Marlborough Town Council
Mayor's September blog
The Council continues its round of meetings throughout the whole year with Councillors and staff trying to fit their holidays in around meetings that often require whole council participation.
As an example, we have recently had yet another pre-planning consultation meeting about the Crown Estate land in Salisbury Road which proposes the building of over two hundred new homes. Meetings like these involve negotiations between Town Councillors, Wiltshire Councils Planners and the Developers and will often result in different opinions being expressed. In contrast, there will be similar meetings where all parties are mainly in agreement. The proposed new Tennis Club on the same site as the Golf Club comes to mind. This club has been looking for a permanent home for many years. It has a full complement of children eager to participate in the sport and has many adult participants who teach the children while enjoying the sport themselves. We have great hopes that their ambitions are finally going to be achieved. The club will certainly be a welcome addition to the many other sporting facilities in the town.
On the 29th August it was a great pleasure to be invited to County Hall as Marlborough's Mayor to support three of our residents who were presented with the Russian Ushakov Medal. Russia awarded these medals to servicemen who took part in the Arctic Convoys over seventy years ago during the Second World War.
On the 30th August I presented cups at the Marlborough Gardening Association’s Annual Show. The produce there had to be seen to be believed with onions as large as melons, carrots as long as your arms and a marrow that was so heavy and large that I failed to lift it. All sorts of crafts from sewing, painting and cake making were also on show and I was just amazed at the talent present in our small town.
On the 9th September I attended a joint ecumenical civic service to commemorate the start of the First World War. The names of the fallen from Marlborough were read out and a candle lit for each one. It was a very touching and fitting memorial.
On the 16th of September I was privileged to be asked to present medals in the Town Hall to nine servicemen and women from 4 Military Intelligence Battalion while their families and loved ones looked on. Most medals were awarded for tours in Afghanistan and long service. There were not many dry eyes when these gallant young men and women's commendations were read out and their medals presented.
The 18th September saw the committee of the Marlborough in Bloom and a contingent of Councillors and Council staff attending the awards for South West in Bloom. This was a day long event held in Trowbridge and as this was the first time that Marlborough had entered this competition we did not have great expectations. But wonder upon wonder we won no less than three cups and five certificates, a wonderful day and one I will remember with affection for a long time to come.
The next day I welcomed Jeff and Sandra Sewell from our sister council in Marlborough New Zealand into the Council Chamber where the Council had a meaningful discussion on strengthening links between our two communities.
On Saturday 27th September I attended with the MP, Claire Perry a presentation of a certificate for Marlborough Independent Trader of the year which was awarded to The Cats Whiskers shop in Kingsbury Street. Later in the day I joined the opening of the new shop Sea Salt in the High Street and joined the sea shanty singers out on the pavement, all very lively and jolly. On Sunday, I opened the Charity Fun Day held on behalf of British Heart Foundation in the Recreation ground. This had been put on by a young man called Tom Pound who has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for this charity and I believe Tom deserves our heartiest congratulations for all his efforts. My husband Stewart and I then dashed away to London to welcome our new granddaughter Theadora born the day before on Saturday to number two son Nicholas and his wife Arabella.
Monday the 29th September saw Stewart and I at the launch of the new mobile chemotherapy unit in the Great Western Hospital. This amazing new unit will visit Marlborough once a week to administer treatment to cancer suffers and eliminate the long and often uncomfortable journeys these patients have had to endure in the past. The new unit can treat up to four patients every two hours on a two patients to one staff ratio which I am sure will add to the confidence and the comfort for patients when many are feeling very low.
A quick reminder that the Duke of Kent will be in Marlborough on the 27th October at 11.30pm to unveil a plaque to the fallen of World War One. Do please pop down to greet him, apparently he likes to mix with and talk to the people of the towns he visits.