Last weekend saw the best of the City; I was honoured to host the Lord Lieutenant, MP Robin Walker and local leaders to officially open photographer Mike Sheil’s Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace exhibition, which is located in Cathedral Square for the rest of the month..

Mike and the Lord Lieutenant powerfully delivered inspirational speeches regarding the First World War and the fact that this was a truly global War.  They particularly highlighted the vast number of lives which were sacrificed and lost for the Empire and the Crown from Africa and India –in fact many more than were lost from the UK. The exhibition is about peace and reconciliation.  We are privileged to have it here in Worcester – and it’s free, so I urge you to go and see it!

After that I made a quick dash up to Acorns Hospice to say a massive thank you to the volunteers and staff there who were celebrating their 30th Birthday.  Well done Acorns, keep up the great work!

The irony of the peace and reconciliation theme for the Fields of Battle exhibition was not lost when I attended the pro peace march in the city centre later that day.  I was proud and humbled to have witnessed the amount of people that came out in to support my message of Love not hate, and who made use of the Worcester News ‘Best of Worcester’ hashtag.

I would like to thank the Police, emergency services and other agencies for a brilliant and well managed operation.

In the evening we were joined by the Cromwell Association for a procession to the Commandery to mark the annual Drumhead Ceremony.  This was a delightful occasion as always, witnessed by around a hundred people on top of Fort Royal Hill.  It finished with a gun and cannon salute.

Finally I joined Cllr Chris Mitchell in the Guildhall to witness the Peaky Blinders themed boxing night.  Well done to the organisers and Guildhall staff for a well managed event – and to the participants who raised thousands for Birmingham Children’s Hospital – a cause close to my heart.

At the final count I was knocked out cold!  A day that truly showed the best of Worcester.