Kibblestone and a load of Scouts

I have to admit i had never heard of Kibblestone and also knew very little about the Scouts (I was a member of a different uniformed organisation for boys the Boys Brigade) so I was a little unsure as to what to expect when I received an invite to their Born Survivor weekend. Just add that i was only there for a few hours.

So the site is just outside stone and had 1200 scouts from the age of 10 upwards taking part in a number of activities and camping there for the weekend. There was loads to do an well organised ration of activities some of which seemed to be just fun whilst others were of great learning value and sharing of skills which can be seen on TV practised by the head scouts Bear Grylls (top bloke check him out on google or discovery channels).
 I ran into a group of scouts from Tamworth just at the point they had finished a team building exercise which included building a shelter, lighting a fire with a flint and making a cup of tea on it. I did miss the cup of tea however got a full description of what it was like from on of the scouts, apparently she didn't like it as it was like warm milk and a bit weak.
This was done just up the hill from an area where scouts were gutting and cooking trout on open fires, great life skills and new horizons, one of the leaders mentioned that a number of scouts started off saying they didn't like fish but once they had prepared and cooked it they nearly all ate it.
Away from the main site across the road there were yet more activities in the trees including a fantastic yet little scary set of apparatus for scouts to climb either racing each other or using teamwork and communication skills, for me these looked scary and high let alone to a 10 year old but they just take it in their stride.

How high is that.

These activities along with live music, inflatables, activities on Trentham lakes made for a fantastic event for the youngsters of Tamworth and Staffordshire.

Scouting along with other organised youth groups provide some fantastic life skills and a sense of belonging and worth in the world as well as fun, they do a great job and should be recognised.



Shakespeare in the Glade. Much Ado About Nothing

English countryside, British weather, outdoor venue and a group oozing with passion, what more do you need to bring a Shakespeare play to life ? well after Friday evening I would say absolutely nothing else is required.

At the kind invite of Alex Farrell and Ian Gibbons of Turnright Productions I was joined by a number of civic heads from around Staffordshire and North Warwickshire as we traveled the very short distance to Middleton hall for a performance of Much Ado About Nothing. During my A levels I had looked at some Shakespeare but not this particular play.

The outdoor setting was fantastic in the walled garden at Middleton hall with the addition of a few gazebos to fend off the rain and nearby thunder and lightening, The rain did not put off any of the cast who took to the stage at 6pm prompt and did a fantastic performance full of passion, commitment and professionalism. I sat there genuinely wound up by the actions of some on stage, I had to keep reminding myself they playing a part and not to judge the actor themselves should I meet them after the show, they were extremely convincing. Maybe I shouldn't pick individuals out but the poor chap that Dogberry (Ian gibbons) kept smacking round the back of the head got some proper clouts. All the actors & actresses brought the characters to life in the most convincing way.

As Mayor I get to meet the "Chain Gang" (the other civic heads) regularly and so when we go to an event such as this we get to talk about it the following day or weekend. Well I can report that they all loved the performance and were full of praise for the small cast and show they did for us.

A big thank you to all who have put this on and a thank you for the contribution to the Mayor's Charity the RNLI, great evening enjoyed by all.

Middleton Hall

This blog entry will be written later but i need the link now so have inserted a blank one for now .

Pride of Tamworth Awards

Now in its second year the Pride of Tamworth Awards landed at Drayton Manor for the Presentation.

The evening went really well as we were treated to a performance of dance and singing from by the children from Birds Bush School and choir followed later by 2 performances from 2 students of QEMS who played the piano and violin.

And then came the awards,

I do not have a full list of the runners up and winners so i will just talk about generalities.

The Pride of Tamworth Awards celebrate the huge contribution that both individuals and groups make to Tamworth and there were a vast amount of nominees from a wide range of backgrounds. Some had been volunteering for many years some only a short time, some had used their skills to influence, some had provided manual labour. They all had one thing in common and that was they have all made a difference to Tamworth and none of them had done it for an award.

It is the contribution that these people make that makes Tamworth Tick, these people provide the glue that holds our communities together in fact if it weren't for the contribution these groups make we would not have a community just a set of buildings with beds in. And Tamworth would be a much duller place.

Ventura park road up date just some facts

From tomorrow evening, Wednesday 6^th until next Friday 15^th the smaller island at the junction of Bitterscote Road and Venture Park will be resurfaced.  The compactness of the junction actually makes this resurfacing element more difficult to deliver whilst ensuring access to businesses and maintaining workforce safety.

A series of overnight road closures are again planned.

On 6^th, 11^th and 12^th Ventura Park Road to the west of the island will be closed although access into and out of Sainsbury’s and McDonalds will be maintained.  Lane closures will restrict the traffic coming off the A5 to a single lane through the island to enable surfacing to take place alongside the traffic.  No traffic management systems will be in place on these nights before 6pm and work through the night will continue until 6am.

On 7^th, 13^th, 14^th and 15^th Ventura Park Road to the east of the island will be closed as will the section of Bitterscote Road from Jolly Sailor to the A5.  This road closure will not commence until 8pm to enable the larger retail car parks to clear.  After 8pm access into Asda will be via River Drive, Fazeley Road and Ventura Park Road.  Traffic wishing to access the A5 will be diverted along Bonehill Road to access at the Mile Oak junction.  Again works will be completed each morning by 6am in readiness for the morning rush hours.

There will be no overnight closures over the weekend period.

After this series of overnight closures there will be minimal disruption to traffic flows as the project will then be substantially complete other than cabling and wiring of the traffic signal equipment.

Rawlett fashion show

When I received and invite to a fashion show at Rawletts I had to admit I wasn't sure what to expect. 

This show was put together with purpose and an eye on the outcomes. A selected group of students were given the opportunity work outside curriculum hours to design, create outfits for a fashion show. The students were picked specifically as they had all showed signs of low confidence and the school was after a boost to rectify this potential issue. Working through the project the girls not only had the chance to design clothes but also learn key life skills in regards to design, pattern making, purchase of material, presentation, make up and performance skills, all from one project.

So what did we see? 
We were treated to a display of around 30 designs of the "little black dress" all were unique and well designed and made, this was followed by a selection of others.
We could see clearly that these girls were proud of what they had achieved and were happy to walk up and down a catwalk displaying their work. It was certainly hard to believe there was a lack of confidence in any of the girls in the show.

All those involved did a fantastic job and it was a privilege to have been able to join parents in watching what their girls had made and achieved, and that sense of achievment came over from all involved. It was a great example the use of a little inovation in tackling potential challenges before they manifest themselves.