Pay It
Book It
Find It
Report It
Apply For It
Say It
Mayoral Blog
Councillor John B. Sullivan JP, GNSM, LTCL
Welcome to the official Blog of the Civic Mayor of Tameside
A Blog (or a Weblog) is an online journal/diary which is frequently updated with the author's thoughts and comments, and is intended for the general public to view.
Hello everyone, as expected, engagements have been very quiet this week with the Easter holidays.
We have Francoise’s parents staying with us for a couple weeks and it has been nice to be able to spend the time with them.
On Wednesday morning, Francoise and I were pleased to be able to welcome a group a children from The Heys Primary School 
in Ashton to the Town Hall. As you may recall from a previous Blog, the children won first place in the Trading Standards Easter Egg Competition and, by way of saying congratulations, I invited them to visit the Mayor’s Parlour. We had a lovely morning and the children thoroughly enjoyed hearing about our roles as Mayor and Mayoress and learning about the history of the Town Hall.
On Saturday, Francoise and I were invited to an Open Day at Stalybridge Archery Club in Cheethams Park.
The clubhouse has recently undergone refurbishment thanks to grants from Tameside Council and the National Lottery. Improvements include the installation of mains electricity and disabled access. In addition, the club has also been able to purchase beginners archery equipment which will help them provide more beginners courses within the local community. Francoise and I were delighted to pop along to learn more about the club and to celebrate the opening of the new facilities, we were even invited to have a little go ourselves, which was great fun.
And that’s it for this week.
Thank you for joining me and Happy Easter.
Best wishes
My Mayoral engagements this week began on Monday afternoon with a visit to Fluid Creativity Ltd in Hyde.
Each year, the Mayor makes a number of visits to businesses in Tameside to demonstrate the importance of local employers to the Borough’s economy and also to enable the companies to learn of the support they may be able to receive via the Council.
The Mayoral party usually includes the local District Assembly Chair (which in this case happened to be me) and representatives from the Economic Development Unit. The Mayor is sometimes also accompanied by a planning officer and the area’s Town Manager. On Monday, the party included Mike Thompson, Executive Director for Economy and Environment and local Councillor, Philip Fitzpatrick
Fluid Creativity began business in 2001 and are a small army of super creative coders, designers, artists, writers and relentless marketers. The team has worked with top clients such as the NHS, Brother and RBS but have also worked with hundreds of small businesses across the UK. We had a great visit and it was a pleasure to meet the management and staff and to learn more about their work.
On Monday evening, together with our Deputies, Councillors Sue and Kieran Quinn, Francoise and I hosted a Reception for guests from Droylsden East Ward.
On Tuesday morning, I was delighted to be able to visit MG Copier & Print Solutions Ltd and Ricta UK as part of my programme of scheduled visits to local companies.
Both businesses are located in Hyde and operate successfully from Hyde Park House.
MG Copier & Print Solutions were established in July 2005 and, although a newly formed company, the Directors and senior employees have over 30 years experience in the industry. The company specialises in the Toshiba E Studio range of mono and colour office document products, including printers, copiers, scanners and fax modules, although they are able to provide service and consumables for both Rioch and Hewlett Packard Products.
Ricta UK is a family based business who specialise in all aspects of visual communication in the marketing and publicity arenas but specifically design, pre-press artwork and printing. The company has been established since 1997and the owner, Mr Eric Taylor, also has 2 of his 3 daughters, a sister and a nephew working with him.
Once again, these visits were both informative and enjoyable and it was great to be to meet the people behind the companies and to hear about their success and plans for the future.
On Tuesday evening, Francoise and I were joined in the Mayor’s Parlour by Councillor Jim Fitzpatrick and community volunteers from Hattersley and the following night, we welcomed guests from the Ryecroft Management Association. It is always a pleasure to be able to recognise and thank those people who unselfishly give so much to the local community, including the precious gift of time.
I had private family commitments on Thursday so the Deputy Mayor kindly carried out engagements on my behalf, including a visit to Mr and Mrs Wild of Droylsden who were celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary, a Citizenship Ceremony at Dukinfield Town Hall and a presentation ceremony for 1st Stop Volunteers.
On Friday evening, Francoise and I were delighted to be able to support the Red Friday Concert at Hyde Town Hall in aid of ‘Help for Heroes’ and The Royal British Legion. The concert was presented by The Band of The King’s Division and it really was a superb evening in aid of two very worthy causes.
On Saturday, we called in at an Open Day at the Wedding Wishes Bridal Warehouse in Stalybridge. The event was also a fundraiser for Marie Curie Cancer Care and Francoise and I were pleased to lend our support.
To end the week, on Sunday afternoon, we attended the Tameside Open Brass Band Championships at Dukinfield Town Hall where we had the opportunity to hear some of the bands competing in the Championship Section before assisting with the presentation of prizes.
This event marked the start of the 2010 band contests and reaffirmed Tameside Council’s continued pledge to the development of brass band music.
Each year, the championships attract approximately 30 bands from around the country including many of our local bands. It was wonderful to be a part of such an important occasion in the brass band calendar and heritage of the Borough.
Well that’s it for another week. My diary is very quiet next week as we approach Easter but there are still one or two events planned so I hope you can still join me.
See you soon.
Hello again, thank you for joining me.
Well, it’s been quite an eventful week and I think I’m just about coming down off Cloud 9!
On Monday, I was asked to take part in the judging of the annual Trading Standards Easter Egg Competition for Primary Schools in the Borough.
The children were given a task to determine which of three Easter Eggs was the best value, taking into account the weight, packaging, price, contents and of course the taste! The children were asked to present their findings in an eye catching and innovative way and they certainly did that. The displays were superb and it was very obvious that a great deal of thought, time and effort had been put into the project. The other judges and I found it quite difficult to decide upon a winner, the quality of work was so high, however, in the end, we agreed that the children from The Heys Primary School in Ashton should take first prize. The children will now go on to represent Tameside in the county wide competition and of course, we wish them every success with that.
I had a night off on Tuesday but it was a really big occasion for Francoise. Together with the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Sue Quinn, Francoise hosted an evening in the Town Hall for ladies of the Borough. Traditionally, this event is held each year to say thank you for the kindness and friendship that has been shown to the Mayoress throughout the year.
The event was attended by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and Mayoresses of the County, former Mayors and Mayoresses of Tameside and a host of voluntary organisations from across the Borough. I understand it was a great night and I know Francoise certainly enjoyed her special evening.
On Thursday, Francoise and I were joined by the Deputy Mayor once again when we attended a production of “Sweet Charity” at the George Lawton Hall, courtesy of the Ashton-under-Lyne Operatic Society. It was a fabulous show and my congratulations and thanks go to the cast and indeed everybody associated with the event.
And Friday brought ‘An Evening with James Bowman and Friends’ to Ashton Town Hall. Those of you who know me, will know that I have so been looking forward to this concert in aid of my Mayoral Charity Appeal Fund. To have the internationally acclaimed Countertenor, Mr James Bowman and other celebrated artists performing in Tameside was a wonderful coup for the Borough and a unique opportunity for local people to enjoy world class performances right on their very own doorstep.
The evening was a huge success and we managed to raise a magnificent £630 for the Mayor’s Charity.
I was lucky enough to have one of my own compositions played on the night. Joie de Vivre was written whilst on holiday in France last August and was completed at home during the recent Christmas break. It was written as a personal tribute to John Turner, a dear friend of mine and the driving force behind the concert. Having got to know the illustrious Mr. Turner over the last couple of years and having witnessed and experienced his generosity, his tireless commitment to the promotion of modern-day British composers and their music, his brilliant virtuosity and his own infectious Joie-de-Vivre, I felt compelled to write a piece for him as a personal tribute. Originally scored for treble recorder and piano, it had been specially arranged for recorder, harpsichord and cello to enable it to be performed by the performers on Friday evening.
To make the occasion even more memorable, John Turner had very kindly arranged with Forsyth Brothers of Manchester to have Joie de Vivre published. I cannot begin to tell you how elated and how very proud I felt. Forsyth's also generously provided me with complimentary copies of the music to be sold on the night for the Mayor’s Charity.
It was a very special evening and my heartfelt thanks go to all the people who made the event possible, including our performers James Bowman, John Turner, Jonathan Price and Ian Thompson, the Trustees of the Ida Carroll Trust, who generously financed the concert, the composers for allowing their work to be used and of course the audience whose support made all the hard work worthwhile.
On Saturday afternoon, Francoise and I attended the ‘I Love Me Champions Challenge’ at Wright Robinson Sports College in Manchester at the invitation of Greater Manchester Sports Partnership Ltd and the Manchester United Foundation. The event highlighted the quality and sporting talent of young people from the ten Boroughs of Greater Manchester. We had the opportunity to meet some of the young people involved and to watch a variety of the finals across the different sports.
Tameside Sports Services took over 70 young people to represent the borough in 7 sports Although there was a downpour all day, Team Tameside's netballers and footballers braved the rain and were victorious!
The under 15's netball team brought home the gold with the Under 13's netball team bringing home bronze.
Also braving the weather, the girl’s football team won the Silver medal!
Amongst Team Tameside, sponsored by New Charter Housing Trust, the girl's table tennis came 2nd overall, we were runner up in the badminton boys singles event and our female rowers from Fairfield High School came 2nd and 3rd.
The event was a great experience for our competitors who rose to the challenge on the day after months of training
To end the week, on Sunday afternoon, we visited Ashton Parish Church for the Girlguiding Ashton Centenary Celebration Standard Service. It was a lovely service and it was a pleasure to meet the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides and to offer our good wishes in this special centenary year.
And that brings another memorable week to a close. Thank you for joining me
Kind regards.
Hello everyone.
My Mayoral engagements this week began on Monday morning when I was invited to officially open the new Millbrook Medical Centre in Stalybridge.
You may remember that I was kindly asked to perform the openings of two similar surgeries in Droylsden and Guide Bridge in September last year. Once again it was an honour for me to cut the ribbon and declare another excellent new facility in the Borough officially open. The new surgeries offer late openings during the week and a surgery at weekends, which means both more doctors and guaranteed longer opening hours. This is of course wonderful news for local residents, especially for those people whose busy lifestyles, practical circumstances or particular needs make flexible and accessible services vital.
Later, with the assistance of the Chief Executive, I hosted a Reception in the Mayor’s Parlour to acknowledge the achievements and success of staff from the Council’s Services for Children and Young People. In the evening Francoise and I, along with our Deputies, Councillors Sue and Kieran Quinn welcomed a second group of guests from Park House Sheltered Housing Accommodation in Droylsden.
On Tuesday morning, I was joined in the Mayor’s Parlour by students and staff from Bridgeway Pupil Referral Unit in Hyde. It was a pleasure to meet the young people who were all very keen to learn more about my role as Civic Mayor.
In the afternoon, together with the Executive Leader of the Council, the Deputy Mayor and I attended the funeral of Kingsman Sean Dawson.
Sean, who was just 19 years of age, was killed on Valentine’s Day whilst serving in Afghanistan with The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.
Mourners packed into St Paul’s Church and many more lined the streets to pay their respects to an incredibly brave soldier who lost his life serving his country. It was a very dignified but emotional service and many wonderful tributes were made. My heart goes out to all of Sean’s family and friends at this very difficult time.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Francoise and I were pleased to host Receptions for a number of guests, including representatives of the Grafton Centre in Hyde and Godley Ward.
On Friday, it was the final event in my series of lunchtime concerts at Ashton Town Hall, in aid of my Mayoral Charity Appeal Fund. Once again the event proved very successful. The Astrum Guitar Duo were superb and many lovely comments were received about this event and indeed the whole series in general.
Immediately following the concert, I headed over to Faifield View Care Home in Audenshaw to offer my congratulations and good wishes to Mrs Evelyn Evans on the occasion of her 102nd birthday.
Later, Francoise and I attended the Mayor of Oldham’s Charity Emerald Ball at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. It was a wonderful night and hopefully lots of money was raised for the Mayor’s chosen charities, Oldham Young Carers and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice.
On Saturday morning, Francoise and I were pleased to call in at a Cake Stall on Ashton Market Ground which had been organised to raise funds for Help for Heroes. The event was very well attended and we were pleased to be able to offer our support to a such a very worthy cause.
To end the week, on Sunday, we were invited to visit Hyde Bangladesh Welfare Association to present certificates to the young people who had achieved success in their GCSE exams. We were made to feel very welcome and were delighted to have the opportunity to meet the young people and to extend out congratulations and best wishes for the future.
And that brings another week to a close.
Thank you for joining me.
Hope to see you again soon.
Hello again, thank you for joining me.
As I’m writing this week’s Blog, the sun is shining and Spring is definitely in the air, what a great feeling, hopefully the snow is well and truly behind us now.
Engagements this week began on Monday evening, when together with our Deputies, Councillors Sue and Kieran Quinn, Francoise and I welcomed guests from Park House Sheltered Housing Accommodation in Droylsden to the Town Hall. We had a super night and the ladies thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Mayor’s Parlour and Council Chamber.
On Tuesday evening, Francoise and I visited the Guides, Brownies and Rainbows at Rosemount Methodist Church in Hyde to help celebrate the Guides Centenary Year. We had a lovely time meeting and chatting to those involved including ladies from the local Trefoil Guild. It is always a great pleasure to visit the Guides. Their leaders are so dedicated and they give the girls some wonderful experiences that they would otherwise miss out on.
There were no engagements on Wednesday but on Thursday morning I was pleased to welcome to the Town Hall the School Council from Audenshaw Primary School 
. The children looked after me ever so well when I visited the school recently and I wanted to show my thanks by repaying some of their kind hospitality. The group were very well behaved and were fascinated by the history of the Mayor’s Parlour and Council Chamber.
Later, Francoise and I were delighted to host a reception for Mr John Turner and guests. John is a very old friend of mine and is the driving force behind the charity concert which is to be held at Ashton Town Hall on the 19th March, featuring the internationally acclaimed countertenor, Mr James Bowman. John has worked so hard on my behalf to bring such a prestigious event to Tameside and I wanted the opportunity to thank him for his efforts and also his support for my Mayoral Charity Appeal Fund. John was accompanied by his wife, Margaret and several extremely distinguished friends and colleagues from the world of serious music. We had a super evening and we all now look forward to what is hoped to be a highly successful and memorable concert on the 19th March.
On Friday morning, I attended a photocall in the Council Offices in Ashton to help publicise the ‘Real Help for Homeowners’ display in the foyer area. The display is part of a four week provision of information designed to help people manage debts and stay in their homes. I then made my way to the Civic Hall for the third event in the series of lunchtime concerts in aid of my Mayoral Charity Appeal Fund.
This recital featured the very talented (local musician) David Sumbler on flute and Eira Lynn Jones on harp, collectively known as Aeolian Duo. David and Eira performed brilliantly and once again many wonderful and complimentary comments were received from the members of the audience.
On Friday evening, Francoise and I attended a celebration event in Manchester to mark the official opening of the People’s History Museum. This museum is a great asset for the people of Greater Manchester and beyond. The other Mayors and I were given a super tour of the building before the speeches, including one by the Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Health.
We were especially interested to learn that 2 swords that were probably used in the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, had been donated by a lady from Ashton.
A little later on, just before the official opening, I spotted a lady who had earlier attended my lunchtime concert. You can imagine my surprise when I learned that it was her that had donated the swords! Well done Mrs Knight, Chair of Ashton-under-Lyne Civic Society
On Saturday morning, Francoise left me at home while she attended an engagement of her own. The local branch of Soroptimist International had organised a market stall in Ashton to celebrate International Women’s Day but also to raise money for their President’s Charity, the Young Oncology Unit at Christies Hospital. The ladies were collecting bras on the stall which are now to be handed on to an organisation for recycling. The bras that are in good condition will be sent to Third World countries and the remainder will be recycled. Francoise was pleased to support the occasion and to make her donation to the cause.
On Sunday, we called in together to see Miss Emma Jayne Bradbury, a resident at Pole Bank Hall Elderly Persons Home in Hyde. Miss Bradbury was celebrating her 100th birthday and Francoise and I were delighted to be able to offer our congratulations and good wishes on such a special day.
And that brings yet another Mayoral week to an end, where is the time going to?
Thank you for tuning in and I hope to see you again soon.
Best wishes.
Twitter
Facebook
