I remember my only other visit to Chateau Impney Hotel in 1977 – it is as bizarre now as it was then – a French Chateau on the edge of Droitwich. My return was for the West Midland Reserves and Cadets Association dinner. Brilliantly organised by Col Tim Weeks OBE and his team I had …
West Midland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Dinner Read More »
Not very well planned it must be said – I was at Buckingham Palace with Annabel and our son Jack, on the day that Prince Edward visited Adams Grammar in Shropshire. I gather HM Lord Lieutenant coped without me. We had a wonderful time on a lovely spring day and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Buckingham …
A gathering of 250-300 fire officers and their families attended the awards which were held at Severn Theatre. John Redmond, Chief Fire Officer, who bears a striking resemblance to Robbie Williams, gave a good speech, and Sir Algernon Heber-Percy HM Lord Lieutenant, Councillor Stuart West, and Councillor Chris Mellings handed out the awards. Six firefighters …
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service – Medal Ceremony Read More »
The Regina v Evans – a historic sex abuse case with His Honour Judge Barrie presiding. The defendant was accused of sexual abuse of his grand-daughters when they were little girls. Too young to be able to go through the court process, no charges had been brought at the time. Now, more than a decade …
This was a charity fund-raising match between Shrewsbury Legends and a team made up mainly of past and present players of Brockton Rovers. The charity – the Harry Johnson Trust – was set up by Sally and Stephen Johnson in July 2014 in memory of their son Harry. Through a range of projects, the trust offers …
The Mayor and Mayoress, Past Mayors, Aldermen, Mace and Sword Bearers, Magistrates, Freemen, Members of the Council, and the MP for Shrewsbury and his daughter, amongst others, assembled at Shrewsbury Castle at 9.30am before processing through the rather sleepy streets of Shrewsbury. The lively band got a few people out of bed and there were …
From the Garden Event to the Severn Hospice in Shrewsbury where I was met by Paul Cronin, Chief Executive, and former chair and new friend, Peter Paulson. They both gave me a considerable amount of time. What a wonderfully, light, calm and inspiring place it is and what an impressive operation it is. Two thirds …
My visit to the Red Cross Great Summer Garden Event didn’t start terribly well. Having left my wallet behind in the rush to leave the house they had to lend me £50 so that I had something to spend on some of the great things that were on sale. Debra Tritton, President of Herefordshire, Shropshire …
Since 1254 the High Sheriff has been the Returning Officer for their county (which is why at most counts the result is announced by the Acting Returning Officer as the Sheriff can’t be in more than one place at the same time). It was a huge privilege to be involved in the election and to …
In Shropshire, there are around 1000 people of working age, who face additional challenges, and who have been unemployed for ten years of more. Based in Telford, and sponsored by Telford-based TTC (who put on speed-awareness training courses), Wave-Length Social Marketing support people with mental health problems, learning difficulties, and those who are socially challenged, …
St Barnabas Community Church, Shrewsbury. With 200-300 people “meeting” at the church on a Sunday, St Barnabas’ is one of the most thriving churches in the county. Whilst the evangelical approach is very different from that of the liberal Anglican tradition in which I was brought up, one cannot but be impressed by the outreach …
Shropshire Army Cadet Force. Surely the ultimate youth club! Still well funded, the activities that cadets enjoy are remarkable, including abseiling, caving, kayaking, open canoeing, rock-climbing, mountain walking, skiing, mountaineering, diving and white-water rafting. I joined the Lord-Lieutenant at the Official Opening of the Church Stretton Detachment’s new Detachment Hut. There was some fabulous music …
Isolation and loneliness are particular problems for older men, who are often reluctant to go to day centres and can feel patronised by volunteer visitors. Consequently it was fascinating to meet with Tony Wilson to learn about the Men in Sheds movement across Shropshire. Groups of men come together to set up workshops where they …
Twelve months after the chair of my predecessor, Robert Bland, slipped off the stage sending him crashing to the floor, I bravely accepted an invitation to the Shropshire Borders Scout Annual St George’s Day Parade and Celebrations. The sun shone in Oswestry where two or three hundred Scouts paraded through the town supported by family …
Shropshire Borders Scout Annual St George’s Day Parade and Celebration Read More »
This afternoon I had the honour of presenting the Victim Support Milestone Awards to three fantastic volunteers at the Lord Hill Hotel. I very much enjoyed meeting them all and the large number of proud family members who came to share the occasion. The fabulous Claire Kirk has been a volunteer for over twenty years …
Annabel and I entertained three members of the Shrewsbury branch of the Samaritans to lunch. As a former Samaritan’s volunteer, I was able to catch up on developments and also to plan the summer fundraising party that I will be hosting on behalf of the charity.
This morning I appeared on the Jim Hawkins show with Ryan Kennedy standing in. It gave me the opportunity to talk about the role of High Sheriff and my plans for the year and “the opportunity and challenge of old age” – the theme for my shrieval year. I was able to talk about the …
I met of the Shropshire Rural Community Council including Julia Baron (Chief Executive), Diane Cuff (Head of Service, Family Carers and Community Well-Being), Daphne Simmons (Wise and Well Team Manager), Rachel Whitney (Development Officer Sight and Hearing Loss). I learnt more about their work to improve the quality of life in the county and strengthen …
I met with the Chief Constable of West Mercia Police, David Shaw and Superintendent David McWilliam at Monkmoor Police Station. Some 1500 people are reported missing in Shropshire each year, a significant proportion from the many care homes in the county that house vulnerable young people from across the UK. I learnt about the burden …
I attended the installation of Edward Mortimer Harley as High Sheriff of Herefordshire in the Shirehall Number One Court. One of many Harleys to have occupied the office, the first being John Harley in 1549!
