As Deputy Mayor it is always an honour to step in for the Mayor when he is away and to represent the Faithfull City.

Being invited by Colin Kinnear OBE, founder of the Bransford Trust, to the fantastic Three Choirs Festival has been a highlight for me. Colin and the Trust have supported this world class festival for many years and have done so much good for the city in so many ways that it was only fitting that he was honoured by Her Majesty The Queen with an OBE this summer.

People often don’t realise how difficult it is to perform or speak in front of large crowds – although it’s an occupational hazard if you’re in the public limelight and a profession such as ours! It’s obviously even harder for children, which is one of the reasons I was so impressed by the pupils in a production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory through All Sorts Of Performing Arts Centre at Bishop Perowne High School. It was a wonderful rendition with a modern twist and it was a joy to see the children produce a fine and confident performance in only five days. Very impressive!

Then it was time for the Worcester Foodie Festival and I found myself being grilled (instead of the fish he was cooking!) by celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. In front of a packed crowd at the newly opened Cathedral Square, Jean-Christophe, like a true professional, charmed and wooed the crowd with his envious long hair and rich French accent, whilst giving me some banter.

Cathedral Square looked magnificent and served the purpose it was designed for extremely well. It’s a much-needed open public space for events like these.

It was heartening to see that there were so many varieties of food on offer at the festival and a significant amount from local independent food operators. It is important to support our independents to keep that unique edge that Worcester has. Well done Worcester BID (Business Improvement District) for a successful weekend.