Mayor of Worcester Blog

On 17 February 1892 the Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society was launched in the Star Hotel in Foregate Street, now known as the White House Hotel. WODS celebrated its 125th anniversary at the same hotel on 17 February 2017 with a dinner dance.

I was delighted to address this event and to recognise the enormous social value which WODS has created in Worcester over so many years. WODYS is the youth section of WODS. Young people have learnt the performing arts, gaining confidence through the experience of being involved in WODYS. I have attended a number of their performances at the Swan Theatre which have been very professionally produced and extremely enjoyable. There is no doubt that Worcester would be a much duller place to live without the entertainment which organisations like WODS and WODYS provide for the benefit of our residents.

The heritage of our city has been celebrated all this week at events which are part of the Love Worcester Festival. On Saturday we visited the Commandery, where hundreds of re-enactors performed historic rolls which brought to life Worcester’s past. I enjoyed a beer served from a 1940s replica bar and was photographed wearing a Napoleonic soldier’s helmet – such fun!

On Sunday we were invited to lunch at Dancox House, home of 214 Battery in Pheasant Street. This was a fundraising event for ABF, The Soldiers’ Charity, which does so much good for soldiers and their families who need help.

On Monday morning we attended the funeral of a long serving employee of the City Council. Jenny-Anne Bowley tragically lost her fight against cancer all too soon and her smile and love of life will be sadly missed.

Later we opened the city’s latest fish and chip shop, the Newtown Fryer. I was served the first meal and it was delicious!

Forty high school students from our German twin town Kleve descended on The Guildhall on Thursday. I always enjoy showing off our grade 1 listed building and describing a little of its history. The German flag was flown in their honour. It is good to keep these links alive, especially during the uncertainty following last year’s referendum. German teachers told me they were sad that the UK was to leave the EU.

On Monday, auctioneer David Stuart-Smith from Andrew Grant visited to discuss my Charity Auction. This is shaping up to be an exciting and fun evening in The Guildhall on Friday 24th February. Following food, drink and music by six sassy ladies known as Sass Capella, over twenty lots will be auctioned. If you’re after a bargain day of rugby or cricket, a family short break, a year’s family entry to Slimbridge, a slap-up restaurant meal or a unique original painting or sculpture, this is the event for you! Tickets are available from the Tourist Information Centre at Guildhall, or online from EventBrite.

I launched the Love Worcester Heritage Festival on Tuesday. This runs from 18th to 26th February and offers free and fascinating half-term activities for the whole family. This festival promises to be the best ever and you can find more at http://www.visitworcestershire.org/worcester/Love-Worcester.aspx

On Wednesday, twenty wonderful members of Deaf Direct took my Guildhall Tour. A sign language interpreter ensured that they could both understand my words and ask questions. We also visited the Tolly Community Centre in my Rainbow Hill ward to watch young magicians show off their skills. Fifteen children had been taught to perform magic on a three-week course run by Miraculous Magic. I learned that this had greatly increased their confidence, whilst having a lot of fun. I love supporting ideas which enrich the lives of children from disadvantaged areas. No community should be left behind!

This week began with a visit to the new B&M store in Bath Road, to cut a ribbon and allow the first customers to tour the premises. The store’s manager, Andrew Bradley, escorted us round this new facility, which offers well known brands of a very wide variety of household items at low prices.

Andrew generously donated a valuable item which will be auctioned, with many other items, for my charities on Friday 24 February in the Guildhall.

On Sunday, we were guests of the Worcestershire Chinese Association at The Guildhall. The Association’s chairman, Mr Frankie Tsang, hosted the spectacular celebration of the Chinese New Year. We are now in the Year of the Rooster, the creature said to be the epitome of fidelity and punctuality. We were entertained by firecrackers and an amazing lion dance in front of the building, followed by martial arts, salsa dancing and magic. This was a wonderful free event for all who came, helping us to celebrate the diverse cultures which enrich our city.

A very special and infrequent event took place in The Guildhall on Tuesday. France’s highest military honour, the Légion d’Honneur, was awarded by the French Consul to war veteran Thomas Bridgewater, who landed on the Normandy beaches during the Second World War and helped liberate the French from occupation. This military award was only for French citizens until President Hollande decided that foreign service men and women who helped France could also be eligible. It was good to see so many of Tom’s friends and family in our Guildhall to celebrate this great occasion.

I was delighted to meet Colin Day in the Parlour on Wednesday. Colin was born in a house at the end of Perdiswell Street, and the street sign was on the outside wall near his bedroom window. It was replaced recently. Colin asked the City Council whether he could have the old sign, and I was pleased to present it to him.

Last Friday, Lynn and I attended County Hall to commemorate the Holocaust. This moving event reminded us, in words, images and music, of­ the genocide of Jewish people in the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War and also of other genocide since that time.

It was good to share this event with representatives of our Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths and to commit ourselves always to challenge racism and exclusion, as these are attitudes which eventually lead to the horrendous actions we recalled last week.

On Tuesday, we returned to our wonderful leisure centre at Perdiswell, where former Olympic runner Steve Cram joined representatives of the University, Freedom Leisure, The Samaritans and City Council to launch the Worcester Half-Marathon and 10K run. This will take place in September and will attract many visitors to our city.

Running is one of many activities now available in Worcester which help to keep us active and healthy, and I am very happy to support this new event.

The Tiny Tollys is a pre-school group based at the Tolly Centre in Rowan Avenue. We were delighted to join their first birthday party where we saw many small people having lots of fun. This facility is very much needed in this disadvantaged area and we want it to continue.   I understand that there is a small number of spaces for more children and hope that parents will take these up.

We really enjoyed watching Mother Goose, this year’s Kaye’s pantomime at the Swan theatre.

Both students and staff of Regency High School warmly welcomed us for a tour of their school and we were most grateful for their hospitality.

I hosted two groups of visitors to The Guildhall; students from New College and Tudor Grange Academy toured the building and learned about its history, ending another busy mayoral week.