Having had quite a whirlwind of functions up to and including Christmas Day, I’ve been glad of a lull in proceedings to recharge the batteries before getting back into my stride for January and beyond.
However, with Christmas and the new year behind me, I’m coming to appreciate how my mayoral year is steaming along at a rate of knots and that in terms of time I’m well over halfway through my term.
It’s been hugely enjoyable so far and I’m sure the remainder will be likewise. I’d like to mention just three things I did last week.
First Carol and I went along to the St Swithun’s carol service.
For those who might get their city centre churches mixed up, St Swithun’s is the one close to the junction with Mealcheapen Street and the Shambles.
It’s open for special occasions, more so in the summer than the winter, for the very good reason as I was reminded once we were there, that there is absolutely no heating! Fortunately, we were well wrapped up.
The church has a lovely set of bells that were rung for the event, and interestingly the mayor has his own seat underneath the pulpit looking back at the congregation.
We were suitably rewarded for our attendance afterwards by some mulled wine and mince pies and thanks to Father Ian Pearson and the Friends of St Swithun’s who made it all possible.
Now it wouldn’t be quite Christmas without going to see a pantomime.
Carol and I went along to see a production of Aladdin at the Swan Theatre, and a very colourful and occasionally noisy event it was too.
Audience participation is, of course, a must and there were plenty of ‘oh yes it is’ and ‘oh no it isn’t’s’ littering the performance!
It was a great show co-written by Paul Milton and Chris Jaeger and starring former King’s School pupil Ben Humphrey as Aladdin. Congratulations to them all.
I mentioned in last week’s mayor’s diary the live transmission by BBC1 of the two Christmas cathedral services and for New Year’s Eve, Carol and I were again there, this time at the invitation of Mark Regan who is the tower captain, i.e. the person in charge of the bell-ringers.
When we hear the cathedral bells ring out, we probably simply acknowledge them without thinking too much about their quality but the truth is they are one of, and perhaps arguably, the best peal of bells in the country.
Just before midnight we climbed up the tower to watch the 12 bell-ringers ring in the new year and then we joined the dean of Worcester and others on the top of the tower to watch the fireworks going off all around the city.
It was a clear night and it was wonderful to see in the new year in such a splendid and unforgettable way.