READ DANCE AND THEATRE COMPANY THE BEST OF THE WEST END

The Read Dance and Theatre Company were staging a production of The Best of the West End at the Arlington Arts Centre on Saturday 10 May and I was invited with Edwina Cooper to attend this single performance in the evening. We had met the Co-founders of the company, Jamie and Helen Read, at the Mayor of Thatcham’s final reception so we were looking forward to their production. They have a wonderful pedigree in the performing arts arena as they have appeared in many West End productions with stars such as Judi Dench and Maureen Lipman. They have set themselves up locally, providing theatre training and production and they also work with young people in schools and colleges.
We have been to a number of productions at the Arlington Arts Centre and have enjoyed it as it is an open theatre which is reasonably intimate. The production was in two parts; Act 1 incorporated songs and dancing from three shows, Wicked, Smokey Joe’s Café and Hairspray. The show got underway with five songs from Wicked which was confidently sung and danced by the youngsters who seemed very confident and well rehearsed. Their costumes were very colourful and someone worked very hard on these. The six songs from Smokey Joe’s Café was performed almost exclusively by three students from Reading Theatre College and their singing and dance routines was excellent, and in particular Teach Me How to Shimmy which was warmly applauded. The final four songs were performed by the youngsters which included I Can Hear the Bells and You can’t Stop the Beat, which I remembered from many years ago from Hairspray. We needed the interval to stretch our legs and get a drink as well as to reflect on the first Act.

The second Act started with songs from the show Snoopy which I had not seen or heard before and we certainly enjoyed these, particularly Peanut Butter Sandwich and Just one Person. This was followed by five songs from West End Tribute from the Reading Theatre College students, Ravarna Hunsdon, Kharmen Smith and Kathryn Halls. We both enjoyed the songs and their choreography which really went down well with the audience.
The final seven songs were from the show We will Rock You which Edwina had seen in London. This combined the two groups and the climax of the evening was the songs We are the Champions which some of the audience joined in and concluded with the Bohemian Rhapsody. There was a standing ovation from the audience and it was a fitting response to an excellent show.
We were invited backstage to meet Jamie and Helen Read and all the cast. It was a great pleasure to talk about the performance and everyone said how much they enjoyed singing and dancing and how enthusiastic they were. We both said that we would go to any future performance that they put on. We also thought that the three students from Reading would have great careers on the stage in the future.

This is the last item for my Blog before I hand over the reins to Phil Barnett at Mayor Making on 18 May, so I hope that he continues with the Blog to record what engagements he has attended. Goodbye from Edwina and I.

MAYOR OF NEWBURY’S FINAL RECEPTION

I held my final reception in the Council Chamber on Friday 9 May and Edwina Cooper the Mayoress and I were pleased to receive something like 65 guests that evening. Many of those attending were our personal friends who had given us such good support during the year. We were also very pleased to welcome the Mayors of Hungerford and Thatcham, the Chairman of West Berkshire Council, the Member of Parliament, Richard Benyon and David Stone, the Mayor’s Chaplain. All the Civic Team, apart from the Town Marshal, and their wives were also there.
My speech was really to summarise the year’ activities and to thank all those people who had supported us by attending charity coffee mornings, the gala concert, the Mayor’s Ball and other functions. It was also an opportunity to thank the Civic Team. Last year a professional photographic firm visited the Town Hall and photographed the Macebearers, the Town Crier and the Town Marshal. I was able to get copies of their photographs and had them framed. These I presented to them with my thanks for their efforts. I also gave small gifts to Peter Curry, who is the Mayor’s Attendant’s husband who occasionally stands in for her when she is unavailable and to Colin Lewis, the Civic manager’s husband who always helps out on most occasions. In thanking David Stone, I presented him with a rather thick book on the Crusades which I think he would enjoy.
In conclusion, I did ask everyone to give the same support I enjoyed to my successor.

BOYS BRIGADE BADMINTON NATIONAL FINALS

The Boys Brigade national badminton finals were being held all day at Cannons Health and Fitness Centre on Saturday 3 May and I was invited to go there later in the day to present the prizes to the teams. Edwina Cooper and I arrived at around 5.p.m. and we saw some of the final games. The standard of playing was very high and we were impressed at the fitness levels of the boys who seemed to be in the 15 to 18 age range particularly as they had been playing the heats since the morning. We met up with the Captain of the Newbury Boys Brigade, Roger Vogel who was in charge of the organisation of the finals, despite the fact that the Newbury Boys were not playing.
The 1st Newbury are based at the Baptist Church in Cheap Street and the Badminton championships are part of their 125th anniversary celebrations. The competition began earlier in the year and has been open to all Boys Brigade branches in England Ireland and Scotland. He told us that the Hilton Hotel had sponsored the overnight accommodation and Cannons had not charged for the use of the facilities.
The finals was won by a team from Colraine in Northern Ireland and I was pleased to present the winners cups to this team Teams from Scotland and England came second and third respectively. It is very encouraging that these young people have done so well and I am sure that they will continue to play badminton well into their future lives.

NICK SCHLEE’S EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS

I was invited to attend an exhibition of paintings by Nick Schlee in the West Berkshire Museum on the Wharf on Thursday 1 May 2008. I arrived at 6.40 p.m. to find a number of people there including the Chairman of West Berkshire Council, Andrew Rowles and Mrs Wendy Carpenter. I looked at the numerous paintings displayed and I admired his oil paintings of landscapes in his strong style and I then saw two paintings of anti-aircraft guns deployed in the desert. These were in total contrast to his other paintings and reminded myself to ask him about these when I met him. Andrew Rowles gave a speech, thanking Nick for presenting three of his paintings to the Museum and the purpose of the exhibition called Retrospection was to give the people of West Berkshire the opportunity to view his paintings and photographs and other artefacts to indicate the interesting life he had.
I was eventually introduced to Nick and his wife who have their home in Upper Basildon. I asked Nick about the pictures of anti-aircraft guns which seemed to be a very high calibre, he said they were painted when he was an officer in the Royal Artillery and he explained that were used in a field gun role as well. I also discovered that his wife was also artistic and that their house was literally full of paintings.
I found the exhibition very interesting and liked his paintings very much. It is worth a visit and I would encourage readers to visit the Museum to see it.

NEWBURY WEEKLY NEWS LAUNCH OF BUSINESS WEBSITE

I was invited to attend Newbury Weekly News launch of their new local business website at 8 a.m. on Monday 28 April in their News Hall. I arrived a few minutes after 8 a.m. to find that I was not the first to arrive. A very cheerful group of their lady staff were there to greet me and give me a name tag and one took me through into the News Hall where I met the Managing Director, Adrian Martin. He in turn introduced me to Clive Young and the deputy news editor Simon Lyle. Amongst the other guests was the Member of Parliament, Richard Benyon who seemed to be invited to every event I go to so I have to admire his stamina as he spends most of his time in the House of Commons and is a regular user of First Great Western Railway.
Adrian Martin and subsequently the Group Chairman, Jeremy Willis gave a speech on the purpose of the new website which was to feature local business news and to give information on new business ventures locally. No doubt large companies such as Bayer and Vodafone will be included but also smaller businesses will also feature.
As a matter of interest, when I returned home, I did use my newly acquired computer skills and was able to log onto the website without difficulty and I found it very interesting. I am sure it will be a great success.

ROTARY CLUB OF NEWBURY STROKE AWARENESS DAY

I was invited to take part in the Newbury Rotary Club’s Stroke Awareness Day and not knowing too much of what the event was involved with, I arrived with my suit and chain and was promptly asked if I would like to have my blood pressure checked. I readily agreed and sat down on the couch. Mary Gibb was the nurse taking the blood pressure checks and I have known her for a number of years as she is a regular attendee of the Greenacres Monday fitness class for the over 50s. She was not happy with my wearing my coat so I had to take my chain off and then rolled my sleeve up. The first test showed my blood pressure was high, which did surprise me, as I am reasonably fit. She did take it again and we were both relieved. I was amazed to see a queue of people forming and it stretched outside onto the pavement.
I understood that the event was organised by the West Berkshire Primary Care Trust with the Stroke Association. It was certainly very successful and there were some people referred to their GPs which may well benefit the people in the longer term. I am sure that another event such as this will be equally successful and may well save lives in the future. Well done Rotary for organising it.

MAYOR OF THATCHAM’S CIVIC RECEPTION

Friday 25th April was the Mayor of Thatcham, Phil Dray’s civic reception to which Edwina Cooper and I were invited. Unfortunately, Edwina had fallen heavily that day and was not feeling or looking too good so I had to go unaccompanied. I arrived just after 7 p.m. with my attendant, Carol Currey and joined the line to be greeted by Phil and his wife. During the reception I met other guests, including the Mayor of Hungerford, Peter Harries and his wife, John Miller, the former High Sheriff of Berkshire and his wife and the Chairman of West Berkshire Council, Andrew Rowles and his lady. I also met Mike Harris, who was at one time the Director of Legal Services at Newbury District Council, then helped out at Newbury Town Hall when the Town Council was formed and is doing something similar at Thatcham Town Council. After dinner, we were treated to a performance of dance given by West Berkshire Ballet School, under their Principal, Jane Scholl. I am not an expert on dance but nevertheless, I thought it was a very polished performance and beautifully choreographed.
Phil then presented civic awards to members of the local community who had given outstanding service in mainly charity work and also presented a cheque to the West Berkshire Community Hospital to purchase a special bicycle for patients undergoing physiotherapy treatment.
After the presentations, Phil invited John Miller, a former High Sheriff of Berkshire to speak on his experiences during his year.
He gave an explanation on how he was recruited, what his duties were and some of the engagements he attended. I did not know that the High Sheriff was originally the Monarch’s representative until relatively recently when the duties were split between the Lord Lieutenant andf the High Sheriff. He is an excellent raconteur and his speech was well received.
Phil then thanked everyone for their support during the year and it was time to say farewell. Phil has been a great ambassador for Thatcham and I wished him well for the future.

FRENCH EXCHANGE STUDENTS FROM BAGNOLS

I am always pleased to see visitors to Newbury and in particularly from abroad and I was delighted to welcome a group of exchange students from one of our twin towns, Bagnols located in the south of France to the Town Hall on Tuesday 22 April 2008. The organisers and sponsors for the Exchange Visit was Park House School and in particular Ms Amelie Trousset, one of the French teachers there. She had been very kind in helping me with my speech in French for my visit to Bagnols as part of the Twin Towns reunion last year.
I was asked to give a talk to the students about the history of Newbury and of the Mayor so I wrote my talk and asked if Amelie would translate it so that I could give the talk in French. When I did receive it, I did have serious reservations as to whether I could deliver it adequately, even with Amelie’s assistance in the short time available. I decided in the end to give the speech in English and have copies of the speech available to each of the students in both languages. I would prefer to give it slowly in good English rather than in poor French.
And so on the Tuesday morning the group arrived in the Council Chamber; there were 33 altogether, Brenda Jones from Park House School, 3 teachers from Bagnols and 29 students, the majority being girls. After welcoming them to the Town Hall, I gave them a potted history of the town. I said that a small settlement was mentioned in the Domesday Book with a river running through it. As the settlement grew, so a church was built in 1086 on the site of the current St Nicolas church. In medieval times, sheep were herded along the Ridgeway and they were shorn in the outlying villages and the wool taken into Newbury for it to be made into cloth which was then sent downriver to Reading and London and across the sea to the continent and in particular to Antwerp. The town was also in an agricultural area and the Town’s market was a centre for local produce although some was sent down to Reading by boat. In the 17th century, during the Civil War between the King, Charles 1 and Parliament, there were two inconclusive battles at Newbury in 1643 and 1644. I said that the location of the town halfway between London and Bristol and Winchester and Oxford was also significant in its prosperity. Hundreds of stage coaches between these cities with an overnight stop in the town helped to increase its prosperity as did when the canal between Reading and Bristol allowed freight to be transported along its stretch. These compensated for when the cloth trade declined. With the introduction of the railways in the 19th century, the canal usage for freight almost dried up. I stated that the 20th century saw the introduction of manufacturing and the 1950s saw the creation of the nuclear industry at nearby Harwell and Aldermaston. I concluded the hstory by stating that many hi-tech industries grew up in the town, such as Vodafone, Bayer and a number of computer companies which is where we are now.
I went on to mention the background on the Town Council and the Mayor, including the important charter given to the town by Queen Elizabeth 1st in 1596 which allowed a Mayor, a High Steward, a Recorder, 6 Aldermen, and 12 Burgesses to govern the town. I mentioned the chain and pendant and chain which were created in 1884; it also had two maces which were made in 1708 and 1758 respectively. I said that the Mayor is elected each year at Mayor Making and is the non-executive Chairman of the Council. The Town council itself has responsibilities for some of the functions locally and has a budget of around £1m.
I then opened it up for questions and after that, they wanted many photographs which I was happy to help with. They all then left the Town Hall to see more of the Town. I wish them well in the future.

VICTORIA PARK BOWLS CLUB

I always enjoy going to the Victoria Park Bowls Club. They are a very kind and hospitable people but on the rink (and I think I have that word right), they are fiercely competitive and last year’s drubbing of the Mayor’s team for the Saunders-Rose cup was a good example of that. The invitation for me to attend on Saturday 19 April was however not to challenge me at a game but to carry out the age old tradition of rolling the first wood to start the 2008 season.
That Saturday, the rain had fallen early on and the water was still on the surface when I set out for the Town Hall to meet my attendant, Carol Currey, who would escort the , which I was to wear, and myself,. We walked from the Town Hall to the Bowls Club, and fortunately it was not raining but even then I thought it was too wet to play. We arrived at the Club and were greeted by, and John Orme, the Club Secretary and the Club President, Tony Bender. There were about a dozen members present, the ladies outnumbering the gentlemen by 2 to 1. They were obviously keen to start the season off on the right foot. We looked at the grass and although wet, it was not under water nor were there any puddles. So it was playable.
The President found a set of woods and invited me to firstly roll the jack, and for those not conversant with the sport, it is a small white ball, smaller than either a cricket or hockey ball and smooth, without a seam. I rolled it fairly hard but it only got about over halfway to the other end, the damp grass quickly reducing its speed and distance. So I took the first wood and gave it some energy and while it was near to the jack, it veered away from it; I had put the bias on the wrong side. I thought I corrected it for the next wood and alas, I got it wrong again. So I tried again with the last wood and this time it reached the correct distance but was a foot from the jack. Everyone kindly applauded but I did feel an idiot! The President took pity on me and bought me a pint of 6X which went down very well. I noted that no-one offered me a game so I guess I would need to practice before being allowed onto the green again. I left soon afterwards, thanking my hosts for their kind hospitality and vowed to do better next time. In letter from John Orme a few days later, he said that once I had hung up my cricket boots, perhaps I would consider taking up bowls. Hmm!

LORD LIEUTENANT OF BERKSHIRE’S RECEPTION

The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, Sir Philip Wroughton, invited myself and the Mayoress, Edwina Cooper, to his farewell reception at Woolley Park on Friday 18 April. As he was reaching the age of 75, he has to retire from this appointment and another Lord Lieutenant would be appointed. We arrived promptly at 6 p.m. to see that a large marquee had been erected in the grounds of the house. Metal tracking had been laid at the entrance and this led to the temporary car park. We walked to a covered way which led into the marquee and we were greeted by Asian drummers and what a wonderful noise they made. Queuing to meet our hosts, I noted behind me Chief Inspector Graham Smith who is the deputy to the superintendent of Newbury Police. He was involved with a presentation evening on Neighbourhood Policing at the Newbury Race Course some weeks ago, so it was good to see him again. After being greeted by Sir Philip and Lady Wroughton, we circulated and met many of the people we had contact with over the last eleven months as Mayor. It is always a pleasure to meet up with Major John Cole who has been associated with many activities and organisations in Newbury over the years; Fairclose Day Centre, Newbury Operatic Society and the Coldstream Gurads Association to name a few. We had a fleeting glimpse of Richards Benyon, our Newbury MP before he had to dash away to somewhere else and had a few words with his father, Sir William who was looking remarkably well. We also briefly met Colonel John Kedar from the school of Military Survey at Hermitage and his wife who were at the reception in the Town Hall for the soldiers returning from active service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. Our movements were stopped when the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police Mrs Sara Thornton gave a speech to honour his outstanding contribution to the County and stated that it probably was the highest profile appointment in the country because of the Royal Residence at Windsor Castle. Her speech was warmly applauded and in response, Sir Philip responded by thanking her for her kind words and for the great support which Thames Valley Police and the Close Escort Police had given to him and the Royal Family over the years. He also paid tribute to his staff who had also given him such support and advice on a range of activities and functions he had to attend, or in support of the Queen or other members of the Royal Family. He thanked his wife for keeping him firmly focussed on what he had to do and for all her support. I was surprised to hear that his appointment is unpaid as such. He announced that his successor was Mrs Ann Bayliss who gave a short speech in which she said that although delighted and honoured at her appointment, said Sir Philip would be a hard act to follow. A surprise speaker was Bishop John Pritchard who praised Sir Philip for his support for the Church and said that he would be honoured by an award from the church in Oxford in the foreseeable future. I was unsure what this was but I gather it was to be a member of an ecclesiastic order. I am sure this will be well reported on.
It was soon time to say farewell and I was somewhat sad to say goodbye to him and his wife, even though our paths had not crossed many times over the last eleven months. He is one of those gentle and kind people you can never forget.

WEST BERKSHIRE COUNCIL CHAIRMAN’S RECEPTION

The Chairman of West Berkshire Council, Andrew Royles, held his final civic reception by a dinner at the Newbury Hilton on the evening of Saturday 12 April to which I and Edwina Cooper were invited. And so we, together with the Mayor’s attendant Carol Currey, arrived at the hotel and were greeted by Andrew Royles and his lady, Wendy Carpenter, and by Irene Neill, the deputy chai rman and her husband. Apart from seeing many West Berkshire councillors of both political parties, we met up with the Mayor of Thatcham, Phil Dray and his wife and Peter Harries, the Mayor of Hungerford and his wife whom we see quite regularly at functions locally. We also met the Chairman of the Berkshire Fire Authority, Paul Bryant who is the Councillor for Speen and the Chief Fire Officer, Iain Cox. We were delighted to meet the Lord Lieutenant, Philip Wroughton who had been recently honoured by a knighthood, and his wife. There was a fair sprinkling of other Mayors and Chairmen of the other Unitary Authorities in Berkshire. After the reception, we all moved into one of the large dining rooms in the hotel where all 120 of us sat down to dinner. Andrew Royles announced that there would be some of the Council staff who would be coming round to sell us raffle tickets, the proceeds which would be going to the Newbury Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society
At dinner, I was seated next to the newly appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire, Dr Carolyn Boulter who had taken over from Harry Henderson. She lives at Theale and is looking forward to carrying out her duties. I mentioned to her that we had been to the local heats of the schools mock trials held at Newbury Magistrates Court. She said that she would be involved with them during her year of office.
After an excellent meal, the raffle was drawn. There were some excellent prizes but regrettably, none came our way. The dinner concluded and we thanked Andrew for his kind hospitality and left well fed and watered.

THE PYJAMA GAME PRODUCTION BY NEWBURY OPERATIC SOCIETY

The Newbury Operatic Society always put on highly entertaining productions and I was very pleased to have been invited with Edwina Cooper to attend the Pyjama Game on the evening of Friday the 11th April. On arrival, we met John Cole who is the President and he was pleased that we could come to the production.
We took our seats in the balcony from which we had a great view of the stage and orchestra. The conductor was Michael Evans with an orchestra of 17 musicians. They got the show off to a good start with the Overture and soon had our feet tapping. The first Act was divided into 10 scenes and when the curtain rose, the stage was set in the sewing room of the Sleep Tite pyjama factory, a very colourful scene with the cast and chorus in their 1950s clothes. The first ten scenes were full of great acting and songs, some of which we had heard before, such as I’m not at all in Her is and There once was a man. After the interval, we looked forward to Act 2 which had 9 scenes. The first was set in the Eagle Hall, where three ladies performed Steam Heat, a song and dance routine. It was well sung with precision choreography and it brought the house down! Other scenes followed until we found the cast in Hernando’s Hideaway and that fabulous song which went with it. All too soon, the show came to a close and we admired the high class performances of the three principals, Neil Harvey, Zoe Wells and Utku Er, who played Sid, Babe and Prez respectively. The chorus was excellent and sang with great feeling and at times passion! It was splendid to see seven of their youth group, Newbury Young Stars who seemed to enjoy being in the production.
We thoroughly enjoyed the performance and we will be going to their next production in the autumn which will be Jack the Ripper. We noted that the Young Stars will be performing Tin Pan Alli in August at the Arlington Arts Centre , which should be a good evening’s entertainment.

"A VIEW FROM THE PALACE" TALK BY SIMON LEWIS

Simon Lewis is currently Vodafone’s Group Corporate Affairs Director and when it was discovered that he spent two years as the Queen’s Communications Director, we wrote to him asking whether he would give a talk on his experiences at Buckingham Palace, as part of a charity evening with a glass of wine and a buffet supper. He readily agreed and the evening of 10th April was set for his talk.

I met Simon prior to the talk and thanked him for giving up his evening to address us. We had around 50 in the audience and I then introduced him. I said that he had a distinguished career in the public relations arena, being the Group Director of Communications and Public Policy for Centrica plc, Director of Corporate Affairs at NatWest Group and the Head of Public Relations at SG Warburg plc. He was President of the Institute of Public Relations in 1997 and is the visiting Professor at the Cardiff School of Journalism. He joined Vodafone as Group Corporate Affairs Director in November 2004 and is also a Trustee of the Vodafone Group Foundation. It was when he was at Centrica that he undertook a two year attachment as the first Communications Secretary to the Queen. I then invited Simon to talk on his experiences in that role.

Simon began by talking briefly about Vodafone and his role there and then he gave an account on how he was recruited for the Buckingham Palace appointment. He described how discrete were the initial approaches were and eventually he was invited to meet with the Queen’s Private Secretary. He was given no idea whether or not he was the sole candidate and it was not until he was invited back a little while later to meet the Queen and Prince Phillip that he realised that he was going to be appointed. Before he met them, he was given instruction on how to make a courtly bow! Simon said that he was understandably nervous but he was put at his ease by the friendly and down to earth meeting he had. It was evident that following the death of Princess Diana, there was the need to improve the image and publicity surrounding the Royal Family and their relations with the general public, as well as with the press. During his two year appointment, he was able to put into place a number of initiatives, which had the desired effect. He admitted that the time went very quickly but he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In answer to a question, he considered that the security measures which protected the Royal Family did not interfere with his work. In answer to another, he had accompanied the queen’s party on several occasions and that he had been invited back to the Palace after his appointment had concluded.

I thanked Simon for his excellent talk and the audience was very appreciative at the content and the relaxed and often frank recollection of his appointment. During the buffet, I noted that he was almost besieged by the members of the audience with further questions. It was a splendid evening and through his talk, we raised over £350 for my charities, the amount which would increase if matched funding was received from Vodafone.

OPENING OF NEW SCIENCE LABORATORY, CLERE SCHOOL

I have been invited before to the Clere School for presentation evenings as a number of their students come from Newbury and I was pleased to accept an invitation to attend the school for the opening of a new science laboratory. So I duly arrived at the Reception where one of the students was there to meet me and take me to the new science laboratory. There I met the Headteacher Sarah Rogers and the Deputy Head Rosemary Black. I asked Rosemary how they had managed to get the finance to build the laboratory, whether they managed to get sponsorship or from the Local Education Authority. She told me that it had been funded solely from the school’s budget. The Laboratory itself seemed to be very well equipped with sinks, gas taps, a glove box (I am sure there is a proper name for it) and all contained in a bright and well lit building. I also met up with Dr Peter Waggett, who was to formally open the Laboratory. Peter currently works for the IT company IBM on the Emerging Technologies programme at Hursley. As part of his PhD studies, Peter worked at NASA completing research into the sun. During the 1990s, he worked for the British National Space Centre and European Space Agency developing remote sensing satellites. It was possibly because of the latter work that the Head of Science at the school invited the guests (including myself) to construct a rocket with the science students. To assist us in this short project, she had various materials laid out which included balloons, string, sellotape, the cardboard insert of a toilet roll and some coloured sheets of thin card. From this we needed to build a rocket which would travel along a 30 foot cable and the team with the rocket which would travel the furthest along the cable would win.
I have to admit that not being a design engineer, I was at a loss to know how to build one which would move along on balloon power. However, we did make a nose cone and fixed that onto the front and attached three inflated balloons to the side of the cardboard cylinder and away she went. Unfortunately, it only travelled a few inches but the concept was sound. I had to congratulated the group of students who did the work and it was a useful way of testing our ingenuity.
After this, we all went to the Library for refreshments and then Peter formally opened the Science Laboratory with an encouraging speech on the vital place science takes in our current world. It was a great afternoon and I enjoyed going back to school, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF GALLERY 1753

The Craftsman shop in Bartholomew Street has been in existence for many years and it was bought by new owners in 2001 when the previous owners, two brothers Peter and Alan Pope, retired. When invited to carryout the official opening of their Gallery 1753, I did wonder if they had reorganised the shop.
When I arrived with my attendant, Carol Currey at Craftsman, I was met by Betony Tait, one of the joint owners. She took me through the shop to the back room which had been refurbished into a gallery in which were displayed some of the pictures painted by a former Newbury artist, Claire Warner. She had exhibited previously at Mike Rodger’s gallery in the Wharf, Desmoulin. Soon the gallery was almost full and I was asked to carry out the opening ceremony. In my short speech, I admitted that I had no artistic talents but I did appreciate art and pictures in particular. I praised the new owners for their initiative in creating a gallery which could be hired by artists to show and sell their pictures. I admitted that I did admire Claire Warner’s paintings and was pleased that the opening coincided with an exhibition of her works. Having cut the ribbon, I was invited to look at the rest of the building which was utilised for making frames and the storage of painting and prints. The building itself is a Grade 2 listed building and dates back to 1753, which explained the name of the new gallery. It has been in its lifetime Witherington and Sexton bakery until about 1880, then Yalden’s Coffee House, another bakery run by two ladies Kerr and Cowie, then Vince’s Bakery with the famous Newbury biscuit, the recipe with a closely guarded secret, then as hairdressers and then Peter Holt’s Motorbike shop. What a history!
I subsequently met Claire and her husband and they currently live in Northampton but have family in Newbury which explains her use of the gallery. I also met David Cole who lives in Fifth Road and has a building business
which specialises in refurbishing Listed Buildings. He actually carried out the work to create the gallery, but having to conform with the Conservation Officer’s requirements to ensure the new fabric such as the wood accord with the original construction.
I have to admit to buying one of Claire’s paintings which I left to be framed. I would recommend anyone who wants to browse amongst a wide and varied collection of paintings and prints, Craftsman is a possible venue.

ANNUAL CIVIC AWARDS CEREMONY

Each year, the Town Council honours those people who have given their time money or effort, or indeed all three, as volunteers in helping to run charities or other worthy causes. We invite the general public to nominate people who have done such work and these nominations are considered by a panel of judges who decide who is the current year’s winner. The mayor is one of the judges but like the others, he has no access to the nominations until the judging meeting when the Civic Manager brings them all to the table and leaves them for the panel to consider them. There are no hard and fast criteria laid down so the judges use their own discretion on deciding the outcome.
This year, there were three judges, Joss Baker from Kick FM, Katy Hawthorn from West Berkshire Volunteer Centre and myself. We convened the meeting at 11 a.m. on Friday 14 March in the Mayor’s parlour. We had 11 nominations to review and we had individual copies of the nominations to read and determine. It was not an easy task as they all had their own individual value. However we did in the end chose unanimously a winner, and we judged three as highly commended.
It was my pleasure and privilege to present all nominees with a certificate at the Civic Awards ceremony at the Council Chamber on the evening of 31 March 2008. The eleven were:
Robert Whiting, Bill Battle, Sir Philip Wroughton, Elizabeth Waters, Paul Mitchell, Lucas Hicks, Arthur Frost, Peter Mott, Jim Johnston, Graham Hunter and Fred Carter. Of these 11, Jim Johnston, Graham Hunter and Fred Carter were highly commended and the winner of the 2008 Civic Awards was Peter Mott. He was proposed by the Alzheimers Society for planning fundraising and providing transport; he also drives for the Thatcham Volunteer Car scheme. I presented him with a clock and his name will be inscribed on the base of the Black Horse figure which is held in the Town Hall. I had nothing but praise for them all in their voluntary work and especially Lucas Hicks who is still a teenager who did unpaid work in the Shaw Cemetery.
Newbury Town would be a poorer place without the efforts of such people and I know that there are a great many more people who should be considered for an award.
I would urge all those involved in the voluntary organisations to consider others for next year’s Civic Awards.

NEWBURY SOROPTOMISTS ANNUAL LUNCH

I was invited to attend the Soroptimist’s Annual Lunch at the Regency Park Hotel on Sunday 30 March and the invitation included proposing a toast to Soroptimism after the Loyal Toast. I decided not to go and do this without knowing something about the organisation. I had of course had contact with the organisation at one of their coffee mornings and at the Pancake Races, so with the aid of a Google search and the Oxford Reference English dictionary, I had sufficient facts to enable me to say something really relevant. I duly arrived with Edwina Cooper and were welcomed by Angela Spellman, the President. We also met a number of the members and their husbands before lunch. Amongst them were Irene Rodrick and her husband Roy, who was one of my former work colleagues at AEA Harwell and Sylvia Grimwood and her husband Allick, who is a fellow member of Probus.
We went into lunch and Joyce Platts said the Soroptimists Grace; for food, friends and fellowship, thanks be to God. After an excellent lunch, Angela Spellman invited Janet Wycherley, the Treasurer to propose the loyal toast. After that, I was invited to propose a toast to Soroptimism. I said that my research had elicited from the website that the word soroptimist is derived from the latin word Soros meaning sister and optima meaning best, and loosely translated as being best for women. However the Oxford Reference English Dictionary it states it to be sister plus optimist. I said that whichever one you would choose, it well described your organisation and your members for whenever I had attended any function you had organised, your members had been both the best and optimistic. What I had also discovered was that the Soroptimists were founded in Oakwood, California in 1921 by 80 women and mirrored the aims of Rotary formed in Chicago in 1905 for business and professional men with the aim to promote charitable work. I continued by saying that the early 1900s were very exciting times for women in England with the suffragettes campaigning for the vote and as a result of their actions, won the vote for women over the age of 30. Ten yeas later, women had equal voting rights with men. I said that I had little doubt that these momentous events were the seeds for promoting the Soroptimists in this country. I said that I was unaware of the local club’s membership but having attended a coffee morning and attended the Pancake Races in the Market Place, from which the Club raised hundreds of pounds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, it said a great deal about the strength and organisational skills which your club and members possess. I concluded by stating that without such organisations such as your, the Town and the nation would be much worse off. I then proposed the toast to the Soroptimists.
The President of the London Chilterns Region, Sylvia Watson then responded and indicated how valuable it was to have local clubs such as Newbury which kept the organisation in the public eye and raised money for charity.
The guest speaker was Jack Shovel of the RNLI who gave an account of the RNLI, what it was, how many life boat stations it had and how they managed to keep the boats up to date. He stated that they refuse to accept Government money as they would basically interfere with the organisation and how it is operated. It relies on donations to keep the boats on station and it is therefore important that they have many volunteers and supporters who raise the money. He also had brought with him photographs of different types of lifeboats. It was a most interesting speech which was well received. Following Katy Hawthorne’s vote of thanks, a cheque for £2000 was presented to Jack Shovel for the RNLI.
It was a great occasion and we thanked Angela and her committee for their kind hospitality and wished them well for the future.

PORTSMOUTH CITADEL SALVATION ARMY BAND CONCERT

I have always enjoyed band music, whether it be military or brass band, since playing the E flat tuba at school and in the CCF band and later in the Territorial Army. I was delighted when I received an invitation from the Newbury Salvation Army to attend a concert by the Portsmouth Citadel Band at St. Nicolas Church on Saturday 29 March. For those who know nothing about the Salvation Army, it was founded in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth in the East End of London to carry out evangelistic and social/charitable work and is organised on a military type basis. Its leader is given the title/rank of General and local leaders are given appropriate ranks, such as Captain or Major. They are also ministers.
The purpose of their bands is to serve as an instrument to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and as William Booth realised, they can be a powerful evangelistic tool. As well as playing evangelistic music, he realised that secular music should also be included, and as he remarked, why should the devil have all the good tunes!
With all that in mind Edwina Cooper and I arrived and met the local Salvation Army leader, Captain Jim Cussen, and we saw that there was a fairly good audience. The programme indicated a long concert with a half time interval between to allow both the band and audience to stretch their legs and have some refreshment.
When the band filed in, I was surprised at the size of the band, with a full range of brass instruments, and percussion, with an equal number of men and women musicians and an age range from young to mature.
The concert began with a rousing rendering of Finlandia followed by Songs of Victory, which seemed to me to be a splendid way to start this band concert. We then bowed our heads in a prayer given by band leader Andrew Short. The band then played Keep Singing and this preceded a euphonium solo entitled Euphony played by Marc Harry. I have always believed a euphonium to be a difficult instrument to play but Marc who was suited physically for such an instrument, played the piece so beautifully and with such feeling, you could have heard a pin drop. The applause was long and appreciative. His playing was of a standard which would have been welcomed in a leading symphony orchestra. The next piece was an adaptation of Mozart’s Ave Verum and that was a great success with the audience. This was followed by another solo, this time by Alex Manning playing He is lord by Robert Redhead on his flugelhorn. You don’t see too many flugelhorns around although the Hungerford Town Band has a few. It has the same note range as a cornet, has a pitch of B flat and has a largish bell and to me it has a more mellow tone than a cornet. Played the piece beautifully and as the conductor, or rather the Bandmaster, indicated, he is the doyen of the band. The first half of the concert concluded with another moving piece, Resurgam written by Eric Ball.
The first item after the interval was by a Norwegian composer Frode Alnaes entitled Vitae Lux which I believe means the Light of Life and this was followed by a hymn To God be the Glory. This where we were all invited to stand and sing. Oh, to have a band to accompany us every Sunday. That would be a treat. The band then played a melody of hymn tunes and we were invited to count the number of different hymns. I counted 7 but there were in fact 9 in total. We were then treated to a cornet solo by Paul French who made the instrument sing which demonstrated to us that the level of musicianship throughout the band was very high. Two more pieces followed before the penultimate piece The Last Amen which was very appropriate.
There was a pause for the Newbury Leader to thank the Bandmaster and band for their excellent concert and hoped to see them return at some stage. The band then played Paul Drury’s Jubilee and we had four bandswomen leaving their instruments and giving a synchronised tambourine display (with jingles) which I have seen only a few times before. It was very impressive and a great way of ending this concert.
We thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to them coming back for another concert. In the meantime, I will be playing the CD I bought.

DEVIZES TO WESTMINSTER CANOE RACE

The Devizes to Westminster Canoe race is an annual event and as such the Mayor is always asked to send off the canoeists on the Newbury to Marlow stage of the race. I duly arrived at 8 a.m. in my robe , hat and chain with Carol Currey the Mayor’s attendant at Northcroft and walked between the tents which had been pitched by competitors and some supporters in which they had spent the night. I felt sorry for them as there was a blizzard with the snow blowing horizontally across the fields and with no cover whatsoever. Arriving at the start line, I met one of the organising committee members as well as the lady starter who were well wrapped up as were their papers with details of the canoes taking part and their respective start times covered by plastic sheets and perspex. They had obviously experienced these extreme conditions before and had taken appropriate precautions.
There were literally over a hundred canoes involved; some were single and others were two seaters and I did spot a different type of canoe, which was a Canadian canoe which was so popular in the 18th and 19th century frontier times in North America. There were numerous individual competitors but the majority seemed to be from schools, colleges, universities and I noted that one was from a Combined Cadet Force (CCF). Some were crewed by father and son and there were a number of young women taking part. Regardless of whom they were and where they all came from (and I spoke to many from different parts of the country), they were very fit and determined in spite of the awful conditions. As each canoe set off from the start line, they were cheered off by their families and friends, some of whom would later be at Colthrop or further up towards Reading to give them support or food and drink as they passed towards their next stopping point at Marlow on the river Thames.
Reports were coming in that the water on the Thames was very choppy so I did not envy them having to deal with that situation. By 9.45 a.m., most of the canoeists had left and the officials were only dealing with the tail-enders who had no specified time slots. I departed with Carol soon afterwards with the thought of a hot drink and thawing out of my hands and feet and no doubt Carol had a similar idea. I had to admire the competitors who seemed unconcerned about the conditions but were focused on the race itself. This says a lot about the British spirit and long may it continue.

EASTER BONNET COMPETITION

I have to admit that I am not an expert on judging Easter Bonnets and so when I went to Cypress House and Mulberry Court to do just that I was somewhat apprehensive. To add to my concern, Edwina Cooper the Mayoress could not be with me as she had to go to see her son in Cornwall so I could not lean on her either.
When I arrived at Cypress Court, with my attendant Carol Currie, the lounge area was crowded out with ladies with their Easter Bonnets either holding them or wearing them. It was a very colourful scene and I had to look twice as I noted that two men were also wearing Easter Hats of sorts!
Most of them were residents of either Cypress House or the adjoining Mulberry Court or were guests from other sheltered accommodation in the area. Having met the staff running the complex, I told them I would go to every person and mark each bonnet on three criteria; style, creativity and impact and each of the criteria would be marked out of 10 points. On going around the lounge, I heard that many of the ladies had been spending days on making and designing their own hats and I have to admit they were all very creative, colourful and attractive and I have no doubt Edwina Cooper would have been green with envy if she had been there. Nevertheless, I noted down the name of each person wearing their hats and marked each in the three categories but deliberately did not add the scores up then but left it until I had completed the judging. When I finished, I added up all the scores; most had scored between 12 and 15 and there were four who had scored 18 but there was only one who scored 19 and she was the winner. When I announced the method of scoring and the winner, there was applause as the winner received her prize.
Afterwards, there was tea and sandwiches and I was able to meet many of the residents before I had to go. It was a pleasant afternoon and everyone seemed to enjoy it which is what it all about.

BERKSHIRE MAESTROS JUNIOR MUSIC FESTIVAL

The 3rd annual Junior Music Festival was held on Wednesday 19 March at the Anvil in Basingstoke and as two Newbury schools were taking part, I was delighted to have been invited to attend.
It was organised by the Berkshire Maestros and the Newbury Music Centre which is based at Trinity School. The two Newbury schools taking part were Speenhamland Primary and St. Nicolas Junior.
When I arrived at just before 7 p.m., the Anvil was packed with children, parents and teachers and there was so much excitement that it was difficult to speak above the noise. I met up with Councillor Andrew Royles, Chairman of West Berkshire Council, and Mrs Wendy Carpenter who had both been invited to the concert.
It began splendidly with the massed singing of the schools of We’re Gonna Make Music for You under the baton of conductor Gwyn Arch. This was followed by a dance group from Lambourn school performing Flying Free and subsequently the Flight of the Bumble Bee from Aldermaston Primary school all dressed up as bumble bees. They performed a bee dance and then buzzed off into the wings to rapturous applause. The mood changed like the weather to rain associated numbers; a poem the Rainbow mystery, followed by the songs Over the Rainbow and Raindrops keep Falling on my Head, complete with umbrellas. The mood changed again to Space travel and Speenhamland performed Fly me to the Moon, followed by a poem from Holly Choules from Welford entitled Moonbeam. Next was a song and dance routine Silver Moon performed by Emma Meakin from Bradfield and Adam West, St. Nicolas and dancer Amber Bromham from Bradfield. This was a very polished performance, considering their ages. There followed the Hampstead Norreys dance group performing, yes, Stars!
Another slight change of mood gave us Performance Poetry in the form of a Soliloquy of a Weatherman from St Nicolas School. There were two poetry readers and six weathermen and they did so well. We were treated to a recorder ensemble from Burghfield St Mary’s playing the Dance of the Cuckoos and this preceded everyone singing a Jamaica Farewell, Island in the Sun. Another complete change of mood was the Welford Percussion Ensemble who with mainly African drums performed an item with the marvellous title of Impuku Nekati Mali and a splendid dance by Bradfield performed to El Cumbanchero. The last item on the programme was a vocal quartet singing One Voice written by Barry Manilow, which everyone joined in. What a terrific concert. We all enjoyed it and after the concert, teachers and the organisers, the conductor and the band all gathered for a reception. Among them was the Headteacher of St Nicolas school, Tricia Whiting who had helped with the music teacher Heidi Davies for the concert. She was delighted with the school’s performance and it was a fitting tribute to her that she is retiring at the end of term and going to live for a part of the year in France where her husband Rob and her have bought a house.
The concert was a great credit to all the schools and the performers and I am sure that the Berkshire Maestros and the Newbury Music Centre will continue with their success well into the future.

TORCH CLUB EASTER PARTY

The Torch Club invited us to their Easter party at Fairclose on 18 March so Edwina Cooper the Mayoress and I drove down with Carol Currie, the Mayor’s attendant to the day centre. This was our second visit to the Torch Club and it was good to meet some of the members we had met before.
The origin of the club was to entertain those people who had been patients at Fairmile Hospital but the membership had become broader than that. Some of the members were residents of Fairclose and other associated clubs.
The committee had organised some entertainment which was the Good Companions. This is a singing group which regularly entertain the elderly and other volunteer groups and clubs in Newbury. There are 3 men and 5 or more women in the group and they sing songs from the shows, wartime ballads and at times more up to date songs. They dress according to the type of songs they intend to sing and at this party, they had a number of Latin American and Spanish songs so they were in colourful Spanish dress.
All the members thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment and they commented so to us. The afternoon concluded with tea and a buffet and a raffle. The party was another example of how caring people are in Newbury who give up their time to entertain the not so well off either physically or financially. My thanks go the organisers who made such a happy evening for those attending, and to the drivers of the charity buses which took them there and back home.

HOPE FOR PLANET EARTH PRESENTATION

An invitation was extended to me to attend a presentation on Hope for Planet Earth at Park House School on 13 March so Edwina Cooper and I went there at 6 p.m. We had little idea what it was about so we were rather expectant about the evening. Unfortunately the team giving the presentation had been delayed on the road so it did not start until around 7 p.m.
The presentation team consisted of a group of Christian activists, some clergy and scientists, who were dedicated to preserving the environment and helping the third world to survive famine, to adapt to climate change and how organisations such as Tearfund helped through fundraising and awareness, farming in poor countries particularly in Africa. The team also gave a presentation on global pollution and climate change and how Christians could help by individually ensuring maximum energy efficiency in their homes though good insulation and high efficiency appliances, ensure maximum energy saving, using public transport and consider the environment when shopping. One of the presenters said that he had sold his petrol driven car and had bought an electric car. One of the audience at the end of the presentation asked what the team’s views were on nuclear power. One said that it was the susceptible to terrorism while another said there was a shortage of uranium so it could only be a short-term solution.
It was a thought provoking presentation and I am glad that we attended.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ESSENCE SALON

I was invited to carry out the official opening of a new hairdressing salon in the Broadway on the 7 March and so I walked up from the Town Hall to arrive there at 6 p.m. Number 10 used to be a newsagents and I recall it had a rather rundown look and feel about it. When I did arrive, the premises had undergone a transformation. The interior was now bright and cheerful, with gleaming white sinks and comfortable chairs, with bright energy efficient indirect lighting with modern pictures on the walls and a tiled floor. I met the owner, Koulla Swan who walked me around the salon. She took me through into the back room of the salon which had been equipped with a massage bed which was used for that and other beauty treatments. Taking me back into the main salon, she explained that all the products were environmentally friendly, organic or natural products which had come from one of the Nordic countries. She was very conscious of the environment and I gathered that for every 10 customer coming into the salon, she would fund the planting of a tree.
I made a short speech, commending her for her courage in opening another salon when there were so many others in the town; I also said that she would be successful with her use of environmentally friendly products. Having cut the ribbon, we re-entered the salon for a glass of wine and I then chatted to the staff and potential customers. I met Koulla’s husband who was in the computer business who was very positive and upbeat about their new project. I also met her mother and other relatives who had come from Cyprus for the launch and having spent many years there in the Army, I managed to get a short update on the situation there. I met the Bank Manager of Lloyds TSB who had financed the project and two of his staff, both of whom

were from Eastern Europe. One had been a manager in a bank in her own country, while the other was a trainee. Both spoke excellent English.
I was invited to have a hand massage which I declined but one of the customers who had one said it was a great experience. Such experiences pass me by; it must be my age! I had to leave but I did wish them all the best of fortune in the future.

LAUNCH OF THE 30TH INTERNATIONAL NEWBURY SPRING FESTIVAL

The Newbury Spring Festival begins its programme on 10 May and I was invited to attend its launch on 6 March in the Corn Exchange. On arrival I met the Festival Director, Mark Eynon who in his speech to a crowded Bar 1864, gave an outline of this season’s programme. To anyone who is a follower of the Spring Festival, this year’s programme is mouth-watering. For example, the Festival begins with Mendelssohn’s magnificent Elijah in St. Nicolas Church, followed by internationally acclaimed musicians such as the pianist Emanuel Axe, the Chinese cellist Li Wei, the Russian State Symphony orchestra, the European Union Chamber Orchestra with Natalie Clein the brilliant cellist, and Dame Gillian Weir, the brilliant organist. For the first time, Gifford’s Circus will pitch camp at Victoria Park and a number of their performers were in the bar area in typical circus costumes. They will give performances between 15 and 18 May. The guest speaker Barry Millington congratulated the organising committee for such an extensive and highly talented programme. I should say that the programme was not just classical music but a wide range of music including jazz singers and groups and music from the Musicals, as well
as poetry. There is also a session from horticultural experts at Copse Farm. My priority is to get to Gillian Weir’s organ recital, that is if there are any tickets left. This is always a contentious aspect because by the time the programme is published, many of the concerts are sold out to the Friends. This was mentioned at the Launch with the response that the answer was to become a Friend. This makes the cost of a ticket unviable if only one concert is attended.

RECEPTION FOR 42 ENGINEER REGIMENT

It had proved difficult to arrange a date for the reception for the service personnel returning from their operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, due to commitments by the Regiment and the civic programme, and so I was very pleased when we were able to agree the date as Tuesday 4 March in the Town Hall.

Mrs Edwina Cooper, the Mayoress, and I welcomed around 50 soldiers and their partners, which included Lt. Colonel Rupert Dash the Commanding officer to the evening reception. It was a splendid sight to see all the soldiers in uniform wearing their medals indicating their service in the current operational areas, and for the older soldiers, in other conflicts in the past.
In my speech, I said that the purpose of the reception was to honour all those returning from active service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo and to formally acknowledge the valuable service which 42 Engineering Regiment, based at Hermitage, had given over the last 60 years. They had been excellent neighbours to the town, with great friendship and great co-operation with the town’s activities and events. This association was more than realised when the Town Council granted 42 Engineer Regiment the Freedom of the Town in 1997. The links, friendship and co-operation with the town had not diminished; I believed that they had become closer.

I reiterated that the main purpose of the reception was to honour all those soldiers who had returned safely from active service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. While we could sit in the comfort and security of our homes in Newbury, those soldiers deployed in those areas of conflict were in constant risk from an enemy which did not wear a uniform, was difficult to identify and had some support from the local population The climate and conditions were pretty awful and there was little time to relax and do those things which here we take so much for granted. A tour of duty in these areas of conflict must be both physically and mentally draining. We therefore thank and commend you for all the operational tasks which you carry out which ultimately protect our freedoms. I also commend your wives and partners who have to look after your homes and children without your support and not knowing in any detail how you are coping and whether or not you will return unscathed. It takes courage to try and lead a normal life under such circumstances. In conclusion, we welcome you back and honour you for your valuable and courageous service and wish you and your families a happy and successful future. The Town has already given the Regiment the highest accolade some ten years ago in the Freedom of the Town. But we feel that it would be remiss of us not to let you leave this evening without some token of our admiration and thanks for all you have done. We therefore wish to present to your Commanding Officer with a scroll which expresses our gratitude for your continuing friendship with the Town and hope that the longstanding association with the Town will continue long into the future.

I presented the scroll to Colonel Dash and he responded by thanking us for hosting the Regiment and was able to reaffirm the very close links with the Town of Newbury. The Regiment was very proud of the close ties with the Town and grateful for all the support which it had received from its institutions and townsfolk. He then presented the Town Council with a print of a picture of an action in March 1879 in Afghanistan when a Royal Engineer, Captain Edward Pemberton Leach of the Khyber Survey Group won a Victoria Cross in action in the Khyber Pass.

After the formalities, we were able to meet and talk with many of the soldiers and their partners over a drink and buffet. It was a momentous evening which was enjoyed by all and long may the Town’s association with the Regiment continue.

READING PHOENIX CHOIR CHARITY CONCERT

I was delighted to have been invited to attend the Reading Phoenix Choir’s Charity Concert in aid of the Alzheimers Society in St Nicholas Church on the evening of Saturday 1 March 08. When Edwina Cooper and I arrived, we saw from the programme that the Willink School Jazz and Choir would also take part. I knew nothing about the choir and I saw that it had been established some 40 years ago and although not stated in the programme, sings mainly sacred music but does also sing secular, both old and new. It is an amateur choir and raises money for good causes. The music began with a soprano singing an introit Beauty for Ashes accompanied by a tambourine . The choir, some 50 strong, then made a slow entrance one by one singing Welcome. It was a great and moving start to the concert.
The first four items were sacred music; the first William Bird’s O Quam Gloriosum; Crusifixus by Antonio Lotti; an excerpt from Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah and the Winchester Te Deum by John Rutter. All were sung beautifully. A complete change then came with the Willink School jazz band playing Down by the River to Play which got our feet tapping, and this was followed by Feeling Good by Newley/Bricusse. It was a splendid rendering which earned them great applause.
The Phoenix choir then sang a piece entitled Hambledon, the words of which indicates it has a canal so it cannot be the Hambledon of cricket fame which certainly has no canal. Hambledon was then followed by Bob Chilcott’s Come to the great World and Children go where I send Thee arranged by Norman Wallace, the conductor. The interval which followed was welcomed by everyone, the musicians in particular.
The second half got underway with an out of season Christmas song Hodie Christus Natus Est by Poulenc followed by a modern song Sleep composed by Eric Whitacre. Another Christmas song Alleluia! I bring you news of great Joy by Francis Grier followed and Choose something like Star composed by Randall Thompson then gave the choir a break to allow the Willink Jazz band to return with a number entitled Chain of Fools and Gershwin’s Summertime with two excellent soloists and some great backing from three trumpets, saxophones and two electronic guitars and percussion. It was a great performance from the young musicians who showed wonderful confidence and remarkable playing. They will go far if they continue with their music.
The end of the concert was not far away with the Phoenix choir singing Vaughan William’s The Lover’s Ghost and some light, pieces including When You’re Smiling and a traditional Samoan song Minoi with lots of swaying conjuring up palm trees and tropical sunshine. The climax of the evening was the gospel song You raise me up which was again arranged by Norman Morris.
We thoroughly enjoyed the concert and those who enjoy this type of music should go and hear the Phoenix Choir; their next major concert is at St Mary’s Minster in Reading on 21 June in aid of Cancer Research.

MAYOR’S CHARITY COFFEE MORNING

It is almost a tradition for the Mayor to hold at least one charity coffee morning and this was my second one and this time it was to raise money for my three charities, the Mayor’s Benevolent Fund, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Families Association (SSAFA) and the Re-Ordering of the interior of St Nicolas Church project. And so I arrived at around 9 a.m. to help with the preparations and soon Joyce Lewis, the Civic Manager, had me cutting up cake (after, of course, washing my hands!) and placing it on plates. We were soon joined by other volunteers and there were scenes of great industry in both the kitchen and the Council Chamber. It was a trifle unfortunate that Edwina Cooper was not able to attend as she had to go to Cornwall for family business nor did we have the services of the Town Crier, Brian Sylvester, who can both get people in from the Market Place with seemingly no difficulty.
Our first customers arrived at around 10 a.m. by which time we were ready and it is very pleasing that we get regular customers in to buy coffee or tea and cake; it is after all a great bargain at £1 a time. Not only do we get local people, but we also get a fair attendance from visitors to the town; we after all well placed geographically for coaches and other vehicles to stop here and it was a pleasure to meet visitors from or to Bournemouth as we did that morning, as Bournemouth is my second home. They seemed very pleased to have coffee with me and for me to give them a potted history of the town and where the shopping areas are.
Time always seems to go quickly and as I had another engagement at 2 p.m., I had to leave at 12.30 p.m. My thanks as usual go to Joyce Lewis and her helpers, and of course to my fellow councillors who give me great support.

WEST BERKSHIRE EDUCATION BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP WORK EXPERIENCE CELEBRATION

I always look forward to attending functions which celebrate young people’s achievements and the West Berkshire Education Business Partnership (EBP) work experience celebration evening at the Arlington Arts Centre at Mary Hare School was a splendid event. EBP which is based at New Greenham Park organises work experience placements from West Berkshire schools to local firms and businesses for a week to give them a taste of what it is like to work in the business community. Every year, EBP organise hundreds of placements each year and in addition to their work experience, students are asked to complete a log book in which they give their comments on their placement. Employers are asked to give their own comments on each student and these plus the students’ log books are evaluated and the best are then invited to the celebration evening for the prize giving.
On arriving, I was met by Corrie Barker, one of the EBP team who introduced me to a number of the students, teachers and employees who had taken part in the placement programme. I was pleased to see David McGall from St Bartholomew’s School who is one of the senior physical education teachers who was attending with several of his students. He has given great support to the Town Council’s sponsored 6 a side annual cricket competition. Park House school was also represented at the presentation. I looked at a number of the log books completed by the students and I was impressed by both the quality of the log books and by the positive comments included.


Amanda the Chief Executive of the EBP introduced the Celebration Evening by congratulating the students who had reached the finals and thanked the schools, employers and their staff for making the efforts in taking students in on their placement. The organisations participating were many and varied; they included The Berkshire Arms, St Gabriel’s School, High and Mighty, Downlands Surgery, Integrated Design Consultants, Ashford Hill Primary School, and Woolworths. She then asked me to present certificates to the finalists which was followed by a presentation by Ottavio Columbro of Park House School and then by Nicky Hiller, one of the employees, High and Mighty who gave a short resume of their experience and reactions to having students on placement. Amanda expressed her thanks in particular to the School Co-ordinators who had helped in getting the students for the attachments and gave each of them a gift in appreciation. After that, three students from St Bartholomews School spoke about their own experiences of being given placements and they were all very positive and confident.
I was then asked to present prizes and certificates to the runner-up, Jessica Adler from Theale Green School and the winner from John O’Gaunt School at Hungerford, Connie Tuttle.
It was a splendid evening which I and everyone present enjoyed enormously and I would like to praise the students for their achievements and I have no doubt that they will all be successful in their future careers.

HMS TIGRIS MEMORIAL SERVICE

The annual service to commemorate the loss of the submarine HMS Tigris on 27 February 1943 was held at the Corn Exchange on Sunday 24 February 2008 and I and the Mayoress Mrs Edwina Cooper attended. The standard bearers from the Royal British Legion, including those of the Royal naval Association, paraded and went onto the stage at the beginning of the service while the first hymn was being sung. The service was conducted by Rev Elizabeth Stone, the Branch Chaplain. I read the first lesson which was followed by the hymn, the seafarers 23rd psalm. The second lesson was read by Michael Westropp, the President of the Royal British Legion and David Stone, the Rector of St Nicolas Church gave the address. Following the address, we sang that wonderful hymn of Seafarers, Eternal Father strong to save, whose arm hath bound the restless wave.
The emotive part of the service was when David Bellamy read the names of the 63 submariners who perished on that fateful day. This was followed by the Exhortation, Last Post, One Minutes Silence and the Reveille .
During the last hymn, Abide with Me, a collection was taken for the Royal Naval Association.
At the end of the service, I was able to speak to some of the Royal Naval Association and Royal Marines standard bearers, some of whom had come from other parts of the south of England. We then went to the Royal Air Force Association Club for a ‘tot’ and refreshments.
Thanks go to the Royal British Legion and the RNA for their organisation of this annual service of dedication.

NEWBURY TWIN TOWN ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

I was invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Twin Town Association at the Town Hall Council Chamber on the evening of Saturday 23 February. On arrival I was met by Garry Poulson the Chairman, and a number of members whom I had met while at Bagnols.
As the Hon. President, I welcomed the members to the meeting and then handed over to Garry for the other business. Having the Minutes of the last AGM approved, he gave his report in which he expressed his gratitude to the Committee members for their hard work in making the year a success. He singled out Cath Osborn the Bagnols Secretary for organising the November reunion and for the French lesson given by Amelie Rousset at Park House School prior to the visit. Garry announced that he was standing down as Chairman after many years but would be continuing a as a Committee member. He then called on the Committee Secretaries for their reports.
The Membership Secretary stated that there were now 37 family members and 24 single members which was slightly down on the previous year. Elizabeth Anfield, Cath Osborn and Jim Turner gave reports on Braunfel, Bagnols and Eeklo respectively while Stuart Durrant gave an account of a football tour and Watership Brass visiting Feltre. Phil Barnett, the deputy Mayor had visited Kiskunfelegyhaza last year; this is a Hungarian Town an hour away from Budapest and linked as a Twin Town with Braunfels and Feltre. Mrs Gill Jessop reported on the social activities during the year which included a quiz, a garden party in July and a battlefield walk organised with Dave Stubbs in September.
Jim Johnston gave his financial report which showed a surplus of £14,472 but 7252 Euros repayment was still outstanding. It was agreed to keep the subscriptions at the previous years rates.
At the election of officers, Ian Haslam was appointed Chairman. He announced the 2008 activities which included the visit to Braunfel in Germany.
The penultimate business was to make a minor amendment to the Constitution to rename the post of Hon. President as Patron, which was agreed.
The AGM was followed by refreshments which gave me the opportunity to speak to the Committee and members before leaving, and wishing the Twin Town Association a successful year.

NEWBURY CRAFTERS IST BIRTHDAY

I was invited to attend the 1st birthday celebrations of the Newbury Crafters at Speen Parish hall on the afternoon of Saturday 16 February so I arrived at the Hall at 3 p.m. to be greeted by Albert Moss the Chairman of the Crafters. We had met a number of times from when the crafters had been located in a rather wet tent at the Fringe Festival and at other events locally. I also met his wife Linda who is also very active in the Crafters and at one time recalling when she was on a loom creating wool from a sheep’s fleece. This time they were celebrating their first birthday of the Crafters. They meet every other Saturday afternoon at the parish hall and have a range of crafting skills to practice. Today they were practicing silk painting and I have to admit I was very intrigued at how it was done. Under the watchful eye of a lady instructor (I think her name was Dee), they were all given a piece of Chinese silk, pots of silk paint of varying colour and a special type of brush which instead of bristles, they had small sponges attached. The idea was to either roll the folded silk around a glass or something similar and paint bands of colour vertically onto the silk. After each band has been painted, you continue the process along the silk with different colours until the silk is covered. You then unfold the silk which by then the colour will have permeated the entire length of silk and you have bands of colour top to bottom in rows. You then shake salt onto the silk which then allows the colours to ‘wander’ into the neighbouring colours. Once this is dry, you iron the silk and the painted silk is complete. There were some intersesting patterns created but you can have no control over what the pattern might be. I could not let this opportunity of creating my own painted silk.
The first thing I did was to put an apron on and I was given the silk, 3 pots of differing colours and some sponge brushes. I followed all the instructions and before long, I had made my first silk painting. I have to admit it was not anything like the others which I had made but at least I tried.
The tea and birthday cake arrived and I was asked to cut the cake which I did with a little more skill than with a paintbrush!
I did manage to get talking to some of the ladies there and they were all regular members with a keen interest in crating and had been there on many occasions doing a variety of crafts. It was an enjoyable afternoon and I would recommend it to anyone whether they had crafting skills or not. Before I left, I was told I could take the silk I had painted with me and they also presented me with a silk painted tie, which I was delighted with.
Following my visit, I gave the painted silk as a scarf to Edwina Cooper the Mayoress who said it was very nice. However, I have yet to see her wear it. I wonder why?

MAYOR’S CHARITY BALL

After several months of planning with Joyce Lewis, the Civic Manager and Molly Millhench of the Chequers Hotel, the Mayor’s Charity Ball was held on Saturday 9 February. It was a formal dinner jacket occasion with a drinks reception, a three course dinner, a speech by myself and dancing afterwards.
At 7 p.m. the guests arrived and I and the Mayoress, Edwina Cooper greeted them before moving into the function area to a champagne reception and listening to the Wade Trio from St Bartholemew’s School. They provided an excellent musical interlude, with Suzy Holmes on the piano, Chris Wade, violin and Lottie Baikie on the cello. These three young musicians were under the tutelage of Clive Grant, the Head of Music Department and they were a real credit to the school.
The guests then went into the dining room to an excellent three course meal and they were entertained by a rather special person, by name Judge the Poet. He went from table to table asking for a couple of random words from which he would compose an immediate poem. It was quite a remarkable achievement and one which everyone applauded. During dinner, raffle tickets were sold for a wide and varied number of raffle prizes which had been given by 30 local sponsors and a competition to guess the name of a very large and cuddly teddy bear. At the end of the meal and the loyal toast to the Queen, I gave a short speech in which I thanked the guests for coming, the sponsors for their very generous donations for the raffle, the hotel staff and the MC for the evening Brian Sylvester who is also the Town Crier.
After the raffle and the teddy bear winning, the disco provided by Neil – the Pink Elephant, started up and the dancing began. After a short period, it was so popular it was difficult to find room on the dance floor. All too soon, the evening came to an end at 1 a.m. with Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem. I think everyone enjoyed the evening, we certainly did and we will remember it for a long time to come.
I must record my thanks to the Civic Manager, Joyce Lewis for her immaculate planning and attention to detail and to Molly Millhench, the General Manager of the Chequers Hotel for ensuring the smooth running of the Ball. I am also grateful to Sue Page our Administrative Officer for her excellent colourful and well designed programme for the Ball.

NEWBURY AND DISTRICT CANCER CARE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

I was invited to attend the AGM of the Newbury and District Cancer Care Trust on Wednesday 6 February at the Town Hall Council Chamber. When I arrived, I noted that the Mayors of Hungerford and Thatcham had also arrived, as had Andrew Rowles, the Chairman of West Berkshire Council. I met with Helen Milroy, the Trust’s Executive Officer who I understood was also standing in as the Hon Secretary. I was then introduced to David Ball, the recently elected Chairman of the Trust. He is also the Chairman of the Newbury Magistrates.
The AGM followed the usual procedures of welcome, agreement of the last year’s AGM minutes, and the Chairman’s wide ranging report on the year’s activities. He paid tribute to the Trust’s Committee members and the volunteers who made such a difference in ensuring the success of the Trust’s work. He mentioned the well attended and successful Carol Service last December in which a total of £17,000 was raised which was split between the Trust and the Macmillan Cancer Support. He also mentioned the Rainbow Rooms at the West Berkshire community hospital, which the Trust supports and which provides such wonderful comfort for terminal patients and for their close families.
His speech was very upbeat and I have no doubt that the Trust will be very successful under his chairmanship.

PANCAKE RACES – NEWBURY MARKET PLACE

One of the great fun days in Newbury is the annual pancake races organised by the Soroptimists on Shrove Tuesday, which fell on 5 February this year.
When I emerged at midday from the Town Hall in my robe and chain, the Market Place was already crowded with competitors some in fancy dress, stewards, officials and seemingly hundreds of spectators. It was my duty to start each race and so it was that there turned out to be 17 teams which would be split into four separate heats with 4 in each team. I was delighted that the Town Council entered a team. Having competed last year as a member of the Greenacres team, I know that it is not easy to run with a frying pan and a pancake let alone tossing it at the tossing point so I had sympathy with anyone who dropped a pancake, the frying pan or both. We were ready to start and I was about to get the first heat off when it was noted that the pancakes had not materialised. It was one of those moments when you feel for the organisers who having thought of everything else but had forgotten to get the most essential items. Fortunately, this was not the case and the pancakes were brought out of the organisers’ tent. I managed to get the first race under way and there were fortunately no casualties and everyone completed the circuit. The second heat produced the first casualty when one competitor, whose team were in the lead, lost her pancake onto the ground and the delay in having to recover it resulted in them losing that heat. The third heat was somewhat more spectacular. The cleric’s team, short of one competitor, had a lady dressed as a bunny girl inserted into the team, which on reflection, was somewhat bizarre. It proved even more incongruous when, on coming down the home straight, the somewhat ill-fitting costume could not compete with gravity and one of her vital assets broke loose near the finishing line. A gasp and a cheer went up but the offending asset was popped back in quick time. Regrettably, the cleric’s team did not win as no points were awarded for the added spectacle.
The final heat went unscathed and a great performance was put up by the eventual winners, Newbury College, whose turn of speed made some wonder if they had been practicing during their cookery classes.
The presentation of awards was made by John Hampson of the Newbury Weekly News who presented a frying pan and the Soroptimists Gold Cup. There were some splendid costumes worn by some contestants; these included a St Trinian’s hockey team, and the Newbury and District Agricultural Society whose costumes resembled rather outlandish farmyard animals. Nevertheless they won the best dressed team as adjudicated by the Mayoress. The best tosser of the pancakes came from the solicitors Charles, Lucas and Marshall. It will take him some time to come to terms with that award!
After the races we retired to the grounds of St Nicolas Church for the old tradition of throwing pancakes to the children from the tower of the church. Reverend David Stone did the honours and I could not resist going up onto the roof to help. The first salvo of pancakes in their brown paper bags did not hit their intended target due to a high cross wind and some went into the canal and but fortunately, none of the children from the Rocking Horse Nursery tried to recover them. The swans must have thought it was their birthday! The rest landed at the foot of the tower and the children were suitably pleased. We then went into the church hall for a lunch of pancakes which went down well.
It was a great event and I must thank the ladies of the Soroptimists for organising the event which raised a great deal of money for the RNLI; to the competitors for their efforts; to the stewards and helpers who did a great job and to the spectators who must have enjoyed the races. I look forward to next year when I will be able to take part.

211 SQUADRON AIR TRAINING CORPS OPEN DAY

Each year the 211 Squadron ATC hold an open day and this is designed to give parents and friends the opportunity to look around the Centre and to attend the prize giving which happens at the beginning. The Mayoress and I arrived and were greeted by one of the Cadets. We then met Flight Lieutenant Simon Craggs who is the Officer Commanding and two officers from the US Airforce based at RAF Welford. The Earl of Carnavon was also there to present one of the cups and Reverend David Stone who is the Chaplain to the ATC.
The cadets were on parade and Simon Craggs read the citations and presented some of the cups. One of the US Airforce officers presented a cup as did the Earl of Carnavon. I presented the Mayor’s Cup to the best cadetand then the parade was dismissed and everyone was then given the opportunity to go inside the Centre to view the various displays which illustrated the variety of activities open to the cadets. We went into one room where there was a display of photographs showing cadets learning to fly gliders and small fixed wing aircraft. The cadet we spoke to was around 17 years old and already had his glider wings, which indicated that he was qualified to fly solo. Meanwhile outside there was a display of drill and marching to music and there was also a small indoor range for shooting practice. In another room there were photographs of cadets learning to build a hide in woods during a survival course in which they were taught how to snare, kill, skin and cook rabbits. They are also keen on physical activities and they have a football team which competes locally and within the ATC organisation.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and it was good to see how much the young cadets, both male and female, enjoy the ATC and what is offers in character building, self reliance and self discipline.

NEWBURY YOUNGSTARS PRODUCTION– CAPTAIN HOOK’S REVENGE

I was invited to attend the YoungStars latest production Captain Hook’s Revenge at the Arlington Arts Centre at Mary Hare School on the evening of 1 February and, having been to a previous production, I was delighted to accept. Edwina Cooper and I arrived and met Sarah Scott-Cound, responsible with Ann Harris for the Front of House operation. We were shown to our seats and Act 1 began with the Pirate Ship with six pirates singing, appropriately enough, “What shall we do with the drunken sailor” They looked very much the part and Captain Hook came on, complete with a hook and a patch on his eye. I knew then that this was to be a great show. There was a total of five scenes in the act and there some great songs including Never smile at a crocodile and jokes which included one aimed at the Mayor of Newbury. I didn’t think I was one of the baddies. One joke I do remember was of the cannibal who went on holiday and when he returned, he had only one leg. On being asked how he had lost it, he replied that it was a self-catering holiday! I shall move on. After the interval, Act 2 began and there were four scenes in it. The plot of course was all about Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. In addition to the pirates were the Darling family, comprising Dotty Darling, Wendy and Michael, the latter who gave a strong performance of a public school boy; two rats, bubonic and plague ; eight redskin squaws including Running Water, Owlhooter and Waftfeather; three redskins, Passingwater, skunkfeather and slugbucket ; and I must not forget the crocodile and the Old Crone. The costumes were wonderfully created and colourful, the singing and acting were polished and confident and the whole production was very funny and entertaining.
We thought it was a great evening and all credit goes to the entire cast, the Director, Choreographer, and the Musical Director as well as the front of house staff and those volunteers and parents, who in their own way helped to make this a splendid evening. I can hardly wait for their next production.