Mayor’s blog – 5 February 2024
Posted on: 5 February 2024
When we welcomed in the New Year, I never realised what was just around the corner for so many residents and businesses in our borough. The rains came and the tides were high and, as has happened so many times in the past, the Severn spilled over its banks.
The meadows near the Abbey were flooded, but far worse, houses of our residents were also flooded along the length of the river. This has affected not only people in Tewkesbury Town, but also in many of the riverside communities. Shops and businesses have suffered, and our hearts go out to them.
Amidst all the damage, neighbourliness has come to the fore, and we have seen communities come together to help those in need. Our staff and councillors have worked very hard to respond to their needs and to address issues of concern. It is pleasing to see how quickly the businesses in Tewkesbury have been able to re-open.
As the waters subsided, our community was visited by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester who wished to see for themselves the damage and recovery work that was in progress. The Mayoress and I were privileged to be invited to meet them, and I have to say that they were quite delightful.
The Mayor and Mayoress meeting the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
The work to support each other in our borough continues all the time and I have been able to visit a number of quite varied organisations that all make contributions to the quality of life for other people. This month, I have shared some time with a Day Care Centre in Winchcombe, the Butterfly Garden in Staverton and a new Food Pantry in Northway. There are many other similar groups as well, all doing valuable work without which our borough could not flourish.
Something that is very important to me is Holocaust Memorial Day. I was pleased to find that the day was being remembered in our borough. There was a short service of commemoration in Tewkesbury Abbey to remember the millions of Jewish people and others who were murdered in the death camps. It is 79 years since the prisoners in Auschwitz were liberated, and the extent of the horror was made known to the world. Sometimes it seems as though humankind is incapable of learning from history, for such atrocities have been repeated over and over again.
As I write, the first snowdrops are beginning to appear, and I have at least one crocus in bloom in my garden. Longer days and more sunshine are on the way and I hope that really is a sign of new life for all of us.
