Tuesday 25th June – Another very busy day! Before my first engagement I went to Accrington Library to meet Year 2 from St. Peter’s C.E. Primary School. They were having a two-hour tour of the Library and had asked me along as their “adopted Governor”. I couldn’t stay for the full visit but I was very impressed by how the Library staff organised the tour, making it enjoyable for the children (7 year olds) but asking them to respect the needs of other users. We went first of all to the Local Studies section upstairs where two old Ordnance Survey maps of Accrington had been laid out on the tables along with some old black and white photos. One photo even showed a St. Peter’s School class in the 1890s! The school was of course located in Willows Lane until about the mid-1960s, where Wolstenholme Funeral Director’s is situated now. As a “golden oldie” I could identify with some of the photos, particularly the one of the Sunken Garden on Broadway with the “Odeon” cinema in the background. I remember this scene from about 1953 to 1955 when I used to go down Accrington every Saturday afternoon with my Mum & Dad & sister Kathleen. Auntie Dora, my Mum’s sister, lived in one of the little cottages on Union Street, on the side where Peacock’s is now. Some of the children remarked on a big photo of the Accrington Pals up on the wall. I’m sure schools will be teaching their pupils a lot about the First World Ward over the next few years as the centenary approaches. We then went downstairs where one of the Librarians taught the children a little song on his guitar – “This old man, he played one ...” Some of them knew it already, as did I from way back when I was their age! The Librarian then explained in a very clear and interesting way how the children’s books are arranged on the shelves, by surname of author or by colour code. He encouraged the children to come back with their parents or grandparents and sign up for a Library membership card. In another corner of the room we saw a young mum with a very young child in a buggy – he looked about 18 months old. She was letting him turn the pages of a children’s book. I remarked to one of the Librarians how good I thought this was. I told her that teachers at St. Peter’s School have explained how some of the children come into school at four years old without any knowledge of books at all. They don’t even know what a book is as a physical object and have to be shown which way up it is and how to turn pages. However, at St. Peter’s they soon become keen readers and have a large variety of books to choose from in the school library. Any children who need extra help, perhaps because English isn’t their first language, will receive one-to-one tuition to bring them up to standard. I was impressed with how courteous and well-behaved the children were in the Library, whilst at the same time enjoying themselves and finding out more about books. At 11 a.m. I had an engagement in the Arndale Centre where I had been invited by the Hyndburn Disability Forum to open the new Shopmobility Unit. The project has been a long time coming to fruition so I was pleased to see that the combined efforts of various organisations had brought about this much-needed facility. At Shopmobility, people can hire motorised scooters and wheelchairs, mainly to help them get around in Accrington Town Centre. For the last two years the service has been operating from Hyndburn Homewise but now has a central location right in the heart of Accrington’s main shopping area. There will also be a unit in the new Bus Station when it is built. Hyndburn & Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) have also been heavily involved, particularly on the fund-raising side. Sue Sinclair from Hyndburn Homewise introduced me and I performed the opening ceremony. Also present were Bernard Holden – Chair of Hyndburn Homewise; Peter Goodall from the Hyndburn Disability Forum; Dorothy Shears and Susan Seymour from CVS; Lee from Miller Care; Gareth Molineux – Disability Champion for Lancashire County Council; and Janet Ashworth – Community Champion for TESCO who had provided the refreshments for the occasion. Janet and I had been in touch several times but had never actually met. We have now arranged for me to visit TESCO on Friday 5th July, particularly in connection with their Food Bank project. Various photos were taken, including one or two of me sitting on a motorised scooter! From my own experience with my late elderly mother I know how important it is for people with disabilities to be able to access shops and other facilities in the town centre. Most people in this situation want to remain as independent as possible rather than relying on someone else to accompany them all the time. The shop won’t be open every day at present as more volunteers are needed. Next time you’re walking through the Arndale Centre, please look for Shopmobility – next door but one to Marks & Spencer. My evening engagement had been a worry to me since I agreed to do it! I was one of six speakers who were each giving a 15 minute presentation (without notes) at an event organised by Accrington Academy at the Dunkenhalgh. It was a TED event, TED being an international movement – I think founded in America – which aims to motivate people through inspirational talks. It is to do with self-belief and pushing beyond one’s comfort zone to achieve happiness and success. The event had been arranged by students from the Academy who were on duty as hosts and announcers. Admission to the event was by ticket and was open to Sixth Formers, parents and staff. The whole week is devoted to an Arts Festival at the Academy. We had a lovely meal in one of the restaurants where I had the opportunity to talk to the Principal, Mr. Andrew O’Brien, and the Chair of Governors. They are keen for the school to become fully involved and integrated within the Accrington community. The school buildings are in use from early morning to late evening, hosting a variety of classes and activities. I was the first speaker of the evening, for which I was grateful! I had chosen the title “When I’m 64” (Beatles song and my age last birthday). I told my life story which went from strong academic success as a student to a period of depression and uncertainty in my 20s, and my attempt since then to build up my life and career, culminating in becoming Mayor of Hyndburn recently! I stressed that in life we need to learn to cope with failure as well as success and that when things go wrong we must build on this and become a stronger person. The other speakers came from a variety of backgrounds – Rural Business Consultant, Architect, Musician, Youth Worker/Royal Navy Reserve, BAE Systems Training Partner, Lecturer in Politics & Religion. It all made for an interesting evening! I was glad I’d bitten the bullet and risen to the challenge, and I thank my Attendant Jayne for her support and encouragement. You never know what you can do till you try!
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:51:40 +0000
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