The Mayoress and I enjoyed visiting Worcester Snoezelen. This charity, based at the University’s St John’s Campus, provides a wide variety of multi-sensory experiences, including hydrotherapy, which help many people with mental and physical disabilities.

One of the pleasures of being Mayor is hosting school visits to the Guildhall and there were two this week. German students from our twin city of Kleve came first, on an exchange with Worcester Royal Grammar School. Next, Spanish children called, accompanied by their hosts from Lyppard Grange Primary School. Young people appreciate our magnificent Guildhall, marvelling at its history, the stunning Assembly Room and the prison cells. They ask interesting questions – one asked where in the building my bedroom was!

Latimer Court Care Home had their High Tea on Friday. My consort, Lucinda, and I were entertained by a wonderful saxophonist. One resident, Dorothy Capper, read her own amusing monologues, reminding me of Yorkshire playwright Alan Bennett. I discovered that, by an amazing coincidence, Dorothy not only came from the town where I was born, but her husband Ron had been my PE teacher there!

The English Association of Male Voice Choirs Annual Concert, hosted  by Worcester Male Voice Choir at the cathedral, was a real treat. The six massed choirs raised the roof with works from Verdi, Mozart, Handel, Humperdinck and Leonard Cohen, augmented by soprano soloist Claire Bessent, organist Keith Hearnshaw and the Birmingham Horn Sound.

Following my theme for the year of “No community left behind”, I was pleased to fly the Rainbow Flag over the Guildhall during the vigil in memory of 49 members of the LGBT community who were killed in an Orlando nightclub.

I also attended the ceremony to raise the Armed Forces Day flag and my busy week ended with the annual general meeting of Worcester Samaritans, a vital charity of trained volunteers who help the growing number of our residents facing despair and even contemplating suicide.