For Carole and I the Mayoral week began on Monday morning with a visit to the Police Training Centre at Sedgley Park for the re-launch event of the Greater Manchester High Sheriff’s Police Trust .

The event was organised to highlight some of the good work and fantastic initiatives that the Trust has funded since its inception in 1994 and also to re-launch the Trust’s branding and introduce a new informative website. It was a very interesting morning and it was heart-warming to hear some of the Trust’s success stories and to meet the people involved.

On Tuesday we attended a Citizenship Ceremony at Dukinfield Town Hall and on Wednesday evening we were invited to join the Lord Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenants of Greater Manchester at a Reception at the Orangery in Heaton Park.

On Thursday evening Carole and I had a wonderful time at the 3rd Annual Mayoral Youth Ball. Set with a glitzy Hollywood Character theme, the event was organised by young people from the Tameside Youth Service to celebrate the young people and projects that have been successful in obtaining grants from the Youth Opportunity Fund. The young people really went to town and donned their finery to dress as Film and Music Icons. It was a super evening with a buffet and live entertainment and everybody really enjoyed the occasion.

On Friday morning we were invited to attend the opening of the new Ashton Depot of Stagecoach Manchester and on Saturday we were very honoured to be asked to officially open the new Museum at the Fairfield Moravian Settlement in Drolysden.

Later, we attended a concert at Dukinfield Town Hall by the Saddleworth Musical Society, the first in a series of concerts organised as part of this year’s Tameside Music Festival.

There were no engagements on Sunday so we took the opportunity to relax and enjoy some time at home.

And that brings another week to a close.

Please accept my best wishes for a very happy Easter everyone. Enjoy the break and I hope to see you next time.

Regards.

Engagements this week started with a good old knees up at the Irish Club in Ashton to celebrate St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday 17th March. As always, Carole and I were made to feel very welcome at the club and we had a lovely evening.

On Thursday afternoon, I hosted a lunch a Dukinfield Town Hall to say thank you and farewell to our Chief Executive, Mrs Janet Callender. Janet will be leaving the authority at the end of the month after almost six years. Carole, myself and members of the Council’s Cabinet and Executive Management Team gathered to pay tribute to Janet and to thank her for her loyal and dedicated service. She has been a wonderful Chief Executive and will be greatly missed.

On Friday morning, Carole and I were asked to help judge the annual trading standards Easter egg competition. The competition is open to Year Six pupils from Primary Schools in Tameside. The children decide which of three Easter Eggs is the best value taking into account weight, packaging, price and of course taste. They then present their findings in a wall-mounted display and the winning school goes on to represent Tameside in a regional final. It was a very difficult decision to make as the quality of work from all the schools was exceptional, however, I am pleased to announce that Broadbent Fold Primary School came first place, so very well done to them.

From here, we attended the funeral of Mrs Mildred Brierley. Mildred was a former Mayoress of Tameside and the wife of our Honorary Freeman of the Borough, Geoff Brierley. Carole and I joined Mildred’s family and friends at Dukinfield Crematorium to pay our respects.

On Friday evening we were invited to Audenshaw Masonic Hall to join the Freemasons of Ashton, Audenshaw and Mossley as they generously presented donations to local good causes. It was a pleasure to support the event and I was extremely pleased and very grateful to receive a cheque for £1000 for my Charity Appeal Fund.

On Saturday we attended a special community event at Oxford Park in Ashton . Members of the local community had previously been invited to put forward applications for grants of money between £500 and £3000. This money had to be spent on projects that would benefit the community of St Peter’s Ward. A steering panel considered all the applications and shortlisted a number of projects. These were invited to present their proposals in person at Oxford Park. Here members of the public then decided which of the projects should receive funding. It was a very interesting day and there were some good initiatives that were successful in their bids. We now look forward to seeing these projects develop within the local community.

To round the week off, Carole and I attended the Mayor of Rochdale’s  Ball on Saturday evening. It was a terrific night set to a 1960’s theme and we thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.

There were no engagements on Sunday, so we were able to recharge our batteries a little in preparation for the week ahead.

Thanks for joining me. See you next week.

Mayoral engagements started on Monday afternoon with a visit to the Town Hall by the School Council from Dane Bank Primary School. From here, Carole and I called in at Fairfield View in Audenshaw to help celebrate the 100th birthday of Mrs Alice Bardsley.

In the evening, we were joined in the Mayor’s Parlour by Charlotte Singleton.

Charlotte has been recognised and praised in the local press recently for turning her life around. Once a teenage tearaway, Charlotte has now dedicated her life to helping others and has just returned from a 10 week trip working in schools in the far north of India.

It was a pleasure to meet Charlotte and to hear her story and Carole and I wish her every happiness and success for the future.

On Tuesday I had the night off whilst Carole hosted her Mayoress ‘at home’ event in the Civic Hall. I believe the evening went very well and both Carole and her 200 guests thoroughly enjoyed the occasion. I am pleased to report that just over £500 was raised on the night for my Charity Appeal Fund.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Deputy Mayor represented me at a Hallé for Schools concert at the Bridgewater Hall whilst I attended business meetings in the Town Hall.

In the evening, Carole and I attended the annual Tameside Sports Awards at Dukinfield Town Hall. Each year this event is held to help recognise the achievements and dedication of the Borough’s sportsmen and women and club officials. It was a lovely evening and we were pleased to lend our support and to assist with the presentation of awards.

Although I had business meetings in between, my next Mayoral engagement wasn’t until Saturday morning, when Carole and I were invited to attend a special service at Manchester Cathedral for the Laying-Up of the Colours of the 1st Battalion and 5th/8th (Volunteer) Battalion of The Kings Regiment. It was an important moment in the history of the Regiment, who following its merger with The Kings Own Royal Border and The Queens Lancashire Regiments, was renamed The Duke of Lancasters Regiment in July 2006.

Following the service, we joined the Regiment and invited guests at Manchester Town Hall for a Reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Manchester .

We had the day off on Sunday, so it was good to relax and to catch up on things at home.

And that brings another week to close. I hope you can join me next time.

Best wishes.