I have been blessed recently attending a large number of cultural and youth events where so much amazing talent was on display that it reinforced my faith in the city’s young people. Starting off with a performance of Fiddler on the Roof by Great Witley Operatic Society at the Swan Theatre; then the Worcestershire Young Musicians Showcase 2015 at Huntingdon Hall left me in awe listening to such diverse and extraordinary talent coming along from students, some as young as 10 years old – and thank you Gill Lumsdon for all your hard work and commitment. Then yet more up-and-coming young talent in music, drama, and readings was on display when I presented awards at the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival at the RGS.

It was good to meet Shakira Rawlins, who is studying journalism at the University, to do an interview with me about the City of Culture issue and I was delighted that she did accurately report what I had actually said.

Even cutting the ribbon to open the new and larger Vodaphone store in The Shambles felt like a young person’s event as all the staff were noticeably young and enthusiastic, and so they should be as that event was further proof of the vibrancy of our High Street shopping centre.

 

Planting a tree in Gheluvelt Park (in between showers) to recognize the tree-mendous(!) work done by the Friends of Gheluvelt Park over the years enabled me to thank them with what hopefully will be a long-lasting legacy. Thank you to the Friends’ Chairman Allen Barnatt and all his colleagues.

I was very proud and honoured to have presented the 15 and 20 year service awards at the Worcester Male Voice Choir Annual Presentation Lunch in such a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. Well done lads for sharing your talent with the rest of us, and thanks to Geoff Ruddock and others for your hard work and dedication.

My guests in the Mayor’s Parlour this week included the school council from Oldbury Park Primary School, and what a delightful group of polite and interested pupils they were in their strikingly smart maroon uniforms. I also welcomed a group of students from Tudor Grange Academy, some of whom had been in the Christmas production of Flippin’ Freezin’ and, in particular, the student who had taken the part of the Mayor.