WEST BERKSHIRE ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY ANNUAL OPEN MEETING – BAPTIST CHURCH

I was invited to attend the Annual Open Meeting of the West Berkshire Branch of the Alzheimer’s Society at the Baptist Church in Cheap Street, Newbury on the Thursday 27 September 2007.
I met the acting Chairperson, Gill Brown who is the Branch Co-ordinator. She gave the annual report which stated that it had been a busy year but they had achieved a great deal. The development work had expanded to include Art for the Brain and the Gentle Exercise group. Fundraising continued despite the resignation of their fundraising and marketing officer and they are now anxious to recruit a replacement.
On the campaigning front she stated that dementia cost the country some £17 billion year and that there are some 7000 people in Berkshire suffering from dementia and this is estimated to rise to 9500 by 2021. She thanked and praised all the volunteers who had given their time and effort over the year.
The treasurer gave his report and stated it had been an excellent year for the Branch, partly due to a generous legacy. This would ensure that the salaries would be funded for a few more years.
The AGM concluded by a talk by Dr Stephen Gentleman, Reader in Experimental Neuropathology at Imperial College, London.

BERKSHIRE BLIND SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – ST.GEORGES CENTRE

I was invited to attend the Blind Society AGM at the St. Georges Centre at Wash Common on the afternoon of 25 September. When I arrived, I saw the hall was almost full and including the Mayors of Thatcham and Hungerford.
The AGM followed its usual pattern with reports on the years progress and the financial situation After the business aspects, there was musical entertainment. I noted that there were members from most of the towns in West Berkshire in groups together on separate tables and I joined the Newbury group. Amongst them was Florrie Marx, the widow of Frank Marx who had been one of the Town Council macebearers. Although partially sighted, she manages to get around reasonably well and she often attends civic functions and is a regular attendee of the
Remembrance Sunday parade and service.
I am always pleased to attend these functions as it indicates that there are a great number of kind, caring and thoughtful people who care for the disadvantaged in the Town, who do this caring without any thought of reward. The delight on the faces of those attending is always a wonderful reflection of what they think of being looked after.

VISIT TO NAOMI HOUSE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE

Edwina Cooper and I were invited to attend one of the Open Days at Naomi House in Sutton Scotney and we drove down there on Friday 21 September. Neither of us had visited and we were anticipating an interesting afternoon. On arrival we were greeted by members of staff, some of whom were volunteers and had our photographs taken, presumably for publicity purposes. The main building is modern, single storey purpose built and in a crescent shape which allows all the rooms to look out over a landscaped attractive garden with a pond.
We were taken on a guided tour by one of the staff who had been there only a relatively short time. Wherever we went, she enlisted the aid of a member of staff who was in attendance in each room and was therefore able to describe in detail the purpose and facilities in each room.
There was a specific route which we followed as this was the method of getting the best out of the visit. On the floor is marked with pink feet to follow as the main tour route so we could not get lost if we were on our own. The first room we saw was the play room. It was extremely tidy with games and toys neatly stacked on shelves and rather like a miniature version of Hamley’s. The next and largest room was the dining room and lounge where everyone sits down and eats and relaxes. This was followed by the music, computer and art/craft room, all of which are used to allow the resident children to have fun and stimulation.
We walked outside into the beautifully maintained garden with its pond and then back inside to the hydrotherapy pool. It is equipped with an array of hoists and supports so that the resident children of varying capabilities can relax and enjoy the warm water.
We were then taken into the butterfly suite which is used by families when their child has ended its life. There they can stay with their child for as long as they like. This room is complemented by a quiet garden adjacent to it and the dovecote where families can meet the bereavement team. We were also shown the families accommodation in a 2 storey annex.
As a finale to the tour, we were given details of a future project to build accommodation for older children up to the age of 25. Currently the facilities are geared up for young children and the new scheme will enable older children to be looked after, with different and more complex conditions to be catered for. The project will cost in the region of £12 Million.
We left Naomi House with the thought that children with limited life expectancy would be given the best possible care and love while there. It is a charity which future Mayors could consider during their term as being extremely worthwhile.


(Afternote: It was recently announced that they had received a £6 Million bequest towards the new facility. Naomi House must be delighted.)

BUSINESS TRAINING SOLUTIONS NVQ CELEBRATION EVENING

I was pleased to be invited to attend a second presentation event in one day, because it is a great opportunity to see so many people being rewarded for their achievements. This event was organised by Business Training Solutions, one of the top training providers in the country, and their student were mainly school’s Teaching Assistants from local schools in the area who had been studying for NVQ qualifications which would make them fully fledged Teaching Assistants.
As I said in my speech, the students were to be congratulated not just for achieving their NVQ qualification, but most of them had to learn in their spare time as well as working during the day and supporting their own families. All the candidates who started finished the course with no-one dropping out, which indicates how dedicated they were to the coursework and to achieving success.
It was a splendid evening and apart from presenting the certificates, I was able to speak to most of the candidates afterwards. I also congratulated Margo McIver, Director of Business Training Solutions and her assistant Margaret Young for their 100% success with their candidates.

WELLBEING IN THE OLDER COMMUNITY, FAIRCLOSE DAY CENTRE

I was invited to the launch of a new project Wellbeing in the Older Community at Fairclose on the afternoon of 18 September.
A 15 minute presentation revealed that a new scheme, organised by Age Concern, Reading and supported by the West Berkshire Partnership, would give help to the more vulnerable older people in West Berkshire in a number of ways in order to help them maintain an independent lifestyle in their own homes. Services would include help with gardening such as grass and hedge cutting, home cleaning and a minibus service to supermarkets. These services would incur a charge.
Those who would be interested should contact the Service Co-ordinator Ray Reeves on 0791 771 8588 or Age Concern Berkshire on 0118 959 4242.
This is a really worthwhile project which should help the elderly keep their independence as long as possible and I would commend it.

ANNUAL EMPLOYERS AWARDS CEREMONY

I was invited to the Annual Awards ceremony at Shaw House on 18 September by EBP (Education Business Partnership) West Berkshire Chief Executive, Amanda Richards. This organisation gives young students the opportunity of work experience with local firms. I noted that Richard Benyon MP was among the invited guests, as well as the firms who had assisted EBF in finding work with the firms.
Amongst the employers who received awards were Boki Florists, Imago Ltd and Copyshop, as well as the heavyweights Vodafone and Barclays.
In addition to Amanda Richard thanking all the employers for their valuable efforts, Mr J Slevin who currently works at Park House School, indicated that those who were on work experience had found it very useful and they would be more confident about approaching an employer for work. Stuart Robinson concluded the presentation by also praising the various employers in the Newbury area for their work in allowing students to undergo work experience and related activities. He is currently the EBP Board Chairman.
I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to present the certificates at the ceremony.

THE ROYAL COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE SHOW

It is a fun day at the Agriculture Show each year as there is always new things to see and do there. This year was disappointing that due to the foot and mouth incidents in Surrey, there was a ban on the movement of cattle and sheep and therefore there were none at the show. Edwina and I were really saddened to see the empty enclosures with just cardboard cutouts of animals to indicate the plight of the breeders.
We headed for the Newbury Weekly News marquee as we were invited to a late breakfast. I declined the champagne and opted for tea and a bacon sandwich served by the Chairman’s PA and staff, and sat down with Richard Benyon with Zoe with their baby son. We also talked with the Chairman of the NWN group Jeremy Willis and John Hampton, the MD. It was a very popular watering hole and we were very grateful for the hospitality shown by the NWN. The Show is a great occasion because you often meet those people you have not seen for ages. One such couple was Doctors Wyn and Maria Anderson. Wyn is the senior medical officer at AWE Aldermaston and Maria worked for Newdocs when it was in existence. They were providing the medical cover and she said the only casualty was from a wasp sting. We toured around the show and stopped at many of the charity stalls including the Lifeboats. We spent a fair amount of time in the craft marquee and then into the food tent. We are so lucky to live in the 21st century as there is such a wealth of different foods from a wide of countries and cultures. The stands were well patronised and we were both drooling as we left the marquee to go to the display ring to see the JCB Dancing Diggers. The manoeuvrability of the diggers and the skills of the drivers was remarkable. There was not a scratch of paintwork on any of them at the end of the performance.
We left the Show soon afterwards and we both agreed it was a good Show and we would return next year.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Edwina Cooper, the Mayoress and I were invited to attend Multiple Sclerosis’ 40th birthday party at St George’s Hall on Saturday afternoon of 15th September. We were met by the organiser of the party, Mrs Ann Tuersley and were introduced to other members of the Society. The Society covers the areas of Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford and the hall was full of members and friends, many of whom were sufferers of MS.
There were speeches which praised the way the Society had grown over the years and had raised funds to enable the Society to help its members including the provision of transport.
After the speeches, an enormous decorated cake with 40th inscribed on it was brought out and enjoyed by all. We were able to circulate and speak to many of the members and it was very heartening to find so many caring people who were looking after their relatives and friends. The message came over very clearly that more members were needed so those reading this blog might consider joining this wonderful organisation to help them with an increasing number of people suffering from this dreadful illness.

NEWBURY IN BLOOM PRESENTATION EVENING

One of the highlights of the year is the presentation of awards evening of the Newbury in Bloom competition. As usual the Council Chamber was packed to capacity with expectant competitors, and I noted many who had taken part in last years competition.
It had been a difficult year for all the gardeners with so much rain that much of the allotment produce and the flower boxes and gardens were not able to be as brilliant as in previous years. It had not dampened the keenness and spirit of the exhibitors who in my eyes had done very well. I was able to visit some of the locations and I thought they were excellent, including the allotment areas. The very pleasing aspect was the efforts of the children with their respective displays and their attempts at growing the tallest sunflower.

The winners of the various categories were as follows:

Best garden – children Henry Nash and Joe Barlow
Best wildlife garden Audrey Godfrey
Best allotment Rod and Sally Holmes
Best front gardens Eyles Cottages and Willows Court
Best community garden Marshalls Court
Best commercial container Weavers Walk
Best commercial floral display Newbury Racecourse
Best domestic container Mr F Sheppard
Tallest Sunflower Victoria Park Nursery (2.46m)
Best Garden (South) Mark Newbrook
Best garden (North) Bernadette McTaggart

Overall Winner Mark Newbrook for his jungle garden.

The Town Council is very grateful for the generosity of the sponsors of Newbury in Bloom as follows:

English Landscapes
Trywines
Patrick McCartan (King Charles Tavern)

Breathe Pictures
Ken Amor
Gandlake Computers Ltd

We must also thank the judges who had such a difficult task ;

Danny Blyth, former winner of in Bloom
Steve Attrill, Grounds Maintenance Officer, Newbury Town Council

ANNUAL BOWLS MATCH V NEWBURY BOWLS CLUB

Due to the appalling weather on 15 August, we were not able to complete the annual bowls match and it was rearranged for 12 September. So we all assembled at the Bowls Club at 5.30 p.m. to compete in this very important fixture. The weather was fine and ideal for this competition. We fielded 4 teams of 4 on each rink (I think that is what it is called). My team comprised Edwina Cooper, Sue Page and Jeff Beck; team 2 was Brian Atkins, Maureen Atkins, Karen Hutt and Wayne Hutt; team 3 Margaret Gore, Jim McFerran, Phil Barnett and Caroline Parkinson; team 4 was Jo Lempriere, Lee Lempriere, George Russell and Howard Bairstow.
Each team started well but though we all tried hard, we were well beaten by a much more skilful opposition. They were very keen to win back the trophy. We all enjoyed the après bowls in the club house and the very pleasant company. I think that we actually won the most prizes in the raffle so we did not go away empty handed. As I presented the cup to the President of the Club, I said that we were only handing it over on an annual lease and expected to win it next year under a new captaincy!

A splendid evening was enjoyed by us all and we all look forward to next year's match.

NEWBURY AND DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

I was invited to attend the annual Agricultural Society President’s dinner at the Newbury Showground on Saturday 8 September. Unfortunately, Edwina Cooper was unable to attend due to family business in Cornwall that weekend.
I was met by this year’s President, the Hon Mrs Jessica White and the Chairman, Christopher D’Olley and then mingled with other guests and members of the Society. There is something very grand at a black tie event with the ladies in their evening dresses and the men in their dinner jackets. The food was delicious and the company very convivial.
The entertainment was extraordinarily vibrant and colourful. It was a small group of willowy German blonde saxophonists (and clarinets) who played a series of jazz numbers which, although modern tunes, were somewhat reminiscent of the Berlin cabarets and revues of the 1930s. (not that I was there then!). Ute Lemper is probably the best exponent of Berlin Cabaret songs which I have heard recently.
At the end of dinner came the speeches and the message was somewhat subdued by the recent cases of foot and mouth disease in Surrey which prevented the movement of livestock. This meant that the show would not have any cattle or sheep this year. Nevertheless everyone was upbeat about the attendance at the show which other equally interesting attractions.
As I departed, I wished the President and her team a successful Show and good weather!

Mayor's Charity Coffee Morning

This charity coffee morning was my first and it was in aid of the Newbury Weekly News’ Over 80s Parcel Fund. There is, I discovered, a great deal of preparation involved and when I arrived early at 9a.m. Joyce Lewis, the Civic Manager was already there, cutting up cake. So I started to help cutting the cake, after of course washing my hands. Other helpers arrived and it was a hive of activity right up to opening time of 10 a.m. Our first customers arrived at 9.45 a.m. which caught us slightly on the wrong foot but coffee and cake made them feel at home.
Throughout the morning there was a steady stream of customers, including a good presence of Town Councillors in support. Some of the customers I knew well but there was also a fair number who had come by coach and stopped in the wharf for refreshment and seeing the coffee morning signs, decided to have coffee with the Mayor! History tends to repeat itself as 300 years ago and up to the times when rail travel was introduced, Newbury was a town noted for catering for travellers on the stage coaches between London and Bath and Bristol, and for the lesser traffic between Oxford and Winchester. Some of the famous Hostelries and Inns used by travellers in those days still exist to this day, one being the Chequers Hotel.
It was gratifying to hear the visitors remarking favourably about Newbury and I hope that one day they will return for another cup of coffee. The coffee morning raised over £280 and I am particularly grateful to Joyce Lewis and her team for their efforts in making this event the success it was.

10th Anniversary of the Death of Diana

I attended with my Mayoress and Attendant a service of Evensong at Reading Minster on 5 September to mark the 10th Anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. This service was organised by the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Philip Wroughton and the Bishop of Reading, the Rt. Reverend Stephen Cottrell officiated, assisted by the Archdeacon of Berkshire and the Area Dean of Reading.
The service itself was relatively short but moving and at the conclusion of his sermon, Bishop Cottrell intimated that perhaps any further speculations on her life and death should be put aside and to allow her to rest in peace. Amen to that.
The service was well attended by the Chairmen of the Unitary Authorities as well as the Mayors of the towns in Berkshire and I was both honoured and pleased to have represented the Town of Newbury on this important occasion.

West Berkshire Neurological Alliance AGM

I was invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the West Berkshire Neurological Alliance at the Frank Hutchings Hall, Thatcham at 7.30pm on 3 September. I was welcomed by David Roberts, the Chairman and by John Holt, their Liaison Officer. The Alliance represents a collection of organizations such as the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Stroke Care, Parkinsons Disease Association and Alzheimer's Society. Also attending was the Mayor and Mayoress of Thatcham.
The Chairman reported a busy year with progress in many areas. There was a positive evaluation of the role of Specialist Neurology Nurse for Rare and Complex Conditions. WBNA was awarded £10,000 from the European Social Fund to investigate the demand for hydro-therapy and the feasibility of holding and running a hydro-therapy pool in the Newbury/Thatcham area. He thanked the President and Patrons and Committee Members for their hard work and expressed his gratitude for administration assistance from Community Action West Berkshire.
After the Treasurers Report and election of Officers, the Chairman introduced a guest speaker, Dr James Cave, who is a GP at Cheiveley. His subject was "Why diseases are bad for our health", a provocative look at the Health industry. In his speech, he gave examples on how some countries reacted in a different way from others when confronted with a flu epidemic, and how drug companies were so good at marketing their product that Governments buy lots of this product unnecessarily.
It was an interesting evening and the small number of people present were obviously stimulated by Dr Cave's talk.

Breathe Pictures Photographic Exhibition

The Town Hall received a phone call from Breathe Pictures recently asking whether we would take part in a Best of Newbury photographic exhibition. They wanted to photograph Newbury people in their working environment, and this would result in a photographic exhibition in the Corn Exchange next year. And so, Edwina Cooper, the Mayoress, and I, together with Brian Sylvester, the Town Crier; Dave Stubbs, the Town Marshall and Rod Thomason and Barry Digby, the Mace Bearers, all wearing our robes and regalia, assembled outside the Chamber ready for the photographic session.

The two lady photographers were very professional and took may snaps both outside the Town Hall, on the steps, inside the Council Chamber and on the internal staircase. There was a fair amount of light hearted banter which enabled everyone to relax and enjoy the moment. We shall all await the results next year with interest.