Well, yesterday was the 'big one' in the Mayor of Newbury's calendar. I went along to Fair Close Day Centre with Joyce at 9.30am and met the volunteers who were already assembling 350 cardboard boxes for the picnic teas. My Deputy Adrian also came along, and about ten of us spent the next few hours assmebling the boxes and then filling them with cakes, sausage rolls and scones.
At 2pm I met up with Stuart, Adrian and Carol in the Town Hall and we gathered umbrellas (it had been raining steadily all day till that point!), the Mayor's robes and chain and some tea cups and headed off for the venue - Oak Ash Farm in Chaddleworth.
Mr and Mrs Griffith-Jones had kindly donated the use of their grounds and gardens for this years drive. The elderly of the town started to arrive at 2.45pm (there are always some early ones!), and soon the field in front of the house was filled with cars - well over a hundred I should think. I set to meeting all the elderly (all guests live in Newbury and are 75 or older) I spent two hours chatting to them and the dozens of volunteer drivers who had brought them. I got rather warm in the robes, and met some lovely people. It tried to rain a few times, but we sat it out with umbrellas (very British!). I found out this tradition started 60 years ago, they needed to gather ration coupons for the first few years. Jack Hole was there, he was one of the founders of the Drive, and Mayor in 1951 - probably the only living ex-mayor to have an enamelled crest on the chain of office. At 97 he was one of a few to be awarded a prize for being the oldest there!
The picture is of me presenting Ruby with flowers, for being one of two one hundred year olds at the drive.
This event has been organised for the last three decades by the wonderful Angela Spellman, who has enlisted some lovely volunteers who help each year.
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