Councillor Linda Johnson and I are patrons of the New Paths Festival which is a festival of mostly classical and jazz music held in Beverley and nearby venues. We were glad to be able to attend the Spring 2024 festival.
My first event was a free morning concert ‘Breakfast with Bach’ at the venerable St Mary’s Church in Beverley. Violinist Fenella Humphreys played a wonderful rendition of ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor’ and ‘Partita in E major’.
Next I attended a talk by Dame Gillian Weir the celebrated organist. She talked of how she became established as an organist and how the performance of classical music has changed over the many years she has been a performer.
Dame Gillian was very critical of pop music. Evidently a lot of the audience agreed.
Well I love pop, rock, dance, disco electronic and ambient music and I am sticking with that. I also like jazz and classical when the mood takes me.
Next was an organ contest at Beverley Minster, judged by Dame Gillian herself. All the contestants were excellent and we agreed it must have been difficult to choose a winner.
Friday evening saw us in St Mary’s again for a performance of Ian Venables’ ‘Portraits of a Mind’, Bartok’s 3rd string quartet and several other pieces. The musicianship was fine and the performances set very well in the fine surroundings of the church.
After a break the final performance of the night was by Christian Forshaw and Grace Davidson, performing ‘Sanctuary’, which is seen as a contemporary masterpiece.
My day at the festival was marvellous and a I could see that a lot of preparation had gone into it.
A somewhat rainy walk of witness for this year’s Easter.
Walk of Witness in Beverley Easter 2024
The town centre was quite lively with many shops open. Alas the English weather struck and many of us listening to the readings at the Market Criss got soaked!
Nevertheless it was nice to see this Christian event honoured. It is a part of our shared heritage.
I was recently privileged to attend Beverley Armed Forces Day at Leconfield Army Base. As usual the event was filled with fascination for the whole family.
Since my late father was in the Royal Navy for many years, I always feel a sense of nostalgia at Armed Forces Day. I am reminded of many visits to Navy, Air Force and Army museums as a child.
Linda and I had a chance to discuss various things with the policemen at the police stand.
There were various vehicles used by the Army on display.
Some of the Army’s specialist vehicles
The unfortunate situation in Ukraine has shown that we may need our Army one day to protect us against unpredictable actors in an unpredictable world.
Jeeps, Land Rovers and other assorted vehicles
Several times I have visited Leconfield Army Base and I have always been impressed by the friendliness and openness of the personnel I met. This day was no different.
I am proud to have been re-elected for another 4 years in the Minster South Ward of Beverley Town Council. The Liberal Democrats took complete control of the council, which I think is unprecedented in its recent history as Beverley Borough then Beverley Town.
We fought off a somewhat vindictive campaign against us, mentioning no names, to convince the people of Beverley that we are on the right track with the new Beverley Town Hall project. The vote was a vindication of our good stewardship of the council and the great events we put on for the local people.
In my time as a Beverley Town Council from my election in July 2022 to the May 2023 election here is what I and we achieved:
organised a successful Jubilee event for Queen Elizabeth II which now, in the light of her passing, looks poignant. We said goodbye to a lady who was close to all of our hearts and the only monarch most of us had ever known.
helped to organise and participated in an event to create some new Freemen and Freewomen of Beverley – all local citizens who had made a difference to the community
participated in a successful event to celebrate the proclamation of the new monarch, King Charles III.
enabled more people than ever to grow food in their allotments
displayed some good innovative Christmas decorations which most people liked
supported as many local arts events as I could
voted to continue with our partnership grants to key local organisations such as Beverley Rugby Club, the Cherry Tree Centre and many more
contributed ideas to the exciting project to build a new town hall for Beverley from the old St John’s Ambulance building – this is ongoing and we are planning the next stage
voted to maintain the council’s 2023 – 2024 precept – i.e. the council’s annual budget – at the same level as 2022 – 2023. This was because we know that many people are struggling so we wanted to keep their costs down from Beverley Town Council.
Abolished the annual allowance for Beverley Town Councillors in order to save some more money
contributed my ideas to a lot more projects to support local people
Thankyou for voting for me again – I will continue to look out for your best interests at Beverly Town Council.
I was re-elected to Beverley Town Council in the May 2023 local elections. A big thankyou to all those who voted for me.
I also ran as a candidate for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, in the Cottingham North ward, and with my colleague Phil Redshaw we fought a positive campaign for the Liberal Democrats.
One of many leaflets during the May 2023 campaign in North Cottingham
The campaign was very hard work involving the delivery of many thousands of leaflets. Sometimes I walked for more than 10miles.
Delivering campaign leaflets is very hard work.
Campaign placards
It became clear that my not resigning in Cottingham was an issue for many people, though I tried to persuade them that I could and would fight for a fair deal for all East Riding communities.
Cottingham North – a mixed ward
There were many differing areas of the Cottingham North Ward with disparities of income and points of view. As liberal Democrats we try to listen to everyone. No one’s voice is more entitled to be heard than anyone else.
Myself delivering some last minute leaflets
Here I am delivering some last-minute polling day leaflets on the Poppy Fields housing estate in Cottingham North.
And so it came to polling day. Here I am in my rosette at the leisure centre in Haltemprice, waiting nervously for the result.
Cottingham North result May 2023
In the end I lost – i.e. came third – by 13 votes. That’s politics. My colleague Phil Redshaw and Duke, the Labour candidate, were the two elected councillors for Cottingham North.
My result – lost by 13 votes
However I was successful in being elected to Beverley Town Council, and I will continue to be part of the Lib Dem team in Beverley making a difference!
On 4th February I was privileged to attend a concert by the Royal Marines Band. They played a splendid set of popular and stirring pieces.
Royal Marines Band at Hull Minster
On 19th February I attended the annual pancake race in Beverley which was a fun filled family event.
Mayor and I with others at the Beverley Pancake Race 2023
On 23rd February I attended a pub quiz at the Dog and Duck Beverley to raise funds for a local guide dogs training organisation. We raised quite a lot of money and a good time was had by all.
25th February saw me continuing my support for Fair Trade in East Yorkshire, by attending an event at Toll Gavel Church in Beverley. Fair Trade is alive and well in East Yorkshire despite the financial woes of the Traidcraft company which supplies many local outlets. I was heartened to see that the Co Op hopes to step in and help to continue the fair trade network’s good work.
I also attended a small event and bought some raffle tickets to help to raise some money for the Turkey Earthquake Appeal which is trying to help the beleaguered people affected by the terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Helping to support Ali Tekce’s Turkish Earthquake Appeal
The Mayor of Beverley at the annual Beverley Pasture Masters election. Of course the Mayor drank the orange juice, as did I.
On 1st March the Mayor and I attended the election of the Beverley Pasture Masters, a traditional event held every year in Beverley GuildHall. It was a fascinating ritual to observe and several tourists were also there to see the proceedings.
On 2nd March we saw the Awards Night of the Mayor of Beverley where many local people received awards for their selfless dedication to community. The evening was very well produced and attended, and featured the talents of local actor Gordon Meredith and musicians.
Beverley Mayor’s awards Night compered by Gordon Meredith
Beverley Mayor’s Awards Presentations
On 5th March I attended the High Sheriff’s Judicial Service event at Beverley Minster. Traditional dress prevailed at the event!
The High Sherriff’s Judicial Service at Beverley Minster
Myself, the Mayor of Beverley and several representatives of the Beverley ‘Two Churches One Town’ project at the screening of the promotional film for the organisation.
On 23rd March myself and the Mayor of Beverley attended the screening of the promotional film for the Beverley ‘Two Churches, One Town’ project. This project seeks to raise funds for the upkeep of the two great parish churches in Beverley – St Mary’s and the Minster. Many millions of pounds are needed to maintain these churches and the message of the film was that we cannot take these great churches for granted. If we do not look after them they might not be open to future generations.
There were more civic services and in particular the services at Hedon and Hull were very memorable. I always enjoy visiting the small but beautiful Hedon Town Hall or the large and impressive Hull City Hall.
Civic leaders including the Mayor of Beverley and myself at the Hull Guildhall.
The holders of civic positions usually change every year so there is a certain pleasure in attending these events and a certain poignancy in that many of the people in the picture above we may not meet again. The meal at the Hull Guildhall was excellent as usual.
The Mayor of Beverley and I enjoy the annual civic dinner at Hull Guildhall.
The Beverley Civic Service 2023
The last event of the civic year was Beverley’s own civic service. It was held in Beverley Minster and we were able to show off this marvellous historic church.
The Mayor of Beverley and I enjoy our last civic event in May 2023
And so we reach the end of the civic calendar for 2023. I hope you have enjoyed my blog post. Remember most towns in the East Riding only host one civic service and dinner event each year, so it is not as if we are spending huge amounts of money on these events. They provide an opportunity for elected representatives to network and discuss common problems and solutions, and for elected representatives to meet religious and business leaders.
I am signing off now from local civic life, as Linda has stood down from the position of Mayor, as is customary after a year or two in the job.
On Saturday May 6th King Charles III was crowned as the new King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
Like many millions of people around the world I watched the crowning of the new king on television. The following Monday 8th May saw the Mayor of Beverley and I attend the event in Beverley Minster which was organised by the Minster, local charities, East Riding Council and Beverley Town Council.
The minister welcomes the public to the Beverley Minster coronation event
Everyone I talked to said that the event was splendid and that they thoroughly enjoyed it.
The guide dogs charity stall at the Coronation event
Local charities said the event provided an opportunity to network. There were charity stalls for guide dog training, Beverley in bloom, refugee organisations, music organisations, East Riding Theatre, Beverley Barge Preservation Society and many others.
Musicians play at Beverley Minster during the celebratory event for the coronation of King Charles III
Many community and young musicians played at the event including the local schools music ensembles, the Beverley Male Voice Choir, and the local Ukulele group.
Beverley Minster was decorated with union jacks for the coronation event
Beverley Minster looked particularly beautiful decorated with union jacks for the event.
Local eateries such as Cole’s Kitchen provided food for visitors – including the Prince George lunchbox!
The event was a family event and food was provided for visitors to enjoy.
I stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate in the May 2023 local elections in the Cottingham North ward of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Me at the local election count on Friday 5th May 2023 at Haltemprice Leisure Centre.
For quite a while myself and fellow Liberal Democrat Phil Redshaw were in the lead as the polling station boxes were emptied and the votes counted.
Alas it soon became clear that a Labour candidate, Alex Duke, was pulling ahead of me. In the end he won by 13 votes. That’s politics. He was a nice chap so after the result was formally declared I congratulated him and left.
On the plus side I was successful in being re-elected to Beverley Town Council. So I look forward to delivering some good things for the residents of Beverley.
My activities over the past few months, since the proclamation of the new King, are detailed here.
On 6th October we had the visit of our friends from the German town of Lemgo, who represented our longstanding twinning arrangements with this historic town. The local fire brigade and police put on displays for the visitors.
The local fire and police services gave a fine display for ur visiting German guests.
Police dogs showed us how they can search and find contraband.
Police and fire brigade sniffer dogs
There was then a display of the capabilities of the latest drones used by both fire and police services. These are not the drones used by hobbyists! They can stay in the air for over an hour, carry securely networked surveillance cameras, and can hover in the same place even adjusting for wind currents.
Police and fire service drones
On 8th October the Mayor and I attended the internal Army annual competition held at Leconfield Army base. In this event units of the Army compete in such activities as military vehicle and helicopter recognition, and endurance events. Here are the Mayor and I after presenting some awards to winning competitors in one of the events.
The Mayor and I after presenting awards to winners in an Army inter-unit event
In November we had the annual Remembrance Day event where we all pay our respects to those who gave their lives to fight for our freedoms.
Remembrance Day display in Beverley Minster
The Mayor laid a reef at the cenotaph at St Mary’s Church.
The Mayor of Beverley views the reefs laid in Beverley for Remembrance Day
A less sombre day came in December when the Mayor and I attended the Beverley Festival of Christmas, which is now emerging from lockdowns as the vibrant and fun-packed day it has always been.
The Mayor of Beverley and actors from the East Riding pantomime
At the very end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 the Mayor and I attended the ringing in of 2023 in the bell tower of Beverley Minster.
The bell ringers at Beverley Minster ring in 2023!
Medieval graffiti in Beverley Minster
As we ascended then descended the spiral staircase at Beverley Minster I noticed several examples of Graffiti including this one from 1696.
Finally on 28th January The Mayor and I attended the Breakfast Club’s Burns Night dinner in honour of the Scottish poet and the founders of the veterans’ Breakfast CLubs which have now been founded all around the world. These organisations assist veterans in their adjustment to civilian life and its challenges.
The Mayor of Beverley and Consort at the Burns Night dinner. held by the Veterans’ Breakfast Club of Beverley
So these have been my activities over the past few months as a Beverley Town Councillor and Consort of the Mayor of Beverley.
As the Consort of the Mayor of Beverley I was privileged to be invited to the concert given by the band of HM Royal Marines, Collingwood. Both the Mayor and myself enjoyed the concert, and it showed how much musical talent there is in the Armed Forces bands.
A fine performance by the Royal Marines band
The whole evening was pleasant and included a visit to Hull Minster’s new cafe, which is well worth a visit and serves its own brand of fresh coffee!
I was recently privileged to be invited, in my capacity as Mayor of Beverley’s consort, to the Proclamation of King Charles III in Hull. There was a procession of Hull and East Riding civic dignitaries from the GuildHall to the square in front of Hull City Hall followed by speeches from the balcony of the City Hall by the Lord Lieutenant of East Yorkshire and the High Sheriff of East Yorkshire. The once in a lifetime nature of the Royal proclamation and the favourable sunny weather made for a pleasant and fascinating event for the many hundreds of spectators who attended.
Mayor of Beverley and myself on the balcony at Hull City Hall
After the event the civic guests enjoyed tea, coffee or orange juice in the City Hall and then in most cases journeyed to other proclamation events in the region.
Me trying on a hat in the Mayor’s dressing room in the Hull Guildhall.
Linda and I hurried back to Beverley to take part in the procession of civic guests from Beverley GuildHall to the Saturday Market Cross. There again the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff proclaimed the accession of King Charles III.
From left to right the leader of East Riding Council, The High Sheriff, Lord Lieutenant, Mayor of Beverley and bagpipe player. Beverley Saturday Market 11th September 2022.
So we enter a new era with a new King and coincidentally a new Prime Minister. Wherever Britain goes from here, we are all breaking new ground. The international tectonic plates of geopolitics and economics are shifting. Technologies such as artificial intelligence are set to transform life and society. Resources such as food, minerals, energy and even water are starting to become scarce. Climate change, whether we choose to deny it or prepare for it, will start to hit us head on.
Charles III and his new Prime Minister will have a lot to think about.
On Saturday 23rd July I had quite a busy day accompanying the Mayor of Beverley to a couple of events.
At the Wyke Police Open Day was a collection of real and replica guns, some of which had been seized by police during various operations.
First we were lucky to be invited to attend the Police Open Day at Melton, near North Ferriby. We chatted to a number of officers about their work including firearms officers. These highly trained officers showed us a collection of guns, some real, some replica, some illicit which had come into their possession over the years.
The very pleasant Snaith Civic Service
After the Police Open Day we were lucky to attend the Snaith Civic Service and a lunch afterwards. We learned a lot about Snaith, which was once a very important medieval centre for church administration and an RAF base during the Second World War. The link to the RAF was apparent with several former and serving officers present at the service.
Snaith Priory itself is something of a gem; one of the oldest churches in the region with Saxon remnants remaining here and there. There is some good stained glass too; most of it Victorian but some fragments surviving from the middle ages.
A tasty selection of sandwiches and a cream tea, Snaith style.
Overall the Mayor and Myself returned to Beverley much the wiser about the small but attractive town of Snaith and its people.
This weekend I was privileged to be able to volunteer for the Beverley Puppet Festival and as on previous occasions found the event to be marvellously entertaining for just about everyone.
Councillor Johnson volunteers at the Beverley Puppet Festival
I spent a relaxed afternoon as the box office attendant at one of the venues, and managed to sell a few tickets once I had got the portable checkout device connected to the Wi-Fi.
Giant squid terrorises Beverley
As well as Beverley town centre being terrorised by a giant squid there were also giraffes and huge spiders!
Musical birds
A bee eating bird makes a rare appearance in Beverley!
Giant bird in Flemingate, Beverley
A silver gilded emu at Flemingate, Beverley.
Hedgehog puppet show
At East Riding Theatre was a show about a lonely hedgehog which yearned for a hug. As the story unfolded the hedgehog met foes, owls, rats and a turtle!
Line of flamingos
A flock of sustainable non-polluting flamingos could also be seen!
I am a veteran of classic car rallies and have seen many at Beverley in the over twenty years I have lived here.
As the mayor’s consort it was a pleasure to help to judge the 2022 rally, and see the mayor pick a favourite car. I cannot tell you what the criteria were but no one could argue with the car chosen.
Myself besides a fine vintage car in Beverley Saturday Market in June 2022
