Madam Mayor's Diary
Thursday 1st November
My Mayoress and I went along to the Dandara Sales and Marketing Suite, Blackfriars Road, to view the art exhibition by students of Salford University and present prizes to the winners of a caption competition based on the Colours of Life Advertising Campaign organised by Dandara.
Later we attended All Saints Church, Swinton, for a Feast of Title service and the special annual “Name Day” for the church. After the service we met many of the congregation and the former Bishop of Blackburn.
Friday 2nd November
My Consort and I were invited to A4E Training Centre in Walkden where we met the Business Manager and staff and had an opportunity to talk to the students and other invited guests. The centre is for people who have been out of work for some time and some who have never worked, to build their confidence, learn basic skills, how to apply for jobs and present themselves at interviews. All the students enjoyed the training and were looking forward to working in the future.
Later in the evening we went along to the Talbot Catholic Club where a Halloween Party for the children and adults was organised by Councillor John Mullen and his wife. I was invited to judge the fancy dress competition. All the costumes were good and it was difficult to pick out the winners but we did and a good time was had by all.
Sunday 4th November
My Consort and I attended a Remembrance Service organised by the Association of Jewish Ex-servicemen and women at Heathlands Village, Prestwich. The Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Mayor of Bury were also present. The ex-servicemen were inspected by Lt.Col.M.Glover, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester and Col.M.Newman. The service went well and was attended by many family and friends of the ex-servicemen and women.
Monday 5th November
My Consort and I attended the Bonfire and Firework Display at Buile Hill Park. We had a great time, I even got to light the bonfire. The event was attended by thousands of residents and I had many very favourable remarks from people as they were leaving the park.
Thursday 8th November
My Mayoress and I judged the children’s Save Energy in the Home Schools Art Competition. It was very hard choosing the winners as all the entrants were of a very high standard. We chose the winners and the Awards Ceremony will be held at the Digital World Centre, Salford Quays on Friday 30th November.
Later that day I chaired a meeting of my Charity Committee.
Friday 9th November
My Consort and I received Colonel Gorski, MBE and Lt.Col. Glover from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the Mayor’s Parlour. They came to talk to me about the regiment and give me an update on the new premises for the regimental museum in Bury. The building work is going well and they are on track to open in 2008.
At lunch time I was joined by Barbara Keeley, MP and over 80 ex service men and women and their families who had come to receive their Veterans Badges from Barbara and myself. It was good to see so many and to recognize their service to the country.
In the afternoon we attended a service for the dedication of a new Merchant Navy Standard at Eccles Parish Church. The men who served in the Merchant Navy are very proud of the new standard. The old standard was presented to me and is now in the Mayor’s Parlour.
Saturday 10th November
My Consort and I were invited by the Pendleton Royal British Legion to attend a War Graves Service at Agecroft Cemetery. There were three short services, one at the graves of soldiers who died in the 2nd world war, one at a memorial for the citizens of salford who died in the 1940 blitz and one at the memorial for the airmen who lost their lives when their plane crashed on Littleton Road playing fields.
In the afternoon we went along to the Robert Powell Theatre to see a Christmas flower arrangement demonstration by David Fawcett Roper. I really enjoyed the afternoon and it gave me some good ideas of how to arrange my flowers in the future.
In the evening we attended a concert by the Salford Choral Society at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. We enjoyed the concert very much and it was a relaxing end to a busy day.
Sunday 11th November
My Consort and I joined the Chief Executive, Members of the Council and hundreds of residents to pay our respects to the dead of the two world wars and the many other conflicts the British Forces have taken part in. The short service took place at Swinton Cenotaph.and I laid a wreath on behalf of the city. After the service we went along to Swinton Royal British Legion to have a cup of tea and talk to some of the men and woman who had served in the last war.
We then went to Haldane Barracks, Eccles New Road for a reception and to meet and chat to the officers, soldiers and veterans.
In the evening we travelled to Bacup to listen to a Festival of Remembrance concert hosted by the Mayor of Rossendale. It was a very good concert and featured the Haslingden and Helmshore Band and was organised by the council in support of the Poppy Appeal. Many of the Mayors of the surrounding towns attended with residents, soldiers and cadets from the armed forces.
Monday 12th November
My Consort and I, with the Mayors of Greater Manchester, attended a presentation and tour of the Manchester Jewish Museum. I found the visit very informative and enjoyed the tour very much.
Tuesday 13th November
I met two artists from Salford Art Club who had been invited to St. Ouen, one of our twin towns, to take part in an art exhibition organised by the Twinning Committee of St. Ouen. They had sent 4 paintings over to France to exhibit and they were flying out on Saturday 17th November for 6 days. My Consort and myself are also invited to join them on Monday 19th. I look forward to going and wished them a safe journey and looked forward to meeting them in St. Ouen.
In the evening we attended an Inaugural Lecture from Professor Jaap Van Den Berg at the Lady Hale Lecture Theatre, Salford University.
Wednesday 14th November
We attended a Health and Well Being event aimed at the Disabled BME Community of Salford. I was very pleased to be asked to open the event, which was well attended. We heard a speaker from the stop smoking BME project and were invited to look round the many stalls offering such things as henna painting, relaxation and candle painting workshops.
In the evening we watched a performance of “Sugar” given by the Mapas musical theatre company at The Lowry, Salford Quays. We enjoyed the show very much.
Thursday 15th November
My Mayoress and I attended a coffee morning as part of the Council of Christian and Jews Friendship Week held at the Jackson Row Synagogue, Manchester. The Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Mayor of Bury also attended.
In the evening we attended the launch of Chill Factore, the real snow alpine ski village near the Trafford Centre. What a fantastic place - I am sure many skiers, experienced and beginners, will enjoy many hours of fun there.
Later that night we went along to St. George’s Club, Cromwell Road, Salford, to enjoy a Race Night organised by Councillor Joe Murphy to raise funds for my Charity Appeal. Thanks to Joe and all who attended - over £300.00 was raised.
Friday 16th November
My Consort and I attended the Manchester Consular Association Annual Banquet and Ball at the SAS Radisson Hotel, Manchester Airport. We had a good night and I was asked to respond to the toast “The Cities and Districts of Greater Manchester” which I did with pleasure.
Saturday 17th November
We opened the Christmas Fair at Monton Memorial Halls, Monton Unitarian Church. They had many stalls and were hoping to raise £1,000.00 for the church funds. I hope they were successful. I even got to see Santa and gave him my Christmas list.
In the afternoon we attended the AGM and County Conference organised by the Women’s Section of Ordsall British Legion. I welcomed the delegates and was pleased to meet the area representative from Northwich who was the guest speaker.
Sunday 18th November
Today is my birthday! At 11.30am my Consort and I went along to Salford Art Gallery to attend the local history fair and family fun day. We visited all the stalls and had a word with most of the people running them. We had a great time and left at 3.30pm. It was good to see the event so well attended, even though the weather was wet and cold. Congratulations to all who took part and thank you for a most enjoyable day.
Monday 19th November
My Consort and I flew out to St. Ouen, France for 4 days. I was invited to open the art exhibition organised by the St. Ouen Twinning Committee. We had a wonderful visit and saw many areas of regeneration and a new garden for the residents to enjoy. We were pleased to met Roy and Arnold our two artists from Salford who were invited to exhibit 4 paintings alongside 2 artists from Italy and Bulgaria. Together we visited 4 artists’ studios and art galleries. The 4 days passed by really quickly and soon it was time to return home.
Friday 23rd November
We started the day by attending the launch of Salford City Council’s – Salford Heating Installers Partnership at Think Lab, Salford University. I was happy to say a few words and cut the launch ribbon. “S.H.I.P.” is a partnership between Salford Council, heating installers and manufactures and suppliers of central heating equipment. Together they have developed an initiative of which the objective is to deliver affordable warmth to vulnerable households by installing central heating systems through the councils emergency heating grant scheme.
Art lunchtime we went along to Buile Hill Park Hall for the long service awards for council staff. I made a short speech thanking the staff and congratulating them on achieving 25 years service with the council.
At tea time I welcomed a young boy, his parents and sister into the Mayor’s Parlour. He had written to me requesting a bell in the clock tower of the Civic Centre. Unfortunately I had to write back and say that the tower was not built for a bell but I invited him to meet me in the parlour. We all had a good chat and I think they went home happy.
In the evening I attended a performance of “Les Miserables” at Pendleton College, Salford. What a play and what a performance!! It was brilliant - many thanks to all involved in the production and for the invitation.
Saturday 24th November
My consort and I met the Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Bishop of Salford at Salford Cathedral, at the invitation of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, for a requiem service for victims of famine in 1932/33.
Afterwards we visited Morrisons Store, Swinton to say thank you to the young people and members of my Charity Committee who were bag packing to raise funds for my charities. They were very busy but enjoying themselves and raising lots of money.
Monday 26th November
I welcomed the Consul General of France and the Honorary French Consul into the Mayor’s Parlour. We had a very interesting hour discussing many issues relating to Salford and many towns in France. He was interested in how many French businesses and workers we had in Salford. I was unable to tell him at the time but promised to send him the information after I had made some enquiries.
Following this my Consort and I visited Fiddlers Lane Primary School to open a sensory garden the children had designed and to look round the school. I was very impressed with the garden and hoped the children would get many hours of enjoyment walking and sitting in it. Thanks to all who took part in designing and building the garden.
Our next appointment took us to Buile Hill Banqueting Hall to attend the Healthy Schools Award Ceremony. I gave out certificates and plaques to the successful schools. The children had a really good time and we even did a little dance to wake us all up after a long day listening to speeches - just one of the initiatives one of the schools came up with to encourage healthy eating and exercise in school. Well done to all the schools - all worthy winners.
Tuesday 27th November
We attended a Community Engagement and Healthy Living Event for the young disabled at Eccles College. It was well attended by many young people and their carers, with lots of stalls to visit and information to gather to make their lives better.
In the afternoon we went to the Children’s Centre, Little Hulton to present certificates to students who had successfully completed a transitional course to help them get back into the world of work. Congratulations to all who received their certificates.
Wednesday 28th November
A last minute engagement came in requesting me to open Walkden Spices, a new Indian Takeaway on High Street, Walkden. It was a pleasant duty and I wished them well with their new business venture.
In the evening my Consort and I went to a Presentation Evening organised by the Rhodes Foundation Scholarship Trust, at the Portico Library, Manchester. We heard three reports from young people who had visited Canada to learn how they deal with domestic violence in their country. Each one said how they had enjoyed the experience and what they had learned and how they could put some of the information they had gathered to good use in Greater Manchester.
Thursday 29th November
My Mayoress and I welcomed some members of the Merchant Navy Association – Salford Branch into the Mayor’s Parlour to receive the city of Salford Silver Medal. They said they were very proud to receive the medal and were pleased to see that the Merchant Navy were at last being recognised for all they did in the two world wars and other conflicts Britain had been involved in. I was pleased to see them again, they are a great bunch of men who have served the country well.
In the evening we attended the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s Reception. It was a very good evening and we joined the other Mayors of Greater Manchester and over 800 guests in the Town Hall.
Friday 30th November
My Consort and I presented the winners of Salford Council’s Annual Home Energy Saving Art Competition with their certificates and prizes at the Digital World, Salford Quays. All the entries were of a high standard and it was a difficult task to choose the winners (my Mayoress and I did that 2 weeks ago). I thanked all the schools and young people who took part and I think they liked their prizes.
Later I welcomed 5 young people and their parents into the Mayor’s Parlour. I had a telephone call from Councillor Vincent Devine who had received a letter from one of the youngsters saying how they had cleaned up their street in Walkden. Their ages ranged from 6 to 10 years. I was quite impressed by their actions and invited them into the Parlour to say thank you. They enjoyed themselves very much and loved going into the Council Chamber. Maybe one or two will be our future councillors.
Saturday 1st December
I was invited to open and attend the dedication of the Chapel of Rest at Broadoak Funeral Services, Worsley Road, Swinton. I wish them well with their new business.
Sunday 2nd December
My Consort and I were invited by St. John’s Ambulance Service to join them at Manchester Cathedral for their Annual Carol Concert and Cadet Enrolment. We were joined by some of the Mayors from Greater Manchester together with family and friends of the cadets. I love singing carols and am looking forward to the Christmas season.
This page was last updated on 4 October 2009
