Nothing that I’ve done this week – indeed, throughout my entire mayoral year so far – can have made a fraction of the impact of the week’s Big News.

Of course, I’m referring to the floods, and my thoughts are with everyone who’s been affected.  And let’s face it, that means us ALL.

Whether or not it’s down to environment change nobody can know for sure, but one initiative that earned my respect this week was the WASUP (World Against Single Use Plastic) clean-up operation on the canal when the message was forcefully pushed home: that we can no longer expect somebody else to take responsibility for the future of our planet. We must all do our bit.

It’s been an exceptionally busy time, including a meeting with representatives of my four charities to discuss more fund-raising activities; and hosting more than a hundred students from Freiherr-vom-Stein Gymnasium from our twin town of Kleve.

I also witnessed one of the most inspiring presentations I’ve heard in many a long year: an appraisal of the Government’s long-term People Plan for the NHS and integrated health and social care, delivered by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby at the University’s Riverside Building.  Every word struck a chord with me.

The weather once more played its dead hand on an occasion that would otherwise have proved a very welcome highlight: Worcester Re-Enactors re-living various stages in the city’s history at the annual Living History pageant.

Meanwhile, I do so hope that the Reverend Darren Smith’s Love the Arboretum event celebrating all aspects of life in this vibrant quarter of the city, will be become an annual feature.

And so to more mundane things. Monday’s briefing ahead of the full City Council meeting on Tuesday proved a muted affair as the weather and its impact had led to the postponing of much of the agenda to next month, with just the constitutional necessities up for discussion.

As for me, I’m taking a week off, with mayoral duties left in the very capable hands of my deputy, Cllr. Jo Hodges. Bye for now.