That’s it. The month of fasting for Ramadhan is over, and guess what?  I’ve put on weight!

At least, the magnificent mayoral chain still fits – and a good job too as it’s been a hectic, action-packed week with Mister Elgar of Worcester dominating, but not quite taking over.

But first, a few words to correct those who were worried that I may have been giving away your hard-earned Council tax to a worthy, although essentially Asian, cause.  The £2,500 I mentioned last week came through donations made by my fellow worshippers at the mosque:  not a penny of it came from public funds.

My, but what a go, Go, GO week it’s been!  Anxious to get cracking on pet projects, I called Tim Booker of the Canal and River Trust into the Parlour to kick around potential fund-raising ideas for a big tidy-up of the canal from Diglis to Blackpole, including steps to improve water quality.  As they say, watch this space!

Then it was all pomp and circumstance with no enigmas but plenty of variation for the three-day celebration of the work of perhaps Worcester’s greatest son: Mr, later Sir of course, Edward Elgar.  To hear his music played in the setting of our wonderful Cathedral, any religion differences soon forgotten, is an experience that left me truly humbled.

I was also humbled at an event hosted by the City Council at the Commandery on Tuesday.  There I met more than 120 amazing and selfless people, all volunteers for many of our most worthy organisations – every single one of whom deserves, and gets, my all-out respect.

And then on the same day, two events of a kind I always look forward to – welcoming awestruck schoolchildren into the Parlour:  in the morning, 36 (‘sechsunddreißig’) exchange pupils and their teachers from Germany, and in the afternoon a similar number (‘treinta y seis’) from Spain.

Sandwiched in between was the opening of Helping Hands’ shop in Broad Street.

I can’t pretend I wasn’t relieved when Eid and the end of fasting came around on Wednesday:  at this rate of official events, I’m going to need all the  strength I can muster!