The nights are starting to draw in now, so its time for the “switching on of the Aga ceremony”. As I do not have a gas supply and oil isn’t that easy to deliver, I have an electric Aga. It gives off a friendly warm glow to the kitchen and brightens up my day whenever I am in there. Incidentally I do not have a public water supply either, the house gets its water from Dark Hill well via a pipe under the fields. Neither do I get my refuse collected from home or my post delivered. But this farmhouse was originally built at the turn of the 17th century and the previous residents didn’t have many of the modern facilities either with electricity only arriving in the 1960’s.
This week I have agreed to keep a diary of everything that I eat or drink. To promote the 5-a-day (5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day), I am seeing if I actually achieve it. Surprisingly Mayors do not always eat too healthily. We are often presented with food that perhaps doesn’t include enough fruit & veg.
If I want to keep my waistline, this is the sort of food that I have to eat sparingly.
That's more like it! 5 a day keeps you healthy.As we have had a cold snap I brought some of the geraniums in from outside. I did the same last year for a couple of them and they provided me with a colourful display in the conservatory.
In the evening I went along to Roughlee Parish Council. The council meeting room is where I would have bought a fishing net as a lad when we went to Roughlee Boating Lake in the 1950’s. I congratulated Roughlee on their winning the Best Kept Village in Lancashire competition and the caravan site on the edge of the village had also won the Best Kept award.
Tuesday 2nd October
Today was a special day for us as dressed in our full robes we took part in the Judges' Procession at the invitation of the Mayor of Preston Coun. Christine Abram.
The colourful Judges' procession in Preston.
We process into the Crown Courts.
They were The Select Vestry who now has only a ceremonial roll but in days gone by they provided the first form of local government and were responsible for such things as drains and roads. After the procession and Judges’ Service at the Minster church of St John the Evangelist, we went back to the Crown Court. After a short ceremony there, we went through to the Town Hall for lunch.
In the evening I attended the Brierfield & Reedley Area Committee at Brierfield Town Hall. The town has much needed development starting soon and looks to be improving. I still have a soft spot for Brierfield as I represented them as councillor for Reedley ward for 12 years.
Her's what I said to them;
Thank you for allowing me to come along this evening to the Brierfield & Reedley Area Committee. I am calling at the 5 area committees and 17 Town & Parish councils in the Borough to show how they all play an important roll in Pendle.
I first got involved in the local community by joining the then Brierfield Neighbourhood Council back in 1973. I served on that council for over 10 years and was instrumental in changing it to the Brierfield Town Council. I was also a Pendle Reedley ward councillor for 12 years and have now been a Barnoldswick Coates ward councillor for over 5 years. I also serve on Barnoldswick Town Council as its Vice Chairman so I have some understanding how Town & Parish councils operate. I live in both Brogden and Bracewell - as the boundary goes through the middle of my property.
I believe that Pendle is a great place to live in, and we are fortunate to have many attractive villages, wonderful countryside, great country pubs and the Leeds & Liverpool canal. So we are also actively promoting tourism to bring more people into our Borough. With Boundary Mill already attracting millions of visitors, we are to open a Pendle visitor centre on their new site to show them our many and varied attractions. The purchase by Pendle of the Earby Youth Hostel also showed our commitment to move forward on Tourism. We also have lots of going on including much needed housing regeneration in most of our larger towns.
I feel that we are very good at putting on big Festivals in Pendle and lots have taken place, such as the Walking Festival, the Cycling Festival, Rhythm & Blues Festival, the Riding Festival, the Canal Festival and not forgetting The Festival of Flight with its hot air balloons. They have all been very successful and have brought many visitors into Pendle.
There are and continuing significant investments in the boroughs Parks. We have also been successful in our Parks for People grant bid, which is set to bring even more investment to our parks. I also know that Pendle residents welcome the many events such as bat watch and fun days that are put on by our excellent young park keepers.
Here are a few of the other things, which I have done recently, and what I shall be doing in the coming weeks;
I shall continue to open up Nelson Town Hall and encourage people to visit. I shall also be holding Meet the Mayor Surgeries throughout the Borough. I now have a Mayors Blog www.mayorofpendle.blogspot.com
and a Mayor on line – video conferencing is shortly due to go on line.
Sometimes Mayors do not eat too healthily, so I am promoting 5-a-day, this week and keeping a diary of my diet. I have made a resolution to keep my waist size the same throughout this year.
In recent months I have been leading a group of walkers around The Pendle Way, a route of around 45 miles that covers all parts of the Borough. After completing it they had enjoyed it so much that I suggested that we now do it anti-clockwise, the other way. So I invite you all to come and join with me to see our wonderful countryside, our many spectacular Pendle views and to keep fit.
We also recently walked the Leeds & Liverpool Canal throughout the borough from Reedley to the Craven boundary. 12.9 miles, 28,388 footsteps. With new marinas being planned at Barden Mill and Lower Park we look set to welcome many more boaters to see our wonderful scenery. And local businesses should benefit from the increase in tourism.
You may have seen the recent picture in the paper of me in my suit and chains on top of Pendle Hill. No, we didn’t do it by helicopter. We did in fact get to the top of all three of our 3 big hills, Pendle, Weets and Boulsworth to help publicise our spectacular countryside to visitors. After the photo appeared in the paper, a parish councillor thought that the trig point badly needed a new coat of white paint, so he went up with his paint pot and did it. So last week when we went up Pendle again as part of the Pendle way walk I donned the chains to do a before and after shot of the Trig Point.
Around Christmas I shall be visiting all of the town centre shopping facilities throughout the borough. So I hope that I will meet you shopping in our local shops in our towns.
On behalf of Pendle Council I wish to thank the members of the Brierfield & Reedley Area Committee for your hard work and the dedication to your community.
Wednesday 3rd October
At lunchtime we went to Earby for Edith Wormwell’s 90th Birthday lunch.
An enjoyable lunch with Edith and friends.
Then on to Barnoldswick for Violet Brown’s 100th Birthday.
Violet looks at her 100th birthday cards.
I read out a card from the Queen to Mrs Brown where she congratulated her on reaching 100. Other cards were from her many friends and relatives, together with ours. We also presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
From there we went to Colne Market Hall to help promote the 5-a-day campaign.
A rather fat sunbathing potato?
They had a fruit juggler and bagpiper to get everyone’s attention, as we handed out vegetable strips and fruit to passers by.
Encouraging passer by in Colne to eat their 5-a-day.
In the evening I went along again to Laneshaw Bridge Parish Council as part of my tour.
Thursday 4th October
At midday we presented prizes in the Housing Pendle, Garden competition.
Congratulations to the Garden winners.
Over 6000 gardens from estates throughout Pendle were judged and lots of awards presented. This encourages everyone to take a pride in their own garden and gives everyone a sense of well being.
Pictures of some the excellent gardens.
We had a quick buffet lunch and a chat with some of the winners.
I then went on to Craven Sports Centre for the Market Town Initiative presentation to West Craven Together.
Gym users see the award.
This has provided special facilities in the gym for disabled people to be able to use it more easily.
We went along to Colne Muni in the evening to see an audience with Dave Spikey.
Dave and I have a quick chat.
Before the performance we called into to have a quick word with him. We have met Dave a few times before, as he is a friend of our M.D. at work, Brian.
Friday 5th October
The Mayor's Tour of Pendle is next week so we had a run through of the route. As Neil the attendant used to be a bus driver he was invaluable in assessing if a coach would get through on Monday
We called at Junction 12 Outlet in Brierfield where we will start from, Wycoller village and Thornton Hall Country Farm, which are some of the other stops. We called into lunch for a chip-butty at Kelbrook Fisheries and met the young manager who was very busy but still managed to have a quick chat.
Back then to the Town Hall for a councillors and officers meeting and then I had to rush off for a tea time meeting of West Craven Together at the Rainhall Centre in Barnoldswick.
Saturday 6th October
Mid morning we went to the Earby New Road Community Centre Autumn Fayre.
Opening the Earby Autumn Fayre
Unexpectedly we were led into the hall by an armed guard of members of the Sealed Knott. 
Armed guard by the Sealed Knot
Whilst opening the Fayre I told everyone that that was the best entrance I had ever had.
Firing squad
Tim Warrell allows me to become a temporary member of the Sealed Knot
We toured the many stalls and saw a demonstration of muskets and pikestaffs by the Lt. Col. John Lilburne’s regiment of The Sealed Knot.
I can tell you that it was a heavy musket
In Geoff Crambie’s Old Pendle column in this week’s Nelson Leader he gives the banquet menu for Nelson Council’s Charter Day on 30th August 1890. He also says that the “sumptuous cornucopia” would have been to my liking but I think that I had better stick to my 5-a-day routine if I want to keep my waistline.
Sunday 7th October
A much needed day off so I can take it bit easy and catch up on the piles of stuff that I haven’t managed to get round to. Such as cleaning the car, blogging and sawing up some more logs for winter.
Mayoress's Fundraising events coming up . . .
Saturday 13th October – Coffee Morning at John & Judith David’s, Hoarstones, Fence. 10.00 – 12.00
Tuesday 23rd October – Beauty Therapy Demonstration evening by the Institute of Health and Beauty, Barrowford, + Wine Tasting (supplied by Stephensons). At the Town Hall, Nelson from 7.30pm. Tickets £5 including drinks and nibbles. Please ring 817558 for tickets.
