Mayor's Blog - June 2008
Mayoral Blog 2008/09
Councillor Jack Davis
Carole and I have enjoyed another busy and exciting week.
On Monday we attended the second of the 2008 Tameside Pupil Achievement Awards. Again, it was a lovely afternoon and it was great to meet the young people receiving recognition for their hard work and progress.
Later, we were pleased to welcome representatives of Beyer Peacock Youth Club in Audenshaw to the Town Hall. The visit included a tour of the Council Chamber followed by refreshments in the Mayor’s Parlour.
On Tuesday morning, Carole and I met with the Mayor’s Chaplain, Deacon Roger Hensman before attending a very special event at the Ukrainian Centre on Stockport Road, Ashton-under-Lyne. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor – the great famine of 1932-1933 in the Ukraine which killed more than 7 million people. To honour the victims of this terrible tragedy, we joined members of the local Ukrainian community and invited guests, including the President of the Ukrainian World Congress and a representative of the Ukrainian Embassy in London, at a service of remembrance. It was a very emotive ceremony and Carole and I were honoured to lend our support.
On Wednesday morning, we were joined in the Town Hall by the School Council from Linden Road Primary School in Denton and in the afternoon we met with Mrs Barbara Goldstone, President of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and some of her Honorary Officers.
In the evening, we attended the North Tameside District Scout Council Annual General Meeting at which I was proud to be installed as the President of the Scout Council for the ensuing year.
On Thursday morning, Carole and I were invited to a conference at the new Village Hotel in Ashton. The event had been organised by Tameside College to drive innovation in the Adult Learning and Skills Sector and was attended by representatives of various community, voluntary and faith groups. It was a very interesting and enlightening morning with guest speaker Terry Waite CBE.
Later we attended the annual Tameside Open Art Exhibition at Central Art Library. This annual event showcases the wealth of artistic talent we have within our local community. It is a wonderful exhibition with a unique opportunity to buy original pieces of art.
We had no Mayoral engagements on Friday due to a medical appointment.
On Saturday morning, Carole and I should have attended the Annual Mossley Olympics and Family Fun Day but sadly the event had to be cancelled due to bad weather. In the afternoon, we were pleased to attend a Tercentenary celebration at Hyde Chapel in Gee Cross.
Sunday was a day Carole and I had been looking forward to since our inauguration, it was my Mayoral Procession and Civic Service. The event started with a parade from West End Methodist Church in Trafalgar Square to St Peter’s Church in Chester Square, Ashton. We were joined by local dignitaries, community groups, colleagues, friends and well-wishers. The weather stayed fine as we made our way to St Peter’s for the Civic Service at 2.30pm, but the return journey had to be delayed due to a heavy downpour of rain. Despite the weather, It was a great day and Carole and I are grateful to everybody who supported the occasion. Special thanks go to my Chaplain, Deacon Roger Hensman for conducting the service and the members of West End Methodist Church and St Peter’s Church for kindly allowing use of their facilities.
To make the occasion even more special, St Peter’s Partnerships had arranged for their Annual Community Fun Day and the re-opening of Holy Trinity Community Centre to be held on the same day. Therefore at the end of my ‘churching’, Carole and I proceeded to both events to lend our support and to say thank you for making our special day a real community celebration.
That’s it for this week. We are off to London next week for the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, so I hope you will join me next time.
Best wishes.
Carole and I returned from France on Monday evening. The following morning we attended the Consecration of the Bishop of Stockport at York Minster. It was a lovely service set in beautiful surroundings and we felt very proud to represent the Borough on such an important occasion.
On Wednesday morning we attended the Ceremonial Signing of the Roll of High Sheriffs at the Law Courts in Manchester and in the evening we joined the congregation at St Lawrence’s Church in Denton for the Welcoming and Licensing of the Reverend Elizabeth Pope as the new Priest-in-Charge.
On Thursday afternoon, I assisted Ian Smith, Executive Director, Services for Children and Young People to present awards at the first of this year’s Pupil Achievement Awards. Each year, Tameside schools are invited to nominate two pupils to receive an achievement award for academic attainment and progress. The pupils are rewarded with a certificate and they also have their names recorded in gold brick on the "Tameside Wall of Fame" on the Council’s website. It was a smashing afternoon and I was pleased to be able offer my support and to add my congratulations to these young people who have obviously worked very hard.
On Thursday evening, I was delighted to welcome Karl Goddard and his family to the Town Hall. Karl from Stalybridge is currently serving overseas with the Defence Intelligence Liaison staff. He received the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for his military service. This is the first time Karl has been home since receiving the honour and therefore the first opportunity for me to extend in person the Council’s congratulations. It was a pleasure to meet Karl and his family and to offer my good wishes.
On Friday, Carole and I spent a lovely evening with the ladies of Soroptimist International. We were invited to the club’s Annual Dinner at Audenshaw Masonic Hall and made to feel very welcome.
On Saturday morning, we started the day at Park Bridge where we supported members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as they took part in their annual “helping hands” community programme. The group teamed up with the Tame Valley Wardens and volunteers to undertake gardening, litter picking, painting and the removal of graffiti. Although the work was scheduled to take place throughout the day, Carole and I could only stay a short time before we had to move on to our next engagement. Everybody worked very hard and I am sure the local community appreciated their efforts.
From here we visited Gee Cross Holy Trinity Primary School in Hyde for their annual Summer Fair. I felt very privileged to be asked to open proceedings. There had been a great deal of effort put into the event and hopefully lots of money would be raised for school funds.
We then travelled over to Denton for the Council’s Veterans Day celebrations in Victoria Park. The event included a short service at the War Memorial and performances throughout the afternoon from Denton Brass Band, a Dame Vera Lynn Tribute singer and local dance troupes. It was a wonderful celebration in recognition of the contributions made by veterans of all ages in conflicts both past and present.
To close the week, on Sunday afternoon, Carole and I attended the annual Peace Day Service at the cenotaph on Werneth Low. It was a very moving service organised by the Hyde War Memorial Trust, in memory of all the men and women who have given their lives in conflicts to bring freedom for ourselves and future generations.
We have another busy week lined up ahead. I hope you will join me next time.
Best wishes.
The week started on a very sad note as I attended a Memorial Service on Monday following the recent death of Sir George Kenyon, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester and Honorary Freeman of the Borough. Although I didn’t know Sir George personally, I had heard many good things said about him by my colleagues on the Council. The service was lovely and many wonderful tributes were paid to a well liked and highly respected gentleman.
On Tuesday, Carole and I were delighted to receive Bibles from representatives of the Tameside Branch of Gideons International and on Wednesday evening, we attended a Civic Reception at the invitation of the Presidents of Greater Manchester Churches Together. The event was held at Bishopscourt, the home of the Bishop of Manchester. It was a very pleasant evening and we enjoyed meeting the Church Leaders and Civic Heads of the County.
On Thursday, I was unfortunately taken ill with a chest infection and had to send my apologies for my scheduled Mayoral functions. The Mayoress however kindly stepped into the breech and represented me both at the Healthy Schools Presentation at Dukinfield Town Hall and at the informal luncheon in the Mayor’s Parlour with the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester and representatives of the Museum of the Manchester Regiment Advisory Committee. I understand both events went well and Carole did me proud.
On Friday, we travelled to France in the Mayoral car to visit Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Denton’s twin town just outside of Paris.
We had been invited to join a delegation from Denton for the town's annual Carnival Parade.
It was a marvellous weekend and it was fantastic to see Denton represented in the cavalcade. Children from both St John Fisher and Dane Bank Primary Schools and members of the Denton Town Twinning Association took part along with representatives of Montigny’s other twin towns in Ireland, Italy, Germany and Romania. A truly international event and a wonderful experience for all.
That's it for this week.
Hope to see you next time.
Best wishes.
Our Mayoral engagements started on Wednesday this week when Carole and I visited an Open Day at Edit @ Portland Basin at the invitation of The Stroke Association. The event was held in conjunction with the “Lost Without Words” Campaign and the “Health is for Life” Festival to provide information and the opportunity for members of the local community to learn more about the hidden disability Aphasia and the services available in Tameside in Glossop. It was a very interesting morning and we were pleased to lend our support to such a worthwhile and informative event.
On Wednesday evening, Carole and I attended the 10th Anniversary Celebration of People First Tameside. People First is an organisation run by and for people with learning difficulties to raise awareness and to campaign for people’s rights. The organisation also supports self advocacy groups across the country. It was a lovely evening and we were delighted to help mark this special milestone.
On Thursday afternoon, I was pleased to welcome to the Town Hall the School Council from Rosehill Methodist School in Ashton-under-Lyne. The visit included a tour of the Mayor’s Parlour and Council Chamber and we finished with orange juice and biscuits. The children certainly seemed to enjoy the experience and it was lovely to meet them and to see the excitement on their faces.
Later, Carole and I were joined in the Mayor’s Parlour by Councillor Cath Piddington and representatives of Dukinfield Rugby Club. The club recently won their league and achieved promotion to the South Lancs and Cheshire Division 1. The evening provided the opportunity for me to extend my congratulations and to offer good wishes for the new season ahead.
On Friday afternoon, Carole and I joined the Executive Leader of the Council in St Petersfield for the unveiling of a sculpture to commemorate the Ashton Munitions Explosion in 1917. The explosion is probably the most tragic event to occur in Ashton’s history, killing over 40 people. The sculpture was commissioned following work with the children of St Peter’s School and will serve as a permanent memorial to those who lost their lives on that fateful day 91 years ago, including children from the school who were heading home at the time the explosion occurred. It was my great honour as Civic Mayor of Tameside and as a local St Peter’s Ward Councillor to unveil the sculpture.
Later, we were invited to attend the Manchester Diocesan Regiment Central Battalion Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade Eucharist Parade Service at Manchester Cathedral. It was a lovely event with a theme of God’s World and Animals.
There were no engagements on Saturday so Carole and I took time to catch our breath before a very busy day on Sunday.
The day started with a call to the Annual Ashton Town Centre Vintage and Classic Show. Once again it was a magnificent show and my congratulations go to all the exhibitors for a fantastic display.
From here, we shot over to Hyde to join the local Rotary Club for the Annual Gee Cross Fete. It was a smashing day with lots of activities for the whole family to enjoy with proceeds donated to Willow Wood Hospice.
After a good look round, Carole and I jumped back into the car and headed back to Ashton to attend a Community Day at the Markazi Jamia Mosque on Newton Street. The event had been organised by the Ladies Group and included a tour of the Mosque and a delicious lunch in the community hall. Proceeds from the day will help towards the cost of building a new Mosque and Community Centre.
Carole and I then proceeded literally just around the corner to our final engagement of the day, where we joined the churches of Ashton-under-Lyne for an Open Air Service as they participated in the town’s Annual Walk of Witness.
It has been a busy and rewarding week and Carole and I are grateful to everybody who has helped make it so enjoyable. We now look forward to our engagements next week which will include a visit to Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Denton’s twin town in France.
See you next time.
On Monday, following a Fire Authority Meeting in the morning, Carole and I were pleased to host an event in the Mayor’s Parlour to launch the Tameside Compact Code on Volunteering. The local code is based on the National Code of Volunteering that was adopted by the Tameside Strategic Partnership 
in 2007 to ensure that volunteers, volunteer recruiting organisations and statutory agencies all have a clear understanding of the principles and practice that are involved in volunteering.
Later, we were honoured to meet Lieutenant Colonel Gary Deakin, the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and his Regimental Sergeant Major.
The 1st Battalion has just returned home after a tough 6 months tour of duty in Iraq and it’s great to see them back home safely.
The 1st Battalion were extremely grateful to people from across the region and particularly from Tameside for their loyal support whilst they were away and, as token of their appreciation, presented the Borough with a framed Battalion photograph taken just prior to their deployment to Iraq.
The photograph is now displayed proudly in the Regimental Museum in Ashton Town Hall for all to see.
I was away on Fire Authority business on Tuesday and Wednesday and therefore had no Mayoral engagements.
On Thursday, Carole and I welcomed members of the Rotary Club of Dukinfield and Stalybridge to the Town Hall and their guests from Dallas in the USA. The guests were visiting the Borough as part of a Rotary Club Group Study Exchange. It was a pleasure to be able to ‘show off’ our beautiful Town Hall and to formally welcome our first visitors from overseas.
On Thursday evening, we attended the Annual Volunteer Awards Celebration at Ashton Town Hall. Organised by the Volunteer Centre in conjunction with Tameside MBC, this event acknowledged and praised the wonderful work of the Borough’s volunteers, the army of unsung heroes who continually devote the precious gift of time to help others.
There were no Mayoral engagements on Friday but on Saturday morning, Carole and I attended a coffee morning at the home of Dr Prem Agarwal in Ashton-under-Lyne to help raise funds for the North West Region Kidney Patients Association. It was a lovely morning and the event included refreshments, a raffle and entertainment.
From here, we travelled over to the Central Estate in Dukinfield for the annual "In Bloom" Planting Day. Carole and I met the residents as they came together in preparation for this year’s competition. There was a great community spirit and pride and Carole and I wish them every success, they certainly deserve it!
To round off the week, on Sunday, we attended the Greater Manchester Athletic Association Annual Track and Field Championship Meeting at Longford Park Stadium in Stretford. It was a fabulous day and we were pleased to meet and offer support to some of our budding young athletic stars of the future.
That’s it for this week.
Hope to see you next time.
Best wishes.