What a Royal Jubilee in Beverley!

Beverley celebrated the 70th year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in some style on Friday 3rd June 2022.

Beverley Town Council appointed a professional events organiser to put on a series of events with something for everyone. I am proud, as a councillor, to have helped to oversee the organisation of the event.

First on Thursday evening there was an excellent service at St Mary’s Church, followed by a procession to light the ceremonial beacon in Coronation Gardens.

The Beverley Mace Bearer and Mayor at the beacon lighting ceremony.
Myself and the Mayor at the beacon ceremony at Coronation Gardens Beverley

Then on the Friday a series of events which we designed to appeal to as many people as possible – everything from a Lady Ga-Ga tribute to the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. There was even Buddy Holly to start with in the independently organised Flemingate events.

Buddy Holly takes to the stage!

Security and general wellbeing of visitors were taken care of by a professional events company.

The Beverley Jubilee event was supervised by professional events management staff

Of course no British event would be complete without a Hurricane/Spitfire flypast and we got a lone Hurricane on this occasion.

A customary RAF Hurricane flypast over Beverley

There were some strange goings on during the Jubilee Party. Not least knights in shining armour riding on unicycles, shouting C-H-A-R-G-E. I kid you not.

Knights in shining armour on unicycles.

I’ve signed up for another year as Mayor’s Consort

This role involves walking one step behind the Mayor of Beverley, making polite conversation and smiling! A civic tradition!

2022 Mayor making ceremony at Beverley GuildHall.

During the past year when I was also Mayor’s Consort I was privileged to meet some wonderful people who serve in civic roles around the East Riding of Yorkshire. Their commitment to community it truly an inspiration to us all.

Anti-Social Behaviour in Beverley

As next year’s elections appear on the horizon, the Conservative councillors in Beverley are no longer invisible and are concerned about anti-social behaviour, which has got out of control on their watch. Since the Conservatives closed the local youth clubs, they could be held as somewhat culpable in this unfortunate deterioration.

It was also through the diligent efforts of local Lib Dems, in highlighting the possible closure of the local boxing club, that it was eventually saved. Thus young folk have another outlet to let off steam.

Beverley Town Council’s Lib Dems are also leading the refurbishment of the Beverley Skate Park, to give teenagers somewhere to let off steam harmlessly.

The Tories could have invited members of Beverley Town Council to their Anti-Social Behaviour meeting but we were left out in the cold, despite having attended a meeting on Anti-Social Behaviour in St Nicholas Hall a few weeks ago.

Hopefully there will be a team effort on Anti-Social Behaviour between all the relevant organisations, but I am less hopeful than I was. I also fear than any progress made will only be as far as the local elections in 2023, then the situation will be allowed to deteriorate for another 4 years.

Here is a link to the somewhat exclusive meeting organised by our Conservative MP and his Beverley councillors, well except the one who is still in disgrace.

https://www.grahamstuart.com/news/beverley-and-holderness-mp-chairs-public-meeting-about-anti-social-behaviour-beverley

Beverley1300 – celebrating St John of Beverley

It was my pleasure to be involved in the celebrations of the 1300th anniversary of the death of St John of Beverley whose patronage made Beverley the town it became in medieval times right through to today.

Beverley1300 mini-festival sees the planting of an oak tree in the grounds of Beverley Minster
Beverley1300 mini-festival sees the planting of an oak tree in the grounds of Beverley Minster

As part of the mini-festival an oak tree will be planted in the grounds of Beverley Minster. Here the Vicar of Beverley Minster and the Mayor of Beverley pose with the oak sapling.

Bertie the Beaver
Bertie the Beaver and the Mayor of Beverley outside Beverley Minster

Saturday also saw the appearance of Bertie the Beaver who greeted children across the town and brought a smile to many faces.

Bertie the Beaver of Beverley
Here myself and the mayor with Bertie in the Beverley Guild Hall

I myself met Bertie in the Beverley Guid Hall as you can see!

East Riding Theatre reopens for business and entertainment

As the COVID pandemic recedes – hopefully for good – the entertainment sector begins to open up.

The Johnson government was particularly harsh on entertainers during the pandemic and even as millions went to the chumocracy around Johnson’s ministers many professional entertainers were left with little or nothing to live on.

So it is nice to see East Riding Theatre in Beverley beginning to stage entertainment events again. I recently attended the premiere of Graham Fellows new film – he is the man perhaps better known as John Shuttleworth.

My wife and I sponsor East Riding Theatre and are frequent attendees at its excellent shows and concerts.

My wife and I sponsor East Riding Theatre

Anti-social behaviour on pedestrian railway bridge near Flemingate

Pedestrian footbridge over railway near Flemingate

A few people have contacted me about the disgraceful behaviour of a small minority on the pedestrian footbridge over the railway line near Flemingate and Friars Walk.

It seems that in some cases the bridge is being used as a public toilet. This is obviously bad for the people in nearby housing and those who regularly use the bridge.

Graffiti defaced the bridge

I have raised this via councillors Healy and Johnson on East Riding of Yorkshire Council and we did get a response from the council’s anti social behaviour officers.

It seems that an officer of the council did inspect the bridge in early August and found no evidence of the anti social behaviour, though the council has entered into a dialogue with Network Rail about the bridge and how to prevent future recurrences of the said behaviour.

I will post any new developments to this page.

Liberal Democrats win in Beverley Minster South

The Liberal Democrat candidate Graham Johnson won the Beverley Minster South by-election by a good margin on 22nd July 2021.

Number of votes were:

Graham Johnson – Liberal Democrat – 527 votes

Elaine Aird – Conservative – 260 votes

Ron Laden – Independent – 124 votes

Me second from left celebrating our victory in the Beverley Minster South by-election.
Lib Dems and the Conservative candidate exchange friendly greetings after the election
I had a fan on a block of flats in Beverley

Discarded plastic leaves an unsightly mess in Beverley drainage ditch

Recently I noticed unsightly waste in a drainage ditch at the junction of Hull Road and Fight Road in the Minster South ward of Beverley.

An unsightly mess of discarded waste bags and plastic bottles
Discarded plastic bag full of waste.
Yet more discarded waste

Not only is this waste a health hazard to humans and wildlife, but it also degrades this very pleasant neighbourhood.

Discarded masks an unpleasant side effect of the COVID crisis

I took this photo of a discarded COVID mask near the Minster. I have noticed dozens of masks discarded in Beverley over the pas few months. Quite apart from being disappointed that some people would just throw their masks away, there are issues of hygiene and unsightliness from this.

I would urge everyone to dispose of their used COVID masks in proper waste disposal bins, thus not creating a problem for everyone else.

Discarded COVID masks

Labour Parish Councillor for Beverley Minster South resigns suddenly leaving local voters unrepresented

The elected Labour councillor for Beverley Minster South made an accusation, deemed to be unfounded, at a recent Beverley Town Council video meeting and was asked to leave the meeting. Soon afterwards she abruptly resigned from the council and left her voters unrepresented in the planning and management of town affairs.

This sudden resignation necessitated that in Beverley Minster South a local by-election would likely need to be called, which is a time consuming and expensive event for the town council, especially while councillors work hard to help the town recover from the COVID pandemic. In order for there to be an election there needs to be ten people, resident in the ward, who want a by-election. Ironically local Labour Party members feature in the list of twelve people who have petitioned for the by-election, which the resignation of their councillor has brought about!

The Liberal Democrats intend to put up a candidate – Graham Johnson – for the ward by-election and local residents can rest assured that if they elect Graham they will not suddenly be left without representation. They will get a hard working councillor who puts their needs first.