Heritage Trail March 30th

This afternoon Elaine & I joined a group made up of young people from the Havant Borough Youth Council and Warblington School, together with Tracy Vear from HBC and Charlie Fletcher from the EDGE project, on a guided walk around part of the Havant Heritage Trail.

Help and funding has come from Havant Rotary Club and the National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Heritage Trail is linked to the recently developed illustrated boards at the Spring Arts and Heritage Centre and is also available as a podcast or can be found at :- havantheritagetrail.wordpress.com

On the tour, of about 14 sites of the 34 in the full Trail, the history of each site was narrated and, in some cases, acted out by the young people who were tasked to research each of the sites and to develop the narrative for the tour and the podcast.

One of the interesting facts is that the Post Office in East Street is one of only two in the country to display the Royal cipher of  King Edward VIII, who only reigned for 11 months in 1936.

Ready to go.

Royal cipher of Edward VIII.

End of the Trail.

Art in Emsworth March 29th

This evening we went to the Emsworth Community Centre for the preview evening of the Emsworth Art Group’s Art Exhibition. The members of the group are all from the local area, and this was the 25th Anniversary of the groups founding.

With the Chairman.

Although this was a preliminary viewing before the exhibition is open to the public, there were a good number of visitors and several of the more than 100 exhibits were sold before the evening was over.

The artwork was very varied, with many different styles and subjects and also several different mediums were to be seen.

The exhibition is on until Monday in the Community Centre’s Lumley Room.

Long Service Award March 28th

Among the many pleasant duties that the Mayor has to fulfil is that of giving a Long Service Award to a Havant Borough Council employee who has been with the Council for 25 years.

With Steve.

On this occasion Elaine and I had the pleasure of greeting Steve Mountain in the Mayor’s parlour in order to present him with the gift vouchers which he had chosen.

After the presentation, and over a cup of tea, we had a short chat about Steve’s time with the Council and, as both Steve and I have close family members who have Down’s Syndrome, we spoke about that as well.

 

End of an era March 27th

This year’s school musical production at Cowplain Community School was one with a difference.

Entitled “A Night at the Musicals” it was made up of a wide range of numbers, not only from shows produced in the past, but also from shows which may be performed in the future.

It was also the last show produced during the tenure of Headmaster David Rowlinson, as he is leaving the school today after being at the helm for the last 16 years.

The vocal numbers were taken from shows from different eras, with songs ranging from “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” from Guys & Dolls and “Dancing at the Gym” from West Side Story, to an ABBA medley from Mamma Mia and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked.

The excellent school orchestra performed as backing to all of the numbers and also performed an instrumental, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray.

This was a night of great entertainment, and was a fitting send-off for David Rowlinson, sitting in his least favourite position, in the front row!

Coffee Morning March 27th

This morning we held the last of the Charity Coffee Mornings of this Mayoral year.

Once again it was held in the Hurstwood Room at the Public Service Plaza, and the number of people who came along to give their support made it very much worthwhile.

The children from St. Thomas More’s Primary School.

Their were several stalls around the room with flowers, wood carvings and cakes being among the usual attendees. There was also a Fairtrade stand and the children from St. Thomas More’s Primary School sold all of the cakes that they brought along.

Some of the attendees.

All of my charities were there, with CancerWise, The Samaritans and Smile Support & Care all having stands and displays, and FLASH being represented, although without a stall.

There was, of course, the usual well stocked raffle.

This was a very enjoyable event, and I am sorry that it is the last of them.

Hillier Gardens March 26th

As all the local Mayors are coming to the end of this Mayoral year, the Mayor of test Valley, Councillor Dorothy Baverstock, decided to invite all of the Hampshire Mayors and Chairmen to an evening at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Romsey.

In company with the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, the Mayors of Gosport, Fareham, Winchester, Basingstoke & Deane, New Forest and Eastleigh, and the Chairmen of Hampshire and East Hants, we were given a brief tour of part of the Gardens by the director, Wolfgang Bopp.

We then went to Jermyn’s House, situated within the Gardens, for a very pleasant evening with a 2-course meal and cheese, with all of the ingredients coming from the Test Valley.

Both before, and during, the meal we were entertained by a caricaturist and a magician.

This was a great way of showing off the attributes of the Gardens and the Test Valley, and I will be sure to return to see the Gardens in all their glory when we get some warm weather.

Mud, Glorious Mud March 24th

This was the day when I had arranged to hold a charity walk at Staunton Country Park.

Almost ready to go.

Unfortunately, with the weather being bitterly cold, few hardy souls turned up, so I would like to give heartfelt thanks to those who did come along. Special thanks go to the RAF Cadets from 2327 Squadron in Havant and to the Naval and Marine Cadets from TS Active, Maritime Cadet Corps.

Some of the cadets.

As was to be expected following the recent rainy weather, there was a great deal of both water and mud and, due to some of the route being flooded, we had to make a long detour.

However, everyone said that they had enjoyed the experience.

Special thanks go to ASDA for supplying bottles of water, and to Fyffes for letting us have bananas to hand out.

That’s Life March 23rd

The final event of the day proved to be an excellent way of spending an evening.

Introducing the show.

This was a concert, devised by Jay Jupe and performed by members of the Dynamo Youth Theatre, in aid of my charity appeal.

The large audience gathered in the Plaza’s Hurstwood Room were treated to a wide range of songs from Cole Porter to Schoenberg & Boubil and from The Beatles to Bizet, with time in between for two songs from Dynamo’s own musical One Pride…One People (to be performed by invitation at the King’s Theatre on April 10th).

Part of the audience.

One of the highlights for me was Dynamo’s take on the famous ‘class sketch’ from 1960’s satirical comedy series The Frost Report, featuring John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.

With more than 40 in the cast aged between 11 and 18 the concert met with warm approval from the audience, and was obviously enjoyed be the performers.

This was possibly Jay Jupe’s swan song with Dynamo, as he is shortly to go to The Royal Northern College of Music to study as an opera singer.

Bag-pack Part 2 March 23rd

After the Beaver & Cub Awards it was back to Tescos to see how the Cadets were getting on with the bag-packing, as they were due to finish at 4 o’clock.

The seven collection buckets that were being used had a very good amount of coins and, in some cases notes, in them.

At the moment I do not know how much was collected, but it will all go to my chosen charities at the end of my term of office.

My grateful thanks go to the Cadets, for being willing to help, to Tesco Havant, for allowing the bag-pack to be held and last, but by no means least, to the shoppers at Tesco for their generosity.

Beaver & Cub Awards March 23rd.

The first duty of the afternoon was a very pleasurable one.

Elaine & I had been invited to the United Reformed Church in Havant to present certificates to Beaver and Cub Scouts from around the local area. This was the second time that we had done this, as I presented certificates as Deputy Mayor last year due to the then Mayor, Ken Smith, being unwell.

What a lot of certificates!

Just as then, it was very nice to see so many young boys and girls who are doing well at something which they all obviously enjoy. Judging by the number of badges which many of them had sewn on their uniforms, they spend a lot of time getting out and about to earn them.

Many photographs were taken by some very proud parents, and there were a lot of smiles as they proudly collected their certificates.

Bag-Pack March 23rd

Straight from the Cowplain Community pre-school, we went to the Tesco Extra store in Havant, where several cadets from 7 Platoon , B Company of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Army Cadet Force, were going to help with a “Bag-pack” to raise funds for my charities.

With the Cadets & Tesco’s Liz Jones.

When we arrived there were 7 cadets with 3 NCO’s, all willing to get to work and help the shoppers. Elaine & I stayed with them for about an hour or so before we had to head home to get ready for our next engagement.

Pre-school March 23rd

Our first visit today was to the Cowplain Community Pre-school for their Easter Fun Day.

Situated in the grounds of Cowplain Community School, the pre-school caters for about 60 children from the age of 2 until they start primary education.

Today the place was a hive of activity, with cake making, raffle, tombolas and even a bouncy castle. many parents had come along with their children, and there were some very young children in evidence, with the youngest being 4 days old!

Enhancing the occasion were Peppa Pig and the Easter Bunny, and there was a fire engine outside for both young and old to get into.

With Peppa Pig

…and the Easter Bunny!

With Chairperson, Shelina Richardson.

Duke of Edinburgh Awards March 22nd

Before the presentations.

This evening Elaine and I were at Purbrook Park School for the annual presentation of certificates to participants of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

The school hall was packed with a large number of young people and their families as I presented the Bronze certificates and County Councillor Roy Perry, the Vice-President of the Hampshire D of E Award Forum, presented Silver and Gold certificates.

The packed hall.

The recipients came from many of the local senior schools, both Havant and South Downs Colleges, the Scouts and the Girls Brigade.

This was an evening full of pride, with those who had taken part in the various activities necessary to gain their certificates knowing that this was going to look good on their CV’s and would be something that they will remember for a very long time.

ASDA Hampers March 22nd

This morning Elaine and I went to the ASDA store at Bedhampton for a presentation of hampers full of food, drink and a very large Easter egg.

Several hampers have been donated by ASDA and two of my nominated charities were amongst those who received one.

With Becky and representatives from the Samaritans and FLASH.

Representatives came along from FLASH, the Family Liaison Autism Support Havant, and from the local branch of the Samaritans. The hampers were presented by Becky Collins, the ASDA community support organiser.

The charities hope to raffle the hampers to raise funds for these very worthwhile organisations.

Kafka’s Dick March 20th

This production marked the first major play to be directed by the Hayling Island Amateur Dramatic Society’s Maureen Ogilvie.

With a cast of six, one of whom had to step in at almost the last minute, this was written by Alan Bennett in 1986 and was very well acted, with the cast working very well together.

The play revolves around Franz Kafka’s insecurity and moves from comedy to pathos and back again.

It is set in the present-day when Kafka fan Sydney, and his wife Linda, are visited by Franz and his friend Max Brod who are both long dead. Kafka had left instructions for all his works to be burned – instructions which Brod chose to ignore.

As time is spent with the unusual party, it becomes clear that Kafka’s wish was for anonymity – and also that he had serious issues with his father.