Mayor of Worcester

It has been a fantastic week of celebrating Worcester’s history.

There are so many things in Worcester that we have been doing for so long that no one really knows when we started.

For example: The Cathedral Ferry.

The first time the ferry’s existence was formalised was in 1378, but it is quite likely that a ferry service was operating near the Cathedral for a long time before that. Dorris, the current boat, was probably built in the early 1960s and must have carried thousands of passengers across the Severn.

Many volunteers train rigorously to be able to say they rowed people across the river, like so many have before. It was not my first trip across, as I went many times when I was a child, though this was usually from the west river bank to the east, however it was Alaric, my Consort’s, first time across.

The first recording we have of Worcester City Chess Club was a piece about its reformation in the 1830s so it is another tradition whose beginnings are lost.

Worcestershire Closed Chess Congress took place this weekend and keen players from across the county travelled to Worcester to take part.

There was absolute silence when I first entered the hall on the Sunday.

The final few games were playing out, deciding who would be the overall champion, the giant slayer and many other fun prizes that the team had come up with.

There were many awards to give out at the end and I particularly enjoyed the Odyssey Prize.

Players were unaware that throughout the two-day tournament, the arbiter and his assistant were keeping track of how long they spent in each game. The player who spent the most hours received a glass trophy, printed with a ship.

We do know how many Worcester Festivals there have been. This year marks the 24th year that the festival has provided a huge range or free and low cost activities for people of all ages.

I was so pleased to help open the festival and take part in their samba band.

It has been a few years since I taught samba to young people but it was nice to get back into the rhythm.

It was lovely to meet Percy the Festival Peacock, who also joined in with the shakers.

Already from the first event it was easy to see how much joy the festival brings people each year and I hope the rest of the festivities will be just as successful.

It has been a quieter week.

I have had a number of meetings this week to start planning some of the events and projects I would like to deliver over the coming months.

My theme for the year is community. I chose it because I believe there has never been a more important time to celebrate the power of people coming together.
At a time when the world can often feel divided, I want to focus on the things that unite us and on making sure that everyone feels they have a place in our city.

So many of my events I have been planning are focused on how we can bring different parts of our community together.

One of the things I have particularly enjoyed so far as Mayor is meeting young people across Worcester. This week I have been starting to think about some projects I would like to set up with our high schools and sixth forms for this academic year.

I am hoping we can create opportunities for young people from across Worcester to get involved in civic life, meet people they might not normally meet and feel that their ideas and voices are valued.

Of course, an important part of this year is also raising awareness and funds for my chosen charity, Onside. Their work is rooted in the belief that everyone has the right to be valued and treated fairly.

I have already had so many great opportunities to work with them this year and the more I hear about their work, the more pleased I am to be supporting them, and I am looking forward to finding different ways to raise money and awareness for them over the coming months.

This weekend the diary gets a little busier again. I am really looking forward to the Worcester Festival. I hope this will showcase the work of so many brilliant people in our city. Hopefully it will be dry but if we do have more rain, I am sure we would be glad for it.

I am also looking forward to the Worcestershire Chess Congress. I already know so many keen chess players have signed up to this huge event in the Worcester Chess calendar and I am looking forward to presenting the awards. I just hope they don’t ask me to play chess with them because I wouldn’t stand a chance.

It should be a great weekend and, after a week of planning what is coming next, I am looking forward to getting back out and seeing more of Worcester in action.

One of the highlights of my week was visiting Debutots at Juniper House (Sanctuary Care) where I joined one of their “Joining Generations with Imagination” sessions.

Since 2018, Debutots has been bringing pre-school children and care home residents together through music, stories, drama and play.

What began in a handful of care homes now reaches 26 across Worcestershire, creating opportunities for friendship and laughter between young and old.

It was wonderful to see the smiles on everyone’s faces and the genuine connections being formed.

Thank you to the wonderful Kirstin Reeves, who started the project and continues to run it across so many different venue. She must have endless energy.

Later in the week, I attended the commemoration marking the installation of a headstone for John Cecil Maggs.

They told the story of John who lived in Worcester from 1940 to 1984 and worked in the building trade.

After a difficult early life, including the loss of his mother at a young age, John struggled with his mental health and alcohol use.

In 1974 the house he was lodging in was sold making him homeless. Despite the hardship he endured, those who knew him remembered him as a kind and decent man who always took the time to speak to others living on the streets.

He died in 1984 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Astwood Cemetery.

His death highlighted the urgent need for support for people experiencing homelessness and 18 months later Maggs was formed.

In recent years Maggs has seen more people than ever pass through their doors so they are really searching for any support available.

Learning about John’s life made it all the more meaningful to see his previously unmarked grave now marked with a beautiful headstone.

It felt a fitting tribute, recognising not only one man’s story but the lasting legacy it has had in helping others.

I also had the great privilege of attending the opening ceremony of the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester Cathedral.

Dating back more than 300 years, it is the oldest music festival in the UK and remains one of the country’s most celebrated choral festivals.

As a musician, it was a real honour to attend in my mayoral robes alongside the Mayor of Hereford the Mayor of Gloucester and all of our Macebearers. I feel very lucky to have been able to witness such an important tradition.

The grandeur of Gloucester Cathedral, combined with the extraordinary standard of music, made for a truly memorable occasion.

It was also a wonderful reminder of the strong cultural links between our three cathedral cities and the rich musical heritage we continue to share.