August is traditionally a quieter month for the mayor and mayoress, but Lynn and I have had a fairly busy week.

We attended a consultation about tourism and were pleased to learn that many local people, organisations and businesses want to see Worcester attract more visitors. There were plenty of ideas and I think that councillors from all parties will try to develop them.

Having visited St Richard’s Hospice some weeks ago, I was delighted to welcome some of their patients for tea and coffee and a tour of the Guildhall. It was good to hear my visitors’ recollections of what our city was like when they were younger.

On Friday evening, Lynn accompanied me to The Horn and Trumpet in Angel Place. A charity karaoke night and raffle raised money for Crohns disease and colitis. The event was supported by Santander Bank which generously doubled the cash raised. These conditions cause their many sufferers regular discomfort, inconvenience and sometimes embarrassment because the intestine becomes inflamed. Surgery and medication help to control the situation but there is not yet any cure.

We visited the Worcester Arts Workshop Open Day on Saturday and were impressed by the wide range of artistic activities on offer. Next we welcomed French visitors from Vernon in Normandy to the parlour, hosted by the Twinning Association. I was interested to learn that there was a direct connection between the Vernon family in our county and the eponymous French town.

In the evening, the Heraldry Congress was held with a banquet and exhibition at the University, and we were very happy to attend. Worcester received a prestigious heraldry award a few months ago and we were delighted that this national organisation chose to hold their event in our city.