Thursday 7th November – Another “catching-up day” today – the lull before the storm starting tomorrow! The Mayoress and I had to go to the Mayor’s Parlour at Accrington Town Hall this morning so that our Secretary Rachel could take our photo for our official mayoral Christmas card. It will also be added to the “Rogues’ Gallery” along the corridor to the Parlour – photos of all Mayors, Mayoresses and Consorts since the Borough of Hyndburn was formed in 1974 from Accrington and the surrounding townships. Of course I had to be photographed in full ceremonial robes, which I shall also be wearing for the Remembrance Sunday commemorations at Accrington and Oswaldtwistle Cenotaphs. I sat down at the desk and felt like I could have been stepping back hundreds of years! A part of history! I caught the bus back to Ossy and decided to ride up to the “Black Dog” as I’d various matters to attend to. It’s easier to ride up to the top of Ossy and walk back down than having a hill to climb! I think they call this “old age”! First of all I went to look at the junction of Trinity Street and Union Road. At last night’s Area Council two residents had complained about the location of the two 20-minute parking bays near 1 Trinity Street, saying that they were too near the junction and that this was hazardous from an access and visibility point of view. As I was about to cross Union Road I bumped into an older resident from Melbourne Street who has expressed concern to me in the past about the state of the empty Chapel building. I was able to tell her that someone is trying to get planning permission to demolish it and build four houses there. I said I’d looked at the planning application online and that I felt it would make an improvement to the street scene. I promised to update her when I knew more. On to the cash till – money really does go nowhere! – and into the chemist’s to pick up my prescriptions. Then I called in on Rachel at “Garlands” florist’s to order my Advent Wreath for St. Paul’s Church. Advent Sunday is 1st December this year so I’ll need to get the Wreath on 30th November. Time flies! Rachel always makes a lovely Advent Wreath with evergreen foliage and the traditional four purple candles with the large white one in the middle. One of the purple ones is lit on each of the four Sundays of Advent and the large white one on Christmas Day to represent the birth of Jesus, “The Light of the World”. I bobbed into Tesco for one or two essential items and to buy a bottle of wine for a raffle prize. As I was crossing over to the Cenotaph I saw an elderly resident sitting on one of the benches so I went over and had a chat for a minute or two. Can’t get round Ossy without bumping into people I know! But to me that’s a bonus, the friendliness of a small town, especially here in good old Lancashire! In the evening I went with some political colleagues and friends for a meal at the “Park Inn” at the bottom of Manchester Road. They have a “Steak Night” during the week when two can eat for the price of one – a steak meal each and a bottle of wine to share. We took raffle prizes – hence the bottle of wine I’d just bought – and all bought tickets. We also had a game of “heads and tails”. We give a donation on top of the meal price too. In all these three ways we can raise a bit of money for our party funds to assist us in campaigning. We all have a good night out so it’s a painless way of contributing! Home at 11 p.m. and straight to bed – a hectic weekend lies ahead!
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 10:09:08 +0000