Kung Hei Fat Choy to you all. That is Chinese for happy new year. Joan and I joined Worcestershire Chinese Association for their new year celebrations at the Guildhall, and what an afternoon it was too. If you were in town on Sunday you would have heard the firecrackers to start the celebrations and seen the lion and dragon dances.

Irene Bartholomew and Frankie Tsang were excellent hosts. Incidentally, Melanie, Frankie’s wife, gave her first and very competent, public performance on a Zheng, a Chinese musical instrument.
A mayoral team in the annual pancake race outside the Guildhall came a very creditable… well, just let’s say we did not quite make the second round. The deputy mayor, Coun Stephen Inman, mayor’s officer Steve Baker and Paul Harding, a mace bearer, tried to ease us through but they did not run fast enough and left it all to me! Well, that’s my story! Good fun, though, was had by all and money raised will go to Rotary Club charities.
Incidentally, Paul Harding also runs Discover Worcester and with Helen, his girlfriend, they do conducted historical tours of the city in the evening. Joan and I were invited to the launch this week and learned quite a lot ourselves. For instance, did you know some of the bumps – not the speed type – in some of the main roads were once the line of the city defences? Give Paul a ring on 07949 222137.
Also this week, Joan and I were interviewed for the Worcester Talking Newspaper, distributed free of charge to the blind. The interviewer, Mike Nicolls, was a sergeant on my shift in the police. I hope the listeners do not have trouble with a North East accent.
On Saturday Joan and I attended the licensing service for Rev Fran Binding as she officially took up her duties as parish priest at Holy Trinity and St Matthew’s Church, Ronkswood, Worcester. Congratulations, Fran.
There were two funerals this week. Rod Staines, until last year a councillor, and Jacki Potts, a long-serving council officer. Both will be missed in their respective ways and we offer condolences to both families.
Must mention Davis Cunningham, John and Terry Bridges from Manor Park School. They came into the parlour with a gift of growing daffodils for Mrs Mayor. Thank you very much.