MAYOR MAKING @ FULL COUNCIL 14th MAY 2012

14th MAY 2012 AT FULL COUNCIL BROUGH THE CURTAIN DOWN ON MY MAYORAL YEAR, AND COUNCILLOR KIETH ROBERTS HAS NOW TAKEN OVER AS MAYOR FOR 2012/13.

I would like to take a little time to say a big thank you to all of the people we have met when we have been invited to functions all over the area as well as far afield as from Portsmouth in the South to the far North of Scotland, we have also gone from the West Coast to the East Coast during our year in office, so a big thank you has to go to Robert our Mayors Officer who has always been there with us, his family for allowing us to take him away for such long periods of time and at all hours of the day. A big thank you to our Mayors secretary Carol who has managed to maintain my diary throughout the year so that my appointments and my Shropshire Council work fitted in together so well, to the girls in the office Suzi our media person, Hillery who has stood in for anyone who is off to ensure that the mayoral team kept going and to Rebecca who always had those many few minutes that I would always be asking of her to print stuff off or transfer data etc. Also last but not least a really big thank you to Helen our Town Clerk, who I have to say has really been my rod over the year as I always seem to be going into her office asking if I can do this or that and I would like to attend this or that. She has always come up with the advice and help I have needed, some of the ideas really took off such as asking people to step out of their comfort zone. But alas we did not get the sheep in the Quarry DEFRA had a hand in that although Helen did do her best but these ministry people always have the last word. well we will see.

I would like to really thank my right hand person Tricia, the Mayoress, my wife who many years ago said to me don’t you ever come home and say you are going to be Mayor as I will not be happy, (Tricia likes to work in the background as she did when delivering Meals on Wheels to people. she just gets on and does it without people really knowing). Well I have a good memory and I do listen, but Tricia has been a fantastic Mayoress and she has been there with me all along except for the odd bout of flu. Without Tricia I would not have been able to do what I did during my Mayoral Year.

I would like to let our children know that they no longer have to make appointments to visit us as we are home more often than we have over the past two years (we had one year as Deputy Mayor plus the Mayoral year). Also to thank Karina our daughter for helping with teas in the castle a few times. We will now look forward to some holidays with or Family and Grandchildren.

Below are just a few pictures of the new Mayor and myself on the night of Full Council where I handed over the Chain of Office to Cllr Kieth Roberts. I would like to wish him and the new Mayoress well over the next twelve months and hope that they get as much pleasure out of it as we both did last year.

We will both be out and about and we will continue to call in and see the many friends we made during our term in office. I will now set about working more within my ward of Monkmoor and will soon have a new blog up and running, so please keep coming back as I will still be posting more pictures etc from our time as Mayor as new pictures come in from various people.

Thank you from  Tricia & Tony

Above note the look on Helen the Town Clerks face when I said that I was only going to talk for a short time. No one who knows me thought I would be Brief, be Bold and then be Gone!

Above note Helens face as I do in fact talk for a very short time and here I am finishing off ready to sit down. This full Council Meeting must go down as the shortest one of all time as it was soon finished. Maybe I should of kept talking for half an hour or so!

Above the new Mayor presents me with a framed certificate showing when I was Mayor of Shrewsbury, it is now placed on our sideboard in pride of place.

I hope to have more pictures of the Mayor making/Full Council soon so please come back and have a look.

Also to follow soon will be the handing over of money to St Chads from our 100 Brass and Voices Concert.

Then there will be the Small Grants for Small Groups from the Mayors Charity Fund.

THANK YOU

 

 

Click on the the following link to go to the QDG Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.qdg.org.uk/index.php

 

 

 

Click on the following link to go to the Shrewsbury Town Council’s Web-site.   Thank you. http://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/shrewsburytowncouncil

 

Please click on the following link to take you to the Shropshire Live Web-Site. Thank you.                     http://www.shropshirelive.com/

 

 

Please click on the following link to go to the Shropshire Star Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.shropshirestar.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please click on the following link to go to the Shrewsbury NJ Web-site. Thank you: http://www.shrewsburyboro.com/

 

 

 

Click on the following link to go to the SHREWSBURY/ ZUTPHEN Twinning Web-site. Thank you. http://www.shrewsburyzutphentwinning.co.uk/live/welcome.asp?id=3506#page_content 

 

 Please click on the following link to go to the ZUTPHEN Holland web-site. Thank you.  http://www.zutphen.nl/

 

 

 

Please click on the following link to go to the KLAGENFURT Austria web-site. Thank you. http://www.klagenfurt.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

Please click on the following link to go to the CARPITERIA CAL USA    web-site. Thank you. http://www.carpinteria.ca.us/

 

 

 

 THANK YOU 

 

 

22nd MAY 2012 QDG’s NEED YOUR HELP NOW

THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL LINE TAKEN BY SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL OR ANY OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITY. THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW AND PLEA TO YOU. 

PLEASE HELP US SAVE THIS GREAT REGIMENT WITH A VERY LONG AND PROUD HISTORY 1st THE QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS.

The regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army. The regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps.

I would like to thank all of you who have responded to my plea made last week and I am now back again to say that many more MPs have joined our cause and are prepared to help, but and there is always a but we do need more MPs to join in this important fight to save the QDG’s from the AXE, so once again I make this plea on behalf of the regiment and those serving members as well as past members to contact your local MP and tell them that you want them to save the QDG’s.

You can do so by sending an e-mail or by phoning your local office and make the request. If you need help on what to say then please look at my blog by clicking on the heading below.

17th MAY 2012 HELP SAVE 1st THE QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS FROM MOD AXE

 Where you will find all the information that you should need to let your MP know what it is that you require them to do.

I understand that a meeting of Midland MPs is planned to discuss the way forward or as we like to call it the battle plan, but we do need more of the county behind us. The Scots Dragoon Guards are also under threat and it might be good for us all to join forces and have one united front. If you are living in our Prime Ministers constituency would you please contact him and ask him to become involved as he should be made aware of our concerns. Also anyone who lives in a constituency where you have a cabinet member then ask them to get involved and make them aware that this is becoming a Political Issue not a Military one, the MOD can make a suggestion on where an Axe can fall but it is up to our Members of Parliament to say leave the 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards and go back and think again. I am a politician and we have requested officers to think again when the public have let it be known they do not like what was being proposed. So it can work and that is why I am asking you to take just a few minutes of your busy day to help me to get as many MPs either on our side or at least know about our plea and be aware of what it would mean if we lost such a fine regiment with a very long and proud history.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, my plea and it does not matter how many people contact the same MP as it is then that they understand how important thia is.

 

Thank you 

Tony Durnell  (Twitter  - 666iceman)

Please click on the the following link to go to the QDG Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.qdg.org.uk/index.php

 

MAYORAL AWARDS EVENING 9th MAY 2012

9th MAY 2012 THE 2012 MAYORS AWARDS EVENING WAS HELD AT THE SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCILS GUILDHALL. THERE WAS OVER 200 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENING WHERE I HAD THE CHANCE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAD GONE THAT EXTRA STEP TO HELP THE COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS OF SHREWSBURY.

 

PKEASE ENJOY THE PICTORIAL BELOW THANK YOU:

 

I hope that you enjoyed the pictures and tell your friends about this page as all of those given awards are people from all walks of life doing that little bit extra to make Shrewsbury a better place to live, work and relax in.

THANK YOU

17th MAY 2012 HELP SAVE 1st THE QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS FROM MOD AXE

I WAS ASKED TO HELP SAVE THE QDGs FROM BEING AXED BY THE MOD.  BY A PAST OFFICER WHO KNEW OF MY LINKS WITH THE REGIMENT. I WOULD IN TURN LIKE TO ASK ALL OF YOU TO HELP US.  THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL LINE TAKEN BY SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL OR ANY OTHER AUTHORITY. THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW AND PLEA TO YOU. 

PLEASE HELP US SAVE THIS GREAT REGIMENT WITH A VERY LONG AND PROUD HISTORY 1st THE QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS.

The regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army. The regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps.

A MESSAGE  FROM THE COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT ON 14th MAY GOVENRMENT STATEMENT REGARDING THE REDUCTION IN ARMY NUMBERS AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE QDG

 

“The Secretary of State for Defence has now made his announcement regarding the Defence Budget, including confirmation that the Army will reduce to around 82,000. In the next few days and weeks recommendations will be made, and decisions taken as to how the Army is to achieve this. 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, the Welsh Cavalry, may well feature in some of these considerations. In view of this the Colonel of the Regiment wished me to pass on the attached note to you, to encourage you to use it, where appropriate, to help influence the debate, and to assure you that he is doing all he can to ensure that the right people understand and acknowledge the importance of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards to the United Kingdom, to Wales, and to the British Army.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW PLEASE TO SAVE QDG (NB we have to act this week)

 

1 E-MAIL YOUR MP TODAY

You and as many local friends as you can rally to help email your local MP. You must make put your address on it and make it clear you are their constituent. You don’t have to make it clear that you’re a QDG or ex-QDG just that you are just a local who’s hopping mad at this possibility of the QDG being axed. If you don’t know your MPs details please get them from the list shown at the bottom of this email (NB only those MPs for the QDG’s recruiting areas of Wales and the Border Counties are shown. If you live outside of this area a list of MP’s and their details is shown at http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

 

So please send an email of your own words but if you want something to cut and paste please use something like this:

if you live in Wales please try and get something like this into your email: I would like you ask you as my local MP to make it clear in the House of Commons and if possible to the Secretary of State for Defence, his PPS Claire Perry and best of all the Prime Minister that you do not want the Welsh Cavalry, 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) cut or amalgamated as it would just not be fair on Wales. Because if the QDG are axed, Wales will lose a third of its cap badged regiments down to just two whilst England will have just over 30! Plus the QDG are Wales’s only armoured regiment- So why don’t they take one from the English who have 8!  I would hope  the Government show responsibility in rejecting the Army’s criteria for making possible recommendations to axe regiments on the basis that their metric  only serves the narrow regimental interests of the military queueing system when the decision should be made for the greatest good in the National Interest! If this Govenrment allow the QDG to be axed it will be indicative that Westminster is just too lazy to bother overruling the military recommendations which threaten a further erosion of Wales’s Heritage.

If you live in  England where the Regiment recruits (Border Counties) please try and get something like this into your email: I would like you ask you as my local MP to make it clear in the House of Commons and if possible to the Secretary of State for Defence, his PPS Claire Perry and best of all the Prime Minister that you do not want the Welsh Cavalry, 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) cut or amalgamated as it would just not be fair on this county as it is one of only two regiments associated with it and is an employer in the constituency. Also I understand stress there is a potential happy solution where cap badges can be saved in the RAC merging the two remaining Royal Tank Regiments (and they should not be too unhappy as their regiment will survive) which in turn would enable the only Welsh and Scots (QDG and RSDG) to survive which has got to be the best solution for the Union as a patriotic Briton.

If you live outside of  the QDG recruiting area please try and get something like this into your email: I would like you ask you as my local MP to make it clear in the House of Commons and if possible to the Secretary of State for Defence, his PPS Claire Perry and best of all the Prime Minister that you do not want the Welsh Cavalry, 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) cut or amalgamated as it will damage the Union of Great Britain.. Also I understand stress there is a potential happy solution where cap badges can be saved in the RAC merging the two remaining Royal Tank Regiments (and they should not be too unhappy as their regiment will survive) which in turn would enable the only Welsh and Scots (QDG and RSDG) to survive which has got to be the best solution for the Union as a patriotic Briton.

2  AND THEN RING YOUR MP AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A CHAT WITH HIM/HER

Please ring  the number show below for your MP (or if you live outside the recruiting area look it up on the weblink. http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/  and ask to make an appointment to speak to him/her. Ask your MP if they have read you email and ask them directly whether they will step up and lobby for the QDG THIS WEEK or it will be too late.

 

PLEASE GET THE WORD OUT THROUGH TWITTER, FACEBOOK BY WORD OF MOUTH, ASK THE PRESS IF THEY KNOW RE TWEET THE MESSAGE AND LINK THEM BACK TO THIS SITE SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT DO IT NOW AS WE DO NOT HAVE TIME ON OUR SIDE.

We have got some of our MPs putting forward a question in the House of Commons Today David Davis MP and our own Shropshire MPs are trying on our behalf, but we need more to pressure the MOD and the Government not to Axe the QDGs.

THANK YOU

WE CAN DO THIS

 

14th MAY 2012 END OF MY MAYORAL YEAR

TODAY AT 18.00hrs AT THE SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL FULL COUNCIL MEETING I HANDED OVER THE MAYORAL CHAIN AND OFFICE TO MY DEPUTY FOR THE PAST YEAR AND RETIRED TO THE BENCHES AS A COUNCILLOR AND NOW A PAST MAYOR.

The Full Council was held at Theatre Severn where the Deputy Mayor was voted in as the new Mayor of Shrewsbury. I handed over the chain of office to him and my wife Tricia handed over the chain of the Mayoress to the new Mayoress.

We were given a certificate of office as well as a lovely pair of wine glasses with Mayor 2011/12 written on one and Mayoress 2011/12 on the other we received our past Mayor and Mayoress badges and Tricia was given some lovely flowers. Before the parade to the theatre whilst we were in the Mayors Parlour the team presented us with a framed picture of us both taken during our carrage ride from the Quarry to Attingham Park last Summer, and all of the staff had written very kind words of thanks around the mounted sides. I for once was lost for words. That picture now takes pride of place in our dinning room.

I would like to say a big thank you to all of the team at Shrewsbury Town Council, to all of the residents of our great town for making our year so special. I would like to say thank you to the businesses who have helped us with many of my requests such as arranging Mini Mayor visits etc. A big thank you to all of you who gave gifts for our raffles that helped make money towards our Small Grants for Small Groups Mayoral Fund. We raised over £4,000 so we can all be proud of Shrewsbury as you have all joined the team to make this year so spaecial for Tricia and Myself. Thank you.

I will keep a blog going as soon as I have something to write about, but first we are going to chill for a couple of days.

Once again thank you all for making our Mayoral year so special.

TONY & TRICIA DURNELL

 

Click on the following link to go to the Shrewsbury Town Council’s Web-site.   Thank you. http://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/shrewsburytowncouncil

Please click on the following link to take you to the Shropshire Live Web-Site. Thank you.                     http://www.shropshirelive.com/

 

THANK YOU

 

13th MAY 2012 JUST TWO ENGAGEMENTS TODAY MY LAST BEFORE MY MAYORAL YEAR ENDS

FINAL ENGAGEMENTS OF THE YEAR BEFORE MY MAYORAL YEAR ENDS TOMORROW AT FULL COUNCIL

BRIDGNORTH CIVIC SERVICE

Today I went down the A458 to Bridgnorth to attend the New Mayor of Bridgnorths Civic Servic held at St Mary’s Church High Town.

The parade went through the streets from the Town Hall to the Church where the service was held. It was well attended by the Mayors from other towns as well as the Chairman of Shropshire Council. After the service there was a reception for all the guests but I had to elave as I had to travel to my nxt engagement in the North of the County.

 

MARKET DRAYTON ROYAL BRITISH LEGION PARADE THROUGH THE TOWN

This afternoon I attended the Royal British Legion Parade in Market Drayton, my last official engagement of my Mayoral Year. So this parade will be even more special than ever. As always the parade was led by pipes and drums and the Newport Volunteers were also out in force. The Vice Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire took the salute and there were many mayors also on show, some who I had only just left in Bridgnorth earlier on. So the Chain Gang today covered some miles through Shropshire.

After the parade that ended at the RBL Social Club the RBL put on a fantastic spread as they always do and it turned into a lovely social event, I was able to catch up with people I had not seen in a while and at the same time make new friends. Please click on the following link to go the RBL Shropshire Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/counties/shropshire/

 It was strange leaving Market Drayton knowing that I had just finished my last Mayoral engagement of my Mayoral year and that I had attended over 500 engagements in twelve months. It did not seem like a year had past, yet I know I was tired and the journey home was a relaxing time.

 

Click on the following link to go to the Shrewsbury Town Council’s Web-site.   Thank you. http://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/shrewsburytowncouncil

Please click on the following link to take you to the Shropshire Live Web-Site. Thank you.                     http://www.shropshirelive.com/

 

Please click on the following link to go to the Shropshire Star Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.shropshirestar.com/

 

 

Please click on the following link to go to the Shrewsbury NJ Web-site. Thank you: http://www.shrewsburyboro.com/

 

Click on the following link to go to the SHREWSBURY/ ZUTPHEN Twinning Web-site. Thank you. http://www.shrewsburyzutphentwinning.co.uk/live/welcome.asp?id=3506#page_content 

 Please click on the following link to go to the ZUTPHEN Holland web-site. Thank you.  http://www.zutphen.nl/

 

Please click on the following link to go to the KLAGENFURT Austria web-site. Thank you.

 http://www.klagenfurt.co.uk/

 

Please click on the following link to go to the CARPITERIA CAL USA    web-site. Thank you.

 http://www.carpinteria.ca.us/

 

 THANK YOU 

 

12th MAY 2012 THREE ENGAGEMENTS TODAY

TODAY I AM BACK AT THE GREENHOUSE MEADOW THEN OFF TO ATTINGHAM PARK AND FINALLY TO THE WEST MID SHOW GROUND.

SHROPSHIRE SCHOOLS & COLLEGES FA PRIMARY SCHOOLS FINALS @ THE GREENHOUS MEADOW

My first engagement of the day was at 10.00 at the Greenhous Meadow to hand out the awards to the finalists of the Shropshire Primary Schools Finals. The games were really hard fought and full of action, end to end stuff with some real quality play involved.

The way it is done means that there is a constant stream of teams entering the ground whilst another group leave, meaning that the crowd is mainly made up of those teams playing or about to play, meaning less boredom for the youngsters by haning around, it works really well. Below is a pictorial of the mornings event. I hope you enjoy.

It was noticed that the shield was first presented in 1922, so Liz as ex head of Childrens and Young Peoples Services decided it was time for maths and asked  How old is this shield if it was made in 1922. That caused some really tough thinking time and some answers that made one smile. but they got it in the end with a little help.

The thing that made us all smile was the fact that this very large shield, the largest in this competition is awasrded to the youngest and smallest of children, wait till you see the trophy awarded to the larger age group, you will see the funny side then like we all did.

Here I am awarding the trophy to the winning team, note size of the trophy being held between me and the player. The trophy I have to say was very nice indeed, showing size is not everything, the second lesson of the day.

At the end as I was about to leave it was my turn to be given something for attending these finals two years on the trot. I was presented with an official SSCFA tie. Yep you will see me wearing itat various times and places. Thank you.  Please click on the following link to take you to the SSCFA Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.sscfa.co.uk/about/

 

APPOINTMENT @ ATTINGHAM PARK WITH SOME RAINBOWS

I arrived at Attingham Park to a sea of Red White and Blue, as the Rainbows where having their 25th Birthday party within the grounds, there were games, sports and all manor of things going on and I have to say that the grown ups were having just as good a time as the young Rainbows were. I also had a great time. Below is a short pictorial of my time spent with them.

The first group I met were the Rainbows from the Monkmoor area of Shrewsbury, my own Ward and where I live.

Above this group are writing letters to the Queen wishing her well on her Diamond Jubalee.

In the two pictures above there are small balls placed in the centre of the sheet called the fleas, the sheet is the dog, then half of the Rainbows in the group shake the sheet up and down to throw off the balls (Fleas) the other half of the group of Rainbows have to collect them and throw them back on. I tried it and i was soonr eady to walk away tired, as I think I must not be very fit.

It was soon time for me to make a move as I had another engagement to attend. I had a great time there were groups of Rainbows from all over the County including Telford and Wrekin. Please click on the following link to go to their Web-Site. Thank you; http://www.shropshireguiding.org.uk/

 

AN EVENING WITH THE SCOUTS AT THE WEST MID SHOW GROUND

This evening I attended a meeting of the Scouts who had come together at the West Mids Show Ground to open a facility for their activities on the river. The facility was in memory of a Scout Master who was called Andy Miles. Andy had been on a Scouting trip when he had a heart attack and died and this faciltiy has been dedicated to him and is called The Andy Miles Centre. His family were there as was the High Sheriff of Shropshire, many Myaors and Deputy Mayors from all over the County. Senior officers from all three services attended showing how much Andy Miles was thought of. Below are a few photos taken on the night.

Please click on the following link to go to their Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.shropshirescouts.org.uk/

 

Click on the following link to go to the Shrewsbury Town Council’s Web-site.   Thank you. http://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/shrewsburytowncouncil

Please click on the following link to take you to the Shropshire Live Web-Site. Thank you.                     http://www.shropshirelive.com/

 

Please click on the following link to go to the Shropshire Star Web-Site. Thank you: http://www.shropshirestar.com/

 

 

 THANK YOU