Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – February

What an easy month, only 31 events, still busy but with time in between to catch up with various domestic issues.

Where to start? In the Parlour; we have invited a number of groups to the Mayor’s Parlour during February. These included the Bournemouth 38th Cubs together with their leaders. The young people always come up with curious comments and the Cubs were no exception. The Mayor was asked if Sir Merton Russell-Cotes, whose portrait is in the Parlour, was his father. There is a resemblance but a slight issue with the time-scale and lineage! The Cubs enjoyed the visit, the drinks and biscuits and the gift of a document bag. Others who came were some of the past Mayors and Aldermen; the members of the Chamber of Trade & Commerce; a group of visiting VIP’s from Germany, each from a different German town. They seemed to appreciate the visit and were quite complimentary about Bournemouth. A link with a German town was suggested, so hopefully this will materialise.

There was a reception for Young Carers which I had initiated in August last year. Whilst a Councillor I became aware of how many young people there are in our town taking care of parents or siblings. Any one of us who has taken care of a parent or relative will be aware of the effort and responsibility this entails. Even as an adult this is a heavy burden and for the children is a handicap for their educational achievement. So I was very interested when at the Lions Club AGM the president spoke of an initiative for an accreditation system for young carers. This would provide the young people, as they move into the world of work, with solid evidence of their extra effort, their fortitude and their additional capabilities. We spoke to the young people about the accreditation scheme but also we had a fun afternoon with an excellent entertainer.

We have attended a number of functions at St Peter’s Church; a one woman show about Hild of Witney a Celtic Christian; a lecture by the Curzon Institute on the Commonwealth contribution to World War I. I found the lecture very interesting and enlightening as I had not previously been aware of the extent of the war. The Mayor commented on the hospitalization of Indian soldiers in Bournemouth which the lecturer did not know about but will now be researching. On a very wet and windy day we visited St Peter’s again, this time it was to the grave of Capt Louise Tregonwell to place a wreath thereon. Prior to visiting the grave, the Mayor had raised (with great difficulty in the wind and rain) the Cornish flag at the BIC.

There have been two enterprise challenge events for young people, one at the Premier Inn, where the challenge had been to set up a small business from scratch – the idea, the production, the marketing, the sales. These are ‘real’ exercises and the products have to finally be available for purchase. There were many excellent ideas and products. Awards were given for all aspects of the work.

The second event was held at the Highcliff Marriott where there were the four finalists of the young chefs challenge. The challenge here is to produce a full 3-course meal from start to finish. The young chefs are judged on skill, kitchen management, method, and presentation of both food and menu. There were four finalists who had produced the meals for about 40 invited guests. We were able to freely choose our lunch from each menu and then taste all of the others. The food was excellent and the finalist will now move to another level of the competition.

There was a similar project organized by Rotary Club which was held at Bournemouth & Poole College in the Escoffier Restaurant. The challenge was similar but all we saw was the final presentation and the menus which were very impressive; those who judged had tasted the food as well as overseeing its preparation. The judges, who were senior chefs in the local hotels, commented on the high standard of the young chefs as did the newly appointed Lord Lieutenant, Angus Campbell, who presented the awards.

We were invited to a mini-Burns Night by the Caledonian Society held at the Scottish Hall. This was quite informal but we had an excellent meal of the traditional haggis and tatties, the haggis having been piped-in and well stabbed. After the meal and a few remembrances of Burns we joined the members in lots of Scottish Reels. A most energetic and enjoyable evening.

We attended two events at the Pavilion for Bournemouth’s Looked After Children and their foster carers. These are held annually to celebrate the children’s achievements and to thank the carers. The Friday evening event was for the older children and was a ‘glitzy’ Black and White Theme. Saturday afternoon was for the younger children with a ‘Sparkly’ Theme. The ballroom was beautifully decorated by the Council staff members and both events were excellent.

We have attended two productions at the Pavilion. The first was a performance of ‘Oliver’ by the Small Theatre Company which is an amateur company with young budding actors. The production was excellent and we were surprised when we met the cast how young they were. The other was an evening with the BSO. We have also visited the Little Theatre in Winton, which neither the Mayor nor I were aware of. We attended a performance of ‘Natural Causes’ which was very funny.

There was a concert given by the Bournemouth Youth Marching Band held at St Clement’s Church in Parkstone. They have some difficulty in finding places where they can perform and were very interested in the possibility of holding a concert in RHSA – perhaps someone can follow this up!

We opened the new Karaoke Lounges at the Wonderful Kitchen restaurant in Charminster. Neither the Mayor nor I thought we would find the Karaoke aspect to our taste but it really is great fun. The rooms are very well appointed and not too large – about ten or twelve to a room – and the food at Wonderful Kitchen is always wonderful. So, for a night out with your friends it’s worth a visit.

In the middle of the month there was a Fancy Dress Fun Run in aid of the Mayor’s Charity, which the Mayor was required to start. The event was very well supported and we were so lucky that the weather on the day was dry and sunny after many days of rain.

One of the events we are working on at present is a Founder’s Day. Captain Tregonwell moved into his new home (now part of the Exeter Hotel) on 24th April 1812. With the co-operation of The Exeter and others, special events are being organized for the day and hopefully it will become an annual event. One of the events this year will be an Ice Walk held in the evening. Attending the reception in the evening at The 1812 will be free but sponsorship for the Ice Walk will be appreciated.

That’s all for now.

Good bless
Elaine Cooper

P.S. My editor (that’s the Mayor) is in China at present so I hope the script reads well and there are no spelling mistakes!!

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – January

January has been a less busy month than previously but there have been some very interesting events. The first of these was at The Life Centre in Moordown which was organised and run by Bournemouth People First who demonstrated to the invited audience the need for a ‘Bill of Rights’ Charter for people with learning disabilities. Their short presentations covered different aspects of their lives and clearly showed the discrimination and denial of civil rights which they suffer, often unintentionally, due to assumptions about their needs and abilities. They have drawn up the Charter and it certainly needs to be adopted and widely communicated to counteract these prejudices. One of the young men who helped with the demonstrations was one of the main participants in the Channel 4 TV programme entitled ‘The Undateables’ where he found himself a young lady friend.

Later in the month we attended a presentation at Poole Museum by children from two schools entitled “What’s Your Story”. The Poole Mayor was also in attendance as one of the schools was in Poole and the other in Bournemouth. The children had produced films about the history of their schools and had interviewed local residents to provide the information. It was a very interesting project which was presented very well by the children and reminded my husband and I of our schooldays.

Other attendances were at St Peter’s Church on the Holocaust Memorial Day at a morning Eucharist service, and in the afternoon at the Lighthouse in Poole for a Holocaust remembrance presentation. Both of these were very well attended and were very moving ceremonies. Then there was a celebration at the Wessex Hotel for the Council’s Adult Social Care Workers who have worked hard to maintain a good service during the changes which have been necessary in the restructuring of the service. A much more spectacular event was the UK Dance Championships at the BIC. The dancing was superb and the dresses very beautiful; it was a most memorable evening.

The Mayor has officially opened or launched several new projects and business. These included, a Gurkha restaurant, a Sue Ryder Charity shop, the Venus Awards for Women in Business and the Chinese New Year Celebrations at the Library.We also attended the launch of the Cathedral Innovation Project at the House of Lords. An interesting project we officially launched was at ‘Zip Yard’, which is a dry-cleaning business, where they have started a Clothes Bank. They accept clothes which people no longer require; they then repair and clean them and pass them on to the Food Bank Centre in Charminster where the clothes are given to those in need. The Mayor also presented awards to the Bournemouth in Bloom winners.

We attended two Burns Nights, one held by the Caledonian Society and the other being the Mayor’s own Charity Burns Night. Both provided excellent food and entertainment, the haggises were very thoroughly addressed and appropriately killed; the pipers were at full-throttle and Scottish accents abounded – great fun.

Other appointments have been to the All Saints Theatre for a performance of the ‘Scrooge Musical’ where we met the cast after the performance, including the many young actors who were still very excited. It was a very entertaining performance. We also attended the launch of the Spring Season at Pavilion Dance, where we watched a screening of the Bolshoi Ballet in a performance of ‘Jewels’. Needless to say, the dancing was superb but the screening went backstage and gave short interviews with the participants. There will be other such screenings at Pavilion Dance during the year and they are well worth attending.

We were invited by Bournemouth Hospital Radio to be interviewed for their Bedside Programme. So we went along to the rather drab looking grey building in the hospital grounds; a little nervously in my case. However, as the programme did not go out live this took the pressure off and it became a friendly, chatty hour with the interviewer. She was very interested in that we had written a book about Chinese temples whilst we were living in Hong Kong. She had lived for some time in the Colony and had bought a book entitled Hong Kong Temples which she said she had found very informative and useful. She later told us that it was the book that we had written. It was gratifying to know that at least one person had liked it!

In the Mayor’s Parlour we have hosted a group of teachers from Zibo, China, and the Head of Georgia’s Youth Parliament. We have held another dinner party, a soiree for local charity fund-raisers and the usual post-Council meeting with the Councillors. In addition there have been the meetings with the Mayor’s Charity Committee relating to fund-raising events, when we have discussed the Mayor’s Ball. We are planning to call it “The Mayor’s Charity Extravaganza” as we hope to be showcasing some of Bournemouth’s super talent.

In the Council Chamber there have been the Citizenship Ceremonies which have now increased to four a month from the one a month in the recent past. Oh, I almost forgot, we attended two 100th birthday parties on the same day, both quite lively events; one with a vocalist to entertain and the other with two young ballroom dancers. We always enjoy meeting these centenarians and learning a little of their lives.

That’s all for now.

God Bless
Elaine Cooper

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – November/December

I began to write this early in January whilst we were still in Spain enjoying a much appreciated break from our duties. We had been involved with events until Boxing Day when the Mayor was required to give awards to the Lifeguards. Once we had done this the Lifeguards carried out an interesting demonstration of saving someone from the sea. It is clearly quite a hazardous and tricky task which obviously requires much training to carry out. The weather on Boxing Day was dry and sunny which was quite different from Christmas Day when we had been at Boscombe beach starting the sea-plunge of hundreds of volunteers who were raising funds for the local Macmillan Cancer charity. The weather was foul with first heavy hail-stones then heavy rain and a stormy sea. The Mayor had to start the event from the shore-line and was almost carried away by a sudden surge of water, so we got quite wet. From this event we moved to the Spartans’ Christmas Day swim which they carry out in fancy dress and the role of the Mayor was to judge the costumes. We spent the remainder of Christmas Day with the Salvation Army, first we had lunch in Boscombe and assisted with serving the desserts, we then travelled to Winton where we had tea and joined in with the entertainment. Apart from getting very wet in the morning we spent a very pleasant day.

During November the most significant events were related to Remembrance Services. These began with the launch of the Poppy Appeal held in the Town Centre Square when the Dorset British Legion came to Bournemouth this year for this annual event. Veterans from the Services were present, as was a contingent of serving soldiers. After a short commemorative service we began the sale of poppies and then the British Legion representatives and the attendees at the service were invited into the Mayor’s parlour for refreshments.

The usual service at the War Memorial was held on the Sunday a week later and was extremely well attended by residents. After the service, the laying of the wreaths and the March Past by the Service Groups and the local Scouts and Guides, the Civic Party processed back to the Town Hall to a reception for the special guests and visitors. After the reception the Mayor and I went to the Lansdowne Memorial to lay a wreath. In the evening there was a Remembrance Concert at the Salvation Army Citadel in Boscombe which we attended. The next day we attended the Bournemouth Memorial Homes remembrance service at Holdenhurst Church.

On the following Sunday we celebrated our Civic Service at RHSA which was in commemoration of recipients of those from Dorset who received the Victoria Cross for acts of extreme courage during conflicts. The Lord Lieutenant attended the service, as did several Mayors from the surrounding towns, some members of the Services and several local Councillors. This was a very moving service which ran smoothly and we thank the Church members for their help in the organisation. Immediately following the Civic Service we attended a commemorative service at the Islamic Centre next door, this was for a young Muslim woman, Captain Naima Mohammed, who died from cancer last year at the age of 27 years. We joined the community in a buffet lunch and listened to a eulogy about Naima; she had obviously been a very vibrant young woman who had achieved much in her short life. We were pleased to be able to offer support at such a sad time.

Just a few days prior to the Civic Service we were invited to a drinks reception in Winchester at Serles House, the Headquarters of what was the Royal Hampshire Regiment, now incorporated into the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. This was a very informative evening as the building houses a museum, also when the Mayor mentioned the theme of our Civic Service they very kindly offered to lend us a copy of a Victoria Cross for display at the service.

We have hosted several dinner parties in the Mayor’s Parlour and a number of buffet receptions, one of which was for members of the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE), plus a number of RE teachers from local schools. One of the teachers had just returned from a trip to Zibo in China and spoke with great enthusiasm about his experiences. This link was a direct result of the Sister Twining with Bournemouth which the Mayor has recently arranged. We have also held tea parties for the past mayors and mayoresses all of whom enjoyed the return visit to the Mayor’s Parlour. We learned of the most significant event in each of their terms of office.

There have been several launches of the Mayor’s Coffee at various hotels and cafes in the town. We have attended a Director’s lunch at J.P.Morgan, the Chairman’s lunch at AFC Bournemouth and a lunch at the Marriot for the partners in the Air Festival. Together with AFC Bournemouth a 2014 Calendar with photographs of the Cherries players was launched at the stadium by the Mayor in December.

The Special Olympians who went to Bath in the summer, were received at the Council Meeting in November in acknowledgement of their success. The Mayor also invited them, with their coaches and carers, to a reception in the Parlour where we were able to chat with them about their experiences. We noticed a marked increase in the self-confidence and general demeanour from the young people we ‘waved–off’ to Bath in July.

The Bournemouth Schools Carol Festival was held at the Pavilion in late November – this is an annual event which we had both attended in previous years as Councillors. It is very well organised with so many schools taking part with, at times, students singing in the aisles of the auditorium. The singing of the various school choirs was very good and there was some audience participation. We were joined at the performance by two Chinese visitors to Glenmore School who enjoyed and were impressed by the performance. Another memorable performance at the Pavilion was a ballet entitled ‘A Moment in Time’. This was presented by the Bournemouth dance schools and was enthralling throughout. There were scenes from significant episodes of recent history, each danced and choreographed brilliantly.

We attended several Christmas lunches and dinner parties as well as many Carol services and plays. The most memorable of the plays was the one held by the Langside School which is a school for severely disabled children. The staff produced a most entertaining play in Santa’s Grotto, complete with elves, and carefully brought the children into the play in their chairs.

Amongst all the Christmas events there was also the pre-view opening of the new Hengistbury Head Visitors Centre. The Centre though not quite ready to be fully opened was already excellent – I think the word these days is ‘awesome’. One could spend a lot of time there enjoying the many excellent exhibits. Another mentionable event was at the ETC English School where there was a celebration of the 42nd Anniversary of the Founding of the United Arab Emirates. Attending this function was an Arab Prince who is studying at Bournemouth University, the UAE Ambassador, several other representatives from the Embassy and also members of the UAE Police Force plus, of course, the students at the College. It was an interesting evening with a very tasty hot buffet, a presentation of plaques, a large cake and then lots of photographs. We were told that many of these photographs would be round the world before we got home!

We have held two Charity events for the Mayor’s charities. One was a quiz night, which a number of the members of the church attended. It was a ‘fun’ evening and the teams from RHSA won the top prize and the bottom prize. I am ashamed to say that the Mayoress’ team got the booby prize but at least we went home with wooden spoons! The second event was the Charity Lunch held at the East Cliff Court Hotel on 19th December, where we had a happy and enjoyable time.

All members of the church are invited to join us at any of the Mayor’s charity events and I will keep you informed of the dates and times as these are confirmed. The money raised at the events is for the following five Bournemouth charities:

BCHA: Specifically for shelter of the homeless in Bournemouth.
Diverse Abilities Plus: This charity supports physically and mentally disabled people throughout their life. It has a specialist school and a respite home in Bournemouth.
The Wessex Cancer Trust: This is a drop-in centre to offer support to relatives of those who have cancer. It co-operates with other cancer charities and fills the gaps not covered by others.
Steve Bernard Foundation Ltd: A sports orientated foundation for children and young adults. In its seven years of existence it has supported 160 projects for young people.
The Coda Fiddle Orchestra: Works with mainly disadvantaged children in Bournemouth offering the opportunity to learn to play the violin and ultimately to perform in public.

There were many other visits and events but there is not the space to write about them all so that’s all for now, except to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

God Bless
Elaine Cooper

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – October

October has been a little busier than September but there have been a few free days which gave me time to catch up on domestic issues which become rather chaotic when we are very busy.

We have been invited to two Civic Days during the month; by the Mayor of Ferndown and the Mayor of Christchurch.

At Ferndown we visited the Superior Seals factory where they make O-rings (‘rubber seals’ in my lexicon). The factory is very new, very clean and very ‘state of the art’. It was absolutely fascinating to see how these very different sized rings are made, inspected and selected or rejected automatically by machine. The rubber is made from polymers which are a mystery to me; they were not in my ‘O’ level chemistry syllabus. We then visited Knowle Gardens, followed by lunch at Ferndown Golf Club which, I understand, is one of the best golf clubs in the country and has hosted many of the top golfers.

 

At Christchurch we visited Highcliffe Castle, the lovely beaches, and then crossed from Mudeford Quay to the Spit where we stopped for coffee. We visited Iford Bridge, where we heard about the flood defences, before having lunch at the Captain’s Table Restaurant. On both of the Civic Days we were lucky to have dry sunny weather after days of rain.

 

All other events have been within the Borough, except for the Lord Lieutenant’s Annual Awards Ceremony which was held at the National Sailing Academy, Portland. These awards are presented each year to the four best Reserve Cadets and the four most worthy Reservists. The guests were military officers, cadets, reservists, mayors, the High Sheriff, the Lord Lieutenant and her deputy the Vice Lord Lieutenant. It was an interesting evening where we also met the Sword Bearers who later attended the Mayor’s Civic Service at RHSA by his request.

Locally we attended the opening of the new extension at St Michael’s Primary School where the children entertained us with representations of the most significant event of each decade since the school was founded. The children’s costumes and performances were excellent and they carried out their roles very professionally. We attended a Ritz Tea Party at Malmesbury Park Primary School, which followed on from a visit a group of the children had made to the Mayor’s Parlour in order to interview the Mayor. At the Tea Party the children presented the results of the project to the people they had interviewed, who included the MP Tobias Ellwood, the Mayor, their headmistress and others. Each of the interviewees was presented with a booklet entitled ‘This is Your Life…’; this will be an excellent memento of the event. The children were all in party dress and we were wonderfully hosted by the girl and boy who were leaders of the school council. We were entertained by the school choir and a young drummer, both were excellent, there was also a short film about the project. Both of these events were memorable.

During the weeks of the Arts Festival we attended a number of the special events including an evening at the Natural Science Society in celebration of the work of Paul Nash and a concert of Paganini’s music at the Shelley Theatre. We have hosted two dinner parties, two buffet lunches and a number of receptions in the Mayor’s Parlour; we have attended the Trafalgar Ball at The Pavilion and the Pop for Diabetes Ball at the Marriot Highcliffe Hotel. There have been three invitations to the University, two of which were awards ceremonies and the other a Canine Carers’ awareness event. Other civic events have been the Team Bournemouth Awards which are presented each year to members of the Council for extra special service, and a lunch at the College where we met young chefs in training alongside top chefs from the hotels, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch!

During the month we have launched the Mayor’s DeLuxe coffee at various hotels in the town and it is now on sale in the Tourist Information Centre. The Mayor has commissioned Bournemouth Brewing Company, a small local brewery, to brew a special ale for him. This should be ready for tasting in December and will be under the Bournemouth Welcome logo, as is the coffee. It is hoped that these products will appeal to visitors as well as residents of Bournemouth.

I cannot close without mention of the Fire Walk, although this was held in early November. There were twenty-six participants all of whom were somewhat nervous before the event, but we were well briefed and made ready for the challenge by the organizer. In the event, the worst part was standing waiting with bare feet on the cold wet grass. Once having overcome the fear we all did the walk a second or third time! We made in excess of £5,000 for the Mayor’s Charities and I thank all who were generous enough to be my sponsors.

That’s all for now; I wish you all a very happy Christmas and will be in touch again in the New Year.

God Bless
Elaine Cooper

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – September

During September there have been slightly fewer events but some have taken up several hours since they were out of the Borough. We have hosted a number of groups in the Mayor’s Parlour for tea, an evening reception or dinner. Included amongst these groups were a number of centenarians whom the Mayor had invited to his 100th day in office. They came along with their carers and were a very lively group; indeed one lady of 104 years danced a ‘natty’ two step with the Mayor. They all enjoyed their time with us and we hope the event can be repeated in future years.

I invited a group of ladies for tea from the Town Centre Churches. A rather more sedate group than the centenarians but very engaged by the history of the building, its uses and the memorabilia in the Mayor’s Parlour. We also invited groups of Guides and Scout leaders. It was interesting to find that the Guides leaders were all female but the Scouts leaders were both male and female. A group of Swiss students from a local language school visited with their town Mayor and their class teacher. The Swiss Mayor occupied me with questions about the political organisation of the Borough Council and Mayoralty which he found a little tricky to understand as he is both Mayor and Chief Executive in his town.

The visits out of the Borough were to Salisbury twice, to Winchester, to Southampton and to Blandford St Mary. The first visit to Salisbury was to attend the celebration of the 40th year of the U.K. in the EU which was held in the garden of the Military Museum. As the past prime-minister, Edward Heath’s residence, Arundells, is just next door, we were able to visit his home which was a very interesting peep into his life. We attended Evensong in the Cathedral before the reception in the museum garden. Our second visit to Salisbury was in response to an invitation from the Mayor of Salisbury to the Summer Ball and Beating the Retreat at the Officers’ Mess, Larkhill.

In Winchester we attended the Freemason’s Thanksgiving Service in the Cathedral after a reception in the Priors Hall Suite. At Blandford St Mary we attended a Community Awards Ceremony which is an annual event. These awards are generously given by Hall & Woodhouse Ltd. to small local charities within Dorset and are presented by the Lord Lieutenant. Several of the Dorset Mayors were in attendance and we were pleased that five of the awards were received by Bournemouth charities. The trip to Southampton was to a dinner party aboard The Waverley Steamer which visits the area for a few days each year. The Mayors of Portsmouth and Southampton were also present. The purpose of the invite was to raise awareness of the problems the vessel experiences in cost of maintenance and, with regard to Bournemouth, docking beside the pier due to the build up of sand on the sea bed making it too shallow for the vessel.

We were invited to six Civic Visits in September but were only able to attend four due to other commitments. It is always interesting to see the new developments and learn the history of the local towns, all of which are much older than Bournemouth. It is particularly interesting when our visit coincides with an event, as it did at Bridport. We were delighted to become involved in the Hat Festival which is held there each year and is clearly very popular as the town was ‘buzzing’ with activity. Many of the ladies in our Mayoral group bought hats.

We made a visit to Smith’s Coffee Company at Hemel Hampstead for a photo-shoot in the warehouse and the coffee roasting plant in order to advertise the new coffee blend which they have developed for the Mayor. This is an idea that was developed with two Bournemouth Rotarians and the Mayor to produce a coffee called the Mayor’s Deluxe coffee and under the heading of “Bournemouth Welcome”. Part of the proceeds from sales will be shared by the Rotarians and the Mayor’s Charities. The coffee which is a Kenya blend, is packed in a gold and blue bag, was launched this month and will be available at the Tourist Information Centre and other outlets.

It is always a pleasure for the Mayor and I to attend school events and we had a most enjoyable afternoon at the opening of the new extension of St Michael’s Primary School. We were entertained by all the children who, class by class, took us through the important events of each decade since the school’s beginning. The performances were excellent and the children played their roles beautifully. We also attended the Summer Reading Challenge at the Central Library to present medals to the children who had taken part. The children, who were quite excited by the Mayor’s presence, were all good and attentive until the biscuits appeared; I’ve never seen so many biscuits disappear so fast!

The Bournemouth School’s Annual Speech Day was a much more sober event but nonetheless enjoyable. The guest speaker seemed very young and had left the school only eleven years previously but already has an MBE for his charitable work. We were entertained at intervals by the school brass group which was excellent.

Another project we attended was at the Hotel Royale where they have taken on a group of students from Linwood School who will be given a year’s training in all aspects of hotel work to prepare them for their future life. The students served us at the event and had obviously already learned much.

We have visited Bournemouth University on two of occasions. One was the opening of a conference on Mental Healthcare which focussed on considering a new model for the treatment of recovery. The principal speaker considered that the treatment should not be based on ‘cure’ but on accommodating the condition by finding the sufferers a supportive and purposeful environment. The other visit was for the presentation of awards to the winners of a National Visual Effects Competition. We were shown the DVDs which they had produced and which were very imaginative, clever and skilful. Bournemouth University is a leader in the field of media studies.

As well as the visits to Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals, locally we attended the re-dedication service of the Sacred Heart Church which was a lovely musical service. In contrast, our visit to the 5th Anniversary of the Agape International Church service in St Clements Church Hall, though equally musical, was much noisier. The worship by the African community is much more overtly joyful.

We have also opened the newly branded banks of TSB and Lloyds, the lottery-funded hexagonal swings at The Rookery in Southbourne, a charity art exhibition and auction at the Norfolk Hotel which raised £3000 for Amnesty International, attended another Bowls Tournament to present trophies, a charity concert at Compton Acres, visited the College and Clinic of Chiropractic, plus others.

I was particularly delighted that we were invited to attend the launch party of the development at Terrace Mount. This planning application had come before the Planning Board when I was a councillor and the Board had granted the application, this was in 2008. I was beginning to think it would never happen due to the economic downturn, so I am particularly pleased to see it come to fruition. On completion of the project we shall have a very iconic building and a Five Star Hilton Hotel back in Bournemouth.

That seems to be all for now.

God Bless
Elaine Cooper

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – August

During August we had a few free days which were very welcome. This made me think that we had not been as busy as in July. However, looking back, we had attended 65 events, the same as the previous month, so we must have had some very full days.

Early in the month the Bournemouth Carnival was held and we were busily engaged at several of the carnival events; judging entries in various competitions such as the Best Decorated Beach Hut, the Best Dressed Teddy and selecting the new Carnival Queen for the coming year at the final Gala Night.

Mid-month the Thai Festival was held at King’s Park. This is a popular annual event which is attended by a group of Buddhist monks to whom food is given as part of the celebration. There were exhibitions of Thai dancing, Thai boxing and many aspects of Thai culture. The Mayor, in the presence of the Thai Ambassador, who was in attendance with his wife, was invited to open the Festival.

    

Preparations had been ongoing during the month for a visit by a Chinese delegation from Zibo to sign a Sister City Agreement with Bournemouth. The group arrived in the last week of August and the Mayor and I were fully occupied for two days hosting them. We spent a most enjoyable time with the group and they enjoyed our town and surrounding area very much. The leader of the group, the Deputy Mayor of Zibo, a lady, was completely enthralled by the town and enjoyed all aspects of the visit. Good reports were taken back to Zibo.

As soon as the Chinese delegation left we were heavily involved with the Air Festival or, more specifically, with the naval visitors. We attended Beating the Retreat twice where HM Royal Marine Band entertained the visitors. Following this we went aboard HMS Northumberland, first attending a reception and then the following day for dinner. On the Saturday we were taken out into the Bay aboard the Navy Launch to observe the display by the Marines on the beach – we certainly had a very good view. We then, once again, went aboard HMS Northumberland, on this occasion for lunch. We spent a very busy but most enjoyable few days.

By invitation from the Mayors of surrounding towns, we have attended several Civic Days this month when we are shown the places of interest in their respective town. The most enjoyable of these was at Wareham where we first attended the Flower Festival in St. Mary’s Church and then went up into the Bell Tower to view the eight bells. At close-quarters the bells are most impressive and it seemed to me that bell-inging could be quite a dangerous occupation – the bells are so huge and heavy! In the afternoon we were introduced to the members of the Court Leet; these were the Weights & Measures Officers of history. They demonstrated their methods to us at various shops in the town, which was interesting and fun.

    

Another interesting and memorable event was the creation of the Sand Mandala by Buddhist monks at Christchurch Priory. The Mandala is created over a period of three days with different coloured marble sand. A team of monks create this intricate and detailed pattern which requires great skill and concentration and is done from memory. The finished result is very beautiful and sparkles like precious jewels; it has to be seen to be fully appreciated, photographs do not show its full beauty. On completion the monks sweep it away in a special ceremony which I understand is to demonstrate the impermanence of all things created by man.

Late in August, the Mayor and I were invited to wave off and wish success to a group of disabled athletes who left Bournemouth to compete in the Disabled Olympics held in Bath. They were very excited and full of enthusiasm for the challenge; we have since heard that they were very successful.

There have been the usual visits to care homes to their summer fetes, anniversaries and resident’s 100th birthday celebrations and also the monthly Citizenship Ceremonies which are always a pleasure.

That’s all for now.

God bless
Elaine Cooper

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – July

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

Notes from the Mayoress’ Parlour – June

Gosh, it’s been a very busy first month for the Mayor and me. After the Annual Council on the Friday, when Rod became Mayor and I became Mayoress, we had a free day before the Civic Service at St. Peter’s on the Sunday. This was a welcome early break because immediately after the service on the Sunday our duties began with visits to two local fetes.

Since then, up to the end of June, we have attended more than 50 functions. These have included opening new shops, business premises, tennis courts and a very innovative junior gym; presenting prizes and awards; hosting visitors to the Town Hall; visiting fetes and care homes; attending University functions and events, charity events and Civic Services in surrounding towns and holding Citizenship Ceremonies.

We have met so many wonderful people who give up their time and energy to help, support and to create opportunities for those less able and with special needs. There are so many inspirational projects being run, largely by volunteers, it is a privilege to be able to help and join them for a while.

Which of the events have we enjoyed most? Firstly, a lady we met on her 105th birthday. She had a lovely, lively sense of humour and after joining her in a chorus of “Dashing away with the smoothing iron”, she offered to iron the Mayor’s shirts; an offer I may yet accept!

Secondly, the Citizenship Ceremonies, held monthly at the Town Hall, which are very charming and emotional events. The applicants are so excited and happy to become British Citizens and in most cases are contributing to our society. One elderly man who has been living in England for more than ten years decided to apply for citizenship so that he can vote. Many people born here could maybe learn from this.

Next, the dinner we were invited to attend following the Falklands Veterans Memorial Service. It was an excellent meal with convivial company in an excellent venue. We learnt about some of the combat difficulties of a conflict in such a distant location. Plus, I won first prize in the raffle!

  

Lastly, the Best Rock Challenge Final held in Portsmouth. We went with some trepidation; would it be too loud to enjoy? However, as soon as the first group performed, we were totally enthralled and enjoyed every one of the performances. The quality of the dance, of the costumes, of the choreography and the interpretation of their subjects were excellent. What talent the young people have! We attended because there was a group from the Oak Academy, Bournemouth. To our delight they came second and achieved four awards for aspects of their performance; an excellent achievement in a superb event.

I could go on, because each event was different and all were enjoyable in their own way, but time and space do not allow for more, so until next month…

God Bless
Elaine Cooper