Garden Of Remembrance opening

Saturday 24th October
Remembrancetide has started in Longridge.

A punchy little ceremony with 2 prayers, a wreath laying and the exhortation with a few hardy souls gathered around the War Memorial in the drizzle has kicked off the annual commemoration of the fallen in service.

Dig deep folks and let's get a record collection in Longridge - we need a little over £1 per head of population to beat last year's record.

Lancashire Miscarriage Support Group

Friday 23rd October
When Jim Rogerson asked me to attend the Con Club on Friday night to judge a fancy dress competition I didn't really know what to expect - which sounds pretty dumb really seeing as how it couldn't be much more self expanatory could it?

What I really meant was that I didn't know what the cause was and I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to attend. Lancashire Miscarriage Support Group does what it says on the tin but it is a new group and as yet unconstituted. We were able to offer some help and guidance in respect of all that formal stuff that often daunts volunteers who are really on interested in the work and not the bureaucracy and I wish the group all the very best for the future and reiterate our offer of help.

Child Protection issues prevent me from posting a pic of the youngsters in their fancy dress and instead I have included a photo of a brilliantly decorated cake that was being raffled. The detail and quality was superb and the photo doesn't really do it justice.

After quite a challenge Jim and I picked out a little Pumpkin in the juniors and a very scary witch from Oswaldtwistle as our winners for the fancy dress and we completed our duties by drawing what felt like a hundred raffle tickets - prizes galore.

Look out for more from organiser Ruth ....this is an organisation going places.

 

Longridge Cadets -Official Launch

Wednesday 21st October

Its official - the Longridge Cadets are now the real thing! Hon Colonel Lady Shuttleworth got a proper little shock to walk into the hall at St Cecilia's to meet the Mayor of Longridge only to find it was me - a friend and admirer already! Admirer because not only does she manage to wear fatigues and boots with typical grace but also because it is another job she does with style and aplomb in Lancashire.

Enough of the fawning!! Lieutenant Kelly has gathered a sufficient number of cadets in Longridge to warrant the formation of our own company and we were gathered to make the whole thing official. The Commandant Col Hilary Williams also made the special trip out to Longridge to be part of the proceedings accompanied by other senoir officers based at Fulwood. Many thanks to all.

Part of the launch was to present the company with a Standard that had not been used for a few decades. I am being deliberately vague about the language because there are technical expressions regarding Standards when they are not in use and particularly at this time of year I don't want to offend veterans. The thing to note is our cadets have a very smart Standard which will get an outing on Remembrance Sunday - well done to all involved with getting it back into use.

I hope that youngsters from all the schools in Longridge and elsewhere will get stuck in to this interesting, challenging and fulfilling hobby.    

CADET FUNDAY SUNDAY

Sunday 18th October 2009  

Last Years Mayor Hilda in paintball heist - NOT....4 out of 10 Mrs M??? She will be blaming it on the iffy weather that wasn't forecast but descended casting a damp gloom over what should have been a celebration of all things Army and cadettery (I know there is no such word but you know exactly what I mean!) on St Cecilia's field on Sunday.

We also played a version of table top football except that we were the players strapped to ropes running across the pitch...lots of fun when the man next to you weighs 4 stone and could be sprung about the arena like a swingball....I never did catch his name but he stayed on his feet despite my best endeavours!

Sadly not many people tipped up because of the weather but that meant that Hilda and I got to enjoy a compo ration breakfast - great if you like beans!

Watch out for an entry later on about the official inauguration of the Longridge Cadets on Wednesday this week. The good and the great and I will be there!!

Barnacre Road School - 40 years old

Wednesday 14th October

I'm just going to lift the relevant bit written by the headteacher for the weekly newsletter which tells all.

I would like to comment on what a wonderful evening we had in school celebrating the school’s 40th birthday. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces from both the past and present and in particular to meet Mr Waters, a former headteacher and my previous boss, Mr Leighton. Also it was great to see so many faces that I did not know and the obvious pleasure that people were getting reminiscing about their time at school. It’s been fascinating looking at all the many photographs and records about the school and how it has gradually changed and evolved over the years and it’s made me realise how places like Barnacre Road will always change and develop and that has to be for the good. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues and children for really pulling the stops out in preparing the school so that it looked so inviting and welcoming. I must mention and thank the Collier family, in particular Amy and Sarah who baked our birthday cake and also Mrs Karen Collier who baked an individual iced bun for every single child in the school. Both Amy and Sarah bake cakes for birthdays and occasions and they can be contacted on 782306.

I kicked the job off at 5 and was able to stay until just after 6 when I had to leave. I don't have a decent pic of the event but hope I might get sent one for this..........hint hint....!!!

Poppy Appeal 2009

Tuesday 13th October

Well I'm no Hayley Westonra but I did have the honour of chairing the annual meeting to agree the programme for the Remembrance Tide.

David Walmesley retired as the official organiser after 10 years and Mike Arnold was appointed to the post. Good to see Mike getting stuck in again and I'm sure with his flair for marketing the appeal will build on the previous successes. The profile that our Armed Services are getting as a result of the sad casualties being sustained in Afghanistan should make the appeal a no brainer for people to support this year and I shall be proud to turn out on the three occasions that we parade in Longridge.

We open the Garden of Remembrance on 24th October at 1100.
Remembrance Sunday parade leaves the Legion at 1030 on 8th November.
Act of Remembrance at 1100 on Wednesday 11th November at the War Memorial.

 

Meet a Real Mayor

Monday 12th October

What a giggle I had answering questions from two classes of year ones at Highfield Priory School in Fulwood.!!

Claire Field asked me along and had briefed me on the questions I was to expect. I think I disappointed them by not having a crown or special clothes or living in a castle. I was obviously a major flop for not knowing how many mayors there are in the world but I think I got a few points for letting them handle the bling!

This pic is a temporary post until I get a copy of the group photo that we just about managed to sort out.

FUNDRAISER - AN EVENING WITH BARRY MASON

Saturday 10th October

Barry Mason songwriter and Farah Mitchell and Hester Thompson

Not many knew what to expect when they gamely agreed to buy tickets for this concert in the Civic promoted by Rupert The Mayor of Longridge Productions! Debbie Watsons' Uncle Barry is a prolific songwriter and gets out and about occasionally for charity and we had the good fortune to secure Barry and his mate Don Gould (of the Applejacks) to entertain about 130 of us in aid of my charities.

Farah and Hester had the honour of sharing his stage to perform for us and the St Cecililia's Catering and Hospitality GCSE course did a brilliant job with canapes before the performance and at half time.

Trudi and Craig Burgess of Clearwater Music were brilliant supplying the PA and also looking after the mixing during the gig. Special thanks to Trudi for looking after the girls too.

Many thanks to all and especially to concert sponsors Debbie Watson, Des Draper, Helen Cartmell of Serendipity Floral Design, Wm Houghton Funeral Directors. My gorgeous mayoress was brilliant as ever too and put up with my typical last minute decision making and massive ego on the night when I bounced around like Tigger lapping up the limelight! We made just over £1,000 on the night and had huge fun too.

   Farah, Lisa from OJs, Barry and Julie from OJs.

If anyone else has any photos I'd love to publish more on here!!!

Cricket club dinner

Saturday 3rd October

Two nights on the trot at Ferraris - this time with Katherine for the annual Cricket Club dinner and presentation night.

Another big feed before a very snappy and ennervating awards ceremony. It was brilliant to hear how the first team have flourished under the new skipper and club man of the year Vinny Wilkinson and it even made me wonder about turning up for a net or two this winter to see whether there is some cricket in me! Maybe I've enough to do at the moment although next summer what will I do with myself?

Some very interesting dancing after dinner which I left to the Mayoress while I caught up with some old faces and met a few new ones too. Well done all and thanks.

Birthday party

Friday 2nd October
Mrs Swarbrick was working so I headed off to Ferraris on my own as a guest of the PTFA at a dinner to celebrate the school's 50th birthday. Good fun evening but a little disappointing to learn that only three parents answered the call to get the PTFA cranked up again last February - come on folks - many hands make light work !!

Was a black tie job and the bling looked very good but I didn't take the camera although there were photos being taken as we arrived. Will have to visit http://www.carolineholden.co.uk/ and see if there is a gallery of photos of the night!

I was a good boy and didn't overdo the pop but did manage to eventually drag the lovely Jane Green headteacher onto the dance floor to start the dancing. For a perfoming artist Mrs G was very backward at coming forward and I don't think she really enjoyed the shimmer much!!