My consort Phil and I greatly enjoyed a visit to the Richard III exhibition in aid of the Mayor of Gloucester’s charities. Guests were able to see the reconstructed head of the monarch and a royal charter which he had given to the City of Gloucester. Worcester’s new City Centre Premier Inn received its official opening after a busy Gold Cup week. Guests can enjoy superb views of either the cricket pitch or the river, as well as superior accommodation and friendly, professional staff. A pair of exhausted canoeists staggered into the Anchor Inn in Worcester this week after a two-day paddle along the River Severn, all the way from Welshpool in Wales. They had braved freezing rain and extreme fatigue to raise money for Sport Relief. Congratulations to them for their heroic effort! I spent a wonderfully entertaining morning with the young people of WODYS (Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society’s Youth Section), who were rehearsing their next production, Footloose. I’ve never seen a poor WODYS performance and they did not disappoint this time. Theatre goers will not want to miss this exhilarating musical. Worcester University Wheelchair Basketball team visited the Mayor’s Parlour at the Guildhall this week. This impressive sports team are current national champions of the Universities’ Wheelchair Basketball League.  They tell me that their biggest asset is the quality of their teamwork. While I feel sure that is true, I imagine there is more to their success than that – it probably involves hard slog and a large helping of skill, not to mention sweat and tears.