Springing into action

A few years ago the Buckingham Transition Group convened a Fair for local environmental and associated crafting groups to get together and sell their wares, as it were. The Town Council took over this fair a while back and this year's Spring Fair was held in the cattle pens last Sunday. The weather was middling and so there was a good footfall of people interested in the various stalls on offer ranging from the Woodland Trust, Men in Sheds and the National Trust. The local scouts provided some cake and hot dog sustenance while the Brackley Morris Men provided some of the entertainment. I popped in on my way to the Civic Service. (See later blog)

Here are some pics taken by me and Robin. (And note the environmental 'activist' cleaning up our town!) Also below is a programme of events coming up at the Old Gaol - not to be missed!

Thank you Buckingham Rugby Union Football Club!

Here is a pic of BRUFC Chairman Simon Smith presenting me with a cheque for £500 for the Mayor's Charity Fund. Thank you to everyone involved in the club's fundraising efforts. Not only did my three charities benefit but, at the lunch, I heard about the amazing efforts to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. A bunch of the young players decided to have a sponsored head shave to raise money for this trust after learning of one of their team had been diagnosed with cancer. They have managed to raise a stonking £22k - which is just in incredible!

So, as last year, it was wonderful to be a part of one of the BRUFC lunches with lashings of sumptuous food and (more importantly) mountains of camaraderie and good cheer. Rugby is a growing sport and is drawing many more young women and girls to play as well as the young men and boys teams. And I can see why: the spirit of community and friendship is frankly awesome and evidently lasts a lifetime!

Thanks to Julian Cook for the pic above.

Keeping Mayoral links strong

One of the jobs of a Town Mayor is maintain good relationships with neighbouring towns and parishes. As a consequence, I have always tried to get to events that I have been invited to by local town Mayors. Last Wednesday evening was one example: Julie and I were hugely delighted and most grateful to be part of this fund raising evening in a local Chinese restaurant in Leighton Buzzard on the invitation of the Mayor of Leighton Linslade, Cllr Clive Palmer.

We sat on a table of six with the Deputy Mayors of Ampthill and Leighton Linslade, and their partners/consorts. We had great conversations about housing, cemeteries and health commissioning as well as more usual subjects such as families, holidays and the like. And the food was fabulous too!

A journey through the laughing glass

Last night Julie and I went along to the Royal Latin School to listen to Andy McConnell of Antiques Roadshow fame. (He is their resident glassware specialist, we were told.) It was a fundraising evening for BACAB which supports the local Citizens Advice service. Neither Julie nor I are particularly into antiques and (dare I say this) do not tend to watch the BBC programme on Sunday evenings (unlike six million other people apparently). So we went expecting a couple of glasses of wine, a canapé or three, chat with some of the good people of the Town and (we thought) a fairly tedious presentation about antique glassware. How wrong I was!

Not only was the part of his presentation about glassware fascinating: who knew that old pieces of glass contained so much social history (which does interest me)!? But also, we were treated to a whistle stop tour through his earlier life where he explained how he worked with Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa no less, among many other household rock star names! And thorough all of his, Andy held his audience in the palm of his hand with a heady mixture of laugh out loud humour, poignant candour, some slightly risqué stories and a whole array of provocative opinions. We enjoyed ourselves hugely.

It was one of those occasions as Mayor that I have been blown away with something so unexpected and so delightful. Thank you to everyone who helped to organise and run yesterday evening - and of course - great thanks to Andy who entertained us so well. I might even have to start watching the Antiques Roadshow now!

Building UK / USA relations

Julie and I spent Friday night on the base of RAF Croughton, among other dignitaries from nearby towns (which stretched as far afield as Newbury!) and districts. It was the USAF's annual reception where they celebrate their links with the localities in which they operate. I spent a good chunk of my time encouraging the servicemen and servicewomen I spoke with to come and visit Buckingham.

There were lots of interesting people to get to know including representatives of the US Army as well as their Airforce. I learnt why the army has different colour trousers to the their tunics. It dates back to when they were (in the words of the officer I spoke with) 'fighting with the American Indians'. Pics below are the all the 'Voluntary Commanders' who work with the base's officer team to help them build relationships with British services, councils and business. One of the Commanders appointed was the 'Director of Beer' for Arkell's Brewery (Swindon) for example!

The invites are shown too which explains the purpose of the event.