This evening we went to the Chairman of Hampshire County Council’s Concert, A Celebration of Peace. Featuring the wonderful Hampshire County Youth Orchestra with a Choir from the Liebigschule-Giessen, Germany.
This took place in the beautiful Winchester Cathedral, a photo of the altar is above.
Well done Hayling Island Young Actors! An extremely funny and entertaining production. We have laughed, clapped and enjoyed the evening very much.
There is so much talent in the young people of The Borough that we didn’t know existed until we started visiting the different groups during our Mayoral year.
Today Andy and I were honoured to welcome HRH Prince Michael of Kent to the Borough of Havant. HRH opened the Smile Respite Centre for children with disabilities and their families. The centre is a lovely place, with every modern facility including the largest sensory room we have seen.
It is wonderful to have a centre like this in Waterlooville, taking children from across Hampshire and West Sussex.
Today, we in the Havant Borough, Commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day as we do every year. The 27th of January is the day that Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp was liberated by the Russians in 1945. Every year people across Great Britian remember the Holocaust and subsequent Genocides, by holding a non denominal service.
We usually have our service at the Holcaust Memorial in Havant Cemetery, but with the awful wind and rain today, instead we held it at The Plaza.
We were honoured today to welcome Walter Kammerling to Havant. Walter a 92 year old Holocaust survivor spoke to us all about his awful experiences in Austria during the Holocaust. Walter was fortunate to come to England on the Kinder-transport, but several members of his close family did perish in Auschwitz.
The theme for 2016 is “Don’t Stand By.” I and others spoke or told stories around the theme.
This evening, along with Cllr Mike Cheshire MBE the leader of Havant BoroughCouncil, I made a presentation to the Development Management Committee.
The Council had made a Listed Building Planning Application to update the plaques of the Havant St Faith’s War Memorial. This came before the DMC tonight and was unanimously granted.
This will allow us to update the Memorial with the names of The Fallen from the Havant Borough from 1945 to the present day. Which we will hope to be able to complete in March this year.
We all feel we must honour those who have given their lives in the service of our Country.
This afternoon we were delighted to join the head and teachers of Front Lawn Primary Academy for a lovely cream tea. Ian the owner of the Memory Cafe in Leigh Park, had allowed the school use of his cafe as way of the school engaging with local residents, offering them a free tea. The teachers worked in the cafe in their own time, which the residents much enjoyed.
It was our sad honour and duty today to lead the Civic Procession into St Joseph’s Church in Havant. Alongside Cllr Edward’s family and friends, a number of HBC Councillors gathered to say goodbye and pay their respects to Frida.
Frida, a Councillor for Bondfields ward, was taken from us much too early and will be missed by us all. Her bubbly personality and enthusiasm lighting up many a meeting.
Tonight we were very well entertained by the Havant Dynamo Youth Theatre. The large cast of talented young people acted and sung “Daisy and Marvin Save The Day.” A fantasy/pantomime with the added excitement of “The Thugs.”
The costumes were very good as was the clever set.
As Andy and I are nearly two thirds of the way through our Mayoral year, I have been looking at some of the photos we have had taken and been thinking of the invitations we have accepted.
Attached are a selection of photo’s of some of the places we have been and the wonderful people we have met.
We are looking forward very much to our final four months where we know we will meet more extraordinary people and go to places that in our usual lives we would never expect to visit.
The Mayor of Havant's blog 