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24 February

Recovering from a knee op has restricted my movements this week.

However, we did enjoy ‘The Worst Wedding Ever’ that Wimborne Drama Productions presented at The Tivoli. It was packed and the audience evidently loved every minute.

We have been working hard to access sufficient prizes for the Auction of Promises which, I am delighted to say, will now be held at St Michael’s Middle School on March 19 at 7pm. We now have 38 prizes to bid for, including : a necklace worth £200; a yachting session; gold membership of Canford Sports Centre; kayak/canoe session for 3; cream tea at Aunt Fanny’s; two days’ beach hut on Bournemouth beach; golf round with a semi pro; camper van/camping experience; two dog walks; Middle Eastern meal cooked in your house; Vineyard tour and tasting; Sculpture by the lake tickets; Eight Arches tour and drinks; Wimborne Town FC tickets, drinks and meal; nail paintings; fishing at Dean’s Court; and yet more!

Catch us at The Wimborne Pig on Wednesday 26 Feb at 12.30 for a two-course lunch, jazz songs and a restaurant raffle! Contact Gary for tickets (01202 881655 or gary.mason@wimborne.gov.uk)

16 February

Roll up! Roll up! The Mayor’s Auction of Promises takes place on Wednesday 19 March at 7pm at the Town Hall chamber. We are seeking to raise even more funds for the Mayor’s charities – Victoria Hospital, Wimborne and Planet Wimborne. We have gathered 38 auction items and hope they all are sold at a good price. Prizes include: a necklace worth £200; a yachting session; gold membership of Canford Sports Centre; kayak/canoe session for 3; cream tea at Aunt Fanny’s; two days’ beach hut on Bournemouth beach; golf round with a semi pro; camper van/camping experience; two dog walks; Middle Eastern meal cooked in your house; Vineyard tour and tasting; Sculpture by the lake tickets; Eight Arches tour and drinks; Wimborne Town FC tickets, drinks and meal; nail paintings; fishing at Dean’s Court.

Entry to the auction is free and a welcome drink provided. See you there and also at the Mayor’s Lunch on 26 February at 12.30 at The Wimborne Pig.

9 February

Two big events on last Tuesday. in the early afternoon, a panel of 8 judges came to Wimborne to check out our application to become Dorset Town of Culture in 2026:  we took them on a magical, mystery tour in a minibus to the Leigh Park Community Centre, Walford Mill, the new estates and the restaurant Rosemary. At each venue, members of the Steering Group ‘popped up’ to inform the panel of the main points in our bid. They seemed very impressed that we had made a short film as a part of the application – here is a link to the film  – and that we had a set a high bar for the 3 other contenders. We wait and see. Also, on Tuesday, we had a School Council meeting in the Council Chamber: around 50 people attended;  24 were delegates from schools; we discussed what they would like from the Town of Culture if we were successful; safety in the Town; skills needed for School,  Council members.

Two Mayoral events coming up: on Feb 26, a lunch at the Wimborne Pig, with jazz; on March 19 at the Town Hall,  an Auction of Promises at 7pm – free drink on arrival and free entrance!

See you there

3 February

Had a great week, leading assemblies in local schools to talk about being Mayor and the Mayor’s charities. The school will have a non-uniform day when they will raise funds for the two charities. Had a range of questions from the pupils and staff: ‘How old are you?’; ‘How are you making a difference?’; ‘How much is your chain of office worth?’ I predict the schools will generate around £3000 for the Mayor’s Fund which is fantastic. Working with BID, we selected the professional artist who will install a mural in the underpass at Allenview car park. She is Kizzi Bennett who has installed several murals across Dorset. She will work with sixth formers from Beaucroft College who are very enthusiastic about this project. Full council on Tuesday covered many areas, including Youth Service provision, a  police update and the neighbourhood plan.