Monday 14^th: Catching up day!

Tuesday 15^th: Tim Clark, Editor of the ”Worcester Standard”, and I had our regular “one to one” in the Parlour to chat about mayoral activities and the Worcester scene in general.

Later Cllr Simon Geraghty (Leader of the City Council) and Duncan Sharkey (Managing Director) came for their monthly “mayoral audience” to ensure that I am fully in the picture over a variety of issues.

The ‘Friends of the Museum of Worcester Porcelain’ have as their prime objective to support the Museum to fulfill its principal role as the world’s foremost place of reference for the industrial and social history of porcelain manufacture in the City of Worcester. The Friends are even more important since the closure of the Royal Worcester Company in 2009. This evening their AGM, Chaired by Sir Michael Perry, and Dinner were held surrounded by the wonderful porcelain exhibits. If anyone values what the Museum represents then there is no better way to show support than by becoming a member of the Friends. The magazine, ‘The Melting Pot’, will keep you in touch with developments and gain fresh insights into the personalities and stories associated with the 360 years of Worcester Porcelain activity.

Wednesday 16^th: The Trustees (the Mayor is a Trustee for his / her year of office) of The Dyson Perrins Museum Trust, which owns the Worcester Porcelain Museum, met in the museum. As with all organisations like this there are great challenges ahead. However the determination of the Trustees is clear regarding the importance of the Museum as internationally paramount. The Museum houses the world’s largest collection of Worcester porcelain dating back to 1751 and the Victorian gallery, the ceramic collections, archives and records of factory production, form the primary resource for the study of Worcester porcelain and its history.

Charles William Dyson Perrins (1864 – 1958) was born in Claines, Worcester, the son of James Dyson Perrins, the owner of the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce Factory and who had also been a Director of Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory. Charles followed him, becoming a Director in 1891 and Chairman in 1901. In 1927, he purchased the Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory’s historic ceramics collection and in 1946, he established the Perrins Trust to unite the factory museum collection and his own private holdings of Royal Worcester. His widow established the “Dyson Perrins Museum” at the factory site to house the collection. [Information from “Wikipedia”]

There is huge potential for sporting success in Worcestershire. Enthusiasm and achievements were celebrated at the Annual Sports Awards (Sports Partnership Herefordshire & Worcestershire) and dinner held at “Sixways” this evening in association with BBC Hereford & Worcester. The Sports Partnership is an alliance between the eight local authorities of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, NHS Herefordshire, NHS Worcestershire, Sport England, University of Worcester, national governing bodies of sport and other key organisations. By working together these organisations are committed to ensuring that everybody has an equal opportunity to partake and stay safe in sport.

Thursday 17^th: My two charities (Leukaemia Care and Worcester Farmers’ Overseas Action Group) and I met this morning to review our fund-raising activities. The next main one will be on Thursday 15^th December at the Guildhall when the Elgar Chorale, directed by Donald Hunt, will perform a concert. It should be a great evening….please come.

Two children, Raul Pena and Lia Silva from St. George’s CE School, helped me switch on the City’s Christmas Lights this evening in the presence of a huge crowd outside the Guildhall. A wonderful spectacle. Children, also from St. George’s, performed a drumming routine much to the delight of everyone. The Samba Santas and Howard Bentham from BBC Hereford and Worcester added to the occasion.

The Samba Santas entertaining the crowd outside the Guildhall gates

Thence we processed in civic robes and regalia to Crown Gate for the turning on of more Christmas lights. A fun evening and no rain!!

Christmas Lights 2011 on Worcester High Street

Friday 18^th: The Worcester Heart Support Group (WHSG) (see 1^st November 2011) with Donna Stokes of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) met informally with me in the Parlour. We discussed the BHF idea of “Heart Cities” the aim being to increase the awareness of heart disease (especially coronary artery heart disease) and promote the treatment, rehabilitation and research. We were all excited about the possibilities and decided to explore the issues further.

Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust (see 12^th October 2011) is a registered charity, offering a network of care and support to life-limited and life-threatened children and their families across the heart of England. Acorns has three hospices, situated in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester as well as a Community Team that offer support to families in their homes. Jane and I were invited to visit the Worcester Hospice in the Bath Road and to discuss the work with the Head of Care, Peter Morris. I thought I knew of most of the services provided but I learnt much more this afternoon.

“Oh! What a Night! And it was! A real “feel-good feast of song, dance and comedy” presented this evening by the Worcester Musical Theatre Company in the Swan Theatre and to support the Royal British Legion. All the performers were magnificent and especially the Claines CE Primary School Drummers. If you are interested in the WMTC then contact Cath Skyrme on membership@worcestermusicaltheatre.co.uk. and see their web site www.worcestermusicaltheatre.co.uk.

Saturday 19^th: “The Dream of Gerontius” was composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1900 and based on the text of the poem by John Henry Newman. It portrays the journey of a man’s soul from his dying, to God’s judgment and thence into Purgatory. It is Elgar’s finest choral work. The Worcester Festival Choral Society with the Chameleon Arts Orchestra and conductor Adrian Lucas performed magnificently in the Cathedral. The packed audience was enthralled. What a privilege and joy to be there!

Sunday 20^th: It is very fitting at this time that we should honour ALL who have died as a consequence of conflict and war. So this morning, with the Royal British Legion we held a Service, conducted by Rev. Canon Paul Tongue, in Astwood Cemetery to remember those buried in the cemetery including a number of prisoners of war (Germans and Italians). We placed small wooden crosses beside each grave and wreaths at the war memorial.