How time flies! July has been a very busy month with at times three or four events a day. In total this month we have attended 63 events.
What have we been doing? There have been a lot of events with regard to flower displays. We entertained the Bournemouth in Bloom judges at a buffet lunch in the Mayor’s Parlour where we also met the many volunteers who help to beautify the town. During the same week we also met the National Garden Scheme judges from the Royal Horticultural Society for coffee in the Mayor’s Parlour and later at the Miramar Hotel for lunch. I was given the task of hosting the judges at coffee time, as the Mayor was engaged with the Chief Executive. Research on our book about Bournemouth had provided me with a reasonable knowledge of the town’s gardens, which was useful.
There was also an exhibition at the BIC by the National Flower Arranging Society at which the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset attended. As it is obligatory for the Mayor to be host to the Lord Lieutenant when she is in town, we were also in attendance. The exhibition was superb and we would like to have spent more time viewing the exhibits; maybe we will in a future year. When the Lord Lieutenant had left, we attended a demonstration of flower arranging, after which I was invited to draw the raffle and, amongst others, drew out one of the Mayor’s tickets! We also visited two local gardens which are in the National Garden Scheme.
We visited several schools. For these visits the Mayor wears his robes and we both wear our full chains of office. The children really enjoy these visits and it’s a joy to see the excitement on their faces. On one occasion we were accompanied by three junior students on a tour of the school. They were excellent guides and were obviously very proud of their school. The Mayor also presented graduation certificates at a junior school where the students wore graduation robes and mortar boards to receive their leaving certificates. Both the students and parents were clearly very proud to have their achievements recognised in such a positive way. Before leaving we were in huge demand for photographs and signatures, obviously the move into a different stage of their lives was of great significance for the young people.
What else? We attended the AGM of the National Association of Scouts at Buddens Farm near Wareham. It was a very hot day and the meeting was held in a tent – not the most comfortable event. Several Mayors and Mayoresses from the surrounding area were in attendance, plus our local MP, Tobias Ellwood. The Lord Lieutenant was also attending as she had the task of laying the foundation stone for a planned extension which will provide the Association with a headquarters building. We all wilted in the heat!
Another event out in the countryside was the Guides 31st Camp at the Dorset County Showground. Unfortunately the Bournemouth Guides were away spending a night camping on Brownsea Island, so we were accompanied on a tour of the camp by two Guides from Portland. They were very pleasant and expressed their enjoyment of the time they had spent at the camp, apart from the night on Brownsea Island when they were cold and pestered by insects!
The Mayor has also hosted visitors to the Mayor’s Parlour, chaired the Council Meeting, officiated at the Citizenship Ceremonies and attended various festivals and fun days and, of course, attended the service of Induction of the Revd. Adlem and Ordination of Heather-Ann, both of whom we welcome to Richmond Hill St Andrews. I accompanied the Mayor at all these events.
It’s a busy life but most enjoyable.
That’s all for now.
God bless
Elaine Cooper
Mayor of Bournemouth 