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As I warned readers
last time, I am not a natural diary writer, so I am only now getting
sufficiently organised to write Part 2. This month has been very busy for
me with over twenty commitments as Town Mayor.
In complete contrast, on Friday 13th June, we
went to the Colne School for a delightful evening of celebration bringing
to a close a visit by a group of American students from Southern Georgia.
This was part of an exchange programme that the Colne School is involved
in, whereby groups visit each other’s schools and are welcomed into the
community of each other’s country. It was an evening of great enthusiasm
and fun, with a lovely meal (prepared and served by the students), a
presentation of their week’s activities, the exchange of gifts between
the group members, and a musical entertainment by staff and students. The
Head Teacher from Georgia had flown in that day, with his wife, to join
the celebrations (including joining the musical surprise). It was a lovely
evening, with many promises of keeping touch being made.
Monday evening was
Town Council, and we were delighted to welcome Inspector Tony Dale and WPC
Tracey Greenwood, who came to talk about the reactive policing system that
Wivenhoe presently has. After a lengthy discussion about the problems that
we, as a community, feel that the police might be able to be more
proactive about, we offered to assist them in recruiting Specials to
enable us to have a visible police presence in the town. After this
discussion we moved on to the rest of our Agenda. Anyone interested in the
goings on at a Full Town Council meeting can read a copy of the minutes,
as they are posted in the Town Council noticeboard every month and also available through
this web site [click here]. On the 18th we held a
meeting of the William Loveless Hall Working Party, where we are in the
process of making a schedule of necessary repair work to be done over the
next year. The next ceremonial
event was a Summer Reception in the grounds of Wivenhoe House held by the
Vice Chancellor and his wife. It was a glorious evening, if a bit windy,
and we were able to mingle both inside the marquee and in the garden with
people with connections with Town and Gown. At the weekend, it was Open Gardens – all 22 of them! Over the two day period I managed to visit each one, and I was touched by the lovely welcome that I received at every garden. The variety and beauty of all the gardens quite took my breath away – and when asked which one I liked the best, I had to say that it was impossible to choose – they were all wonderful in the individual ways. [Click here for the report on Open Gardens] On the Sunday, I also attended the Civic Service and
Reception at Rowhedge, which was held in St Lawrences Church – the round
one that you can see from Wivenhoe. It is a beautiful church inside, very
light and airy, and the service was lovely. At the Reception, the Brownies
served us with refreshments.
I held a meeting for
new Councillors on the 2nd July, to help to bring them up to date on
various on-going matters, and on the 4th I attended the Broomgrove School
Fete. There was a lovely display of dance and music by the various classes
of children, stalls, and a visit from the Fire Brigade. The Annual Town
Council v Cricket Club Social Team match took place on a magical evening
on 9th, with Church bells ringing in the background, we managed to
conclude the match with a draw on the last ball of the last over. The
evening, as well as being very enjoyable, also raised another £100 for
the Charity Fund. Many thanks to the club for making us so welcome, and to
everyone who helped to make it a very special evening. 10th June was a
Planning Meeting, where we get an opportunity to see the planning
applications that relate to Wivenhoe. We are able to comment on these
plans, although our role is only advisory. The weekend of 11/12/13 July was very hectic for me. Friday evening I went to help to set up the stand for the Town Council at the Tendring Show. The following day (from 8am to 7pm) I was manning the stand – I was so proud of being a part of Wivenhoe. We put on a magnificent display, with over 25 organisations taking part, and the Nottage won a cup, with WAGA gaining a second. [Click here for a report on the Wivenhoe entry at the Tendiring Hundred Show with pictures.] In the evening I attended a joint birthday party in the William
Loveless Hall, but was not able to dance as my feet were so sore from the
Show.
During the
afternoon I attended the Cricket Club’s Afternoon of Music. The weather
was perfect, and the music was wonderful. This brings to an end
this month’s entry – a long one, but it was a full month. Last night I
chaired another William Loveless Hall Working Party meeting, and I am now
getting down to the final arrangements for the Teddy Bears Picnic on
Sunday (not Saturday, as it says in the paper) and looking forward to
Regatta Week and Cricket Week – at least I never get a chance to get
bored (and I do a full time job as well!). Cllr Gilli Primrose |
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As
I mentioned at the end of last month’s entry, my role includes a mixture
of ceremonial and executive commitments, and this month has been no
exception. I started with a Personnel meeting on the 11th of June, where
we continued the process of updating all the contracts of members of
staff, to bring them into line with current legislation. This is a long
process, but a vital one.
On
the Saturday, we had a complete contrast, with the Tea Dance in the
William Loveless Hall. It was a beautiful afternoon, which enabled us to
open all the windows and doors. About 30 people came and danced the
afternoon away to the music of Makmusik. We had a raffle of various
donated items, and made a small profit for the Mayor’s Charity Fund. The
nimbleness of some of our more elderly participants put me to shame – I
have promised myself that I must learn to ballroom dance properly.
The
Garden Party, at my house on 28th, was only lightly attended, but was
enjoyed by everyone there. There were stalls, games, and tea and cake. In
spite of a small attendance, we still managed to raise £117, and a lot of
thanks must go to the stalwart team of helpers I have. Without these
people I would not be able to put on any of these events – they are the
unsung heroes. Ann Quarrie won the prize for the hat competition, and
Penny Kraft gained the highest score on the ‘Ball in the Pot’ game.
On
the Sunday, after a good night’s sleep, I took part in the Race for Life
in Castle Park, which was an event I will never forget. 2000 women all
taking part, some running and some walking the course (guess which group I
was with!). I have raised about £150 with sponsorship, and had the
wonderful experience of taking part. A number of Wivenhoe ladies took part
in this event, and my congratulations go to all of them.