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I find it very difficult to believe that I am almost half way through my
term of office, and yet still on such a steep learning curve. One of the
really wonderful things that has come out of being Mayor, so far, is the
opportunity to meet so many local inhabitants who are involved in the many
and various organisations that exist in the town. Having lived in Wivenhoe
for nearly 35 years, I thought that I had met a reasonable cross section
of locals – how wrong I was. There are so many different circles of
acquaintances that do not overlap - and it is when one is fortunate to
take on a position like Mayor, that you meet people involved in areas of
life in the town that you have no knowledge of. This has been an enriching
experience for me and my family that I would not have wished to have
missed.
On
27th we girded our loins for the Civic Service and Reception
(with Art Exhibition). This is one of the major civic occasions in any
Mayor’s year, and planning started back in February with invitations
going out to VIPs (even before I knew I was definitely going to be Mayor).
It is vital to get the date fixed in peoples’ diaries early. We were
fortunate that we had a wonderful take-up on our invitations, which led to
a full church on the day, and a very jolly reception afterwards. The Mayor
and Mayoress of Colchester, The Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the High Sheriff
of Essex, the High Steward of Essex, Bernard Jenkin MP, the Chairman of
Essex County Council, the Mayor of Brightlingsea, the Mayor and Mayoress
of West Mersea, along with other local Mayors, Chairmen of Parish
Councils, and representatives of the local Police, the Army and local
churches all attended, along with representatives of Wivenhoe
organisations. The weather was kind, and everyone seemed to have a good
time, with a lot of friendships started, rekindled and renewed. This is a
very useful time for networking, putting people in touch with each other,
reminding people of things we hope to achieve, and enlisting help and
support for the coming year.
The next
event, I attended (on 9th October) was an Open Evening at the
Colne Community School. This was an occasion for the school to show the
community what wonderful work it does with our young people – and it was
a truly impressive evening. I saw imaginative art work (had my portrait
drawn – and drew one in return), I tasted some lovely cookies and stir
fried vegetables in the Technology Dept, did some origami, had my height
and length of arm ratio measured, listened to the school band and talked
to a number of pupils and visitors. The main impression that I am left
with, however, is the one of the wonderful smiles and kindness that
greeted us wherever we went (I went round with the Mayor of
Brightlingsea). The pupils guiding people around the site went out of
their way to be pleasant, joyous and helpful without being sycophantic or
over the top. It was a very enjoyable evening, and lovely to meet so many
Wivenhoe pupils so obviously (and rightly) proud of their school. On 12th
October we held our Toddle Waddle in the Playing Field, and I must say
that I was disappointed in the low turnout of people for this fund raising
occasion. I was dressed at Monty Duck, who is the mascot of the Meningitis
Trust. We had balloons, games, stickers, information sheets, refreshments
and the opportunity to take part in the Waddle – all to raise funds for
a trust that do such great work in supporting families who are struck down
with the disease, as well as supporting research into a cure, protection
and prevention
On 13th
October, prior to the Town Council Meeting, we had the opportunity of
meeting our new policeman, who is taking over from Tracey (who is now on
light duties as she is pregnant). We wished Tracey all the best, and
welcomed PC May. We stressed again our disquiet over the levels of
policing in Wivenhoe and hoped that he would take these concerns back to
the station. We have already written to the Chief Constable with our
concerns, as well as Inspector Dale, who is keeping us abreast of various
policing matters on a regular basis. The Quay
Quilters held their exhibition on the weekend of 18/19 October, and I was
again amazed at the examples of skill and patience on display. The wide
variety of quilts and the imagination of the quilters is enormous – and
I was able to do some Christmas shopping as well. Many congratulations to
everyone for putting on such a wonderful display. On the
Sunday, 19th, Keith and I went to the West Mersea Civic
Service, where we were able to meet again the now-familiar faces of local
civic dignitaries. It was a lovely service in a beautiful church, followed
by a reception in the local Museum – very enjoyable. Keith and I round
off the civic services this weekend with the Brightlingsea one – I hope
that the current record of fine weather lasts for this. One piece of
bad news in this diary – I have had to cancel The Hop (the evening of
rock and roll), as we had few people showing any interest. This is always
a disappointment – but it is better to cancel now, than at the very last
minute. A date to
note for your diaries – 7th December – The Old Rope String
Band – tickets and information are now available at the Council Offices.
Buy now to avoid disappointment, as this is going to be a very popular
occasion, and tickets will sell out before the night! Gilli
Primrose |
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The
art exhibition that runs at the same time was started as a solution to the
problem of how we could make the hall look reasonably inviting when it
badly needed decorating some five years ago. The solution I came up with
was to hang pictures on the walls to cover the marks and holes, and to
give our guests something to look at. A bonus is that 20% of any sales
goes to the Mayor’s Charity Fund (which is then distributed to local
charities and organisations at the end of each mayorial year). The first
exhibition was such a success, it has now become part of the ritual (even
though the hall has since been decorated). The exhibition is an
opportunity for local artists to exhibit their work, at no cost (unless
they make a sale), and this year we sold nearly £800 worth of pictures.
If there are any locals wishing to take part next year, please leave your
name at the Council Offices and we will contact you nearer the date.
of
meningitis. We also had a wonderful face painter and a glorious clown, who
entertained those who turned up, thanks to the very kind sponsorship of a
local business man, Mike Lumsden. For those who came, it was a lovely
afternoon, and a lot of fun was had. We had story telling, guess the name
of the duck and colouring for the children to do. We had lots of
information for parents to take home with them about warning signs to look
out for, and what they can do if they suspect anything is happing to their
child. The Meningitis Trust is close to my heart, as our son David caught
it when he was 15. It was one of the most scary times of our lives, and we
were grateful to the Trust for their support and information. In spite of
the small take up, and thanks to some very generous donations of time and
money, we were able to bank £170 for the Trust.