Now in mid-April, we are into the season of Guildhall tours. Last Tuesday we had a group of 36 students from near Munich, Germany.
It was quite a squash in the parlour and even more so when we went down to the cells but they still learned a lot about Worcester’s history.
One of the duties of mayor is to be a trustee of the Worcester Porcelain Museum and later on Tuesday I attended one of their regular meetings.
It’s a shame production of most porcelain at Worcester has ceased but the museum is still very much open and welcoming to all visitors.
Perhaps Worcester people should make more use of it as it possesses the best collection of Worcester Porcelain anywhere in the world.
I was pretty exhausted by Wednesday’s programme of events.
It was the mayor’s charity valuation day when well-known local antiques expert Henry Sandon and a team of four valuers from auctioneers Bonhams gave their services free to value a whole host of objects brought in by members of the public who paid £2 for each item.
It was just like the Antiques Roadshow with some interesting and valuable items brought in. I’m pleased we made a tidy sum for my two charities, Macmillan Cancer Support and British Red Cross.
During the day I welcomed two Kathys. They were Kathy Wilkinson and Kathy Perkins, from Worcester Massachusetts, with whom we have a civic link.
They came with gifts including books and T-shirts from their home town. I was joined by Nevill Swanson and Fred Stone from our local twinning association and we had an enjoyable time.
Somehow I think we shall have more visitors from “across the pond” coming to Worcester and indeed one of their choirs will be performing at the Three Choirs Festival in August.
The evening was spent in the company of the civic society and people who came along to the mayor’s annual lecture.
Traditionally the mayor hosts the lecture which this year was given by Len Holder about pleasure steamers on the river Severn.
He had some wonderful photographs going back well into the 1800s when the river was a real hive of activity for traders, travellers and day-trippers.
Friday evening produced a moving occasion for Carol and I with more than 800 people in Worcester Cathedral.
The event was a concert of English music given by the English Symphony Orchestra, based in Worcestershire.
Friday’s concert was an opportunity to commemorate the life of local, long-serving Judge Eric Dickinson who tragically died in last year’s floods. It was a fitting way for us all to remember him.