A mayoral update

Catch up on all the mayoral events so far this year. Find out where Councillor Eric Taylor’s been, who he’s met and what he’s been up to since his last update. services in some of the area’s most interesting towns. I attended civic services for the Mayor of Beccles, the Mid Suffolk Chairman at Stowmarket, the Mayor of Hunstanton and the High Sheriff of Norfolk’s Justice Service at Norwich Cathedral. My visit to Thetford was particularly fascinating because Thetford is one of the oldest mayoralties in the country. The third oldest after the City of London and Winchester, its history dates back over 800 years.

Remembering those who sacrificed their lives

My diary I’ve attended around 20 events, in addition to my regular council and committee meetings. Events like these are a chance to promote Diss, support the organiser’s charities, and engage and network with other chairmen and senior officers at parish, district and county council levels. Here are some highlights of my year so far.

Eric with Mayor of Hunstanton, Cllr Adrian Winnington Exploring the area and enjoying the history Learning about other towns and how they promote their heritage interests me. And I thoroughly enjoyed attending the civic Another highlight for me was Remembrance Sunday, when hundreds gathered in Diss to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. Lining the streets from Mere’s Mouth up to the Market Place, crowds watched as over 30 local organisations and community groups paraded through the town. Led by the Reverend Tony Billett, Rector of Diss Team Ministry, the town fell still and silent at St Mary’s church for two minutes of reflection. The wreath-laying ceremony that followed included representatives from Her Majesty the Queen, local and central government, the armed forces, emergency

services, sports clubs and charities. The flypast of two Apache helicopters at the conclusion of the wreath laying was a fitting and moving climax.

Lighting up the town Another outstanding event was the Christmas lights switch-on. Unfortunately, the weather on the day was very wet and windy (particularly in the afternoon). But thankfully it cleared up just before the grand

switch-on. It was very heart-warming to see so many people turning up, despite the weather. With the previous year’s event cancelled due to COVID, it was clear to see how eager and excited people were to have it reinstated. By the time the event came to a close, I was completely soaked to the skin. But I had enjoyed every minute. It was lovely to see the sea of happy smiling faces (of mums and dads as well as children) as I rode on the vintage fire engine with Father Christmas up Mere Street. The only downside on the day was seeing so many talented people performing on stage to just a handful of hardy souls in the early afternoon period when the rain was at its worst. They deserved a much bigger audience. Let’s hope for better weather this year!

Reopening the town I was invited by Parish Fields Friends to reopen the ancient woodland walkway they’ve reclaimed behind the DYCC and the Citizens Advice offices. When they first asked me to take on the stewardship, supported by both Diss Town Council and South Norfolk Council, I jumped at the chance because it created another open space for the community to enjoy. Although not yet finished, it will hopefully be completed around the time of the Queen’s Jubilee in June. On a sunny day in March, crowds gathered to witness the reopening of Diss Museum. In a nod to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Basil Abbot the museum manager organised a historical re-enactment of the royal family’s 1866 visit to Diss to mark the occasion. A well-organised and well-attended event, I played a small part in the re-enactment and was honoured to be there when His Majesty King Edward VII and Her Majesty Queen Alexandra officially proclaimed the museum open again. It was so lovely to see so many adults and children entering into the spirit and dressing in Edwardian costumes. The King and Queen obviously thought so too, giving out prizes for the best adult and children’s costumes. Overall, it was a lovely day with a large appreciative audience. It was great to see the museum open and welcoming visitors once again.