Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

From the Evesham Journal

A LEADING councillor who battled for community services has died after a short battle with cancer.

  Councillor Anna Mackison was waste and contracted services chief at Wychavon District Council where she had served since her election in May 2003. She was 64. George Mackison, her husband of 44 years, said: “We were all immensely proud of what she did.” Always forthright, Coun Mackison touched colleagues in her final days by saying goodbye, despite being seriously ill, at a senior leadership team meeting at the civic centre in Pershore last week.
Her background was farming and she helped many constituents after the floods of 2007 with her “hands-on” approach. As waste and recycling chief she introduced wheelie bins to Wychavon and steered  the merger of the county’s regulatory services departments.
She was chairman of Elmley Castle, Bricklehampton and Netherton village hall committee – having led the fund-raising campaign to have a new hall built – and represented the ward, where she had  lived for 30 years, as district councillor.
She found time to be a director of charities and had her own jewellery-making business. Mr Mackison said his wife – “the boss” – always found time for constituents and had a passion for public  service and “getting it right”.
“She never shouted and always took advice and did her research when she didn’t know the answer. She cared for the community, that drove her on.”
He praised the NHS district, Macmillan and St Richard’s Hospice nursing teams for their help in the last days. Days before her death at home on Friday, March 18, she was still answering  constituents’ phonecalls.
Jack Hegarty, district council managing director, said she was “brilliant to work with, always made time for the staff and was always striving to do the very best for the people she represented.”She is survived by her husband, children April and Philip and four grandchildren.

]]> http://andydyke.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/funeral-of-cllr-anna-mackison/feed/ 0 andrewdyke Anna Mackison0 Anna Mackison1 Anna Mackison 001 http://andydyke.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/chain-gang-catch-up/ http://andydyke.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/chain-gang-catch-up/#comments Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:22:31 +0000 Andrew Dyke http://andydyke.wordpress.com/?p=4359 ]]> Chain Gang Catch Up

Wendy and I have made a pact! Each week we visit a different pub in Wychavon District for lunch. During our year, we have made many friends and occasionally some us get together for a catch up. Today we had luncheon at The Crown, Wychbold, Droitwich

L-R Malcolm Hall (Redditch), me, Derek Killingworth (Bewdley), Wendy, Meriel Scurrell, Chris Scurrell (Bromsgrove) and Howard Martin (Kidderminster) 

Great to see everyone again, and a very good value meal at just £57 plus drinks for all of us. 
( It’s a Two 4 One pub)
www.crownpubdroitwich.co.uk

During my chairman’s year, I received a very special donation from Blackprince Holidays. A weeks holiday on a narrowboat. Such wonderful support for my charities deserved to be made the most of and the holiday was auctioned during my Gala Evening. The eventual winner was Mike and Barbara Morgan, Mike was then Vice Chairman of Malvern Hills District Council. Mike is now chairman of MHDC. Now, none of the Morgan clan had any experience of narrowboats, locks, canal’s etc, so Wendy and I offered to show them the ropes with a trip on our own narrowboat Lord Toulouse.

At about 10.45am we leave Tewkesbury

through the narrow and low road bridge.

Sailing is a popular pastime on the Avon.

There is plenty going on in the fields and lots of wildlife all around.

Mike takes a turn at steering and daughter stays out of the wind.

The Morgan family enjoying a spot of lunch in the picnic area at Eckington.

The weather was cool, sunny, cloudy, windy and views across the countryside were lovely. Bredon Tower can be seen at the top of Bredon Hill in the very distance.

Time for lock instruction,

followed by a turn on the tiller for Barbara.

Finally, we gently rise in Pershore Lock.

A well earned glass of the fizzy stuff for all concerned at the moorings in Pershore. Smashing trip, thanks for your company. I know you will enjoy your holiday on the Llangollen canal.

I am no longer chairman of Wychavon District Council, however, I am still a councilor and I am an Evesham Town Councillor. I am here today, representing Evesham Town Council and supporting the New Mayor at his civic service. Tradition dictates that the service takes place , on the first available Sunday following Mayormaking. This year the Mayor’s chaplain is The Reverend Barry Collins, Vicar of St Peter’s, Bengeworth, Evesham.

Having met at Evesham Town Hall,  we line up ready to process. Macebearers lead the Mayor, dignitaries and civic guests.

New Chairman of Wychavon District Council on the far left, with consort, husband Maurice.

Cllr Jim Bulman, Mayor of Evesham, reads the lesson,

followed by Evesham Volunteer Centre Manager, Helen Gray.
There were also contributions from local school’s and an excellent sermon by Barry Collins.

After the service, all attending were invited to tea and cakes.
A lovely service.

Wendy and I attended this meeting at the invitation of outgoing chairman Cllr Chris Scurrell. Wychavon District Council were officially represented by new Vice Chairman Cllr Tony Miller and his consort wife, Catherine.

Bromsgrove Council Offices

Cllr Scurrell in the chair as nominations are made for chairman.

Elected unopposed is Vice chairman, Cllr Mrs June Griffiths of Alvechurch.
Click Here


Cllr Griffiths then takes her seat in the chair and continues with the meeting. 

Following the meeting, Cllr Mrs Griffiths hosted a reception, which included a very detailed talk from the local fundraising coordinator for Help for Hero’s, which is the chairman’s supported charity for 2010/11 

Cllr. Andy Dyke – outgoing Chairman with Cllr. Linda Robinson – incoming Chairman.
Cllr Linda Robinson was elected as Chairman of Wychavon District Council for 2010/2011 with her husband Mr Maurice Robinson supporting her as Consort.
The Chairman’s charities this year will be Riding for the Disabled, Worcestershire Federation of Young Farmers and Kington and Dormston Seniors Club.
Outgoing Chairman Cllr. Andrew Dyke said “It is with great sadness that Wendy and I hand in the Chairman’s chain and that my year in office has come to an end, but I wish Linda all the best with her coming year. I hope she enjoys it as much as I have.”
Cllr Linda Robinson, Chairman of Wychavon said “As the member for Upton Snodsbury I feel I will bring a new rural aspect to the role of Chairman and I will be honoured to serve and work hard in this capacity. I’m very much looking forward to representing the council as Chairman and look forward to doing much work for my chosen charities.”
Vice Chairman for this year is Cllr Tony Miller. Cllr. Linda Robinson will be keeping the Chairman’s blog running which has been so popular in the past year.

So here we are then. The final, final event. Although it’s not an event or function as such. This is annual council where the chairman gets his marching orders and a new one voted in. Usually I would spend the day preparing for the meeting, however once I have taken the vote, if one is needed, for the new chairman, I go to my seat on the back benches. So, not much preparation for me to do. We do have a rehearsal for this meeting only and a briefing. The briefing takes place before every meeting and is vital for the smooth running of the meeting. Anyway, here is what I said at tonight’s meeting. 

Good Evening, You will recall at our last meeting I announced Caroline would be unable to be with us tonight. We are however indebted to the Reverend Brian Holliday, who will lead us in prayer tonight.
———————————————–
In the last couple of weeks, I have had the pleasure of opening the Leisure centre in Evesham, we had a very successful Chairman’s golf day, raising almost £750 for my supported charities, we spent a lovely few hours at St Richards Day in Droitwich, I was presented with a letter of appreciation and friendship from the people of Uzda in Belarus, we have had 2 excellent leaving doo’s, we attended Evesham Mayormaking last night and only this morning Wendy and I had a very interesting visit to Cllr Rob Adams ward.
I know it’s a cliché but I really do not understand how the last 12 months have flown by. I made a fairly detailed appraisal of my chairman’s year at the end of term doo last Friday and do not intend to repeat all of it, it is on the blog if you really want to read it, however I would briefly like to refer to my remarks and aspirations last year at this time. Last year I said my theme for the year would be business. I think I can say the lunches were successful and I have helped in a small way to promote Wychavon as an area where businesses can come and thrive, due to our geographical location, excellent transport, workforce  and technology links. I would like to thank Chris Brooks and his team for all their help with putting the Business Lunches together. I also said I wanted to highlight community involvement and political inclusion. Wendy and I have without doubt given greater publicity to many, many community projects and every one have given us enormous pleasure. The political inclusion thought, is still in it’s early stages locally but seems to have been taken literally by the whole country. Time will tell how that will work out. Perhaps we should change our constitution, so that the chairman can resign, but still stay on.
With regret my ward visits did not reach 100%, missing by 3.
Fundraising for my supported charities was much better than expected and we raised a total of £7600. I have been truly amazed by the generosity of companies and individuals, who gave prizes, donations and time. There are far too many to go into tonight but I do thank them all very much. 
We have had some sad occasions, and on your behalf I attended the funerals of 2 serving councillors during my year, Cllr Graham Gopsill and Cllr Ron Cartwright.
And now to a few thank you’s. Karen Peters and Mandy Ladds have been absolutely brilliant in making sure Wendy and I have been fully briefed and in the right place at the right time. Geoff Carpenter, who organised the chairman’s golf day so expertly. The girls in the graphics team who have done some brilliant designs for our functions and the print room for getting it all done on time. There are a number of officers, at all levels, that have helped along the way and I hope you will all accept a combined thank you. Wendy and I really do appreciate all the assistance, we have been given.
You will see from your agenda that this year I am making a specific presentation to my consort Cllr Mrs Wendy Dyke. I wanted this year to officially record my, and the councils appreciation, for everything Wendy has done, this last 12 months. Those of you who have been Chairman will know, that the role is a partnership, it’s teamwork and it is important that chairman and consort attend functions together, to be supportive together, and afterwards to analyse, to see how we can be more effective and how we can learn for other’s efforts. Of course all this is made much easier when you sleep with the person involved. So I am delighted this year to present a brooch, from the council, to my consort Cllr Mrs Wendy Dyke.
In conclusion, thank you for the opportunity, thank you for putting your trust in Wendy and me. We really have had a most memorable and unique experience.
And finally, the blog, It’s been a great success and I am delighted to say is carrying on. Last year, to kick it off, I took some pictures in this very room. To finish, I would like to do the same…..Smile please.

Thank you

You can see the papers relating to this meeting,
Click Here

Invited by Cllr Rob Adams, whose ward this facility falls within, our visit here today is part of the ward visit program and my very last official function.  I have been to a very similar facility before but it is always interesting to see exactly what happens after all that rubbish sorting at home. The pictures below give a flavor.

 The main administration block. The business end of the operation is behind this building.

Our visit, coincided with a visit from Norton-Juxta-Kempsey Parish Council members.

The lorry in this picture is going to Holland. Recycled plastic from here is sent all over the world.

These are all different plastic types.

Thanks Rob, a fascinating in site into recycling.
For a little video of how it all works, Click Here and leave your sound on

For the past 11 years I have been a part of this meeting as an Evesham town Councillor. In 2004 I was the one being made Mayor. This year, Wendy and I attended to represent Wychavon District Council.

Mayor of Evesham, Cllr Alan Booth, opened the meeting.

and makes some presentations. Here, Fred Kaler receives the Mayor of Evesham Citizenship Award.

Cllr Robbie Raphael gives a vote of thanks to the mayor for all his work during the last 3 years.

The mayor sums up his time as Mayor. I remember very well this speech, the last in a mayoral year, can be quite emotional.

It is then time to propose the next Mayor. Councillor John Smith OBE proposes Deputy Mayor, Cllr Jim Bullman

and after a short break to robe, Cllr Bullman takes the oath of office. Cllr Alan Booth, seen here on the left, takes his place with the other councillors.

The meeting is then adjourned for 7 days and the councillor’s leave the room. Evesham Poet Mike Edwards, entertains while the councillors de robe.

Mayor of Evesham 2010/11 Cllr Jim Bullman and Consort, Mrs Pat Bullman

During the evening a new Deputy Mayor is also elected. Cllr Gerry O’Donnell is seen her with wife and consort Jenny.

There is a reception following the meeting and Alan Booth is presented with an appreciation award from the British Legion.
Well done Alan, you have done a superb job in the last 3 years.