Ex-officio

I have written before about my ex-officio roles as Mayor where local bodies automatically make the Town Mayor a member - whoever they happen to be. And so I try to attend their meetings as much as I can. Last Monday lunchtime I went along to the regular, weekly meeting of the Buckingham Rotary club at the Buckingham Golf Club. I provided some after-lunch entertainment and gave a short presentation about my last few months as Mayor. I was asked some great insightful questions at the end. Good stuff! By the way, they are always looking for new members so if you are interested, please click the link above.

And on Tuesday, I attended a meeting of BACAB which raises money for the local Citizens' Advice services. They too are always looking for new supporters and sponsors. So if you are a business and looking to make a regular donation to a very worthy cause, please contact them. The work of the Citizens' Advice as we all know is invaluable - and we never know when we might need it ourselves... (See the case studies on their website)

Last week, I attended a regular meeting of the Buckingham General Charities to help make decisions about the upkeep of their properties and look towards the budget for the coming year.

So this blog is just an update on these matters and my continuing support for local teams of people doing their best for our local community. And they do a fabulous job! I and, I am sure, the people of the town are all grateful for the time and responsibility they put in. I remain delighted and charmed by all the people in the town to give so much to the town. Long may that continue and may those numbers grow!

Some of the allotments owned by the General Charities - helping Buckingham flourish!

The Mayor's Charity Ball!

Please let me know if buying a ticket in person would be problematic for you. I am sure we can work out some other way. Hope to see you there!

#MoreinCommon - another library!

Oxfordshire County Council have just re-opened their central library in Oxford as part of the new Westgate shopping centre. As this was a library that I used lots when I lived in Oxford, it was another one to which I have donated the biography of Jo Cox. (Please see my blog below for a short explanation as to why I am doing this.)

Needless to say: the library looks amazing and so much lighter than it was before. Such a wonderful space in which to learn and enjoy books and indeed connect to the world.

I was shown around by Shirley Toase, the Library Manager, pictured below. Thank you! It was also good to meet two of her staff: Molly Harvey (no relation as far as I know!) and Kylie Robinson (who took the picture). Below is the inscription in the book.

#MoreinCommon - the journey continues

Regular readers will know that I won my bet on how many seats the Conservative Party would win in the general election last year. With my £160 winnings, I bought 11 copies of the book about Jo Cox written by her widower, Brendan Cox. I have been donating these to the libraries of my life over the last few months. This morning, I went along to the school in Oxford where my children went for their secondary school career - and where I was a governor for eight years: Cherwell School.

I had about ten minutes to speak to their 200 strong sixthform and tell them the story and what Jo stood for. As we all know, her message was powerful and simple: we always have more in common than anything which divides us.

Jo was in the news again this week, as the Government moved forwards on appointing a Minister for Loneliness which was one of the other matters that concerned her. Jo's sister has revealed that Jo experienced bouts of loneliness herself.

It was great to hear about some of the things the school and the students are doing. I was frankly astounded when in talking about the forthcoming science fair, the teacher explained that some year nine students a couple of years ago built a robot out of Lego that could solve a Rubik's cube...! Heck, I cannot even do that!

The Headteacher, Chris Price was inspirational and is clearly well respected by staff and students alike. Here he is accepting the book I have donated. Below is the inscription for the book that will be placed in the school library.

The 'new' Villiers is open!

I was invited to help 'open' the newly refurbished Villiers last night and what a night it was. I met the new owner Rick and his wife Fi, the other investors, the people who had designed and installed the new look - and lots of other people. Hundreds had been invited and hundreds attended. The food and wine were sumptuous and the entertainment much fun!

Both and Rick and I thanked the staff for laying on such a great party and especially of course, one of Buckingham's treasures: Jean Rush, the Hotel Manager.

In my view, Villiers is one of the beating hearts of our town centre that helps make Buckngham such a great place to visit and enjoy. I hope revamp helps the hotel go from strength to strength!

Here is a pic of a few of the people present last evening listening to Rick's welcoming speech.

Below is the cartoon drawn of me by Michael Kyeyune, one of the caricaturists present on the evening. Such fun - it makes me look 30 years younger!

Not quite sure why I am pictured as a cross between Bond and Mayor??!

Happiness

Sir Anthony Seldon gave a presentation on his work about Happiness at the county library last night. Organised by the friends of the Library, it was very well attended and appreciated. I was only able to stay a short while but I heard that he said some very useful things - which can all be read in his book (see pic below). He talked about the mnemonic 'great dream' which describes the ten keys to happier living.

Well done to Anthony, the library staff, the friends and everyone who made this evening such a great success. I know that Julie, the Mayoress, enjoyed it hugely.

May Buckingham become an even happier time as a result of yesterday evening!

Here are some (not my best!) pics: Sir Anthony, library friends and staff

The books on display (don't forget you can obtain these from the University Bookshop down Hunter Street!)

The assembled audience - great to see the library being used like this of an evening!

And here are some pics taken by Sue Duhig last night too. Thanks!

 

The wonderful library team!

A rolling, strolling conversation (18/3/18)

UPDATE 0812 - 18/3/18

Despite the snowy weather - we are still planning to go ahead with the walk. Please wrap up warmly and wear sensible boots! Bring provisions to keep your energy and hydration up. Depending on how it goes, we may shorten the walk at a couple of strategic points. (So if you were planning to join at the later stages - if we don't emerge - it means we have stopped sooner!)

See you soon! 

UPDATE
the walk will be setting off with fruit, drinks and cereal bars kindly provided by Waitrose - thank you! And a couple of Uni students will be running a cake sale and offering biscuit decorating where we finish (the Marquee, Beloff Lawn) - to raise money for Mind (mental health charity). Fantastic! And I have just heard this morning that the Open University (after being contacted by The High Sheriff) will be sponsoring sandwiches and drinks at our final destination. So that is amazing too!!

__________________________

It is becoming very clear that more and more young people are under great stress and there is a rising tide of mental health problems for this community (12 statistics to get you thinking about mental health in young people).

After a meeting, an email or two, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Peter Kara Esq., the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, Sir Anthony Seldon and I decided on a small plan: to organise a journey around Buckingham one Sunday lunchtime and have a conversation about:

What more can we do to ensure that all young people have good mental health and well being?

And anyone who cares about this matter, knows something about what might be done or who has the power and can make things better, is invited. We figure that is probably just about everybody!

So if you are parent or carer, a teacher, a mental health practitioner, a provider of services, a commissioner, a politician, a community nurse, a doctor, a psychologist etc... or of course, a young person!... then you are most welcome to join us.

Please come and take part in the journey. Indeed, if you wish you can start joining in now by posting questions or topics here, that you hope will be discussed as the journey proceeds.

As the poster shows, we will assemble at 11.00 am on Sunday 18 March 2018 at the Community Centre. We will set off at around 11.30 am. and expect to arrive at our destination, the University Campus at around 1.30 pm. You are welcome to join us for all or some of the walk. Nearer the time, I will post the approximate times we will be arriving at points along the way so that you can join us here. The journey is nearly all traversable on wheels or foot (although there are some steeper and muddier bits to be aware of).

Here is the timed (approx) journey so that you can time your joinings and leavings as you wish. (There is also a google maps link below too.)

You can access the planned route on Google maps here.

We will end up in a marquee on the lawn of the University campus near Tanlaw Mill. There will be an opportunity then to much through packed lunches and record what you have learnt from the conversations

Our aim is to get some young cadets, scouts and guides to help with marshalling the moving body of people across various roads along the way safely. Although, we do expect people to look after themselves as they would in any case.

Please save this page, as I will be updating it with further information as the day approaches.

We look forward to welcoming you on the journey!

Great company!

I am fortunate only to experience a modicum of sight problems in that I have worn glasses for most of my life. But if I were to lose some or all of my sight, I know where I would be on Tuesday afternoons once a month: at Gawcott village hall at the regular meeting organised by Bucks Vision. I went along there on Tuesday at the invitation of Phillipa Atkinson (Secretary N.W. Division, BucksVision).

And what a warm and friendly welcome was waiting for me!

I sat on a table with Peg, Cath and Kira: and enjoyed learning about their lives and views on the world. All three were older women with (I presume) some degree of sight loss.

There were several other people there too: members of the club and the volunteer helpers/drivers. We were treated to a gentle and delightful presentation from Sally Chittenden who talked about her childhood as a baker's daughter in Padbury and Buckingham in the 50's and early 60's. Such wonderful memories and so well told. And then the afternoon was rounded off with some tea and cake. Sublime!

If you or someone you know would like to go along too, I would highly recommend it. It is usually the first Tuesday of the month at 2.30pm. You can find out more by contacting BucksVision:

BucksVision Office
143 Meadowcroft
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP19 9HH

T: 01296 487 556
E: reception@bucksvision.co.uk

And here is everyone who was there on Tuesday. What a wonderful bunch of people!

PS: Inspired by yesterday, we had our regular meeting to edit the next edition of Buckingham Town Matters today. I have offered to make a podcast of the next edition so that this can be listened to by members of this group or indeed anyone else who wants to hear the newsletter rather than read it. It will be an experiment! And I am no trained actor but we are going to give it a go!

Happy new twinning year!

This is my first post of 2018 so may wish everyone a very prosperous, healthy and happy new year! May all your ambitions, hopes and dreams be fulfilled this coming twelve months.

Julie and I had the delight of being invited to a “Galette des Rois” evening at the home of Stephanie and Henry Scrase last Saturday. The aim was to celebrate all the work of the Buckingham Twinning Association and begin to make plans for 2018. (Although it was mostly about wine, cheese and the delicious pudding called a Galette de Rois!)

We met some old friends (there are many town councillors involved with the Twinning Association) and made some new ones. It was a sumptuous, warm and welcoming evening.

If you would like to be involved in supporting the Association, please use the website linked above to make contact. The only limit is your imagination as to what more ways there might be to connect our town with Mouvaux and all the people in both places.

There are also the beginnings of a connection with a town in Germany: Neukirchen-Vluyn although this is not yet formalised into a twinned town as such. But... if you would like it be so, and you have German links in someway, please contact Stephanie who could talk you through what that entails. It would be lovely for Buckingham to formalise this link more but it will take some people to make this so. Could that be you?

One example of the work of the Twinning Association

And a quick shot from the party on Saturday night.

And another:

Our hosts, Stephanie and Henry

Warm greetings to all Buckingham folk

For me, part of the joy of the Christmas and New Year season, is that it makes us pause and reflect on the year past and the year to come. We carve another notch in life's walking stick and grow another wrinkle. And as part of this, at this time of year, I always think about how words are so very important to me. In essence they have been my trade as a management consultant and as a politician throughout my careers as both. So a few years ago, I happened upon a fundraising idea (for a charity called 'I Can') that involved 'adopting' a word for a year. The money raised helped children with communication difficulties. But this charity have now ceased this money raising campaign and I have switched my allegiance to a charity called "Clearly Speaking" which works with children local to Buckingham, who also have communication difficulties. (You can find out more about their work here) I will be making a donation to them.

So, towards the end of December, I decide which word to 'adopt' as a background theme for the coming year. I look for a word to guide me over the next twelve months and for a word that makes a statement about something that I think is important for the wider world. This time last year I chose the word 'rapprochement' for 2017 and the word for 2016 was 'dance'.

And for 2018, I have chosen the word 'patience'. Why patience?

It seems to me (and I include myself in this too, of course) that the world right now is in one big almighty hurry, as if time is running out and we all need to get somewhere next, fast! Many people it seems have lost the will to be a little bit patient. We even have the saying "good things come to those who wait" which we all too often ignore. So I have decided I am going to be a bit more patient next year. It is also my plan to prompt others to be a little bit more patient too. Good things will come!

So as we head into Christmas, may I wish you a very merry time with family and friends, where I hope all will be wrapped in love, kindness and peace. And may I hope that you will find 2018 to be a year in which more of your dreams, aspiration and ambitions come true, for you and those who are special to you. And may we all work for a world brimming with bliss, generosity, harmony and understanding.

With the warmest of seasonal greetings

Jon

The great Community Fair

Once the Christmas Parade is over, every year the Community Centre comes alive with the Town Council organised Community Fair. It is always well attended and stocked with great stalls... But I have this hunch that some of the hundreds of people attending the Parade, don't think about attending the Community Fair as well...?

It was another fab occasion which happened last Saturday and I had the pleasure of sampling a delicious cup of coffee and mince pie and visiting some of the stalls. I learnt about why the CAB is now simply Citizens Advice... And I learnt something about the support group for people bereaved by suicide of loved one. And the Town Twinning stall packed up early as all their tombola prizes had gone in flash (so good were the odds!)

I was also serenaded by the Buckingham Children's Choir. I have stolen this pic from their pages - hope they don't mind! Lovely singing - and their first public performance I believe!

Christmas drinks

Crunching through the snow, Julie and I joined a few hardy souls at the home of the University Vice Chancellor last Sunday lunchtime for Christmas drinks. Numbers were down of course, but it was a great pleasure to have some conversations with some of the lovely people associated with the University - from a lecturer in women's economics to a mum telling me about her son who has just joined Thames Valley Police as a new police officer.

As I have said before, we are very fortunate to have the University as part of our town. Of course it comes with its challenges, not least the pressure on available housing and some of the differences in lifestyle between students and 'ordinary' residents. But the University also brings a great deal of employment, money being spent in the town and a cultural diversity which all adds to our town.

The challenge is to manage the pluses and minuses so that all benefit.

Buckingham Christmas Parade: another triumph!

One of the biggest events in the Buckingham calendar is the Christmas Parade. Yesterday we had perfect weather: crisp and sunny. And indeed the show went off perfectly as well. For something to work so smoothly must take an extraordinary amount of careful planning with which the Town Council assists. But the main organisers are the Christmas Parade Committee, chaired by Howard Mordue. You can read more about the history of the parade on their website.

So both Julie and I hugely enjoyed being driven through town as part of the parade, with the Town Clerk, the Mace Bearer and Cllrs Stuchbury and Hirons forging the way ahead of us. We were surrounded by lots of fantastic floats and walkers. I had the honour of awarding the prizes to the winning entries and there were many very, very worthy winners!

So well done to everyone who took part and those helped organise, design and build all the costumes and floats. And thanks of course to all the Parade Committee: another fantastic year!

Thanks to Robin for these two pics. And thank you to our driver and his 1911 Ford car! The seat leather smelt just like old car seat leather should smell!

There is a fabulous video made here too - which shows lots of the highlights from the Parade. Thanks Barry West.

Buckingham School: beginnings and endings

Thursday evening at the Buckingham School was a very special evening. It was their Celebration Evening where students past and present are awarded recognition and prizes for exceptional work. It was just such a delight to hear about all the students being praised from the teachers who knew them well. Such an impressive array of talent, effort and great results! After an evening like that, no one should be in any doubt that Buckingham School is one of the finest schools around. 

Well done to all the students who worked so hard. And well done to all the teachers, assistants and all staff who all work together to create such a fantastic learning climate. It was wonderful to imagine what these students will be doing in the future: such great beginnings for their young lives.

But the evening was also very important because it marked the moving on of Angela Wells, the headteacher, onto pastures new. As announced by the school back in September:

Miss Angela Wells, who has been Headteacher at The Buckingham School for the past nine years is set to take up a headship at a school in South Yorkshire from 1 January 2018.

And so it was a very special evening for Miss Wells too. Here are some pics and below, the valedictory speech I gave on behalf the town. Naturally the Chair of Governors, Matthew Watkins wished her well too and thanked her for all that she has done for the school and students. Cllr Robin Stuchbury, as a former parent (and indeed former student many moons ago) gave his thanks too.

My selfies are bit fuzzy - especially there seems to be someone flying across the back behind us on the second one...!!

Does anyone know who that is in the background...? Impressive timing!!

And so here is the speech I gave:

Many people have tried to bottle what good leadership is. The interweb is awash with quotes about leadership and what it means - and how people can become better leaders… Having spent nearly my whole career focused on leadership and organisational change, I have become very pragmatic. 

Put simply, the measure of a great leader is results. 
Now I don’t have all the figures and I am very much an outsider looking in. But it seems evident to me that since Angela arrived to head up this school, results in all different ways have improved. This school is not the same place it was those years ago. 

The school is now a far better place in which young people can learn and can grow. This is a place in which young people can set their course to become the citizens of tomorrow. In this respect I am reminded of a verse by Khalil Gibran who talks of children and parents (although I think he is talking about teachers too):

Your children are not your children.They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.They come through you but not from you,And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts.You may house their bodies but not their souls,For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your childrenas living arrows are sent forth.The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
___

So I believe Angela, through your great leadership, you have been a very strong bow, sending forth arrows into life’s great infinity. And of course, I praise all the ‘bows’ in this school - who are all focused on helping young people have ambitions, hopes and dreams, and the wherewithal to achieve those.

Angela, you have taken the school from being in the doldrums to being one that is the envy of the county and beyond. You and your leadership of very fine team of excellent teachers have transformed the school and achievements of the children who attend in all ways - and not just educationally. 

Well done! You have helped make an important chapter in the town's history that for which many local people - students and parents - will remember you fondly. Yours will be a hard act to follow but I am confident that the next Headteacher will be able to build on your successes.

I wish you well in your new position in Barnsley. I am sure you will do a fantastic job for the young people of that town as you have for ours here in Buckingham. Thank you.

Random chocolate kindness!

I arrived home a couple of days ago to be greeted by this lovely letter from some children at Lace Hill. What a delightful idea! So I will be looking for some ways in wish to pass this random act of (chocolate) kindness on to others. Thank you Mylee, Cory, Valerie and Keeo!! And well done!

And if their parents are reading, I would love to hear how this project is developing.

Keep dancing!!

Last night was the 'Strictly Buckingham Christmas' event at the old Town Hall. Many months ago, I was invited to be one of the judges. And what a thoroughly charming, heart warming, inspirational and thrilling event it was. So much amazing dancing from people young and getting on a bit!

There was precision, smooth moves, elegance, focus, control and seemingly effortless balance and harmony between the couples as they danced around the floor. The dancers were vivacious, dramatic, funny, graceful, steamy and edgy... and so much more!

All this had been coordinated by the simply astounding Viv Rhymes (of Step by Step Dance School in Brackley) and her huge team of supporters. The evening was excellently compered by Aaron Williams. My fellow judges guided me through the process (having never done such a thing before). So thanks to Nick Kelly and Cheyenne Russell, Gemma Dearsley (Founder of the Lighthouse Centre which was the main beneficiary of last night's charity event) and especially to Glenda Harper who made sure I put the numbers in the right boxes!

And of course, huge congratulations to the winners and runners up. The competition overall was won by Julia Souter (Local Hero) and George Merry (Stepper). The runners up were Diana Bugeag (Local Hero) and Dominic Fuller-Lowe (Stepper). But well done to all the dancers: to the local heroes for daring to learn and showcase their dancing and to the steppers who were such excellent teachers and supporters of their new partners.

Julia and George, the winners

Diana and Dominic, the runners up

The celebration begins for Julia and George and everyone!

So if you want to be there next year (and I very recommend that you should) you might want to think about being one of the local heroes... could you learn to dance? (In case you ask, I am thinking about it, maybe not next year, but perhaps for 2019!)

More pics and information here from Viv's FB account.

Bourton Meadow Academy looks at health

A couple of weeks ago, I had the enormous pleasure of sitting in on a special assembly in BMA where each year group presented their projects that they had been focusing on as part of the Health Festival. It was a rich and dynamic display ranging from the A-Z of health, to new (and healthier) breakfast bars and models of healthy meals. There were T-shirts with health messages on them.

And a report of how one year was had the opportunity to dress up as people who help other people stay healthy... Julie, the Mayoress, went along to meet some of these children during the week itself. She was thoroughly charmed. And she was intrigued to notice one young man who was dressed in a smart blazer, white shirt and chinos. She asked him what profession he had come as and he proudly announced to her that he was a Doctor of Philosophy! All credit to the parents who must have helped him to understand that good ethics and good morals are as important as good care and good medicine!

So well done to Bourton Meadow Academy for a superlative contribution to the Health Festival Week and getting their students to think so much about their health now and in the future.

I only have this pic below to show you: the models of the healthy meals & the new breakfast bar (which was yummy!). The school has promised to send me other photos that they took (and cleared for social media publication) but I am guessing that end of term activities are snaffling all their spare time at the moment.

I should also mention that health festival activities also went on in Buckingham Primary and George Grenville schools too but I was not so directly involved in those. But well done to them too for getting involved in the Health Festival week!

Love every drop

On Friday, I was invited to partake in an event hosted by Anglian Water called the 'South Midlands Growth Forum' over in Colworth Park just north of Bedford. And despite its title, it was an enormously intriguing and educational morning. I will try to summarise some the thoughts I was left with.

Stewart Patience and I spent an intense half an hour over a cup a coffee and a bun at the beginning of the day before the formal started. He introduced me to the concept of Long Term Water Resilience. In our region, we have the dual challenge of being mostly a fairly flat part of the country and a lot less rainfall than other parts (such as the North West). This means we have to be planning now for a future where their may not be enough water to go around.

So how do we do this? (I emphasise 'we' since that was the main theme of the event: how can Anglian Water work with other stakeholders to manage the water supply and management of the waste better?) The other stakeholders include the planning authorities, strategic planning authorities, the Environment Agency, housing developers, third sector landscape partnerships and others.

But back to my conversation (or tutorial in fact!) with Stewart who works to ensure good linkages between Anglian Water's systems and plans and the local plans being developed by the likes of Aylesbury Vale District Council and indeed Buckingham Town Council. Some of the key tasks ahead include how to trap and use more 'grey water' (rainwater to you and me). Anglian Water are now offering something of deal with housing developers whereby if they promise to install grey water management into their new houses and also domestic taps that use less water, then Anglian Water will reduce the connection fees for a new estate.

We also talked about sewage too and how Anglian Water negotiate and plan improvements in these systems. There is some bewildering complexities to be engineered in concerning storm water and foul water and how it is vital to keep some of these separate or risk flooding of the kinds that none of want to see!

The rest of the day was a very pleasing blur of information and ideas from lots of quarters concerning how water could be better managed and planned for coupled with the powerful idea that we all need to be even more focused on building communities rather than estates... And these communities include water environments that benefit wildlife, plants and trees too.

All of this will become increasingly important if the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Commission and the idea of the Oxford Cambridge Arc (or is that Ark?) move forward at a pace...

You can read the whole report here. And this one will become important for the Town Council once we embark on refreshing the Neighbourhood Plan.

Final thought: we forget how precious and miraculous water is at our peril...

RAF Halton & leadership development

Following up my visit to RAF Halton a couple of months ago, I paid them another visit last Thursday to find out more about how they go about training their non-commissioned officers in management and leadership. It was a fascinating couple of hours learning about how they put their newly promoted corporals, sergeants, flight sergeants and warrant officers through management development.

The building where it all happens is surrounded by extensive grounds which they use to create physical challenges that develop the leadership of those attending the training programmes. Ditches, tyres, ropes and cables all form part of a hinterland within which RAF personnel gain insight into their own and others' leadership. I was told that sometimes even skipping ropes and light sabres feature but I am not sure I can explain how! Ensconced in the centre of a building is hub from which they marshal simulations designed to shrewdly test the limits of the leaders' capabilities and understanding. I quipped it was not a million miles from the Hunger Games! Here are some pics of the RAF personnel engaged in some of these activities (kindly supplied by my contact there)

And just at the end, I was shown a part of the site where soldiers were trained in trench warfare before being shipped off to France in the WW1. You can read about the project here of where some of the trenches have been recently restored to provide a place for education and indeed filming. It was an eerie experience walking through the trenches. And made more so given John Lloyd's description of his time filming last scene of Blackadder, the previous evening... (see blog below)

I won't name the officers who showed me around as I am cautious about releasing such information into the public domain. But I am enormously grateful to the Flight Lieutenant and his colleagues for sparing me their time.

Not the best pic I am afraid, but a brief timeline of the site and how it has been used to train combatants in trench warfare methods.

The benefit of being a university town

Last Wednesday, I had the greatest of pleasures to listen to a conversation between Sir Anthony Seldon and John Lloyd, TV producer of great stature (Spitting Image, Hitchhiker's Guide, Blackadder, QI to name but four).

John gave us some very entertaining and insightful stories from his life at the BBC and elsewhere. I won't attempt to replicate them here. Except to say his description of the how they came to film one of the iconic moments of TV history: the closing scenes from Blackadder - was moving, inspiring and funny.

This was one in a series of presentations hosted by the University in the run up to next year's Literary Festival. There are two more in this Autumn series, I heartily recommend attendance if you obtain a spare ticket... We are indeed privileged to have such events in our town.