Friday 21st January 2011

It's been a quiet Christmas for the Mayor and Mayoress - but, though there weren't many engagements over the Festive period, it was still a profitable one for their charity.

The Mayoral Couple chatted to us about their memorable moments over Christmas and thanked the people of Chesterfield for their generosity. They also looked back on their months as Mayor and Mayoress and reflected on the journey so far.

Two memorable Christmas events stand out ones which raised a staggering £500 in 3 days. Firstly, an evening trip around Brampton with a carol singing choir, visiting pubs and cafe's (though I am assured that they remained sober throughout!!). Requests were taken for Carols and over £136.36 was given on the evening by revellers in the area. The Mayoress commented that, "It's amazing how many drunken young men want you to sing Away in a manger!"

Later that week a gift which was given to the recycling department by a partner company proved to be the gift that kept on giving after, due to rules which state that Town Hall employees can't accept gifts, two employees raffled the donated hamper (from John Lewis) off to employees. Carried around the Town Hall on a trolley, tickets sold for £1 a ticket and the sum of £350 was raised .

The last engagement was on Xmas Eve was a Carol Concert at the Spire.

Next came a chance to reflect on the Mayoral year so far. "The memorable things have been the unexpected things, going along to pathways and seeing how it's run, on a very small budget and you look at things like that, reflect on it and go to something similar and you realise how much volunteers do and contribute - not just in our town", said His Worship.

They told me they have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people during these times of hardship in their donations to the Charity Appeal is raising money for The Samaritans and Fairplay.

The Appeal is also raising the profile of these worthy causes and both the Mayor and Mayoress expressed their pride in this.

One of the personal highlights for the couple was the national Arboretum visit. His Worship told me, "We were privileged to go, it's a massive site - everyone should go, though every visit it changes. From the time you walk through the gate to the time you walk out it's moving. Every regiment and service is represented; you think to yourselves - why do we get involved in wars? You are really touched, very thought provoking".

There have also been lighthearted moments - one which sprung to mind was the 'sausage eating' competition, held during the Market Festival celebrations!

"One of the things we have also enjoyed is continuing the visits to the Parlour by the public. We have met so many interesting people, and finding out how much people love Chesterfield, the job is such a privilege", said The Mayor.

The Mayoral year so far has seen much economic development, particularly on the A61 corridor, with the new Tesco, B2 NET and the Casa Hotel. This development, along with the regeneration of the Donkins site, have brought jobs into the area and reinvigorated the town.

The Mayor reported that, "A recent survey had shown that 88% of people who live in the town think it's a good place to live and that, with data showing that occupancy of shops in the town is running at least 80%, there's a quiet confidence in the town that Chesterfield is managing to ride the storm of recession".

"We are", he added, "looking forward to the next 6 months."

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