Mayor’s blog – 5 August
Posted on: 5 August 2024
Blog written by Cllr Philip Workman, Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough
Being the borough’s Mayor includes visiting a wide variety of events and places, and here is a flavour of some of what happened in July.
The Mayoress and I were delighted to be part of a packed Tewkesbury Abbey for the year 6 leavers concert – a joyful and brilliant event in equal measure. The concert involved nine primary schools from in and around Tewkesbury, with each year 6 class entertaining us with a musical item.
Simon Lockley, head of Tirlebank School, organised the event, and was supported by the head of Tewkesbury Academy and the Vicar of the Abbey who both spoke in conclusion. Well done year 6 and all the very best for the next step in your education. You were a credit to your schools.
We were also invited to the opening of the new play area in Gretton, which was followed by a traditional village fete, with music provided by Serenity. The play area had come about with support from the local community and the borough council, and we were pleased to join The Lord Lieutenant for Gloucestershire who performed the opening. Mark Oliver, from the organising committee, even tried out the new slide!
The Lord Lieutenant for Gloucestershire, Mark Oliver, from the play area’s organising committee, and Cllr Philip Workman
The Tewkesbury Pub Singers presented a concert entitled ‘United in Song’ in the Watson Hall. The ‘Chor Mundwerk Hausham’, from the borough’s twinned town of Miesbach, was on a visit to Tewkesbury, and entertained us along with the town band and pub singers. The evening finished with all entertainers together on stage singing Carol King’s ‘You’ve got a friend’. I think everyone left feeling uplifted, not just from the song and music, but from the obvious joy between the peoples of both communities.
Chor Mundwerk Hausham
I had the pleasure of joining the Twyning Men’s Shed during one of their morning sessions. These were started by Bill O’Dell, from Twyning, a couple of years ago, and have grown from strength to strength. The group now has 25 men on its books, and meets for three sessions each week.
They use their various skills to repair or renovate items, and occasionally stop for a coffee to put the world to right – I have to say with plenty of laughter and bonhomie! This is such an invaluable project, and credit to Bill for opening his ‘shed’ for the community to use in this way.
Twyning Men’s Shed
So that the ladies don’t feel left out, Bill is making space for another session in the week when enough names come forward.
