Newport Pagnell Mayors Chair
have just re-read my last offering. How Iboring! One thing recently that was far from boring, was my latest Tea Party.
Held this time in Portfields Community
Centre . Janine and Sharon from our council office had prepared lots of cakes, ready for the invited residents to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. Tables and chairs were set out with fancy tablecloths , serviettes , cake stands and crockery to match ; a lovely sight to greet people as they arrived . As this is a social gathering where you can just sit and chat , or have a moan or two about anything, we decided to have a couple of councillors along to help with the listening. This worked well as Yvonne and I were free to be social , whilst the councillors could get stuck in with providing the answers that I couldn't. But don't think that this is just a question and answer session, its prime function is as a social gathering . I think it worked well and i'm looking forward to the next one, which will be held soon in the Green Park Community Centre. So if you live in the Green Park area, look out to see if you get an invitation in the post. See how we squirm when asked an awkward question . That's worth coming for in itself!
As an honorary member of Newport Pagnell
Rotary Club, I was asked to enter a team of swimmers to take part in their annual Swimathon . This is split into two sessions between Newport Pagnell and Stantonbury pools. When I asked my fellow councillors for volunteers , they all stepped back leaving just me out front! I am a very poor swimmer , but I could not ask people to do something that I would not do myself. Cllr. Ian Carman's wife, Mary Rose , volunteered without being asked, for which I am most grateful, and Paul and Mandy Dale with whom I used to work, also agreed to swim. An added bonus was that we were to have Doreen Adcock with us. Doreen was recently awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to swimming . On a couple of evenings before the swim day, I went to the pool to see how well I could or could not swim. It was awful! By the end of the second session , I managed just the one length without stopping! On the day itself, it went better than I had hoped. Our team managed over 100 lengths of the pool between us and we raised some money for charity, which is the whole reason for the event. One part that was a bit unreal, was me standing in just a pair of swim shorts, wearing the Mayor 's chain , blowing the starting whistle before hopping into the pool.
I took the chain off before getting in, as I did not want to sink to the bottom. Two weeks later and I find myself at Stantonbury for the second half of the Swimathon . These teams are serious swimmers taking no prisoners! They just plough up and down in their bid to log up the highest number of lengths. Well done to them! I hope that some serious cash comes the way of the local charities, because it has been hard earned.
I am ashamed to say that until this year, I have not been to see the Olney Pancake Race. Earning a living somehow got intheway,butnowIamretired,sono more excuses. Luckily , an invitation from Stephen Clark, Olney 's Mayor, winged its way to Newport . Shrove Tuesday dawned bright and clear, with the promise of a nice day . After tea , biscuits and a chat to the dignitaries and celebrity guest, it was outside to see the children's races. We all had a turn at starting a race and it was wonderful to see the little ones aged four and upwards, wearing aprons and running with their frying pans and pancakes . Next it was into the Church Hall for tea and pancakes before the main race took place. We all walked to the finish line outside of the Parish Church. What I did not expect to see was hi-tech
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