the day with a ‘Healthy Walk in Worcester’, in support of national ‘Love Parks Week’. The ‘stroll’ included a visit to Fort Royal Park, which has just received its Green Flag status, and Cripplegate Park. At the latter I was reminded of the Black Pear tree that’s growing and ‘fruiting’ so well there.

Finally the week ended with a visit to the Commandery to watch the most brilliant outdoor performance of Charley’s Aunt. And I must say, nobody stole the show here; this was a great performance by all those involved, professional to the last with absolutely perfect timing for this farce.