Mayor's Diary (From Evesham Journal)

Mayor's Diary

9:50am Thursday 7th June 2012 in M-O

HOW would you brand Evesham?

At Monday’s council meeting we had an interesting presentation from a marketing expert who wanted to discuss ‘branding’ the town in a similar way to Hay-on-Wye with its book shop theme. This is something the council will look at again after more research on the subject.

On Wednesday I chaired a meeting of Wallace House management committee. I am so proud of Wallace House, the staff and volunteers work miracles with a shoestring budget.

After Wallace House we went to a quiz night at Hampton Ferry in aid of Dementia UK.

The Mayor’s Ball will be held in November at the new Evesham United ground. We spent Thursday afternoon looking over the club and planning the layout of the event.

If you do get chance to take a look around the Robins’ new home at some time, do, it really is a great new asset to the town.

On Thursday we headed to the Guildhall in Worcester at the invitation of the Mayor of Worcester Roger Berry for the launch of the Elgar Festival.

On Friday we were invited to open a new shop in Bridge Street. Beauty and the Bags, a handbag and bridal shop, is the brainchild of mother and daughter Andrea Kinght-Ricketts and Zara Chatterley.

On Friday we visited the Coronation Street Disabled Club for their jubilee party. All the club members made us very welcome especially the organiser Jean Dyke.

Jean is one of those wonderful people who will ‘just get on with it’, quietly working away and making a real difference to people who need it.

Saturday started at Abbeyfields, the new housing development at Peewit Road in Hampton. Rooftop Housing, Bellway Homes and the residents are very proud of this newly developed area and held a jubilee street party to celebrate. I wore my mayoral robes and cut the ribbon to this new street with Eileen Grove who has lived in this part of Hampton longer than anybody else.

We stayed in Hampton for our second street party of the day. I was asked to give the loyal toast, open the event and then enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Many thanks to residents and holidaymakers at Hampton Ferry Caravan Park who donated £25 to charity.

We ended a busy day at Evesham Arts Centre for Evesham Music Festival’s Diamond Jubilee Concert.

A truly excellent show with Evesham Community Choir, some of Worcestershire’s finest young musicians and dancers, Bengeworth First School Choir and a flag waving proms finale from Avonbank Brassband. Thank you Andrew Johnson, Frances Smith and all of the festival committee for organising such a wonderful show.

Our only engagement on Sunday was at Worcester Cathedral, to take a look at Voices and Visions, an art exhbibition from schools throughout Worcestershire after which we attended a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s Jubilee.

The choir was superb, I could have quite happily spent the entire afternoon listening to them... a beautiful and serene way to end a hectic week of jubilation.

ROBERT RAPHAEL, Mayor of Evesham