Official opening of Bennetts/Equity Insurance

Yesterday morning I went along to officially open the new Equity Insurance office in Northbrook Street. Bennetts insurance has had a presence in Newbury for many years (over 20 to my knowledge), and has now merged with another company and they have chosen 'Equity' as their new name.

They moved offices from Bartholomew Street some months ago, and have settled into their new home at the Northern end of Northbrook Street. The staff were very welcoming to Carol and I, and we were presented with some beautiful floral bouquets.

Camp's Caring Day

Newbury's independant department store, Camp Hopson, holds a 'caring day' for elderly and disabled customers each year before Christmas. This is done in partnership with the West Berkshire Volunteer Centre who provide the transport where necessary.

After officially opening the day, Carol, Garry Poulson, Jonathan Hopson, Beccy Human and I went up to Joseph's Restaurant for refreshments. We talked about family tree research, - Jonathan has recently caught the bug for this, and believes he has tracked down the Hopson line to the 1600's. Carol has also been working with her sister to track down her family history and has even spent the day at the national records office in London. One of Jonathan's relations married an Ida Durrant - I don't think there is a link, but you never know - the Durrants did own a chain of gentlemen's tailors in the first half of the twentieth century!

Christmas Lights Switch on with Theo Walcott

I was a little anxious about this years switch on - not because I'm the Mayor this year, but because it was our first ever Celebrity Switch On, and I knew it would be more crowded than ever.

I didn't meet Theo Walcott until I was on the Kick FM stage at two minutes to five. Chris Rose and Andy Green were getting the crowd going with practice countdowns, and after Theo and I pressed the plunger, Theo threw signed mini footballs out into the crowd - I'd never seen so many people in the market place! I then processed back to the Town Hall with the Town Crier, Mace Bearers, Junior Mayor and Deputy, Chair of West Berks, and Mayor of Hungerford - it was a bit of a squeeze getting through the crowds!

It was good to relax back at the Town Hall, and after a few minutes Theo arrived with his girlfriend, Mum, Dad and brother Ashley (who looks very like Theo). After spending a while introducing Theo to some of the other guests - including the Youth Council members - we adjourned to the Mayors Parlour. I introduced Theo to my Theo, and we took some pictures. Theo also kindly signed an Arsenal Shirt (no 32) for me to auction for my charities at a later date. I was very impressed at the mature way he handled the whole thing, - his whole family were very pleasant, and I am sure they will help him survive the enormous pressures of being a premier league footballer at such a young age.

Kick FM Breakfast Show

It was an early start on Wednesday, as I was the guest on the breakfast show with Chris Rose and Charlotte Butt. We launched their Christmas Toy Appeal - last year this was a huge success, with hundreds of donations of new toys from individuals and companies. The toys are distributed by staff from Social Services, and this year they are keen to have more presents for teenagers.

We also talked about the forthcoming Christmas Lights Switch on, as Kick provide the staging and entertainment for this event each year.

Newbury Youth Theatre - Hope Springs

This evening I went to the new Arlington Theatre at the Mary Hare Grammar School to see the Newbury Youth Theatre production of Hope Springs. The NYT have performed this play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to four star reviews. I took Louis along, as he enjoys performing arts and I thought it might inspire him!

The play is about a group of teenagers in a private 'correctional facility' who rebel against the regime. It had echoes of TVs Brat Camp, and also of 'Holes'. It was well staged and acted - a lot of dialogue to learn - but some good opportunity for expression too! The play is currently on tour around schools in West Berkshire, with just one more to visit - clearly a very dedicated theatre group, it will be interesting to see what they do next.

The British Heart Foundation Charity Concert

Stuart and I went along to the BHF Charity Concert at St Mary's Church Shaw-cum-Donnington on Sunday evening. We were the guests of the concert organiser, Josh Smith.

I recognised a number of members of the assembled band from the Berkshire Maestros - the violinist Emily Meaney and saxophonist George Millard both performed very accomplished solos, and drummer Gillian Breach was also the musical director. A quintet of ladies called the Moonlighters sang a couple of barber shop style numbers, and also sang backing vocals for other soloists who were all aged about 12 to 18. The audience was also entertained by film projections accompanying some of the songs.

Most amazingly Josh Smith is only 14 and he had the idea for the concert and made it all happen. I was delighted to support him and all the performers - what talent!

Beenham Band - The Big Country

Last night I went with my friend Rachel to the Corn Exchange to see the Beenham Band in concert. We both know Eleanor Brooks, a band member and headteacher of Speenhamland School.

I thought the band looked very professional with their dinner jackets and black evening outfits against a black backdrop twinkling with stars. The programme had an American theme and included some Rogers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, which included a tour de force from guest pianist Robert Thompson.

My favourite pieces were the music from The Incredibles by Michael Giaccino (great fun) and the finale which was the theme tune to the film 'Big Country' by Jerome Moss - a really iconic piece.

I was most impressed as the band originated just seven years ago from the small village of Beenham, and there were 37 musicians on the stage last night playing to a very high standard.

Coffee morning for the over 80's parcel fund

Every year the Mayor of Newbury hosts a coffee morning for the Newbury Weekly News over 80's parcel fund. Adrian Martin, the MD of the NWN came along and told me that the over 80s parcel fund had been going for so long, it used to be called the T and T fund - tobacco for the men and tea for the ladies! These days the paper raises £16,000 each year to fill a bag with goodies for those over 80 in its area of circulation.

We had a steady flow of visitors throughout the morning - they even ate my slightly overcooked rock cakes! I went outside a few times to persuade shoppers to come in for a tea or coffee, and several people stopped me to say how lovely the Market Place looked after the extensive re-vamp.

Amongst the customers were Brian Burgess and Alex Payton, the Mayor of Thatcham, and we were entertained by Trevor Brown who recited a number of 'Clerihew' poems, and I responded with some Spike Milligan! After coming home I found Alex had created his own 'Clerihew' and emailed it to me, so here it is:

Newbury, near Thatcham, has an ancient politics.
Of the four hundred or so mayors there must have beensince 1596
The one that is current
Is Gillian Durrant.

Teddy Bear Treasure Hunt for Children in Need

Some of the Town Council staff organised a treasure hunt in Victoria Park to raise money for the BBC Children in Need appeal. Sue, Mags, Helen and Sue dressed up as Goldilocks and the three bears and hid Pudsey Bear cut outs all around the park for pre school children to find.

The weather was pretty awful - there were a few sunny spells, but then the rain set in with a vengeance. Amazingly they still had over 40 children doing the treasure hunt, mainly from the adjacent Victoria Park Nursery. The rain certainly didn't dampen the childrens enthusiasm, but apparently the adults weren't so keen! I was most impressed with Goldilocks and the three bears for sticking it out for nearly four hours - I hope they do it again, but maybe in the summer!

St Bartholomew's School Prizegiving

Thursday evening was the annual Key Stage 4 prizegiving at St Barts.

The address was given by Simon Stevens, the President of United Health International who is a former head boy of the school, and son of the school chaplain. I sat next to his very proud mother.

St Barts certainly had much to celebrate - they had had their best set of exam results ever. It is easy for older people to be cynical about the ever increasing pass rate in GCSEs (they have gone up every year since I took mine 26 years ago), but there is no doubt that many of todays teenagers put a huge amount of effort into their school work and revision - I think they have a much stronger work ethic than in my day.

Forty five pupils achieved an amazing 8 or more A or A* passes, and one lad, Christopher West, had a staggering 14 A* passes. The school also had three of the top 5 English Literature GCSE results in the country (out of more than 350,000).

An Inconvenient Truth

This afternoon I went to the Corn Exchange to see An Inconvenient Truth, a film about global warming by Al Gore. Richard Benyon, with a sponsor, had block booked a large proportion of seats for the afternoon performance of the film, and invited councillors, church leaders and teachers to the viewing.

What most suprised me was that Al Gore has been campaigning against the causes of global warming since before most of us had heard about it, and he has travelled the world with his 'slide show' for many years. This slide show formed the basis of the film, with many graphs and statistics to prove his point scientifically beyond doubt. What a shame he didn't win the presidential election in 2000 - it is interesting to think that the CO2 emissions from the USA may have declined by now rather than increased year on year as they have done. Thankfully since the recent elections in America there is a new chair of the environment committee who actually believes global warming exists, so thats a start!

I walked home through Victoria Park in an unseasonally mild afternoon wondering what the future holds...

West Berks Education Business Partnership AGM

At Monday lunchtime I went to the WBEBP AGM at the Donnington Valley Hotel. The Cromwell Room was packed - I dont think I have ever been to such a well attended AGM. A number of West Berks officers and councillors were there including the Chair; our MP Richard Benyon; Brien Beherall of the NWN; many teaching staff, including head of sixth form at Park House, and Head of St Barts. There were also school challenge competition winners from Downs School, and two St Barts pupils who talked about the benefits of their year 10 work experience.

One of the key things WBEBP do is to match hundreds of year 10s with work placements for a week every year. They also run business projects with local companies, and emergency services, mostly for the benefit of secondary school children. Its a shame they dont work more with children below the age of 12, but I still envy those who do get to take part in the business challenges - there was nothing like that when I was at school!

Dingley Family and Play Therapy Group

This morning I went along to the Dingley open day. The group is based in the picnic enclosure at Newbury Racecourse. They lost their original 'home' when Sandleford Hospital was demolished two years ago.

The group has three centres; in Reading, Wokingham and here. Each centre is run independantly by trustees, as it is a charity. Dingley provides a playgroup environment for children aged 0 to 5 with disabilities and special educational needs but it is equally valuable for their carers, usually mums, who can meet others in the same situation and make friends. As their children settle in, the mums can leave them with staff and enjoy some rare time to themselves. The children make good progress while at the group, and many go on part time to other nurseries as they get older.

The staff, parents and trustees would love to have a purpose built nursery, with a dedicated garden area for the children to play. Currently they have to close down several days each month when there are races going on.

Remembrance Sunday

Fortunately the day was sunny and mild. It is mind boggling to think of the thousands of people around the country as they prepare for their remembrance parades. Hundreds take part in Newbury's parade and service; it seems to get bigger every year, though sadly there are fewer and fewer veterans taking part. It is good to see so many young people involved (including my sons, who paraded with their scout troup), I recognised many as they marched past - I hope they know the significance of the service, I always find it very moving.

After the silence I layed the first wreath, and my son Theo would have laid the last one, but unbeknownst to me he was in the back of an ambulance having almost passed out!

Fortunately Theo was fine after a rest, but I processed on to St Nicolas' Church for the service and didn't find out about his adventure till afterwards. The service was lovely - some of my favourite hymns, and my chaplain Andy Warren gave a thought provoking address.

Afterwards many went back to the Royal British Legion for refreshments, and I was taken around to meet some of the veterans. One former bomber pilot told me he served for the last three years of the war, flying countless tours; another told me he was one of only 30 survivors of his batallion - and this all happened when they were such young men. To people of my generation and younger it seems like another age ago - only existing in films and old black and white archive footage - so its good to speak to those who were actually there - it makes it more real. I wish all of todays children could have the opportunity to meet with and question these veterans.

11.11.11

I was on Saturday Surgery duty on the Town Hall steps this morning with fellow councillor Mike Rodger. Mike has been Mayor twice, and started on the council with me nine and a half years ago. Sadly Mike is moving to Carlisle at the end of the month, and he will leave a big hole at the council and in the town where he is a well known and popular figure. It was good to do a Saturday Surgery with him before he leaves.

At 10.50am the British Legion held a short service of remembrance at the war memorial. A large number of people stopped to take part, and stood in silence for the two minutes following the last chime of the church tower clock at eleven. I was proud to lay a wreath by the war memorial on behalf of the town.

Tomorrow we will be back there again, but with hundreds of local people following the parade.

Meals on Wheels

This week was Meals on Wheels week, and I was asked by Apetito, the company who provide the service in Newbury to help deliver a meal to one of their customers. Pictured is Mr White receiving his lunch from me and Rachel.

Kennet Opera - Sweeney Todd

On Wednesday evening I was invited by Kennet Opera to attend the first of four nights of their latest show, Sweeney Todd.

I was impressed - the staging and costumes made the show look professional, and the performances were very accomplished. The only thing that gave away its amateur status was the fact that I recognised a number of people on stage! The musical accompaniment was especially effective, as it was beautifully modulated to enhance each performers voice, and not overpower them. All the leads were good, but the standout for me was Sam Spaak as Mrs Lovett - an excellent comic performance.

Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup 50th Anniversary Lunch

Today I was a guest of the Chairman and Directors of Newbury Race Course for the celebration lunch marking 50 years of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. I have to confess to not being a racegoer, so the starry line up of Jockeys, owners and trainers was a bit lost on me, but I had heard of Bob Champion, Jenny Pitman and John Francome.

28 of the past winners were represented, and everyone enjoyed watching the archive footage of winners crossing the finishing post. Jockeys and trainers of some of the winning horses were interviewed between courses, including Stan Mellor who was on my table. The lunch was delicious and Stuart and I both enjoyed meeting some of the guests - I arrived feeling like a fish out of water, but was made very welcome.

Spring Charity Fundraisers AGM

I had met Jane Wells, the secretary of the Spring Charity Fundraisers at several functions, and over the years at Newbury in Bloom prizegivings, as she is a keen gardner. She recently told me about this charity, which I hadn't heard of, so I was pleased to attend their AGM last night at the Bacon Arms.

The charity is only a couple of years old officially, but the committee have been fundraising since 1999. They were a group of friends that decided to hold a ball to raise money for local disabled children. I think they are unusual because they had no disabled children themselves, and set about this for (almost) totally altruistic reasons. I say almost, because they clearly know how to enjoy themselves and obviously like parties! To date they are on their way to having raised £50,000, which is a wonderful achievement.

The other lovely thing about their charity is that they give only to local people, and I happen to know several of them, being the governor with special responsibility for the Keevil unit at Speenhamland School, where a number of disabled children attend. This makes their achievements very tangible. They have given lightweight wheelchairs, non-slip flooring, hoists, specialist computers for severe dyslexia, and special sports wheelchairs for the Vikings, the local disabled basketball team. Their next target is to raise £4,500 to pay for a special bath to help a severely disabled teenager and his family.

Their next ball will be at the Racecourse on Saturday 17 March, and I hope to be there to support them. I will be encouraging others to go along too, as they need to sell over 250 tickets to make a profit. If you are reading this and want to go, call Jane Wells on 01635 33826.

Mrs Florence Dee's 100th

Yesterday afternoon I went along to the Salvation Army Hall in Newbury, to the CAMEO Club (Come and Meet Each Other) which is a social club where all are welcome. They had a special celebration because one of their regular members will be 100 on Thursday.

Florence Dee is such a lovely lady - everyone I spoke to there said what a kind and sunny person she is, and they are right, she is 'twinkly'! She told me she came to Newbury as a baby, and went to Speenhamland and St Mary's schools (the latter long since gone). She brought up her children herself, and said the secret of her long life was to find the positive in everything, and to be happy. She lives alone, and still keeps her garden (she grew potatoes and beans last year). The main thing she wanted to talk about was her helicopter ride last week - she loved it!

West Berkshire Indoor Bowls Club

On Saturday morning Carol and I went to the West Berkshire Indoor Bowls Club for the official re-opening by Richard Benyon MP, following the extensive refurbishment of their premises. The club is 21 years old, and has several hundred members. Several national competitions were going on during the day, and I had a chance to meet one of their members who plays for the England ladies team.

The Play What I Wrote

Finally on Thursday I attended a reception as a guest of Lord Carnarvon and the Trustees of the Corn Exchange, before watching the Play What I Wrote, - a West End hit show now touring, that is based on the work of Morecombe and Wise.

I took my mum along, and we both enjoyed the play - it brought back memories of watching the Christmas Specials all those years ago.

Best of Newbury

Also on Thursday night I went along to the opening of the Best of Newbury photography exhibition at the Corn Exchange. Sam and Neale James of Breathe photographers had taken pictures of 150 people who live and/or work in Newbury; many of the portraits reflect the character of the sitter, and I defy any local person not to recognise someone in the exhibition!

The exhibition takes its name from the website which is a co-sponsor. Ironically I dont have a photo of the evening because I forgot to put the battery in my camera!
www.breathpictures.com

Newbury Building Society 150th Anniversary

Yesterday was also the 150th anniversay reception for Newbury Building Society. We are very fortunate to have such a strong, well run building society in Newbury. Many local building societies have been taken over by nationals in recent years, so are becoming a rarity.

The reception was held at the Newbury Manor Hotel, and very well attended, though I was one of very few women present, and no doubt stood out amongst the sea of grey suits! I saw many familiar faces, and managed to chat to a number of directors of the society, amongst others.

Newbury Day Centre

Yesterday lunchtime I attended the neighbourhood learning centres celebration day at the Newbury Day Centre in Newtown Road. There were representatives from the centres around West Berkshire, including Theale and Hungerford, and stands giving information about the various organisations who work in partnership with West Berkshire Council to provide services and facilities for the community, and especially for those with learning disabilities.

I saw filmed interviews with people learning IT skills at Hungerford Day Centre, and a demonstration of British Sign Language. Unfortunately I could not stay for the full three hours and therefore missed out on the presentation by the Ormonde Resource Centre, and the yoga workshop.

The picture is of me and Erik Anders who runs the Morpheus Theatre which is based at the Day Centre. The theatre puts on professional productions by touring theatre companies, and gives opportunites for local people with learning difficulties to gain experience and qualifications in the performing arts. For more information see their website www.morpheustheatre.org

Full Council

On Monday evening I chaired my second full council meeting. We had presentations from Thames Valley Crimestoppers, Newbury Citizens Advice Bureau and the Berkshire Community Responders Team.

The first explained how they team up with local authorities to create posters and leaflets to publicise anti-social and criminal behaviour, in order to encourage the public to help catch the offenders. They are an independant charity and all calls made to them are totally anonymous.

The second presentation by the CAB Chief Executive, Bob King, was to advise the Town Council that our funding of Saturday morning opening was possibly not as cost effective as it could be. Bob is going to evaluate opening on a weekday evening instead. The Town Council has funded Saturday opening for about four years, to enable those who work during the week to have access to the fantastic advise that the CAB can offer.

Finally we heard from Richard Davies the Community Defibulation Officer, who explained the benefits of having trained volunteers in each centre of population who are able to reach people having heart attacks within eight minutes, to give them a much better chance of survival. The Councillors resolved to look at the possibility of having a town centre volunteer team to add to the network within West Berkshire.

Wear it Pink Day

The staff at Newbury Building Society Head Office created a Pamper Room out of their training room today and sold beauty sessions in aid of breast cancer awareness and research charities.

They invited me along for the treatment of my choice, and being a coward I chose the easiest - a manicure! There were head and neck massages, body tanning, pedicures and body waxing on offer too, just to name a few. I dressed up in as much pink as I could muster (top, jacket and boots) and walked through the high street feeling a bit conspicuous, but I felt quite at home when I arrived at the Newbury Building Society headquarters, as everyone there was in pink too. Employee Traci had organised the whole event, from decorating the room to booking the beauty professionals. Traci was delighted that all the slots for the day had been booked by her colleagues, so hopefully a good amount of money will be raised. My manicure was courtesy of Kerry Martin, who I can thoroughly recommend. I was delighted with my beautifully painted nails - pink of course!

Unveiling Couple in Conversation

As Mayor I am usually asked along to open and help celebrate other peoples achievements - this one was a bit different, because I had a hand in it myself. I have been one of several Town Councillors involved in the creation of the Newbury Town Trail since 1998. The Steering Group has shortlisted and selected artists, fundraised and organised the installation of two pieces of public art in that time - it does take a long time - but we are getting quicker!

It is about two and a half years since we wrote and published the brief for the piece we unveiled yesterday - Couple in Conversation by Johannes von Stumm. Johannes lives in Wantage, and used to work at New Greenham Arts, and the piece was made by Boundary Metal, also based at Greenham. It was wonderful to see everything come to fruition yesterday - when the Junior Mayor Gemma Legg 'unveiled' the sculpture (she couldn't do it in person as it is on the middle of a very busy roundabout!).

The sculpture was sponsored by the Colefax Trust, and the trustee John Heath was present, along with Johannes family and in-laws, the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire and his wife, and many other people involved in some way or another with the sculpture.

Included in the photo are Gemma Legg far left, John Heath, the director of Boundary Metal, me, Johannes and Mike Rodger, fellow councillor and chair of the steering group.

Cards for Good Causes

Yesterday I officially opened the Cards for Good Causes Christmas Card shop in the United Reform Church, just off Northbrook Street.

This is the second year that the shop has been at the URC church; for many years before that it was at St Nics. I hadn't realised that Cards for Good Causes was a national charity with 350 temporary Christmas Card shops across the country. It was set up by 25 well known national charities in 1959, and raises money each year for over 300 charities. Because it is primarily staffed by volunteers, over 80% of the money raised goes direct to the charity - so it makes sense to buy your Christmas Cards from them rather than a high street shop.

Luketide Service at Newbury Community Hospital

On Sunday afternoon Carol collected me in the car and we drove the short distance to the hospital, in the pouring rain. The hospital's League of Friends organise this annual service, on the Sunday closest to St Lukes day, as St Luke was a doctor and he is a sort of patron saint of all things medical.

Father Bernard Dagnall of St John's Church in Newbury is the hospital chaplain, and took the service. As it was held in the waiting area for blood tests he joked that he hoped we had all taken a number - but reassured us we weren't about to be jabbed with a needle. It was a short straightforward service with a number of hymns (Sylvia Galbraith on the keyboards) and readings - from St Luke of course!

We had tea and biscuits afterwards, and I met members of the League of Friends and the Matron. I also met ex-Mayor Barbara McMahon for the first time. There is a real sense of the hospital belonging to the local community - because it does! (having been paid for by the trust set up to build it, and leased to the NHS under the PFI initiative).

Education Project

I started writing my education project for primary children before I became Mayor, but only really finished it this week. I have produced a folder for each primary school in the parish (there are nine) with chapters about Newbury's history, geography, what the Town Council does, what Town Councillors do and the history of the Mayor. There are activities for each of these, varying from discussions to colouring and cutting out paper dolls of the Mayor, Town Crier and Mace Bearer (pictured).

I launched my project this week to coincide with Local Democracy Week, because one of the purposes of the project is to educate children about the importance of democracy, and being involved in the local community. The majority of the project will be available on the Town Council website (www.newbury.gov.uk)so it can be used by other groups if they wish. I have written to each school asking if they would like me to visit and talk to pupils about being Mayor, and the Town Council, either at their school, or at the Town Hall.

Newbury Branch UNA evening

The Newbury Branch of the United Nations Association invited me to their international evening at Newbury Town Hall. They had members and guests from around the world who took turns to introduce themselves to all of us. Special guests were a number of students from Padworth College, a private sixth form college which has students from places such as China, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Bahrain.

Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and interested to hear about the many cultures represented. Pictured are some of the Padworth College students, who all wanted to have their picture taken with a real Mayor!

West Berkshire Council Parish Conference

On Tuesday 17 October I went along the the West Berkshire Council offices to the annual district/parish conference. Representatives from many of the parish councils in West Berkshire were there (there are over 50 parishes in West Berks). Newbury is the largest parish council in the district, and we therefore have close working relationships with many departments, and share five councillors.

The conference included a presentation about the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, disussion about community safety (many comments on lack of police presence around the district), the latest on planning gain (s.106 agreements), and Parish Plan progess.

Talking Rubbish

Sunday 15 October was the long awaited date of the Mayor's Charity Concert, Talking Rubbish. The name encapsulates two of the main elements of the concert - talking representing the host Vodafone, and rubbish representing the recycling work of the Community Furniture Project.

I had attended a rehearsal with most of the primary school choirs taking part (Enborne, Falkland, Fir Tree, Greenham Court, Robert Sandilands, Shaw-cum-Donnington, and Speenhamland) last Tuesday; but the actual concert also included adult backing singers, a full orchestra of young people from Berkshire Maestros, professional rock musicians and the Castle School choir - a cast of hundreds!

The Vodafone Pavilion was a splendid setting - a huge 'tented' space which enabled us to fit in the massed primary school choir and the full orchestra simultaneously, as well as having space for the soloists to perform. The programme acknowledged the hundreds who took part front and back of stage - I was touched by the huge number of volunteers; many people commented afterwards what a lovely feeling there was at the concert - it was a true community effort.

We hope to have raised several thousands of pounds for the Furniture Project and the Mayors Benevolent Fund, but we also gave an oppurtunity for many young people to be part of an exciting and professionally produced event, and through using film footage and theming the concert around recycling I hope many more know about the work of the Furniture Project. I made a speech of thanks at the end - there were so many to thank, but key figures who made it all happen were my Civic Manager Joyce Lewis who produced the whole show, and the visionary direction of Angela Turton. The photo shows Angela and I before the show in the Vodafone HQ.

Michaelmas Fair

On Wednesday evening I went to open the Michaelmas Fair with Theo, Louis and their friends. It had been raining extremely hard on and off all day, so we went prepared with our boots on, but luckily the rain dried up as we walked to Goldwell Park from the Town Hall.

We were hosted by Charlie, the chair of the London and Home Counties Region of the Showmans Guild, the organisation that has been running the fair for many years. The Michaelmas Fair is the last surviving annual fair in Newbury's calendar, and has been a fixture since medieval times, though there isn't much that is medieval about it these days! It looked spectacular with a huge number of exciting rides.

Charlie and I made brief speeches to open the fair, then I rang the traditional bell to declare it open. I then chose a number of rides - most I was too scared to go on myself, but they were hugely enjoyed by the youngsters who followed me around. I went on the dodgems (twice!)and the big wheel. Afterwards we were the guests of the guild at a reception in the Northcroft Centre.

Victoria Park Nursery School

Yesterday morning I called in at Victoria Park Nursery School to present their cup for winning the 'Best School Garden Tended by Children' award in the Newbury in Bloom Competition. The Headteacher Fiona Bridger-Wilkinson asked me to come to the nursery to present the cup because the children were too young to attend the Newbury in Bloom prizegiving in September at the Town Hall, as it was held in the evening.

Its always a pleasure to visit the nursery school - Fiona and some of the other teachers are still there from the days my sons attended - its nearly six years now since Louis left. The lady on the right of the picture is another Gill - an ex parent who now comes to the nursery once a week to work with the children in the garden. Gill has been gardening there for a year now, and is making quite an impact with added colourful plants, a well stocked vegetable patch, and well maintained flowerbeds and shrubs.

25 years of NCH at Greenham House

Also tonight I attended the party to celebrate the 25th anniversary of NCH running the childrens centre at Greenham House in Newbury. It was much more than just an anniversary though - NCH were saying goodbye to Greenham House, as it is being transferred to the control of West Berkshire Council, and some of the staff will not be carrying on. It was also an evening to celebrate the work of the manager Rosemary who is retiring after 18 years in charge at Greenham House, and 42 years of social work (its hard to believe she has been working since I was born).

It was a real privilege to witness the speeches there tonight. I've never been inside Greenham House before, and not known what a lovely warm, friendly atmosphere it has. The staff and volunteers are obviously held in such high regard, and it was very moving to hear what they had to say about the last 25 years, and Rosemary's career. It brought home to me how important it is for community services like this to have staff continuity - it is a rare thing these days, and something we take for granted at our peril.

Pictured are Rosemary and Helen (Helen is staying on, and has worked at Greenham House for 25 years!).

Opening of Ripples Bathroom Centre

Tonight I helped to officially open the new bathroom shop 'Ripples' in Cheap Street, opposite the Post Office.

The owners, Diane and Richard Garnett are a local couple who are new to the world of bathrooms so they are setting out on quite an adventure and I wish them well. They have transformed what was a fairly uninspiring space into something light, bright and fresh. They have a range of bathrooms, from the ultra modern to the traditional, and it is well worth a look.

This is the 16th Ripples showroom to open - they are all in the south and midlands, and many like this one are run as franchises. The Director of the company was there tonight with his wife, he told me that he had started the business 18 years ago.

Crown Court Ceremonial Opening Service

On Tuesday 3 October Carol drove Stuart and I to the Civic offices in Reading for the ceremonial opening service for the Crown Court, which is held in the Minster Church of St Mary.

We had a tea and coffee in the Mayor of Reading's parlour, before lining up in alphabetical order (of town) to process to the church. There were about a dozen of us with chains on, in single file, following a mace bearer - its funny how some people carry on walking by as though it happens everyday, and a few stop and stare! It is quite a grand occasion - the judges all wear their wigs and gowns, and the High Sheriff is there in his velvet pantaloons. The Bishop of Reading, the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell, gave a humorous and intelligent sermon based on the reading from the parable of the prodigal son, and we sang three good hymns.

According to the notes in the order of service, the custom of these annual services dates from the reign of Edward 1 (1272-1307), and records of such sermons have been kept since 1681, the most famous assize sermon being that preached by John Keble in 1839 at Oxford, which was a national sensation as he denounced the nation for turning away from God and began a religous revival (so no pressure on the Stephen Cottrell then!)

Braunfels - day 4

We attended a church service (we were late because Isolde and Walter's kitten escaped and took a while to get back indoors, and then we went to the wrong church!). After church our hosts took us to a restaurant by the castle walls and we had a delicious lunch.

We said our goodbyes after lunch and the minibus drove us back to the airport for the journey home. Gemma had been nervous before hand, but said she really enjoyed herself, and would do it again.

Pictured; me with Burgermeister Deiter Schmidt

Braunfels - day 3

Stuart and I walked around Braunfels, through the park and had a coffee in the market place cafe. It is very quiet - hardly any traffic noise.

Then we went to the Hessenpark museum, half an hours drive away, - as guests of the Burgermeister (Mayor) Deiter Schmidt. Deiter is retiring next week after 12 years as Mayor. In Europe Mayors are directly elected by the people, and it is a full time paid job - Braunfels has an election on 8th October. Hassenpark is an open air museum of buildings showing the history of this region of Germany (Northwest of Frankfurt). The buildings are taken apart bit by bit and carefully re-assembled and restored. You can walk into the houses, church and school house and have a look at how people used to live.

In the evening we attended a film show - home movies of Braunfels twin town activities in the last 25 years (the weekend was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the town winning the European Prize for town twinning, a rare achievement). Gemma and Chris went to the nearby big town with some of the younger Germans and visitors and visited a local disco.

Braunfels - day two

The day began with a two hour discussion about the EU - this was in German, but thankfully translated into English! Prior to the weekend a questionnaire had been issued to the twin town associations of the towns taking part, and the responses were revealed at the meeting. It transpired that the Spanish and Italian twins were much keener on the expansion of the EU than the Germans were (who felt their jobs would be threatened), and from the discussion it was clear that the German teenagers taking part believed that their countrymen should be able to vote in a referendum on the new EU constitution - the guest university lecturers said it was not in the German constitution.

After lunch we toured the beautiful castle of Braunfels, which dates from the 12th century, and is a big tourist attraction. Part of the castle is still lived in by the decendants of the original Count who built it!

In the evening we visited an historic watermill, followed by a Hungarian evening, with entertainment by the dancers and musicians from Kiskunfelegyhaza (who visited Newbury in July). The buffet was delicious!

Twin Town Trip to Braunfels

Early in the morning of Thursday 28 September I drove Stuart and Junior Mayor Gemma Legg to Stanstead Airport where we met up with Garry Poulson, Kath Osborne and Christopher Harper for our four day trip to Newbury's German twin town, Braunfels.

Although the flight is only one hour ten minutes, we didn't arrive at our destination until 5pm. We were greeted at their Tourist Information centre, and presented with special umbrellas - an omen of weather to come?

Stuart and I were driven to our hosts home in a town 3km away. Our hosts were a lovely retired couple called Isolde and Walter, who made us most welcome.

Pentangle Dental Transformations

Last Wednesday evening I went along with Stuart and Rod to the opening of Pentangle Dental Transformations in Park Lane, Newbury.

As I work just around the corner, I was aware that this dental practice was being developed, I also recall several planning applications for the building coming to committee. However, this is no typical dentist - as its name suggests, the practice is for major dental work - implants and crowns. The space inside the two storey building has been totally transformed. There are walls of curved opaque glass, even a glass landing, plenty of stainless steel, and some very hi-tech equipment.

I had my picture taken sitting in one of the new dentist chairs, which has a camera installed above to relay pictures of proceedures into the room next door onto a wide screen, which can be used as a training facility. There is also a CAT scan machine for 3D imaging of teeth. All most impressive. The dentists in question, Steve Jones and Rob Oretti are both from local practices, and already well known for their skills. If these dentists can transform your mouth they way they have transformed their building then they must be good!

Alzheimers Society AGM

Yesterday at 2pm I went along to the Alzheimers Society AGM at the Desmoulin Gallery.

I remember going along last year as Deputy Mayor, so it was interesting to see how the local branch had progressed in that time. The West Berkshire branch does seem to be a bit of a trailblazer when it comes to innovations. Last year their 'singing for the brain' scheme was new and exciting, this year they have received grant funding to spread the word, set up two other schemes in the area and trained more people to deliver the scheme further afield.

Their latest idea is 'gardening for the brain' which is already a big hit with a number of members regularly gardening on a Friday. The branch support and development worker Chreanne Montgomery-Smith is responsible for creating and organising these schemes, and seems to be very popular with the members as a result!

The chair Karin Beasley stood down at the AGM, and as yet has not been replaced, which is a shame - I hope they find someone to fill her slot soon.

Beating the Bounds

There is an ancient tradition of sending the youth of the parish off to walk around the parish boundary once a year. Since becoming Newbury Town Council 9 years ago, we have done it twice, the last time in the Millennium year, so Joyce and I though it would be good to do it again.

Sunday at 10am a good crowd gathered by the canal in the centre of town to set off under guidance of Dave Stubbs, ex policeman, current Town Marshall and local history enthusiast. We walked Westwards along the towpath until we came to the boundary, then followed it round to the South, up hill to Wash Common. En route we crossed the battlefield of the first Battle of Newbury of 1643, and Dave explained how tens of thousands of men happened to spend the day of 20th September that year spearing, shooting, stabbing and blasting each other till 5,000 lay dead. Apparently cannonballs and other detritus are still found at ploughing time in the surrounding fields.

We stopped for lunch at the Woodpecker pub, - a traditional stop off for those beating the bounds in the early part of the 20th century. I chatted to most of those on the walk, and was pleased to discover two couples who have only moved to Newbury in the last two months who came along to find out more.

We made our way as far south as St Gabriels school, and then headed back along Deadmans and Pinchington Lanes to Greenham before descending into Newbury town centre for a cup of tea in the Town Hall. It was a very enjoyable days walk (8 miles) and we hope to do the shorter Northern part of the boundary in the spring.

Newbury Goes Pear-shaped

I was asked to open a unique event at the Town Hall on Saturday morning. Debbie Hearn, the food journalist with the Newbury Weekly News has been researching fruits famous and rare for some years now. She discovered that the country's most popular pear 'Williams' pear was bread by the headteacher of the Aldermaston primary school in the early 1700s.

To celebrate this event she organised a day of pear promotion, and assisted by Newbury Town Council and the Thames Valley Farmers Market an array of tempting pear dishes and rare fruits was on display to the public. shops and cafes around town were also encouraged to put some unusual pear recipes on their menus for the day.

Naomi House Open Day

After the Borders opening I drove down to Naomi House near Winchester with my friend Sally-Ann. Neither of us had been before, so we weren't sure what to expect.

Naomi House is a hospice for terminally ill children, which serves a huge area of central southern England, and is funded entirely by charitable contributions; - the majority raised by members of the public. Primarily they offer respite for the families of very ill children, but they also offer support and bereavement counselling for parents and siblings.

The hospice is nine years old and purpose built in beautiful landscaped grounds. It is superbly equipped, with hydrotherapy pools, hoists in all the bedrooms and an amazing adapted bathroom. And yet the 'medical' side of it is very discreet, as they are very keen to make it as homely and comfortable as possible for the families who stay there. Full time fundraiser June Tabor showed us around and introduced us to many staff and volunteers who are all lovely people. I can believe they bring real joy to children and families who have such a relentlessly tough time otherwise.

It made my day when one of their fundraisers came up and asked me if I was the Mayor of Newbury, as she recognised me from my blog!! Thats a first.

Naomi House has just started its own lottery - £1 a week payable by direct debit, with a much better chance of winning than the National Lottery - see lottery@naomihouse.org.uk
Pictured are June Tabor on the left and Sally-Ann on the right outside the front door.

Opening Borders Bookstore

Friday 22 September was the day I opened the new Borders at the retail park. A brand new store - when I arrived the staff were making the final touches to it - polishing banisters etc. It was decorated with colourful balloons and looked perfect.

At 10am I went to the front doors, where 130 children from Greenham Court School and St Gabriels were waiting to come in. The store manager addressed them all briefly, and I then welcomed them before cutting the ribbon and making a quick sidestep before being mown down by children charging in with balloons flying! I then leisurely looked around at the vast array of books and the Paperchase franchise of gift wrap, cards etc. I chatted to the directors of retail and property about the business - this is store number 38 in just 9 years, and they are aiming to have 100 in the UK. It is an American chain, which might explain why they have an instore Starbucks! The following day Adam Ant dropped by to do a book signing.

Age Concern Open Day

Age Concern Newbury and West Berkshire held an open day at St Nicolas' Church hall, to coincide with the very popular Thursday coffee morning.

I went along to 'open' the open day, and meet the staff and volunteers of Age Concern. I was most impressed with the huge array of services they offer: financial help (benefits and pension advice, insurance etc), befriending, hospital aftercare, gas and electricity price comparisons, free IT courses, and my favourite - the handyman scheme. This is a free service for the elderly who need small jobs doing around the house - new tap washers fitted, or a lightbulb changed that they cant reach for example. For more information see their website: www.ageconcernberkshire.org.uk

Newbury Vision Conference

Back at the Corn Exchange the next morning for something completely different!

The third annual Newbury Vision Conference - an opportunity to update stakeholders and business people about the progress of the 2025 plan for Newbury. The developers have now been chosen for the large Market Street development, and they came along to describe their outline plans for this large section of south central Newbury. There will be a new entrance from the railway station to the town, flanked by residential blocks, with restaurants etc on the ground floor. It will be interesting to see the artists impressions when they are developed.

Graham Hunt, CEO of the Town Council presented the progress to date on Victoria Park - something I have been involved in for many years. Frustratingly the plan for the park's enhancement has been delayed for a year, awaiting the results of the anticipated consultation on the wharf redesign. We will get there eventually!

Cine Club Premiere

The evening of Tuesday 19th September was the West Berkshire Cine Club film premiere. The invitation said to dress for the occasion, as there would be a red carpet! Indeed there was - and many local school children wore bow ties or evening dresses.

We gathered in the Corn Exchange auditorium to see the results of 12 weeks work by participating primary and secondary schools, and the Newbury Day Centre. Each had taken on the challenge of story-boarding, directing, filming and editing a four minute feature film, to include an homage to a movie. Those that fulfilled all criteria were awarded a 'cine club certificate', which appeared on the screen after their film. The movies varied enormously, but were all entertaining in their own ways! The two primary schools involved; Speenhamland and Whitelands in Thatcham were very different - Speenhamland's had a very experimental indie feel, and Whitelands was a comic take on Frankenstein.

After each film, some of the participants were interviewed by the organiser Christina Pepper of the Corn Exchange, and revealed some of their special effect secrets, or the problems they experienced in filming. There is no doubt the participants all loved to see themselves on the big screen, and can't wait to make more movies this autumn.

Still no internet access....

Apologies for the sudden glut of entries, but we are still without internet access at home, over two weeks on. There is only so much you can take of hour long phone calls to India!

Reception for Twin Town Guests from Bagnols-sur-Ceze

On Saturday 16 I greeted the twin town guests staying in Newbury for the weekend. They picked a good weekend to come, it is the big race meet today, and they are all off to the Royal County of Berkshire Show tomorrow. We were to have hosted one of the guests, but as it is my son Louis’ birthday tomorrow I thought I’d have enough to do with his sleepover!

Newbury in Bloom Awards

Last awards of the week! The evening event on the Friday at the Town Hall meant a lot to me, as I organised the competition in its early years, and spent many hours sorting out sponsorship, judging, publicity and certificates. Thankfully this is now done by Council staff, particularly Sue Page, who has thrown herself into it, and followed the judges around this year taking pictures of entries.

Participants were particularly pleased to see the powerpoint displays of every entrant, with multiple images, and to receive laminated certificates including a photo of their entry.

Having been one of the judges this year also made the event more personal – it was lovely to see the entrants again when presenting their awards. It was the end of an era for the competition as we said goodbye to John Winterbourne, who has judged the competition since it began in 1998. Some of the participants regard him as a friend now, but since his move this year to Somerset he decided it was time to retire.

Mencap Gateway Awards

It has certainly been a week for awards – It will be while before my retinas recover from all the cameral flashes I’ve seen this week!

On Wednesday evening, again at the Town Hall, I was honoured to be asked to present bronze and silver Gateway Awards to Mencap members. These awards are along the lines of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. There are five elements to each one, and they take at least three years to achieve. Four members of West Berkshire Mencap were awarded the top Gold Award in May this year, at the National prizegiving in Birmingham.

Each participant has to collect evidence in a folder; some of which I looked through. They have evidence of hobby/craftwork, voluntary work, personal health/hygiene hiking and camping etc. Most impressive. I was also very impressed by the couple who give so much of their time to guiding the Mencap members through all the stages of the awards- Paul and Ellie-who run the club at the Mencap Centre in Enborne Road on Monday evenings.

Business Training Solutions Awards

On Tuesday 12 September I was asked by Margo McIver of Business Training Solutions to present the NVQs to their successful students. Margo and her colleague Margaret Young have been in business nearly three years now, training teaching assistants and office administrators and guiding them through NVQs at levels 2, 3 and 4.

The Town Hall was packed with their students (all women!). I believe they had a 100% turnout of candidates. I told them that I really admire their commitment and dedication – to return to education and exams many years after their formal education has ended. I’m sure they are all a credit to their employers.

Boys Brigade Award Presentations

Also on Monday 11 September I was asked to attend the 30th anniversary celebrations of Newbury’s Boys Brigade at the Baptist Church in Cheap Street. After a short service, I helped hand out some special awards for ‘best boy’ in the Anchor Boys, the Junior Section and the Company Section.

At the refreshments afterwards I browsed through the photos and press cuttings on display, and was amused to read the ones from the 1970’s when the Boys Brigade kidnapped the Mayor of Newbury Doug Lawrence and held him to ransom. I hope they aren’t getting any ideas!

Greenham W I

On Monday 11 September I went along to the Greenham WI meeting at St Johns Church Hall to talk to the members about the Town Council and the Mayoral regalia. One of the members had worked at the Town Hall for many years and knew a number of Mayors, including Elsie Kimber our first female Mayor in 1932. She also remembered the old layout of the Town Hall, including a part that has since been sold off, and used to be accessed through what is now a sealed up door.

3rd Newbury Family Camp

Stuart and the boys were at family camp with the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts of 3rd Newbury and their families, from Friday to Sunday. I drove out with them to Thirtover on Friday and helped put up the tent, then went back on Sunday morning to wish Theo a happy 13th birthday. Finally I returned again to put the tent down, and more importantly, to hand out the prizes to the winning family teams (those that scored the most at the various activities during the weekend), then we all posed for a group photo with the Mayor. For once the weather had been fantastic all weekend (its because I wasn’t there).

Newbury Contemporary Youth Dance Company

Also on Saturday in the evening Mum and I went to the Corn Exchange to see this years concert by the NCYDC. We saw 21 different dances by children and young people aged 13 to 19. The standard was extremely high; some of the dances by the older ones could have been professional to my eyes. The performers come from Newbury and further afield, including Reading and Basingstoke.

I have to make a special mention of the guest stars, the Parasite Dance Company from Basingstoke; their style was quite different – hip hop with a twist. Dressed as mad professors in white coats, dark glasses and wild hair their dance was witty, energetic and perfectly timed to the music.

Wash Common Garden and Craft Show

For the past twenty years or so, the folk of Wash Common have held a traditional show at the community centre, with competition categories for everything from onions and courgettes to hand made greeting cards and chutney.
This year was no exception, and I went with Carol and my mum on Saturday afternoon to Glendale Avenue.

Tables were laid out with all manner of produce and crafts; tomatoes and Victoria sponges being the most plentiful this year. The chair of the committee that puts on the shows (pictured) took me round the exhibits, and introduced me to Alan Hutford, a local woodturner who was demonstrating his craft and selling some beautiful bowls made from a variety of wood. We had tea and a delicious slice of Victoria sponge before the prize winners were announced and I handed over the trophies.

Just a Minute

On the evening of 8 September I went with my friend Rachel to the Frank Hutchins Memorial Hall in Thatcham to see the local version of Just a Minute. The event was organised by Thatcham Town Council for the Mayors charities.

It was a very good evening; - well organised, a tasty buffet in the interval, and very well attended (it looked like a sell out to me!). Special guests were the son and widow of the original Radio 4 panel game, and the four panellists; Jeff Brook, Mike Cole, Paul Dick and Margaret Goldie were all great sports. The chairman Andrew Cooper was also first rate – he has a very good voice for radio! The microphones and buzzers were put to good use, and the technical stuff all worked very well (apart from a slight hitch with the stopwatch, but a spare had been provided!).

Installation of Revd Paul Cowan as team vicar at St Georges

Also on 7 September I attended the service at St Georges Wash Common to install and welcome the new vicar, Paul Cowan. The church was packed, and the atmosphere was warm and friendly. The Bishop of Reading performed the service, and we were all invited into the church hall for refreshments afterwards.

I was most impressed that a coach full of parishioners came from Paul Cowan’s previous parish in Wokingham, even though he has spent the last year working in South Africa. He obviously commands a very loyal following.

Presenting awards at the Community Furniture Project

On 7 September I went to the Furniture Project in Greenham to present Open College Network awards in office administration and furniture restoration to a number of volunteers.

Formal training for volunteers is a relatively new opportunity at the CFP – but a natural progression, as many volunteers were learning these skills anyway. The recipients have all put many hours into their volunteering, helping themselves and the project.

The Chief Executive of the CFP, Kelvin Hughes, gave me and Carol a guided tour of the project before the presentations, and I met many of the volunteers and staff (some I already know, as I am a trustee), but I rarely get a chance to visit Greenham during the working day, so it was good to see them all.

Official opening of Camp Hopsons

On Tuesday 5 September I attended the official ‘opening’ of Camp Hopsons – Newbury’s oldest and only independent family run department store. After an extensive refurbishment that lasted several years and took many more to plan, store director Jonathan Hopson, members of the board and shareholders gathered with representatives from all of the businesses involved in the refurbishment, whilst Newbury MP Richard Benyon and I cut the ribbon.

We then walked a short distance to the Corn Exchange for the speeches and buffet lunch. Jonathan asked me to say a few words about Camps from the perspective of the local residents – it was easy to say how proud we all are to have an independent department store in our town, especially one that has now invested in its future and is such an asset to the high street. I did mention that my father had done business with Camps in the 1950’s, and that I had queued up for the sales over the years, most memorably to buy a pushchair 13 years ago when I was expecting Theo. There can’t be many local people without some connection to or memory of Camp Hopsons, even if it is just a piece of furniture they remember buying there! I’ve just remembered my mother worked there for a while 20 years ago.

I returned a few days later to buy my winter boots in the 20% off sale!

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible...

Regular readers may have noticed I haven't posted for a while. 'What is that lazy Mayor doing?' you may ask.

Well, I have been away (Italy, very pleasant), but when I came home the phone wasn't working. This took four days to fix, and now we still dont have broadband. I don't know how many days/weeks it will take to be back up and running, (it took three weeks last time). I am still doing my write ups and photos, and will update this blog as soon as I can. In the meantime this has come to you courtesy of the Town Hall!

Annual Bowls Match

Last night the annual bowls match was played between Newbury Bowls Club and Newbury Town Council. This match has been held every year since 1958, and the winner receives the Sanders-Rose Pirouet Cup. Needless to say the cup pretty much lives in the bowls club - they have only lost three times since 1958.....until last night!!

Huge excitement - I couldn't believe we'd won! Even better, my team of four ended the evening scoring 26 to our opponents 4! I don't normally gloat like this, but the odds were stacked against us, and it was rather akin to England winning the world cup.

There were four teams of four on each side, and several spectators, and we had a very enjoyable evening, topped off with a ploughmans in the club house as it grew dark. It always seems so cosy in there, being in the centre of the park and looking at the stars through the open doors.

The Des Johnson Bench

Des Johnson was a Macebearer for Mayors of Newbury from 1987 until his death in 2003, and as such was the longest serving member of staff of the council. Like many Macebearers, Des was an ex-serviceman, and a keen member of the Royal Navy Association and British Legion.

I am photographed with his widow Pearl, on the new bench outside the Desmoulin Gallery on the wharf, which is dedicated to Des's memory.

Volunteer Centre West Berkshire

I paid a visit to the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, in Bolton Place, just off Northbrook Street. Carol and I were shown around by the Centre's director, Garry Poulson. The Chair of West Berkshire Council, Brian Bedwell, was also there looking around.

Garry introduced us to the volunteer staff, many of whom have worked there for ten or more years. We also looked at volunteering statistics for the last full year - surprisingly there were many more 15 to 18 year olds volunteering than any other age group.

Finally we went out to the Pembroke Road multi-storey car park, which is situated adjacent to the Volunteer Centre to see the Shopmobility headquarters. Shopmobility is the name for the hire of electric scooters and wheelchairs. There are 23 scooters for hire of various shapes and sizes, and some electric and manual wheelchairs. The service is free to those who register, and it is very well used. Graham, who runs the shopmobility service, allowed Brian and I to have a go on a scooter and an electric wheelchair - you can see from the photo that I had fun spinning it round corners!

Fingerprints and Footsteps

This morning I met Lindy and Helen who are now over half way through their 170 mile sponsored walk raising money for stem cell therapy and chronic liver failure.

Lindy's great grandparents used to run the Monument Pub in Newbury, and her parents met whilst her mother worked at the Chequers hotel. I walked with Lindy and Helen from the Clock House to the Town Hall and wished them well on their way to Hurstbourne Tarrant, their stop for tonight.

Dracular Spectacular

On Friday night I took the whole family along to New Greenham Arts to see Newbury YoungStars' performance of Dracular Spectacular. Newbury Youngstars are the youth section of the Newbury Operatic Society, and are aged 8 to 16.

They had been rehearsing since January on this full-scale musical, and the amount of dances, songs and script they had memorised was amazing. The singing was particularly strong, and it looked like they were all enjoying themselves - my sons were pretty impressed, but said it would have been better without the romantic bits!