I WAS honoured to be elected as your Mayor for the forthcoming year. I am sure it will be a busy but exciting and interesting year and I hope to meet as many of you as possible at events in and around the town.
Last week I was extremely pleased to be asked to write to the Mayor of Malvern, Victoria, Australia. The friendship between our two towns’ dates back to Victorian times and the connection is George Bernard Shaw and a Mulberry Tree.
In 1936 Shaw planted a mulberry tree in the Winter Gardens, now Priory Park, to mark his 80th birthday. However at the turn of the century the tree was completely uprooted in a storm and it was thought that it was lost forever. With the help of the Friends of Malvern Springs and Wells it was discovered that in 1956 a cutting of the original tree had been sent to Malvern, Australia and was thriving. In 2009 six healthy cuttings were sent from Australia so that our town could once again have a memorial to Shaw.
This is a wonderful story and the sapling from the original mulberry tree now stands proudly near to the theatre in Priory Park where a commemorative plaque will be unveiled on 25th June by a representative from our Australian friends.
It is a lovely time of year and the town is ‘blooming’ nicely now that the flower beds are being planted out and the hanging baskets put up. The Malvern in Bloom team and the Operational staff at the Town Council are working hard to prepare for the regional ‘In Bloom’ competition that will be judged in July.
Last weekend the town celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday with a nostalgic Bands in the Park led by the Lydbrook Band.
The Town Council supplied free cups of tea and delicious cakes as well as giving out union jack flags and hats. It was an excellent repertoire of music from throughout The Queen’s reign and the large crowd enjoyed it immensely.
These weekly Sunday concerts attract many regulars and there is something quintessentially English about relaxing in the park and listening to a brass band.
Other than football the main topic of conversation this week will be the EU Referendum. It is difficult to know what to believe when listening to the media or even talking with friends.
Everyone seems to have a different opinion but whatever happens the most important thing is that we should all use our vote and not waste it.
