It’s been a busy week with everything from eating lunch with chop-sticks to Scottish country dancing.
On Wednesday, I spent a fascinating morning and lunchtime with David Jack at Yamazaki Mazak, at Warndon, to see his workforce presented with the Queen’s Award to Industry by the Lord Lieutenant Michael Brinton.
We tend to dismiss manufacturing as having no relevance to today’s economy but nothing could be further from the truth with Mazak.
They employ 600 people – making it one of Worcester’s largest employers – and export 85 per cent of their production of lathes and machine tools.
After the presentation I had lunch which was served in true Japanese style with chop-sticks.
By Friday things were brewing up nicely as Carol and I spent the morning at the Guildhall with local volunteers from Macmillan Cancer Support as part of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.
There were a number of these coffee mornings held in Worcester and I’m sure that we have helped to raise a decent sum of money.
That afternoon we paid a visit to the university and met vice-chancellor David Green with members of his staff.
Yet another of Worcester’s largest employers, some of the research facilities up there are second to none.
They include the Pollen Research Unit run by Professor Jean Emberlin and the motion analysis research and rehabilitation centre which, by using a series of high speed cameras, examines bad posture and movement in everyday activities either at work or on the sports field which can then be improved.
On Saturday, having opened a new menswear shop in the Shambles, we prepared for one of the big events in the mayoral calendar; the annual charity dinner dance held jointly with Worcester Rotary Club at the county cricket ground where I can tell you the pitch is already looking very good for next year.
Many thanks to everyone who gave prizes to auction or raffle as we raised a tidy sum which goes to my two charities this year, Macmillan Cancer Support and the British Red Cross, together with Rotary’s own local charities.
Trevor T, the exuberant DJ, soon had 160-plus people all dancing in conga formation inside the marquee. What a sight!
To round off a hectic weekend, and following our attendance at the retirement service for the Bishop of Worcester Peter Selby, we went round the corner to the King’s School, where the Worcester Twinning Committee hosted a social evening to welcome 45 people from Kleve, Worcester’s twin town in Germany.
I managed a short speech in German and then, as something of a novelty to entertain our visitors, we were treated to some lessons in Scottish country dancing.