Mayor of Worcester Blog

Last Saturday afternoon the mayoress and I attended the Royal Life Saving Society Honours presentation in the Cathedral. These are national awards, and recipients had travelled from as far as the Republic of Ireland and Northern Scotland to attend.

In the evening the Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra held their first concert since the Covid pandemic began, at St. Martin’s Church. The mayoress and I were treated to Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto (featuring solo performances by Svetlana Mochalova (Cello), Anne Bolt (Piano) and Martin Cropper (Violin)), and Elgar’s Symphony No. 1.

On Sunday I travelled to Redditch to attend the Borough’s Civic Service. The Mayor Councillor Gareth Prosser’s talented granddaughter performed an excerpt from Roland Dahl’s Matilda, who she is currently playing in the stage musical.

Thursday was Armistice Day.  I joined the ceremony at the War Memorial outside the Cathedral and laid a wreath on behalf of the City of Worcester. In the afternoon I attended an honours presentation in the Guildhall. The presentation was by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Brigadier Roger Brunt CBE to Richard John Campbell, who received an MBE.  British Empire Medals were also presented to Tonia Enderbury, the Chief Officer of Droitwich CVS and Craig Browne, vice-chairman of Droitwich Rugby Club.

On Friday afternoon the mayoress and I went to Sixways to attend the Cecil Duckworth Memorial Lunch. Back in 2009 when my wife was mayor, he was granted Freedom of the City of Worcester.

Finally, on the Friday evening we went to Worcester Sixth Form College to see their dazzling production of Chicago.

As we enter November, during the early part of this month we focus on remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedoms.  We also recognise and celebrate those who have gained their academic and vocational qualifications.

On Sunday the mayoress and I joined other dignitaries in Gheluvelt Park for the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regimental Association Service. The service was conducted by Rev Colin Butler and wreaths were laid at the memorial. Afterwards I joined members of the Regimental Association at Barbourne Ex-Servicemen’s Club.

On Monday I was at the University of Worcester Graduation Dinner in the Worcester Arena. It was a fantastic occasion – especially for the graduates from 2020 and 2021 at the dinner. I was seated next to Christopher Burdon, who was awarded a University Fellowship at the Graduation Ceremony in the Cathedral the following day.

It was a privilege to attend the following morning’s graduation ceremony and see the many nursing graduates receive their degrees. The University Chancellor HRH The Duke of Gloucester was in attendance and in my capacity as Mayor, I was honoured to be seated next to him on the platform. Before the graduation ceremony we were given a tour of the newly opened Undercroft at the Cathedral; this space is already proving its worth for educational and cultural activities.

On Wednesday it was time to recognise the achievements of apprentices across Herefordshire and Worcestershire at the Annual Apprentice Awards Evening at Sixways Stadium. Certificates were presented to apprentices in Commerce and Engineering, with special awards for those with outstanding performance. Due to Covid restrictions last year awards for both 2020 and 2021 were given out.

Finally, as I mentioned in my column last week, Worcester has just hosted the Elgar Festival. On Saturday the mayoress and I attended the Gala Concert in the Cathedral and heard a fantastic rendition of Elgar’s Enigma Variations performed by the Worcestershire based English Symphony Orchestra.

 

This week has been relatively quiet regarding mayoral engagements, probably a reflection on it being half term. On Sunday morning I joined members of the Worcester Vigornia Rotary Club in planting crocus bulbs in St. Andrew’s Gardens to mark “End Polio Now Day” – an annual event held on 24 October. The vaccine developed 65 years ago by Dr Jonas Salk has meant Polio has almost been eradicated worldwide and only exists in a few pockets where there is still resistance to the vaccine. Food for thought while we are advised to take our Covid and Flu immunisations.

On Thursday I was pleased to welcome Lord Richard Faulkner to the Guildhall to give the Mayor’s Annual Lecture on Railways of Worcester, Past, Present and Future. As a bit of a train buff myself, I was thrilled to hear his fascinating talk at this event that raised funds for my mayoral charities.

On Friday I opened the Severn Angels Housing and Support accommodation which supports homeless women in Worcester. After cutting the ribbon I gave a short speech about the homeless issue in Worcester and why we need to collectively come together to tackle this situation and improve the quality of life for these individuals. The event stressed importance of same-sex accommodation to help end homelessness for women.

Worcester loves a festival, and this weekend we celebrate the life and works of Sir Edward Elgar. This festival began in 2018 and came about as a result of a motion to Council from my previous fellow ward councillor Alan Feeney. On Friday evening I attended the Festival Launch Reception, followed by a concert featuring Elgar’s Strings with Raphael Wallfisch and the English Symphony Orchestra.

There are many events taking place over the weekend.  Further information on how to purchase tickets can be found on the festival website at https://elgarfestival.org.

This morning I am outside the Guildhall for the launch of the 2021 Royal British Legion Worcestershire County Poppy Appeal. This is always a moving occasion, where representatives from the British Legion are in attendance and the bugler sounds the Last Post.

 

Last Sunday the Mayoress and I were at St John’s Church in Bromsgrove for the Civic Service of Bromsgrove District Council, to support the Chairman, Councillor Rod Laight in his year of office.  On Friday we also attended his charity Wine Tasting and Grazing event, which was held at the Old Rose and Crown, Lickey.

On Tuesday I was delighted to re-open the newly refurbished outdoor pitches at Perdiswell Leisure Centre. The new, luscious 4G pitches at Perdiswell are a big improvement on the old AstroTurf.  After cutting the ribbon I met members of the Walking Football club who were using the facility. Walking football is an enjoyable way for older adults who enjoy football to socialise and keep fit.

The highlight of the week was on Thursday, when I attended Light Night Worcester 2021 – a free event that is part of the series of Arches Festivals that continue to take place around our city. The mayoress and I met Min Sowden from Severn Arts and the organisers and sponsors of the event at the Undercroft in the Cathedral beforehand.

When dusk fell, we joined the queue to see “Lilliput by imitating the dog” at the Old Palace. As both residents and representatives of Warndon Villages, it was a thrill to see local children from the Lyppard Grange Primary school being projected onto the façade of the Old Palace showing their imaginative ideas.

In Cathedral Square the crowds were entertained and amazed by two giant stag puppets that comprised “Ghost Caribou”, performed by the Thingumajig Theatre. Wearing my mayoral chain, I handed out mayoral badges to many happy children.

As Mayor I spent many hours in the Guildhall, and it was therefore fantastic to see “Ring the Changes” by Illuminos. This incredible illuminated display projected onto the front of the building told the story of Worcester’s past and some of the many Guilds the city used to have. There were a total of eight sets of projection art and performances around the city centre.

Finally, this morning I made a speech in the Guildhall to celebrate Black History Month. In my speech I acknowledged the hard history many black people have experienced, but also pointed out the many achievements they have made.