OUT AND ABOUT David Birley, Mayor of Sherborne
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s a recent arrival in Sherborne and having never previously been involved in local government, I was surprised to be asked to stand for election to the town council. The main reason why I did it was to see if I could do something for our community. It was while on holiday two years ago that I thought we should do something to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. The idea received an enthusiastic reception from my fellow councillors and from the public. We were very fortunate to have a great team of helpers and I would particularly like to thank Millie from the Slipped Stitch and Ken and Taff from Abbey 104. Being the fundraiser for the event gave me the opportunity to visit the shops and offices in our town, all of which were supportive. In the end we raised enough money to give nearly £10,000 to local charities. On the day itself, we were exceptionally lucky to have sunshine after so much cold and rain. It was great to see the parade with so many groups reflecting our community and their interests. As one resident remarked, “It was a proper British day.” Of course, the fun continued with the Party in the Park. We had so many positive comments on social media and requests to do it again, that on 17th June we are holding the Sherborne Summer Festival. This year there will be no parade – we intend to keep that for special occasions – but we are moving it to Purlieu Meadow where it will last from 12pm to 10pm. There will be two stages, which will enable us to show
104 | Sherborne Times | March 2017
the varied talents of our community and schoolchildren while the bands are changing over. There will be more refreshment and food stands and other attractions, such as a display of medieval warfare and the opportunity to have a go with a longbow. We are planning to have a tug of war across the river and there will also be a bouncy castle, face painting and Artslink-sponsored events for the young. Entry will, again, be free. Another date for your diary is 17th April, Easter Bank Holiday Monday, when it will be Sheborne Easter Fun Day. This year it will be an Easter Egg Hunt in Pageant Gardens for seven-year-olds and under, starting at 3pm. In future years we plan to add other events and attractions. As part of the plan to involve our community in such events, the posters for shops will be designed by art students at The Gryphon School, while those for homes will be done by pupils from Sherborne and Abbey Primary Schools and our local nurseries. The thing I most enjoy about being mayor is that I get to meet people and visit places that I wouldn’t normally come across, as well as hear about the great voluntary work that is done in our town. I recently met with Ian Bartle, the head of Sherborne Primary School, who told me about their “acts of random kindness” scheme. This encourages pupils to do things like helping at home or “smile at someone who isn’t your friend”. Pupils from the school will be designing, tending and growing their own garden patch in Pageant Gardens. I look forward to seeing it.