Mayor of Worcester Blog

The Take Pride volunteers’ Thank You event at The Guildhall saw many people receive awards for the work they do for others in the community – testament to the nature of our City. Allan Barnett, Chair of the Friends of Gheluvelt Park, was singled out for particular praise.

Separately, the Lions Club of Worcester, who also give so much of their time fundraising for worthy causes, did me the highest honour by making me an Honorary Lion at their 45th Charter Dinner.

Most of Friday was spent in the Cathedral participating in our University’s Graduation ceremonies, watching so many students about to take on the challenges of the real and often hostile big wide world out there.

Hosting an Open Day in the Guildhall Parlour for the 150th Anniversary of the Mayoral Chain demonstrated another aspect of my open-door policy – reaching out to people to interest them in the work of the Mayoralty. Both adults and children enjoyed trying on the Chain and getting a photo.  The Chain’s fame lies in its uniqueness of being solid gold.

It was a pleasure to open the Kids Run Free running event at Cob House Fisheries. Worcester is its 15th location and is designed to create fun by awakening children’s enthusiasm for sport and outdoor activities. Even though I was sinking into the mud in the pouring rain, the kids loved it! How refreshing to see children not glued to some mobile phone with plugs stuck in their ears gawping at a computer screen.

During lunch with Mr Sardar Sadiq, the Speaker of the Pakistani National Assembly, I told him that Benazir Bhutto, the murdered former Prime Minister, was an Oxford University friend of mine. Mr Sadiq accepted my invitation to pay an official visit to see more of the City, and he graciously reciprocated. Thank you Councillor Allah Ditta for organising the event at short notice.

Having attended the Installation of the new Archdeacon of Worcester in the Cathedral and then welcoming the Reverend Julie-Ann Watson as Team Rector at St Barnabas, it was heartening to see that the ecclesiastical life of the City is flourishing.

Finally, hosting tea in The Parlour is always a pleasure – this week for Ruth and Barry Dixon; and Julie, Adrian and Holly Tidberough.

A mixture of sadness, pride, and fun this week.

Laying a wreath at Astwood Road Cemetery in remembrance of prisoners of war was another timely reminder of what war actually means. The Lights of Love in aid of St. Richards Hospice was an opportunity to celebrate the memories of our loved ones who are no longer with us. After the Cathedral service, we processed down to St. Andrew’s Spire where we placed our lit candles on the ground. The Worcester Festival Choral Society’s Faure Requiem in the Cathedral was a piece of very moving beauty which felt very apt at that time.  Congratulations to the WFCS Chairman, Ben Cooper.

Pride came with my visit to Perry Wood Primary School for their World War One Tea Party where the children had made so many beautiful art and craft items. It was difficult to choose a winner, because every item was a winner in my mind. My thank you was to invite the reception class winners to The Parlour for tea and cakes.  And how nice it was to see the children talking to the many residents from the local Care Homes who had been invited along.

I was immensely proud at Tudor Grange Academy’s Prize evening in the Cathedral. As so many of my constituents’ children go there, it was heart-warming to see so many familiar names picking up their awards. And, again, at the Worcestershire Group Training Association Annual Apprentice Awards Evening at Sixways, I saw so many young people realising their potential having attained the right level and type of skills to pursue careers they were obviously enjoying. There’s a message there for all our students in schools and colleges.

The fun part was turning on the Christmas Lights outside The Guildhall from the top of a double-decker bus. The crowds were amazing and stretched as far as I could see up to Foregate Street Station. As that moment marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, I urged everybody to enjoy the extra shopping hours and be happy.

As always, the Swan Theatre came up trumps with their production of “Noises Off”, a very fitting farcical way to end another wonderful week.

 

 

 

 

 

The Remembrance Sunday Ceremony attracted the largest crowds ever, testament to the honour and gratitude we all owe to the heroes who gave us everything they had – their lives. The Woodbine Willie commemoration in St. John’s cemetery in the afternoon and the Remembrance Day wreath laying reinforced this message.

My father was at Dunkirk, Kohima, and Gloucester Hill in Korea. Surviving just one of those battles would have been remarkable, but to have survived all three was certainly against the odds. Where would this country be today without heroes like that?

In remembering all the wars since the Second World War, let me draw your attention to the large plaque above the Roll of Honour in The Guildhall. This took me over one year’s determined effort to get put up some years ago, to commemorate all those killed in the more recent conflicts, such as Korea, who do not have a memorial of their own.

The Never Forget musical at The Swan Theatre was high energy song and dance, but also had a serious underlying message – well done to Dick Saunders – as did the opening of the World War One in The Words of Worcestershire People exhibition, at the City Art Gallery.

My sporting prowess continued to be tested with a really lovely event, opening the first Filipino Winter Basketball League at Bishop Perowne school. For a few seconds, I felt very athletic tossing the ball to start the first game of the tournament; then I quickly got out of the way! (British players are also involved.)  Basketball is tremendous fun to watch – it’s such a fast-moving all-year-round sport, a good alternative to football. And thank you for making me so welcome.

The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Sports Awards at Sixways was a high tech affair, during which we heard some moving stories about players’ struggles to succeed. Persistence is clearly the dominant factor.

This was clearly demonstrated by Worcester City last Sunday, with their epic FA Cup First Round victory over Coventry.  I’d like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all the players; this city is so proud of you.

Commemorating the Battle of Gheluvelt of 1914 was a strong theme last week.  I saw off Andrew Trickett and a group of cyclists early one morning, and two Morgan car drivers on another, all making journeys from Worcester to Gheluvelt in Belgium to support worthwhile causes.

At the Centenary Commemoration in Gheluvelt Park I was given the very highest honour of inspecting the troops (and the Mascot, a ram called Private Derby XXX.) I told the troops how incredibly proud the whole City is of them and I repeated this message at the Banquet in the evening.

 

As always, I’ve met a number of tremendous charity fundraisers. At the Lions Club District Governors Wife’s Appeal dinner we saw harrowing films about homelessness and hopelessness. The dinner, cooked by those who were once homeless or who continue to be homeless, shows how highly skilled somebody can become given the opportunity. On a lighter note, I remember the event because a rather determined and persistent lady kept loudly accosting me with “I want your pants.” Not knowing whether my luck had changed or whether she was just drunk, I first tried to ignore her but when that didn’t work, I promised to let her have a washed pair when my Mayoralty ends!

The Crowngate hosted two very worthwhile public service events, namely the Big Energy Saving Week campaign and the WCT Volunteer Fair. Although we all dash from one shop to another, it’s worth taking a few minutes to talk to stallholders trying to do a good turn for us and others.

I was so excited to light the bonfire, the size of a block of flats, on Pitchcroft on Saturday to open the Round Table Bonfire Night. The press of a button (no naked torch, thanks to health & safety) and flames went up in an instantaneous whoosh and crack. Thank you Round Table for organising this event. They are people who selflessly give their time and money to do good works for others, like The Lions Club above.

Do pop down soon to The Commandery to see the original and thought-provoking Exhibition of Digital Photographs. Well done Brian Bullock.

It’s always a pleasure to host tea in The Parlour, in this case for Jonathon Wood who won two prizes at the Summer Reading Challenge. Congratulations to Claire and Matt Wood for bringing up such a polite and considerate young man. He even gave his little sister the last piece of chocolate on the cake!