Mayor of Worcester Blog

A remarkable week by any standards, the end of which saw me reaching for my umbrella and a handy lamp-post to swing around in the rain. But more of that later…

Several times this week the importance of mental health has been brought home.  In short, it needs just as much care and attention as the physically visible kind.  That’s why three remarkable events this week have stood out…

On Thursday in the Guildhall, an exhibition of photographs taken by people battling against enduringly difficult odds, during a course run by New Opportunities Worcester. ‘Touched’ comes nowhere near summing-up my feelings.

Later the same day, Headway Worcestershire’s AGM and 30th anniversary. This amazing organisation was one of my nominated charities in my first term and is again this year – and to hear the tally of current success tales as well as its plans for forging ahead in the future proved a huge thrill.  More tales of caring work brought to the fore at the Mental Health Awareness drop-in event at the Angel Centre on Saturday.

In between, the notion that there’s just not enough hours in the day flashed in front of me several times …

Music to be enchanted by at the Chamber Music@Worcester reception and ‘Forests, Fjords and Fairytales’ concert in Claines Church on Friday evening, heralding three days of free musical events, with Astaria String Quartet in the Astarrying role!

Judging by the huge number of customers eagerly awaiting the opening of the new Hobbycraft store at Blackpole, I can see this lovely company emerging as one of the city’s great success stories this year – I hope so anyway.

I was delighted to join Worcester Civic Society in its all-day celebration of 60 years’ sterling service to helping preserve our Worcester.  Two more civic events occurred as Saturday rolled into Sunday: Redditch mayor Roger Bennett’s autumn charity supper which raised £450 on the night, followed the next morning by Bromsgrove DC Civic service, hosted by Cllr Rod Laight.

And then an experience: WODS’ Singin’ in the Rain at the Swan.  Doo-be-do-doob, doobie-do-be-doo-doob.  Wonderful.

All weeks sparkle, but some positively dazzle – and this was one of those weeks, with four celebrations where I walked in procession with fellow mayors of nearby towns.  At times there was so much gold on display that sunglasses would have been a welcome accessory: of which, more later!

Sunglasses were not required for Age UK’s Reconnections Outdoor Lounge last Friday; a street market held to raise awareness of the terrific work undertaken locally by the organisation previously known as Age Concern.  Such a shame about the weather, though.  Later in the day, I made another visit to the dazzling Stanbrook Abbey for the Worcestershire Association of Carers’ AGM and Conference.

And talking of dazzling locations….  such is Perdiswell Pool where I watched, amazed and lost for words, Worcester Swimming’s Club Autumn Open Meet on Saturday, involving 400 swimmers and at least as many spectators from 32 local swimming clubs.  From what I saw, my confident prediction is that it won’t be long before Worcestershire has representation in the Olympic swimming contingent, for sure.

The season of mayoral civic services continues: at Redditch on Sunday, followed by a cross-county dash to Tenbury, both events confirming my belief that this is still the age of the chain!  More gold on display in the Cathedral in the evening for the Farmers’ Harvest Festival, crops and produce demonstrating that when it comes to colour, Nature wins every time!

The Mayor’s badge and chain continued to draw admiring glances at Ledbury’s October Fair on Monday – as it did on Wednesday when I was utterly wowed by the work of children at Fort Royal School.  They have embarked on a ‘Time to be Seen’ project, recording images of Worcester for posterity – but with a difference.  In 3D!  Stunning.

But back to dazzling… how can I pen a weekly diary without remarking on this week’s awesome achievement in raising the required £500,000 for little Oscar Saxelby-Lee’s treatment.  Fingers crossed that much of the same spirit will be shown through my appeal for victims of the devastating earthquake in Kashmir…

 

 

 

There hasn’t been much time to sit down and reflect on my hectic whirl as mayor – but I did a bit of it this week, when I was permitted to sit in the actual chair that countless thousands of patients were strapped in and operated on at Worcester Infirmary, for the best part of 200 years. I can’t imagine what was going through their minds at the time, but I can say what was going through mine!  What a boost to tourism we could have if a medical history trail could be created taking in The George Marshall Medical Museum at Newtown, the old Infirmary in Silver Street and the newer one in Castle Street.  Watch this space!

Twinning:  now there’s another issue that Worcester excels at – and meeting the Twinning Association to hear plans for up-coming events proved illuminating.  Can you name all of Worcester’s twin towns?  Allow me… Kleve, Le Vésinet, Ukmerge, Worcester (Mass), Vernon and Gouzeaucourt, every one of which the city is proud to be associated with.

I’ve always taken an interest in Worcester Wheels, one of my mayoral charities, and it was a real pleasure to unveil another addition to its fleet this week.

Then on Friday it was best behaviour for lunch with Worcester’s permanent judge Robert Juckes and the Chairman of the Bench for the swearing-in of six new magistrates.  I proved rather less buttoned-up at Worcester Arena later that day, when Worcester Wolves gave London Lions a right old seeing-to.  Nor was I especially quiet and sedate at the Rotary Club’s Harvest Supper and Barn Dance at Hollymount School – it was only the weight of the chain that kept slowing me down, honest!

An extra- special week in all, made even more hectic by celebrating 15 years’ success for Chris Partington’s Zebra Architects; starting the charity walk for the Oscar Appeal; attending the Hop Festival in the Hop Market; attending the Droitwich Civic Service; and going to the 101st birthday party of KGV Playing Fields volunteer, Biddy Furlong.  Whew…would someone please find me a chair?

 

Most weeks I look over the past seven days to decide what’s been the highlight.  This week I didn’t bother….they were ALL highlights!

Mid-week a most pleasant duty, handing over well-deserved National Citizen Service certificates to around 200 children.  Their tales fill me with admiration.

The Mayor’s Parlour twice became animated with foreign students this week: 26 Spanish estudiantes hosted by Tudor Grange, and then a few days later 20 more étudiants from Lille: did you spot how fluent je suis becoming in picking up bits of different languages there?

What’s to say about the City of Worcester Sports awards presentation at the Arena last Thursday?  In addition to Steve Cram and the BBC’s Dan Pallett as Master of Ceremonies, everyone there was a VIP – none less so than the sponsors who made it all happen.

The weekend proved all-go: six events back-to-back, each of which would have qualified as the highlight in any ‘normal’ week:  Guildhall Heritage Day; the crowds queueing to see the Guildhall give up some of its secrets (hectic); Footlights Stage School Open Day; being wowed by Tudor Grange Academy youngsters’ song-and-dance (brilliant, utterly); Pershore Charity Brass Band Concert in the company of civic dignitaries from all around (sparkling).

Bright and early the next day, I fired the starting gun for the 4,000 runners taking part in Air Products’ Worcester City Run (dazzling, as was the weather).  It was my loss that I had to miss the end, but it was all in a good cause – the unveiling of the Midlands Air Ambulance cardiac car (fantastic, not least as it will be stationed at Worcester to provide the fastest possible treatment for cardiac arrest victims).  And in the evening, the installation of the Reverend Dr Stephen Edwards as residentiary Canon at the cathedral (moving, intensely so).

‘Touched’ best sums-up my reaction to meeting the parents of tragic student Tom Jones who drowned in the river exactly a year ago this week. On Monday the Royal Life Saving Society installed new emergency equipment – a crucial addition to the riverside.