Mayor of Worcester

Here we are in lockdown again.  After enjoying relative freedoms during the summer and early autumn we are once again being asked to restrict our activities and stay indoors, with the exception of certain exemptions.  I expect you, like me, are feeling that it is harder this time round but we must follow this advice if we are to get a hold of the virus and stop it running wild and overwhelming our hospitals and NHS.

Like you, I am disappointed and very sad that the Act of Remembrance on Sunday must be done in our own homes or gardens or on our doorstep, and not as a collective act with parades and wreath laying.  I have recorded the laying of my wreath in the Cathedral on behalf of the people of Worcester and I would urge you to watch the service being live streamed on Sunday.   The important and poignant 2 minutes at 11.00am on Sunday, when we stop our busy lives and remember those whose sacrifices have enabled us to enjoy our freedom, is very important to all of us – especially our veterans.  My deepest thanks go to all our service men and women past and present who have served in the defence of our country.

As Mayor, I was pleased to be able to lay a wreath on the memorial at Gheluvelt Park on Sunday 25th October, to commemorate the achievements of the men of the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment at the Battle of Gheluvelt.  Those brave soldiers saved Ypres from capture and the British Army from defeat in 1914.  34 of them made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives.

I enjoyed a few days away before lockdown was introduced and since returning, I was pleased to be part of the unveiling of the Worcester Life Stories Art Exhibition at the end of the Shambles.  We have taken advantage of the scaffolding on St. Swithun’s Church, and with the consent of the Churches Conservation Trust we have hung there pictures of the Shambles from the 1950s to 70s.   There is also a YouTube video here where you to see more images and enjoy past memories of this wonderful part of the city.

Please observe the rules which we will all be under for the next four weeks to protect yourself and others.  Hopefully we will then be able to enjoy a more relaxed Christmas period with family and friends.

I was very pleased to be able to follow up my launch of Black History Month with a visit to Worcester University this week to see a display showing significant achievements of black people throughout history.   Thank you to the students for inviting me and allowing me to be part of this very worthwhile venture.

On Wednesday I was invited to take part in a new initiative created by the Vamos theatre company.  Vamos is a unique company who perform in full face masks and have been commended for their excellence and skill.  Inspired by the success of the Thursday clapping for NHS workers, they are initiating the Wednesday Wave when we are all encouraged to wave to someone who is alone and isolated in a care home or in their own home, to let them know they have not been forgotten and that we do care.  What a wonderful idea – I felt privileged to be part of the first Wednesday Wave this week.

I was very keen to hear from Sheena Payne-Lunn and Natasha Lord on Thursday about the Worcester Life Stories project.  This is an online platform which allows Worcester residents to describe their own life stories in words, photos and videos and is particularly enjoyable for those who can remember Worcester as it was many years ago, and who want to share that knowledge.  Please have a look at Worcester Life Stories web page (www.worcesterlifestories.org.uk) and see for yourself what a rich and diverse history Worcester has.

I hope you have spotted the fantastic pieces of artwork in the empty shop windows that I wrote about last week.   It is so uplifting to see the beautiful designs and pictures as we go about the town.  Congratulations and thanks to all those artists who created the pictures.

As coronavirus cases continue to rise, please take care of yourselves and others around you.  Keep to the rules to keep safe.

The launch of Black History Month proved to be a very special occasion for me.  I was very pleased to be part of this event and to make it a public occasion with a speech on the steps of the Guildhall; several members of the public attended.

Afterwards I welcomed some of the attendees into the Parlour and we discussed how I could help publicise other events to promote this month. I look forward to getting more involved and having more to tell you in this column.

This week I also discussed how I can assist the City Council and Platform Housing in the relaunch of the Talk to me Worcester campaign.  This campaign aims to promote friendship and neighbourliness, bring people together to talk, create safe places to meet and to welcome new arrivals to the City.  The second phase of the campaign was launched in January of this year and would have continued to May, but because of the pandemic the activities have been halted and we are now trying to move it forward again.

On Friday I was very pleased to open the Outdoor Art Gallery Trail, which starts in the Hopmarket.  A call was put out to artists to create a piece of art on the theme of Hope and Joy.  Eight artists were chosen from around 60 to create a piece of work to sit in a vacant shop unit window.  These displays will be in the shops from today and can be found around the City.  I do hope when you are out and about in town you will look out for them.  This project has provided work for local artists and has also provided inspiration for our futures through the medium of empty shop windows.

Finally, I hope you are all keeping safe and remembering to wash your hands, keep a social distance from others and wear a face mask in all public places.  It is proving to be a longer battle than many of us imagined at the beginning of this pandemic.  As winter approaches we may find it harder to observe these rules, but it is essential that we do so if we are to keep safe.