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!!

Worlds Largest Coffee Morning

Friday 25th September

Macmillan Cancer Support hosted the worlds biggest coffee morning on Friday. Well Little Town Dairy at Longridge hosted a coffee morning whilst at the same time all over the country there were others doing the same thing!

The rain stayed off but the sun resolutely refused to shine and so whilst it remained dry it wasn't that pleasant but I got to open the job surrounded by a harem of ladies in green T shirts like the one Sue "Sunday Times Administrator of the Year 1995" Wharton is modelling here.

I had just done a drawing of Santa coached by artist Christopher Perkins but my version wasn't a patch on Anthony -just call me Rolf - Cowell. Well done to all the other stall holders too - I hope you had a good day and obviously a massive thanks to anyone who came and bought coffee. The hosts, Little Town never cease to impress me with their interaction with the community which is of course brilliant marketing and a big thanks to them also.

So how much was the event worth? Sue the organiser, rightly very proud, tells me that they raised a magnificent £1,500. BRAVO!!  

NEW BUSINESS FOR LONGRIDGE

4th September
I get a real buzz out of business success. At the moment that has to happen courtesy of other peoples triumphs but at least as mayor I can hang onto coat tails a little and help celebrate new business coming to Longridge.

The Mayor and his hair was pleased to do the honours for Ludlow and Co Financial Advisors (but please don't actually cut the tape!!) and in this picture is seen standing upright (despite the photographers best endeavours) between David Hardman - that'll be the bloke on the left of the picture, and Sarah Lees -that's the blonde one on the right. David and Sarah are directors of the new business that has formed as a result of their merger with Chris Dewhurst Financial Planning.

Longridge is buzzing at the moment and our market town competition is looking on with envy. We have plenty to offer and are proud of the Business group which has set out its' stall to promote the town as a place to do business. Check out http://www.longridgeonline.com/ and see for yourself !!

First Mayors Charities Coffee morning

THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER
There is a stalwart of self support in Longridge - actually there are loads but one immediately springs to mind when talking about coffee at the Civic Hall. My first nursery teacher Pam Cliff just can't stay away from the place on a Thursday and loads of Mayors in the past and I hope a load in the future benefit from Pams generous offer to run two or three coffee mornings for the benefit of the Mayors Charities.
3rd September suddenly appeared on the horizon and Swarbs was caught a bit napping really and hadn't organised enough cakes for the cake stall but with the collusion of Crossroads and his family he managed to scrape together a raffle table that just about held its own.

It was a quiet market that day but Crossroads came and I think interacted with a few potential clients and the Mayor hung about not really knowing what to do - there were so many capable ladies (and one very brave young man!) and pictured above are just three of the gang who helped raise a very respectable lump for the kitty. Special thanks to my lovely neighbour Mary Seed and her buddy Margaret Farmer for helping out too - and I won't MAKE you join the gym ladies...!! 

the next mayoral coffee morning is 26th November - raffle prizes, cakes and pie contributions gratefully received....07779 572663 or rupertswarbrick@uwclub.net

OJs End of Summer bash

Friday 28th August

After a little lull in Mayoral duties I found myself getting more involved in this party than originally anticipated.

OJ's (http://www.ojscare.com/) end of summer celebration was scheduled for 28th August and the weather did its' best to scupper the outdoor part of the Fun Day. So the night before I agreed to lend our party tent and on the morning of the event we set up a refuge from the impending torrential rain. Naturally during the party itself it remained dry and it was only when the extremely efficient team and I were taking it down did it rain and we got wet!

So after scooting off home and making myself look a bit more like a Mayor I re- arrived at Hillside School to find our local bobby, Paul Worsick, supervising a load of small people pretending to be the police in his van with the blues and twos activated and making a right racket!

Next to them was a climbing wall - highlights being Mr and Mrs Donoghue racing and the girls in purple gassing instead of climbing!

Indoors Leaping Liz struggled to compete with little Paddy karaoke king but no one seemed to mind and the parents were still talking about the magician an hour after he'd left!

I make no secret of my admiration of this charity and the team that Lisa has pulled together to provide such a valuable service for families with autistic children - congratulations to you all.

Clitheroe Mayors Proms Concert

Saturday 8th August

The weather stayed fine and the Clitheroe Town Band together with the Ribble Valley Choir entertained a big crowd in the Clitheroe Castle grounds.

The chain gang were out in force and it was good to catch up with some familiar faces as well as some new ones!

Thanks to Mary and the Clitheroe Town Council with special mention to flag seller extrodinaire red white and blue man Alan Yearing for tireless endeavours flogging dodgy Union Flag hats for the sing song bit at the end.

And a thanks too to Messrs Knagg and Shuttleworth for the photos...as is often the case at the moment I left the house without the camera even though it was right next to the car keys!!

100 yrs of Houghtons

Saturday 1st August

Bill and Nick Houghton hosted a small gathering at their interesting building opposite St Lawrence's Church in Longridge where I unveiled the new date staone that had been refurbished to commemorate Houghtons hundred years of funeral directors.

Some of the Longridge Partnership Heritage Committee joined the party and we risked becoming new clients of the hosrs when the Longridge News phototgrapher asked us to stand in the middle of Lower Lane for a pic!

This pic was taken from the safety of the pavement on the other side of the road which is why you can't see very much and illustrates why newspapers prefer their own photographer to be there!!