Mayor's Blog September 2009
Mayoral Blog 2009/10
Councillor John B. Sullivan JP, GNSM, LTCL
Welcome to the official Blog of the Civic Mayor of Tameside
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Hello everyone,
Engagements this week began with a visit to Willow Wood Hospice 
on Monday morning. It was ten years to the day that the hospice first opened its doors for in patients and I was delighted to go along to mark the occasion.
The Deputy Mayor of High Peak also joined the party and we were able to have a look round and to meet the staff, who of course do an incredible job.
Later Francoise and I welcomed to the Town Hall, support staff from Tameside Magistrates’ Court. It was the first time many of the guests had visited the Mayor’s Parlour and we were pleased to be able show them round and to thank them for the work they do in supporting the Magistrates of Tameside.
I had a meeting of Full Council on Tuesday evening and a day off on Wednesday! We were in fact scheduled to attend a Charity evening at an Indian Restaurant in Mossley but unfortunately this was cancelled at the last minute.
On Thursday evening Francoise and I attended the 2009 Tameside Food and Drink Festival Awards at Ashton Town Hall. Hosted by Radio Presenter, Becky Want, the evening included a superb gala dinner and an awards ceremony to recognise the quality and excellence of the food and drink produced and served in the Borough.
On Friday, I spent a brilliant day at Fairfield Golf and Sailing Club in Audenshaw. The club had very kindly agreed to host an event for my Charity Appeal Fund. 12 teams participated in the tournament which ran late into the evening and included a delicious dinner and presentation ceremony. Despite the wet weather, everybody had a fabulous day and, in total, we raised in £560 for the Mayor’s Charity, a wonderful boost to the appeal. My sincere thanks go to Fairfield Golf Club and everybody who took part for their generosity and kind support.
On Saturday morning Francoise and I were invited to attend a Memorial Service at Manchester Cathedral, to celebrate the life of Major General Hamish Rollo CBE, Colonel of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment who passed away very suddenly earlier in the year. Although the occasion was filled with sadness, it was wonderful to hear all the tributes to Hamish who was a highly respected and much loved officer and family man. He had a brilliant military career and his death came as a terrible shock to all who knew and loved him.
Directly from the Cathedral, we headed over to Stalybridge Civic Hall to visit the Tameside Heritage Fair. A superb event staged annually by the Members of the Borough’s Local History Forum, a wonderful group of people who dedicate their time to promote and preserve our local heritage. Francoise and I had a fantastic visit and it was good to see so many people supporting the event and taking such a keen interest in the history of Tameside.
We had a private commitment on Saturday evening and therefore the Deputy Mayor kindly represented me at the Ashton Cricket Junior Presentation Evening. I understand the event went well and Sue thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Francoise and I had a truly memorable day on Sunday. Together with the Chief Executive, we were invited to attend the Annual Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. Civic Parties were asked to assemble at Warrington Town Hall where we robed before processing to the Parish Church. The service itself was wonderful and we felt extremely proud to represent the Borough on such an important occasion. The day concluded with a Regimental Reunion and buffet lunch at the Parr Hall. A lovely end to a very enjoyable week.
Thank you for joining me.
Hope to see you next time.
Best wishes
Well it’s been another varied and enjoyable and week.
On Monday, I was invited to join the Mayor of Rochdale and other Civic Heads of Greater Manchester at an event in Rochdale to mark the United Nations International Day of Peace and Non-Violence . The event included a public parade led by primary school children and a two-minute silence at 12noon.
On Tuesday, Francoise and I had a superb evening at The Lazy Toad Restaurant in Droylsden. As part of the 2009 Tameside Food and Drink Festival, we were invited to attend the first ever Pudding Club event where a wonderful roast dinner was followed by a celebration of traditional British puddings. We had five different desserts! Each one was delicious and it was an onerous task having to vote for just one winner. However, collectively, invited guests decided the Bramley Apple Crumble and Custard was a worthy winner.
On Wednesday evening, we dined out again! This time, Francoise and I joined the management and staff at Lily’s Vegetarian Restaurant on Oldham Road in Ashton to help promote their ‘Meat Free Mondays’ campaign – an initiative designed to encourage people to have one day a week free of meat, but this does not necessarily have to be a Monday!! We had a lovely evening and the food was superb.
On Thursday morning, I attended a Graduation Ceremony for Breastfeeding Peer Support Volunteers. The event was held at Rosehill Children’s Centre and I was asked to present certificates to the graduates who will now go forward to work within the local community, supporting pregnant and breastfeeding parents with breastfeeding problems and tips on how to make breastfeeding work in every day living.
Later, Francoise and I were honoured to welcome football legend, Mr Wilf McGuinness to the Mayor’s Parlour. Mr McGuinness was a very close friend of my late uncle and, a long time before I was Mayor, I wrote to him to ask about his ties with my family. Unfortunately he didn’t receive my letter but more recently, through my Mayoral experiences, I was put in touch with him and he kindly accepted my invitation to visit the Town Hall. We had a lovely evening reminiscing about the past and discussing my role as Civic Mayor.
On Friday, I attended a luncheon at Dukinfield Town Hall at the close of the AGMA Executive Meeting and later Francoise and I had a wonderful evening at the George Lawton Hall as guests of the Mossley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society for their hilarious production of the award-winning farce "Noises Off".
There were no Mayoral engagements over the weekend, although it was a very big day for the family on Sunday as our son Ben went away to University. As I'm sure every parent in this situation will know, it is a time full of mixed emotion as obviously we will miss him dreadfully but then again we are so very proud of achievements and wish him every happiness and success.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for joining me.
See you next time.
Best wishes.
Hello everyone,
Engagements began on Monday this week when I was invited to tour some of the care homes in the Borough that are owned by Meridian Healthcare Limited .
I had a lovely time visiting the homes and meeting residents and staff, as well as learning much about the care system and about the work of Meridian. It was a pleasure to meet and chat with members of the Meridian Senior Management Team and Board.
Later, Francoise and I were pleased to welcome to the Mayor’s Parlour Councillor Joe Kitchen and theatre staff from Tameside Hospital . All too often, the work of people like the theatre staff goes unrecognised and therefore it was good to be able to host a reception in their honour to say thank you and well done.
On Tuesday morning I was invited to join the Mayor of Oldham at Daisynook Garden Centre in Failsworth. The centre was hosting a prestigious visit by members of the International Garden Centre Association and we were asked to attend a photocall and presentation to mark the occasion. It was wonderful to see so many people from so many different parts of the globe.
From here, I took the opportunity to call in at Tameside Central Art Gallery to look at the ‘HeART of the North’ Exhibition. Manchester Academy of Fine Arts are celebrating 150 years of playing a vibrant role in the artistic life of the North of England. To commemorate their achievements the Gallery is hosting an exhibition of members’ work.
Twenty four artists have taken part in this historic exhibition and their work ranges widely in both style and medium, but all share a common theme, The North. The exhibition runs until the end of October and is definitely worth a visit if you get the chance.
On Wednesday evening, Francoise and I joined the other Civic Heads of Greater Manchester at the Annual Hallé AGMA Concert at the Bridgewater Hall . Each year the Hallé Concerts Society holds this event to thank the Greater Manchester Authorities for their support. It was a wonderful evening and, as always, the orchestra was superb.
On Thursday we attended a Thanksgiving Service to celebrate the life of Councillor Tony Bingham, Mayor of High Peak . Tony died suddenly in hospital last week. He was a lovely gentleman and an excellent Mayor and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tony’s wife, Mary and their family at this very difficult time.
On Thursday evening, we were pleased to visit Audenshaw School for their Annual Prize Giving. It was our great pleasure to assist in distributing some of the prizes, and to share in the celebration of the students’ academic success.
On Friday afternoon I attended the unveiling of a magnificent bronze statue in Droylsden to celebrate the Moravian Settlement and later, Francoise and I were delighted to join members of the Malayan Veterans Association at their Annual Dinner at Ashton Town Hall. It was an absolute privilege and honour to share a meal with such a wonderful and celebrated group of ex-servicemen and current and past officers.
I had a private engagement on Saturday evening so the Deputy Mayor kindly represented me at the East Cheshire Harriers Track and Field Awards Night.
On Sunday afternoon, it was the local derby game, no not City and United but Carrbrook Bowling Club v Tameside MBC. For the last few years, the Club has kindly hosted a bowls match for the Mayor and Members of the Council. Although the big football game meant we were short on numbers, we still had a great afternoon and I am grateful to the club for their kindness and support. During the course of the match we held a raffle for the Mayor’s Charity which raised £45 and we finished the day off nicely with sandwiches inside the Carrbrook Institute. I was grateful too for their very generous donation of £75 to the Mayor’s Charity.
Francoise and I then quickly headed over to Denton Festival Hall where we made visits to the Denton Local History Society exhibition and the Denton and District Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society Early Show. It was a real pleasure to meet with members of these two fine local organisations, and we learned a great deal from both of them. Once again it was fantastic to witness the superb talents, dedication and expertise of the residents of the Borough.
And that brings another Mayoral week to an end.
Hope to see you again soon.
Best wishes.
Well it’s been another busy and enjoyable week.
Engagements started on Wednesday when Francoise and I were invited, along with the other Mayors and Mayoressess of Greater Manchester, to join the Mayor of Bolton for a Civic Tour of the Borough. We had an excellent day which included a tour of the Reebok Football Stadium and visits to Smithills Hall, the Last Drop Village and Jumbles Country Park.
On Thursday morning, I joined the Deputy Mayor of Mossley at the town’s Heritage Centre. Each year, as part of the National Heritage Open Days, Tameside’s most treasured heritage sites open their doors for people to explore and find out more. The Deputy Mayor and I were invited to jointly launch the Open Day at the Mossley Industrial Heritage Centre. I’m sure there cannot be many places in the country as small as Mossley that have a heritage centre of this quality. It really is worth a visit if you get the opportunity. My thanks and congratulations go to the members of the Mossley Civic Society and to Emmaus for their joint efforts in establishing the centre for the residents of Mossley to enjoy.
Later, I hosted the second in a series of receptions to celebrate the hard work and achievements of Council employees. This time I welcomed our “In Bloom” to the Mayor’s Parlour, a terrific group of people who continually go that extra mile to help make Tameside a much better place to live, work and play.
On Friday night, Francoise and I hosted a Civic Dinner and Dance at Ashton Town Hall. We were joined by local dignitaries, the High Sheriff, Mayors and Mayoresses from across Greater Manchester, former Mayors of Tameside and a small number of family and friends. We had a lovely evening which included a formal dinner and dancing to a live band, a wonderful way in which to celebrate our Mayoral year.
On Saturday, there was no time to lie in bed after the night before. The Mayoral car collected Francoise and I at 9.15am to take us to the Heritage Open Day at St George’s Church in Hyde. It was fascinating to see the Victorian artefacts, mosaic reredos, and written history including the school and tapestry worked by Queen Adelaide. Unfortunately because of the restoration work, we were unable to climb to the top of the Bell Tower however, it didn’t deter from a very interesting visit.
From here, we headed over to Hollingworth for the annual Carnival. The weather was kind and it was a pleasure to be able to walk in the parade and to see so many people enjoying the day.
Later, we visited Hurst Community Centre in Ashton for the launch of the Hurst Academy School for Drama and Performing Arts. This new academy has been established as a business venture and will work with young people to nurture and to develop their acting and performance skills. Francoise and I were pleased to attend the opening and to offer our good wishes to David Ambler the Principal Tutor.
On Saturday evening, we attended a Social and presentation Evening at St Barnabas Church Hall in Hattersley at the invitation of the Hyde Division Girl Guides. During the event, I was delighted to accept an invitation to become an Ambassador of guiding. In accepting this position, I have agreed to promote guiding and to give my support to the organisation where possible. It is a great honour for me to be associated with such a caring and worthwhile organisation and I will wear my Ambassador’s badge with great pride.
On Sunday, Francoise and I put on our walking shoes once again and joined the Denton Carnival Parade.
Once again the weather was fine and the local community came out in force to support this much loved annual event.
And that brings another week to a close.
Thank you for joining me, I hope to see you next time.
Best wishes.