Hello once more,
I am coming to the end of my year as Mayor of the wonderful town. One thing I can assure you all is that Stowmarket is different, it is special. A wonderful, compassionate town.
I write this in the evening after spending some time this morning with over 100 good people of Stowmarket who joined with the community litter pick on the last day of the month. Thank you to all of you that turned out and it is always a joy to see the children coming along with their parents and enjoying themselves. It was damp and wet when we started today, but the weather cleared up and although I would not go so far as to say it was warm, it was at least dry. Well done to all involved. It is Keep Stowmarket Tidy Week! STC – Team up to clean up
Earlier this month Stowmarket Tennis Club invited me along to see their new solar panels, which the Town Council help fund and should help them keep the tennis club thriving for years to come. They have a beautiful location, a wonderful welcoming attitude to all, great facilities (especially their winter “dome” giving all year access to the courts) and most of all (so I am told) excellent cake.
I would also like to promote their walking tennis for those who perhaps can’t push their body into running about as much as they once could.
Also Tennis for mental health through “Sport In Mind”. Please go to their website at Stowmarket Tennis Club for all the details and make use of this gem.
I was also invited to visit Year 6 in Trinity Primary school for a cake sale to raise funds to support of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Their teacher – Mr Chauffour – is taking part in the “Marathon Des Sables” from April 3rd to the 13th. This is something incredible – a gruelling 156 mile ultra-marathon through a desert!
It was wonderful to see the class so supportive of their teacher, and their awareness of the cause he was raising funds for. What an extraordinary challenge, and what a role model. There is some information about him and the challenge – here EACH article where you can find a link to his just giving page as well.
Can I congratulate all of his pupils for their baked contributions and the £500 they raised. Inspiring all round.
Back to the theme of my mayoral year, culture, with the SODs once more (Stowmarket Operatic and Dramatic Society). They invited us along to their youth sections production of “Chicago”.
WOW
They were brilliant, some absolute top-notch talent here, really well presented but some beautiful and powerful singing with it. It blew me away with the sheer professionalism of it. Teenagers being brilliant!
Also this month we were really happy to be invited to the Stowmarket Chorales spring concert to mark 125 years of the group. This was held at the United Reform Church and I have to say that venue is great for these vocal performances. But for the second time in this blog – Wow, just wow. Our local chorale has an extremely high standard, let alone the soloists that came in as well. Honestly, a wonderful evening.
We are so lucky to have such a diversity of culture available t us in Stowmarket, and we have it for so long. The SODs and the Stowmarket Chorale are both over 100 years old now and that is special.
Sir Terry Waite is the President of Stowmarket Chorale and he made a short but pertinent speech at the end about the troubled times we live in, and harmony through the music we heard. I echo his thoughts.
I know it seems like all times are troubled and dark, and maybe more so now than perhaps a few years ago. This is one of the reasons I look to culture. Sometimes our cultural groups help us find ways to explore the world we live in and understand it better. More importantly these events where we can get together for fun and joy are a way of shining a bright light into the world. If might be music, cinema, plays, musicals, radio, literature – whatever it is, it doesn’t matter, if you enjoy it please support it – and indulge yourself.
