Last Blog Entry

Well, that's it from me! This blog is called Mayor of Newbury, and I'm not anymore. Adrian is hoping to start his own blog, so keep your eyes peeled for that - it may be attached to the Town Council's website (www.newbury.gov.uk).

When I finish this paragraph and press 'publish' it will seem so final - therefore I may well start another blog soon (if I get withdrawal symptoms) though I'm not sure what form it will take, and it may be anonymous; having been careful with what I've said for the last year it will be fun to be able to say what I like! Thanks for reading, I hope it has been informative. Dont forget you can email me on gillian.durrant@btinternet.com.

Mayor Making 2007

It doesn't feel like a year has passed since I became Mayor (actually it isn't a year, just 51 weeks!), but today was Mayor Making again, and I donned the robe and chain for the last time and processed with the Councillors from the Town Hall to the Corn Exchange for the time honoured tradition of Mayor Making.

I still find it hard to deliver a speech in front of so many, but I got through it. By the time we exited stage left to change robes I felt quite light - not just the lack of heavy robes and chain, but the end of the responsibility too. I sat back on stage without the robe and hat for the first time in eleven consecutive Mayor Making ceremonies, and then processed back to the Town Hall for the last time. It is a sad day for me, to be breaking off my connections with the council after so long, but I also feel relieved, and I'm looking forward to having more time for myself and my family.

I'm pictured with my successor, Councillor Adrian Edwards - the robes look a little shorter on him!

My Final Reception

Last night at the Town Hall I hosted my final reception.

About 50 guests came - a whole range of people who had been involved in my Mayoral year in various capacities. It was poignant to see some councillor colleagues for the last time in an official capacity at the Town Hall, and it had the feeling of an end of an era - several comments were made about the co-incidental timing with Blair's resignation speech, and the end of my ten years on the council. Joyce had printed this entire blog and stuck it up all around the council chamber - hundreds of photos of my official engagements over the last twelve months.

It is also sad to say goodbye to the staff, many of whom I have now known for a number of years. I handed some gifts to the civic staff and we all tucked in to a curry from the New Greenham Tandoori. A number of Stuart's partners from Gardner Leader came too, and kindly sponsored the drinks for the reception.

I persuaded Joyce and Carol, my civic manager and attendant to pose for a photo - two wonderful women who usually take these blog photos rather than appear in them!

Bussock Wood Charity Coffee Morning

Yesterday I went along to the charity coffee morning run by the friends of the West Berkshire Community Hospital. Former council colleagues Mavis and Peter Greenhalgh were helping run the raffle and cake stalls.

Bussock Wood is a beautiful Georgian country house on the edge of Snelsmore Common just north of Newbury. The owners Mr and Mrs Palmer (descendants of the Biscuit Barons!) were gracious hosts. Mrs Palmer kindly showed me some of the wonderful paintings she has collected in her 57 year marriage - each one with sentimental attatchments.

The hospital friends do a fantastic job of fundraising. When Peter Greenhalgh was Mayor they set out to raise a million pounds for extra medical equipment, and it took them just over a year. They still fundraise three years on, and continue to provide state of the art equipment to make our new hospital one of the best around. Pictured from the left are Mavis Greenhalgh, Sylvia Galbraith, Mrs Palmer and me.

First Meeting of the new Council

On Wednesday evening I chaired the first meeting of the new council following the elections. It is a curious position to be in, as it was the last time I will take the chair, and for many of those around the room it was the first meeting they had been to.

For the first time the political parties are nearly equal in number - just one seat between them, so it will make for interesting meetings in the next four years. Before the meeting started all the Town Council staff came along for a group photo with new councillors, and to introduce themselves. All the full and part time staff came (except the town crier who is on holiday), it was an excellent turn out. We also had all bar one councillor present.

I had met most of the new councillors in the two 2.5 hour training sessions I helped Graham Hunt to run in the last couple of days - they seemed keen, and I wish them well.

Newbury Art Group Exhibition

Also last Friday, I was asked to open the Newbury Art Group Exhibition at the Town Hall. This is the first time they have held the exhibition in the Council Chamber, and it certainly looked very at home in its new setting.

Newbury Art Group has been around in its present form since just after the second world war, and its predecessor was started in the 1890s. There is work from dozens of keen amateurs on show - many watercolours and acrylic, but also some mixed media. There were some very accomplished paintings of local landmarks and country scenes.

I popped back to the Town Hall on Sunday, and vice - chairman Alan Sporne told me that they had had over 200 people visit the exhibition on Saturday, and that it was going very well. The exhibition is on at the Town Hall for the rest of the week (except Wednesday I believe).

Launch of Open Studios Exhibition

Today I was a guest at the launch of this year's Open Studios exhibition at New Greenham Arts.

I thoroughly recommend this free exhibition to all art lovers - the quality of the work, and the variety of materials and styles used are stunning. This is a taster of the work to be seen when visiting the artists involved in their own studios during the month of May. West Berkshire and North Hampshire are extremely well endowed with talented professional artists, and as ever Pat Eastop has produced a beautifully illustrated catalogue and well presented exhibition. The exhibition was opened by Lord and Countess Carnarvon, and we were all treated to a buffet lunch at the New Greenham Tandoori next door.

Beating the Bounds by Bike

On Sunday afternoon we joined about 60 other people to go on a cycle ride round the town's boundary. Beating the Bounds is a traditional part of parish life, but it is not usually done on a bike! Spokes, the local cycling group organised the day and the route, and Spokes member and Town Council Chief Executive, Graham Hunt lead the way.

We started and finished at the Starting Gate pub, which is on the boundary, and set off Southwards off-road by Speen Moor, and over the canal. Unfortunately at this early point my younger son Louis fell off his bike and badly scratched himself. He limped home with Dad, and we met up again at the end when we all had sausage and chips in the pub garden.

The weather was glorious and the countryside was looking its best with fresh leaves and blossom everywhere. It was a very sociable afternoon, and whole families came, with ages ranging from 7 to 70 cycling, and younger ones on tag-alongs or child seats. It felt great when I was near the back and looked up to see a line of cyclists as far as the eye could see! I thought I'd be very stiff the next day, but wasn't at all!

River Lambourn Fun Day

Straight after the lunch at the Rugby Club we drove to the Almond Avenue recreation ground to attend the River Lambourn Fun Day, organised by the Kennet Valley Countryside Project.

The KVCP are gathering information from the public about the river, in the hope of obtaining a grant to restore and enhance the stretch that runs through Newbury. The river Lambourn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it is a very high quality chalk stream with a variety of flora and fauna. The Newbury stretch is the last mile or two of river before it joins the river Kennet, and it is the most vulnerable as it goes through residential and business areas. In addition to the threat to wildlife from people and development, the American Crayfish and mink have destroyed habitats of a number of species.

The Third Newbury Scouts helped out with refreshments and putting tents up and down on the day - which kept my sons busy. There were a number of activities available, and I had a go at fly fishing - on dry land! We also listened to a tale from the story teller.

Feltre vs Newbury Under 14 Rugby Match

On Saturday morning Stuart and I went with Rod and Garry and Kath from the Newbury Twin Town Association, to watch the under 14 rugby match between the Newbury and Feltre teams at Newbury Rugby Club.

I have to confess this is the first rugby match I have ever watched, but it was consistently entertaining, and the teams were very evenly matched. The final score was 10 all; two tries to each team. Feltre scored a try in the final minutes, and the lad who took the kick narrowly missed, so it was extremely close. The Feltre team stayed with the families of Newbury team members, and spent Sunday visiting London. The Newbury team will make a return visit next year.

After the match I presented a shield to the Feltre coach, and we all had a hot meal.

10th Anniversary Reception

Last Friday was the 10th anniversary celebration of the Town Council. Joyce organised the event, and we invited past staff and councillors, and many people from organisations involved with the council over its first ten years, from undertakers and community organisations to past Civic Awards winners and neighbourhood wardens.

The chamber was packed with familiar faces, some I hadn't seen for a while. People came from far and wide, and all seemed to enjoy catching up on old times.

I presented Councillor Barbara Peel with a unique 'Deputy Mayor' medal, as she is the only deputy in the last ten years not to go on to be Mayor. I also presented Councillors Peel, Peter Greenhalgh, Julian Swift-Hook and Vera Barnet, and Civic Manager Joyce Lewis and mace bearer Rod Thomason with new 10 year service medals. Barbara presented mine. Together with Councillor Clive Hillman, we are the only councillors and staff who have been with the Town Council since it began.

I am pictured with Brian Sylvester, the Town Crier, cutting the celebration cake.

Newbury Society

The Newbury Society invited me to attend one of their regular evenings at the United Reform Church in Newbury last Thursday evening. David Saady gave an illustrated talk about the Kennet and Avon Canal - firstly about its interesting history of creation, delapidation and restoration, and then a series of pictures of a journey along the canal from Reading to Bristol - something I'd love to do one day.

Pictured from left, David Saady, me, Jeremy and Elke Holden-Bell.

History on Your Doorstep

Last night Louis and I went to the West Berkshire Museum to visit the opening of the History on Your Doorstep exhibition. The exhibition is in a newly refurbished room upstairs, and explanatory panels explain how villages can set up their own historical societies, and individuals can research the history of their street or area.

I found some lovely aerial photographs of my house and surrounding area before housing estates were built, and a wonderful invitation from a Newbury Mayor Elect for lunch at the Mansion House in the 1790s. Louis and I then wandered around the rest of the museum, stopping to take in the video of the Civil War Battle of Naseby, and some of the old maps. There is always something of interest to see, and its good to see the old favourites too!

The Sampson Family Celebration Concert

On Saturday night Stuart and I were guests of the Sampson family for their concert at the Methodist Church in Northbrook Street.

Geoffrey Sampson, his children Robert, Sally, Janet, Phillip and Helen and numerous grandchildren put on a concert in memory of their wife, mother and grandmother Mary Sampson, and to raise funds for the Berkshire Cancer Centre. All the family are musical - many perform in brass bands, and the guest stars of the concert were the excellent Test Valley Brass Youth Band, with members as young as eight. The other brass band were the aptly named Rusty Brass, made up of family members and friends of Helen Sampson, who came together just for the concert. One member of Rusty Brass was my cousin's husband who confessed in the interval that he hadn't had his trombone out of the case for 10 years (hence the name!). Despite this, they played well, and it is a testament to Mary and her family that they willingly made the effort.

Family members and other friends played piano and guitar solos, and read poems, but the most moving part was the 'Sound of Music' medley sung exclusively by the family. It was so touching to see the teenage grandchildren looking embarrassed, but singing their best for their grandmother.

Pictured are the trombonists from the TVB Youth Band dressed as nuns for their 'Sister Act' number 'I will Follow Him'.

Bowling the first wood of the season

This afternoon I continued a time honoured tradition of Mayors of Newbury by bowling the first wood of the season on the bowling green in Victoria Park. I dont know how long this tradition has lasted, but the Bowls club is only two years younger than the position of the Mayor of Newbury, being 409 years old this year.

It is a lovely sunny day, and the park was full of families and young people picnicing and relaxing. The club members were welcoming, as ever, and clearly keen to have their first match of the year.

Healthy Fun Day at Greenham Community Centre

This morning I was a guest at the fun day organised by past Mayor and health visitor Martha Vickers. I had a look around the stalls inside the community centre - interesting information on healthy eating, composting, cycling, walking, neighbourhood wardens etc. There were copious bowls of delicious fresh fruit available (yum) and a fascinating display showing the amount of salt, sugar and fat in familiar foods like snack bars and crisps. The stack of actual sugar cubes in a Mars Bar was shocking!

Outside I had a go at the drumming workshop, and watched a great cookery demonstration by a young professional chef - quick tomato soup and bruschetta - I had a taste of the soup too!

The day went on till 4pm - I hope plenty of the locals took the time to come along and enjoy the activities on offer - it was a well organised event that deserved a wide audience.

Mayor of Thatcham's Final Reception

Due to prior engagements I have been unable to attend the final receptions for the Chair of West Berkshire Council, and the Mayor of Hungerford, so I was pleased to be able to go to Alexander's do - especially as it was at the wonderful Szechuan Restaurant in Thatcham.

It was a lovely evening - the staff at the restaurant were very friendly, there was a chinese dragon dance, and the food of course was delicious. Stuart and I sat on a table with Alex's predecessor Phil Dray and his wife, and the headteacher of the Kennet School Paul Dick and his wife, who were all very good company.

Alex made a lovely speech at the end of the evening - mentioning my prowess at paper plane making(!), but more importantly the large number of things Thatcham has achieved in the last 12 months - it certainly has been an exciting year for the town, and for Alex.

Civic Award Winners - Mr and Mrs Summers

Last Thursday morning I met Les and Ann Summers - the winners of this year's Civic Award. They were unable to make it to the prize giving a few weeks ago, because they were visiting some of Les's 12 brothers and sisters in Cornwall!

Fellow judge David Danielli of Vodafone also came to meet them (on the right in the photo). they were such a lovely couple - Ann has such a fantastic attitude to their situation, and Les has a great sense of humour, which must help them both cope with his Alzheimers. Hopefully the publicity surrounding them winning the Civic Award will help raise the profile of this illness further.

Tea with Vernon and Karin Vidamour

Yesterday afternoon I had tea in the Mayor's Parlour with Karin and Vernon Vidamour. They are the couple who won the auction for tea with the Mayor at the recent Spring Charity Fundraisers Ball. Neither are local, Vernon is from Blackpool and Karen is Swedish - but they both have a keen interest in history and wanted to find out about the tradition of the Mayor of Newbury. We looked at the lists of previous Mayors in the Council Chamber going back 410 years, and I explained about the change from Borough to Town Council status, and the current responsibilities of Newbury Town Council.

They even ate a slice of my home made cake (Stuart wouldn't risk it!)-then Karin told me she is a chef! My attendant Carol did a sterling job of keeping the refreshments coming, and two and a half hours seemed to disappear in no time!

Thoroughly Modern Millie

On Friday night I took my mum along to see Newbury Operatic Society's new version of the popular musical at the Corn Exchange. Once again it was very professionally produced and directed. The leads were all very competant, especially Millie (Tonya Walton) who had a huge part to learn and was pitch and word perfect!

I particulary enjoyed the dancing scenes, as there was a bit of tap - and my old tap teacher -Jacquie Trumper had her first major part, as Mussy Van Hossmere which she performed excellently.

The show was performed six times over five days - all sell-outs. This is a massive commitment to all involved so it is great to see the NOS so well supported by the local community.

AGM of the Patient Panel

Last Thursday night I was a guest at the first Patient Panel AGM. The patient panel is largely made up of representatives from patient participation groups from the GP surgeries of West Berkshire, but also representatives of voluntary sector organisations with an interest in primary healthcare.

The Patient Panel is an invaluable resource for the local Berkshire West NHS Primary Care Trust, because they are an ideal way to consult their consumers, and there have been a constant stream of consultations since it was set up in 2001. For the patients, the panel has helped resolved some inequalities in healthcare provision in the district over the years. A current issue is the long waiting times for blood testing at the Community Hospital, and the need for improved services within GP surgeries.

Judy MCulloch the Patient Public Involvement Manager takes much of the credit for having set up a useful and successful Patient Panel - the newly expanded NHS region includes Reading and Wokingham, who currently have no such facility, and are keen to develop one.

Devizes To Westminster Canoe Race

This morning I was up bright and early to start the second leg of the junior four day Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. dozens of youngsters started the race in Devizes yesterday - paddling 35 miles to Northcroft and camping overnight before setting off from 7am today. Today's leg of the race is 36 miles to Marlow - I started the 'K2s' - ie two man kayaks from 8am to 9am - the elite canoists leaving every two minutes.

It is an impressive endurance test - not only to they have to paddle for 125 miles over four days, but they also have to lift their canoes out of the water over 50 locks in the first half of the race. Fortunately for me it is a lovely day, and not too cold. Some of the veterans were also starting out this morning, at a more leisurely pace, and in Devizes the real professionals started from 7am to do the whole 125 miles non-stop. They will be paddling through the night to catch the tide at Teddington.

Michael Samuels - Mole Mapper

I visited Mike Samuels stall in the Kennet Centre on Thursday. He has recently set up his own business photgraphing moles - this sounds odd, but he is a medical photographer, and this is all to do with cancer awareness - in particular melanomas. Individuals can arrange to have their backs or entire bodies photographed at regular intervals to look for changes in their moles, and help detect any potential skin cancer.

This service has been available in London for some time, but is not common in the rest of the UK. Mike was head of Medical Photography and Illustration at the Royal Free & UCL Medical School, until recently taking early retirement - and has 40 years experience. We are some years behind Australians in our awareness of skin cancer, and Mike is trying to raise the awareness here, as there are 8,000 cases annually in the UK. For more info: www.medicalphotographer.co.uk

Ian Waite at the Dance-In Shop

On my way to my next engagement I noticed something going on in the Market Place - a huge stretch pink limo and a red carpet - it was the official opening of the new dance shop, and they had invited Strictly Come Dancing star Ian Waite. He was charming and agreed to pose for a photo, and even signed one for my mum!

PR for beating the bounds by bike

On Thursday morning I popped into the Town Hall to pose for a publicity shot for upcoming 'Beating the bounds by bike' which is on Sunday 29th April from 2pm at the Starting Gate Pub (appropriately named!) By chance the new Junior Mayor, Lawrence Parker was visiting the Town Hall too, so he joined me for the picture.

By an amazing coincidence both Lawrence and I were at Banjo Cycles in Bartholomew Street the day before buying new bicycles - in my case it was for my sons.

Annual Town Meeting and Civic Award

Monday night was the once a year council meeting that isn't really a council meeting - its for the council tax payers to ask questions and find out what the council does. In Newbury we have tied this into our Civic Award presentation for a number of years. In the past I have sat in the audience and been very moved hearing the citations of the nominees.

This year I stood at the front and congratulated them all as I handed out the certificates. - Fellow judges John Hampson and David Danielli also came to see the people we had all read about a few weeks ago, when attempting to sort out an overall winner! We had two runners up - I'm pictured here with Paul Harris of Mencap, and the other was Graham Smith who has been the driving force behind Newbury's new walking map. The overall winners were Ann and Les Summers - both stalwarts of the Alzheimers Association. Unfortunately they couldn't be at the award ceremony because they were away in Cornwall, but their nominator Chreanne Montgomery-Smith collected it on their behalf.

The annual town meeting then proceeded after refreshments - thanks to Graham's detailed powerpoint presentation, and the great displays around the chamber, this went very well - we had a pretty good turn out of people - though I did know almost all of them!

April Fool

Last Tuesday I recorded an interview for Kick FM for their April Fool, with newsman Phil Spray (pictured). Of course I couldn't mention it till now. It has been going out on their news bulletins all morning that a unique key to a safe at the Town Hall was accidentally buried under the new Italian paving in the Market Place, it will have to be dug up to find it!

I don't know if anyone will be taken in by this, but I admire organisations for taking the trouble to keep these daft traditions going. I'm only glad Stuart woke up before me this morning and discovered the cling film over the toilet before I did!

Casino Royale

After flying home on Friday afternoon, we had time for tea before going out again, - this time only to Thatcham! The Mayor of Thatcham held a charity screening of Casino Royale at the Frank Hutchins Memorial Hall - home to the new Thatcham Cine Club.

As past members of the long defunct Newbury Film Society, Stuart and I were very impressed with the quality of the picture and sound from their new, state of the art, digital equipment. Once the film began I really felt like I was at the cinema. Before the film there was a buffet and Martini cocktails, and afterwards a raffle of bond-like gadgets and other prizes, and auctioning of some Bond memorabilia.

Photo of Alex, Daniel and me by Norman Jones of the new Thatcham Photographic Club. www.norriesite.com

Mayor Making in Braunfels

Stuart and I spent several days last week in Newbury's German twin town Braunfels. We flew out on Wednesday 28 and flew back on Friday 30 March. We stayed in a comfortable hotel in the centre of the old town, a few yards from the Italian cafe that serves delicious homemade ice cream!

We were treated to a lovely meal out on the Wednesday evening by members of Braunfel's twin town committee, and on Thursday we caught the bus to nearby Wetzlar and I bought some typical German Easter decorations in the new mall, then we looked around the photogenic old town.

In the evening we attended the event we had gone there for - the Mayor Making at the House of Guests. The sitting Mayor, Deiter Schmidt was retiring after 12 years in office, and following elections last October, the new Mayor (pictured shaking my hand) Wolfgang Keller has now officially taken office. Unlike the UK, the Mayors of all German towns and villages are directly elected, paid and full time, and serve for 6 years minimum. I wished Herr Keller well in his new role - he won the election convincingly, and seems to have a good following. Also unlike the UK, the Mayor Making consisted of three and a half hours of speeches, none of which I understood!

Jacqueline Cass's Queen's Guide Award

I forgot to mention that I was a guest of Jacqueline Cass at the presentation of her Queen's Guide Award on Sunday 25th March, at the Kennet Leisure Centre in Thatcham.

I first met Jacqueline at another Mayoral engagement, the Spring Charity Fundraisers AGM - they kindly donated the money for the first two sports wheelchairs for the Thames Valley Vikings wheelchair basketball team. Jacqueline set this team up from scratch as her community activity for the Queen's Guide Award. Not only did she fundraise for the necessary wheelchairs, but she also had to train as a coach. I had a go in one of the wheelchairs on Sunday - they are incredibly manouvreable! I played 'stuck in the mud' with a group of children - only a few were disabled - and they definitely had the advantage over the likes of me. I know a number of the children who play in the Vikings team, as they are or were in the Speenhamland School Keevil unit. My mum was also invited as she has known Jacqueline for several years, as an assistant to the Rainbows unit in Thatcham where they both help the leader, Anne Eldred.

Jacqueline is an exceptional young woman, and we are extremely fortunate to have people like her in our midst - she has already made a very positive difference to so many lives.

School Council Conference

I was pleased to be asked to speak to the first conference of primary school councils at West Berkshire Council Chamber this afternoon. The conference was the brainchild of Peter Dove, a teacher at Speenhamland School, and he thinks it may be the first of its kind in the country.

Representatives from 17 West Berkshire Primary schools came, together with some teachers, to talk about what they have been doing, and network. I spoke to them about being a Town Councillor, and the things we had in common - mainly that we were all volunteers because we want to make a difference and improve our town/schools. It was a shame I couldn't stay for the whole afternoon, but I spoke to Peter afterwards, and he is keen to do it again, but for a whole day because they ran out of time!

Berkshire Maestros Kaleidoscope Concert

On Sunday evening I was a guest of the Berkshire Maestros again, - this time the concert was a showpiece for their instrumentalists, who had been working toward the performance all weekend.

There must have been several hundred youngsters involved, all secondary school age. We heard from the senior choir, the Clifton Wind Band, Newbury String Orchestra, 4+2+Friends and the concert band (pictured). Also performing were the Park House School Choir.

I recognised many faces in the audience - friends with children a similar age to mine. There were many proud parents there - justifiably so. Its a shame the hard work and dedication of these teenagers does not receive a wider audience - it would help to put the bad press teenagers often receive into context.

Living Paintings Trust concert at Douai Abbey

After doing my rota duty on Saturday morning at Town Council Surgery (very cold!) I had a treat in the evening with a concert by the Reading Phoenix Choir at Douai Abbey near Woolhampton. The Abbey is a curious mix of traditional and modern architecture, creating a dramatic and airy space, ideally suited to the sound of the Phoenix Choir.

They were excellent - a large choir but rehearsed to perfection - their eyes glued to the conductor at all times. The programme was a mix of traditional and modern choral pieces, with a few organ solos, and some readings by Prunella Scales. The concert was in aid of the Living Paintings Trust, a charity based in Kingsclere, but serving over 6,500 blind and partially sighted adults and children all over the country. The picture shows my mum standing next to the display of some of the charities pictures and story books. All the illustrations are reproduced in relief, enabling the blind to feel the pictures, whilst a voice on cassette describes the scene.

Newbury Races

Last Friday I was the guest of the Chairman of Newbury Racecourse at the Royal Box for lunch and an afternoon of racing. Sir David Sieff, the chairman, was a charming host, and Stuart and I enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch. We met several other members of the Board of the Racecourse, and they were all very welcoming and friendly.

Stuart and I had a go at betting - and won first and third place the first time - but lost out on our second go - our beginners luck didn't last long!

Launch of Sure Start

On Wednesday 21 March I went along to the Foundation class at Speenhamland School for the official launch of Sure Start. There are six childcare providers involved in the first Sure Start children's centre in Newbury, and the foundation class of Speenhamland School is one of them, though the actual base of the centre will be at Victoria Park Nursery School.

For the launch all six locations released helium balloons simultaneously, following a countdown by Kick FM at Victoria Park. The children were so excited they couldn't help jumping up and down!

Full Council

On Monday 19 March I chaired the last Full Council before the elections of May 3rd - in other words it was the last time the existing councillors will all be at the same meeting. I will chair the first meeting of the new council as Mayor, because it falls between the election and Mayor Making - I expect there will be many new faces in the Chamber.

Spring Charity Fundraisers Ball

On Saturday night Stuart and I went to the Spring Charity Fundraisers Ball at Newbury Racecourse. There were about 330 people there, and the charity raised over £9,000, which is a wonderful amount, to buy specialist equipment for disabled children in West Berkshire.

My friends and I enjoyed dancing to the tribute band Abba Vision, and Joyce won one of the raffle prizes, a box of wine. I was so relieved that someone bid for me in the auction (tea with the Mayor in the Parlour) - I would have hidden in the ladies for the rest of the night if they hadn't!

Duke of Edinburgh's Award Presentation

At the Kennet School on Friday night, over a hundred young people aged 14 to 25 were awarded their bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh's Awards in front of a packed audience.

Award winners came from all over West Berkshire, predominantly from schools such as Kennet, and Downe House, but also from youth groups such as the Adventure Dolphin Centre in Pangbourne. The awards were presented by the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire Lady Elizabeth Godsal. I hadn't anticipated the entertainment that was put on by six groups of students studying for their silver and gold awards. This ranged from a talented Downe House student performing a drum solo, to three lads from Hungerford doing a hilarious rendition of 'singing in the rain' (with very accomplished baton twirling!) and pupils from Padworth College performing traditional Chinese and Indian dances.

There weren't a great deal of winners from Newbury, (only three!) which reflects the fact that only one secondary in Newbury takes part. However, I did know one of them - Matthew Worth, a former Park House student, and ex-member of the Newbury Young Pupils Council. It was good to catch up with Matthew afterwards - he now lives in St Albans.

Judging of the Civic Award

In advance of the Civic Award prizegiving at the Annual Town Meeting on Monday 2 April, I spent several hours on Friday trying to choose between some excellent candidates. To help me make this decision were Town Councillor Gabrielle McGarvey, David Danielli from Vodafone and John Hampson of Newbury Weekly News. As John said, it is very humbling to read the nominations.

Launch of Thatcham Vision

On Tuesday evening I went along to the launch of the Thatcham Vision at the Thatcham Rugby Club. The Town Council funded two part time organisers to work with a voluntary steering group to create a Town Plan. Many of the villages in West Berkshire have prepared a village plan - basically a wish list of the residents following consultation. Thatcham has about 25,000 inhabitants, so it is no mean feat trying to ascertain the wishes of such a large number of people.

They had a response from about 10% of the households in the town, which is quite impressive, and have set up various working groups to concentrate on the many different aspects of the plan, from children and young people, senior citizens, the town centre, the environment to name but a few. The have about 100 action points that they now hope to persue. It is an enormous task, and I wish them well.

Charity Concert at Shaw Social Club

On Sunday evening I was a guest of a charity concert held at Shaw Social Club for Cancer Research. This was the second concert I have attended by 14 year old impressario Josh Smith. Once again Josh has worked tirelessly to cajole and rehearse a large cast of singers, musicians and dancers - almost all teenagers. This time he had the added help of the Trinity School Choir (pictured) and some adult instrumentalists.

This was a great opportunity for local youth to take centre stage and show their family and friends the result of their hard work in rehersal. I haven't met another teenager who can make things happen the way Josh does. I believe he raised £400 last time and about £800 this time. His mum told me she won't let him organise another concert for a year, as he must concentrate on his school work now!

Soroptomists Lunch

The Newbury Soroptomists invited me to their annual presidents lunch at the Regency Park Hotel in Thatcham - and asked me if I would talk to them about my year as Mayor.

I was a bit nervous about making my

first ever after-dinner speach, until I thought of using this blog as my inspiration! I simply went through it taking out pictures of a range of the type of engagements I have done, and put them on a powerpoint presentation. I always knew this blog would come in handy! I also circulated the scrapbook of press cuttings my mum has been keeping on my behalf.

I know some of the Soroptomists quite well now, as I have met them a number of times throughout my year. After the lunch they also presented a cheque for £2,000 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance, their charity for the year.

Charity Quiz Night

Saturday night was quiz night! I hosted a quiz at the Town Hall for my two charities, the Community Furniture Project and the Mayor's Benevolent Fund.

My friend Ian Osmond acted as quizmaster, ably assisted by his brother-in-law Colin. The chamber was packed with the maximum 13 teams - sadly we had to turn about 8 teams away because we were full. During the interval we had a fish and chip supper and a raffle. We also practised flying our paper aeroplanes (one of the rounds of the quiz was to make a plane and see whose could fly the furthest - I'm not really bragging, but all the years spent on origami paid off!). The Team from Borders bookshop won, and over £300 was raised.

Fair Trade Fair

My colleague Councillor Gabrielle McGarvey helped organise a second Fair Trade event at the Town Hall on Saturday. There were stall selling all manner of produce from around the world, and opportunities to try Fair Trade food and drink.

When I called in at lunch time they had a

good number of visitors. I couldn't resist buying some peruvian woollen animals for Christmas Tree decorations!

Mock Trial Competition

I spent Saturday morning at the Newbury magistrates' court watching the heats of the Mock Trials Competition. Pupils from four local secondary schools were taking part: Park House, Trinity, Kennet and Downs. All participants had to be aged 12 to 14, so could be from years 7,8 and 9.

This was my first time in a magistrates' court, - and the first time for many of the participants and their parents too I should imagine. The winners from this round go on to compete with winners from all over Berkshire at Reading, and the national finals are held in Nottingham in May. Each school provided lawyers, witnesses, ushers, clerks, and defendents, and took turns to prosecute and defend the same case. It was fascinating to watch the way the same evidence could appear so different each time - one defendant was found guilty, the other three innocent.

I had an additional reason to take an interest as my elder son Theo was on the Trinity team, taking the role of a magistrate. I am very impressed at the work the local magistrates put in to organise the competition and judge it on the day. The High Sherrif was also there for the day, and while the judges were deliberating he entertained all of us by describing his traditional role and costume. Downs School won the heat, and the runners up were Park House.

Berkshire Maestro's Junior Music Festival

Last night at the Anvil in Basingstoke I was the guest of the Berkshire Maestro's for their third Junior Festival for their West Berkshire members. There were 350 children from primary schools across West Berks performing in the choir, and some also performed dance, drama and poetry.

Additionally there were musical numbers from the Benham Woodwind Ensemble, Broken Bones trombonists, the Bradfield Recorder Ensemble and Welford and Wickham C E Primary School's African drumming sequence. Its a shame all primary schools can't have a set of african drums! I'm pictured with Naomi Hinton, the compere for the evening, and David Marcou, the president of the Maestro's at the drinks reception after the concert.

Launch of Newbury Spring Festival

Yesterday lunchtime was the launch of Newbury Spring Festival at the Corn Exchange Bar 1861. This year is the 29th since the festival began, and it is an increasingly popular and esteemed event, despite the recent proliferation of music festivals around the country.

We were treated to a recital by Robert Murray, the tenor, and Sally Pryce on harp. The harp was exquisite - a rare treat. The guest speaker was Sue MacGregor CBE, whose voice I still miss on the Today programme - she sounds exactly the same live.

Grenham WI and Tuesday Club

This afternoon I gave a talk at the Town Hall to a number of ladies from the Tuesday Club that meets at Greenham Parish Church, and the Greenham WI. I showed them some pictures from my year in office, and gave them an idea of the sort of official engagements a Mayor is asked to do.

They also had a good look at the chain and pendant, the maces, and the Mayor's Parlour. They were interested to hear about Carnarvon Place, as one of their members is due to move in soon, and had been at the opening today too.

Opening of Carnarvon Place

Today at 11.30am Carnarvon place was officially opened by Lord Carnarvon. This is the new Sovereign flagship apartment complex for over 55s, replacing a number of sheltered housing schemes in Newbury, such as Willow Close and St Donats Place.

The building of this complex was controversial, because it replaces the much loved old Newbury Hospital, and many disliked its size and appearance. However, as I suspected, it is much better on the inside! The photo shows the atrium - the three storey high, glass covered communal space at the centre of the complex, which definitely has a wow factor. Many of the future residents were there today, getting a preview of their new home, and most were pretty excited at the prospect. Most apartments have two bedrooms, and the rooms are fairly spacious, - the kitchens in particular are larger than those in most sheltered housing.

There are several beautifully appointed lounges, in addition to the atrium, and walkways and balconies. There are also fairly extensive grounds and plenty of car parking. I hope the residents will be happy there - it is handy for town, and should be a friendly place to live.

Presentation of the Howarth Clark Whitehill Shield

Yesterday afternoon I went along with Carol to the West Berkshire Indoor Bowls Club to see some of the final match in the Howarth Clark Whitehill Shield competition. Over 30 Outdoor bowls clubs from Berkshire and Hampshire compete in this 'out of season' indoor tournament. It was all the more interesting for me because the finalists were Newbury and Thatcham!

I was especially pleased to be able to present the award to the Newbury team, who won convincingly after three and a half hours of playing. Well done lads!

Enborne School 125th anniversary celebrations

On Friday afternoon I collected Louis from school then drove to Enborne C of E primary school to join in their 125th anniversary celebrations. As we arrived in the playground some of the pupils ran up and said 'hello Mayor!' - they remembered me from their visit to the Town Hall last summer. The children were all dressed as pupils would have been in 1882 when the school was built. They were all keen for me to take photos of them, and I took some great pictures, that I couldn't resist turning sepia - here is one of them.

Inside there were displays of photos from the school's past, and some log books and registers dating back from the second world war. I looked up the Junior Mayor Gemma Legg who attended the school six years ago - I'm pleased to see she had an excellent attendance record!

Fir Tree School Trout Hatchery

This has to count as one of my more unusual engagements! Fir Tree primary school have teamed up with the Kennet Valley Countryside Project, and with funding from Newbury Town Council they are the proud owners of a trout hatchery!

This state of the art fish tank does the opposite of most fish tanks, in that it keeps the water cool not warm. Trout eggs were placed in the tank near the end of January, and the children have been feeding these baby trout with miniscule pinches of fish food every day since. Today the fish were about an inch long, but already look like trout! They will be taken to the nearby river Lambourn when they are about three months old - around the time of the Easter holidays.

After feeding the fish, I was given a guided tour of the school by the headteacher.

WBEBP Work Experience Awards

The West Berkshire Education Business Partnership asked me to present the awards for the best work experience log books of 2006. The WBEBP co-ordinate over 1500 placements every year for year 10 students from all of West Berkshire's secondary schools.

Each school was asked to select the three best log books kept by these students, and these were then judged by a panel, and the winner and runner up were announced at the presentation evening last night at the Vodafone pavilion.

A number of the finalists spoke to the audience of parents and employers, using powerpoint to illustrate their work experience. As ever I was impressed with their confidence and composure, - especially a student of Mary Hare who gave a very amusing account of her week working at childrens nursery. There were also short talks from a couple of employers, including Keith Butcher - the popular caretaker of Speenhamland School - who I teased for wearing a suit, when he usually wears shorts in all weather!

Nightstop AGM

On Tuesday evening I was a guest at Nightstops's AGM. Sadly this charity was being wound up after only existing in Newbury for a little over four years. Karen Anderson, the charity's secretary and founder gave an amusing presentation based on 'This is your life', which neatly explained how she went about founding the Newbury branch of this national organisation, after identifying a need through her work with the Community Council for Berkshire.

Pictured from left are Melissa Needham a Nightstop co-ordinator, Tony Vickers a volunteer host, Ian MacDonald former trustee, Karen Anderson secretary and me.

The charity exists to provide accomodation for homeless young people for a night or two until more formal provision can be found. Volunteers are trained before being added to the list of potential hosts.

On a positive note, the reason for the charity closing was due to a lack of clients rather than funding or volunteers. Although there are fewer young homeless locally, there is an increase in young people with more complex needs, who require professional help rather than that of volunteers.

St Bart's Art Competition

On Tuesday afternoon I called in to Camp Hopsons to award the prize to the winning St Bart's student, following the competition among year seven pupils. Their pictures were exhibited at the entrance to Joseph's restaurant in Camp Hopson, and the public were asked to vote for their favourite.

The winner was Phoebe Dace, pictured with me and Jean Ince of Artifax picture framing shop in Bartholomew Street. Phoebe's still life of apples was very striking, and skillfully rendered in oil pastels, with an adventurous use of colour. Phoebe's prize was the framing of her picture courtesy of Artifax.

Thanks to the Newbury Weekly News for this photo.

Memorial Service for HMS Tigris

In February 1943 the townspeople of Newbury raised the money to sponsor a submarine, HMS Tigris. Just a week or so later, the submarine was lost, and her entire crew of 60 were drowned.

The Newbury and District branch of the Royal Naval Association commemorate the loss every year on the Sunday nearest the 27 February, with a procession of standard bearers, veterans, association members, sea cadets and the Mayor from the Town Hall to St Nicolas's church for a service. Relatives of the crew are also invited to attend, though none of the crew came from Newbury. Despite the distance of time, it is still a moving service, as we pause to think of those men, in such cramped and damp conditions, living in the submarine. I learnt that submariners only had a one in three chance of surviving each mission - appalling odds.

Afterwards we retired to the RAFA club for buffet and refreshments.

Twin Town Association AGM

On Saturday night Stuart and I were guests at the Twin Town AGM in the Town Hall. There was a good turn out - not suprising as there was a delicious pasta supper provided!

It was interesting to hear the reports of the various Twin Town secretaries. Almost all our twins (and nearly twins) have been actively exchanging visits with Newbury in the last twelve months. In that respect we must have one of the most active associations in the country! In 2006 there was a french exchange with Park House students, 25 Italian youngsters in July, 30 Hungarians also in July, the trip to Braunfels that I went on, a trip to Italy by the Newbury Choral Society and a contingent of adults from France, plus others that I have forgotten.

The association is looking forward to hosting 'Youth for Europe' with about 40 teenagers in August this year, and is supporting the Youth Council in organising this.

Opening Marks and Spencers 'Simply Food' at Moto Service Station

On Thursday I went with Carol to the new M&S food franchise at the local Moto service station off the M4 by Chieveley. This is smaller version of the food department in the Newbury store, but sells a wide range of food, including the obvious sandwiches and salads, but also a wide selection of chilled ready meals and raw ingredients.

It will be a boon to motorists passing through, but also for locals who need to stock up late at night (open till 10pm) and after 4pm on Sundays, as the Sunday trading laws don't apply.

The staff are all new and keen, and Carol and I were well looked after by senior Moto staff, who provided us with lunch and a beautifully presented bouquet and chocolates.

Pancake Day Races

Shrove Tuesday saw the traditional pancake races in Newbury Town Centre. This year they were held in the Market Place, which worked very well, and enabled the public to get a better view of the proceedings.

There were teams from many local companies and organisations, including The Volunteer Centre, The Racecourse, Gardner Leader Solicitors (including my husband) who came second over all, Charles Lucas Marshall, Kick FM, the Newbury Weekly News, Newbury Town Council (pictured left winning the Fancy Dress Prize!) and the winners for the second year running, Dreweatte Neate.

After the races we processed with children from the Rocking Horse Nursery to St Nic's church for the pancake tossing from the tower, which was more successful this year as it wasn't as windy! Then we finished off by eating a pancake lunch in the church hall. Well done to the Soroptomists for organising such a fun event, with proceeds to the Naomi House Hospice. Also well done to Document House for cooking all 400 pancakes!

Launch of Newbury Crafters

On Saturday afternoon I was invited by Albert Moss to attend the first meeting of a new group, the Newbury Crafters.

They meet every third Saturday in the month at Speen Village Hall between 2 and 5pm. On Saturday there were people there from the Newbury knitting group and the guild of spinners weavers and dyers, but they hope to have a wide variety of crafts represented in coming weeks. I used to be a keen knitter, and it almost made me want to go home and dig out my knitting needles! Its a great idea for some company in what can otherwise be a solitary persuit. It also gives you encouragement and fresh ideas to try - one of the members was knitting a necklace from beads and wire.

KATS - Arabian Knights the Panto

On Friday afternoon I took the boys along to see the latest production by the Kennet Amateur Theatrical Society. We met Joyce there and were escorted to our front row seats by committee member Nina Hopkinson.

All the traditional panto ingredients were there - a fantastic dame (Andy Pocock), a dastardly villain to boo and hiss (Mike Cole), a thigh slapping leading man who wasn't! (Siouxsie Ashmore) and a pantomime camel - as in the photo! Also plenty of 'he's behind you' and 'oh yes you did'.

The dancers from the West Berkshire Ballet School deserve a particular mention because they were step perfect, and the costumes throughout were also excellent. I could tell the whole of KATS hugely enjoyed themselves in this performance, it was great fun.

Vision Express Refurbishment

Following on from the Coffee Morning I went along to officially re-open Vision Express in Northbrook Street. The store has been completely refurbished, and is very smart.

After cutting the ribbon the husband and wife who own the franchise gave me a tour of the premises, including the lab where lenses are cut to order within the hour.