Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole 2006/07

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt and family, attended the Gillingham Civic Service and Freedom of the Town Presentation.

This event was the first presentation of a ‘Freedom' to the newly-formed Rifles Regiment, incorporating the previous Devon and Dorsets, with several other units from the South-West. The Freedom permits the regiment to march through the town with ‘bayonets fixed, drums beating and flags flying'. Fortunately the bayonets were not in evidence, although the drums and flags were very much on display.

The Mayor arrived at the quaint little Town Hall in the country town of Gillingham to find many of the Mayors and Chairmen of civic authorities in and around Dorset assembled for the ceremony. The whole group marched through the streets, waving to the local residents who turned to watch, to the local church of St Mary's where the Freedom was presented in a moving ceremony. After returning to the Town Hall, everybody relaxed in the sunshine over tea and sandwiches before heading back to their cars and home.

The only glitch in the day occurred when the church proved not to be fully wheelchair accessible and the Mayor, complete with wheelchair, had to be carried over a gravel path to enter, a problem which could have been easily resolved with a short stretch of wooden planking.

Call Mrs. Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "The service and parade were very touching and I was much honored to be invited to attend with all three children at the very first Freedom bestowed upon the new Rifles Regiment. Brigadier Jolyon Johnson was visibly moved when he received the Freedom Certificate and reciprocated by presenting a Rifles Regiment W          ooden Shield. All the guests returned to the quaint Town Hall where we enjoyed the afternoon sunshine eating freshly cut sandwiches, homemade shortbread and fruit cake, even I was tempted by the fruit cake! A lovely way to spend a warm sunny spring afternoon"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her husband David Butt and family at the Gillingham Civic Service.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Rifles Regiment Brigadier Jolyon Johnson, shows off the Freedom Certificate.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the High Sheriff of Dorset David Woodhouse.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her friend Mrs Karen Rampton, opened the first solo show at the Peacock Gallery in Upton Country Park by Stewart Freshwater, one of the artists featured in the ‘15 Days in Clay' project.

"15 Days In Clay" is a project which aims to inspire and nurture the creative development of disabled adults, in a professional ceramic art environment. Each person attending the project is encouraged to make their own decisions about what they want to make, and actively encouraged to explore all methods of construction and decorating processes. Through taking part in this unique project individuals find their practical knowledge of ceramics and creative skills develop, on the way to becoming artists in their own right.

Stewart has been working with clay since 2003, when he first attended the project at Holton Lee. Stewart has been working closely with ceramic artist Janna Edwards who runs the project to develop his ceramic skills further. Last year Stewart was supported by Janna to put in an application for a grant from the Arts Council England, so he could put on his first solo show. His proposal was to create a new body of work based on figurative pieces, incorporating numbers and words that surrounded him in his everyday life. His application was successful resulting in this exhibition.

In opening the show, the Mayor talked about her past links with the project, including creating a pot of her own (see Mayor's Diary for 27^th March), and encouraged everybody to help by purchasing the pieces, many of which she had seen in production during her visit.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It was a really exciting day with a wealth of family, friends and admirers of Stewart's amazing work. It was just as well that the pieces bought on the day were allowed to stay in the exhibition otherwise there would have been nothing left to see!! Stewart is an extremely talented young man, his obvious sensitivity for his subject shines in all his work, his natural flare for interpretation of so many topics is quite breathtaking and I know we will be seeing much more of this young man's work in the future."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with exhibitor Stewart Freshwater, escort Mrs Karen Rampton and supervising artist Janna Edwards at the Peacock Gallery in Upton Country Park.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, looking around the exhibition before the official opening.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, finds an unexpected problem with the ‘Jaws' exhibit at the Peacock Gallery.

The shy Stewart Freshwater is overcome with emotion at the Mayor's accolades at the opening.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, gets a big hug from Stewart at the exhibition opening.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with colleague Cllr Mrs Mary Hillman, artist Julie Spencer, and the ‘Torso' piece which the Mayor saw being made at Holton Lee.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, chats with Stewart's mother at the Peacock Gallery.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, attended the launch of a piano by artist and musician Richard McLester at Branksome Chine.

Richard is a university student, studying German at Bristol University. He is, however, also a talented professional musician playing a variety of instruments including drums, piano and his first love, guitar, as well as singing classical tenor. He runs his own recording studio in Parkstone, and is front man for his band ‘Oposium', performing, producing and writing a variety of modern music. Richard performed on stage at the Mayor's Civic Awards Ceremony, and will be playing for her Celebration Charity Ball in May.

On this occasion, Richard and several of his colleagues had the idea of giving a short piano recital on the beach at Branksome Chine in Poole, superbly played by second year Cambridge university student Sam Hanson, the ageing instrument sounding surprisingly vibrant in the open air and attracting a large number of passers-by. After a quick surprise rendition by the Mayor of ‘Air on  G-String', yes she really can play the piano, she happily sat in her wheelchair with the waves lapping at her feet to formally launch the bright blue piano into the sea. It was carried into the surf while Richard continued playing, moving gradually deeper until it finally gave up the ghost as the mechanism became waterlogged. The event reached a finale with the piano lying face down in the surf, while Richard enacted ‘Captain Ahab' on its back! A very surprised beach warden, who had been given no advance warning, started by understandably questioning the unusual stunt but was immediately supportive as soon as he knew it was our Mayor attending and subsequently kept a very benevolent if somewhat bemused eye on her during the strange proceedings of the morning.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It was a blast, especially when a flurry of strong men grabbed my chair and carried me down the beach to await the arrival of the piano. I was assured the tide was going out as they placed me down directly next to a receding wave but was not entirely convinced when some minutes later my wheels were more than a little waterlogged.  Richard certainly pulled a crowd and brought awareness of how one small piano in a huge sea reflects the global warming question and how small we seem against the enormity of the problem."

Musician Richard McLester playing on the beach at Branksome Chine.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, enjoying the music and sunshine on the promenade at Branksome Chine.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, demonstrates her piano skills on the beach at Branksome Chine.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, plays King Canute with the tide at Branksome Chine.

Richard McLester does his Captain Ahab on the waterlogged piano.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, being escorted off the beach by Richard and his friends.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, attended the Christchurch Mayor's Dinner Party in his Parlour in Christchurch High Street.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It was a delightful evening with the Chairman of North Dorset District Council and his wife joining us together with the Mayor of Christchurch's son and daughter in law.  Christchurch history is much older than ours and they have had a Mayor since 1159 and are the oldest in Dorset with Poole being the next oldest, Bournemouth being the youngest town in Dorset. There was only one glitch and that was that the parlour was only accessible via a 27 step staircase but undaunted I used my ‘seat of power' to assist me in ascending and descending the stairs. ".

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, uses her ‘seat of power' to get upstairs at the Christchurch Mayor's Dinner Party.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, met Mr Chris Bullen, owner of Poole Park Miniature Railway and Poole Land Train, in her Parlour to discuss her forthcoming Spring Show in Poole Park on 6^th/7^th May.

Mr Bullen, a showman with many years of experience all over the country, proved to be a fount of knowledge and ideas for improving the Spring Show, and will be an important contributor to the event.

With many attractions already booked, including the keynote High Dive Show and French Market, and more coming on board every day, Chris is now lending his support in the detailed planning of the Show, helping to secure some of the important but mundane facilities needed and staging a number of attractions himself or through his many contacts.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "We are all set for a great two days with masses of attractions and events, all we need now is wonderful weather and a good turnout. I have had 5000 flyers and three huge banners printed, advertising the Show, all libraries and Poole Council outlets will have these available and we will be handing them out at my forthcoming Mayor's Charity Book Sale this Sat 21^st from 10am until 4pm in the Dolphin Centre, where I shall also be selling my Grand Poole Town Raffle tickets, so hope to see you all at both events!"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Chris Bullen in her Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, opened the refurbished communal garden at Poole Housing Partnership's Frobisher Avenue flats in Wallisdown.

With PHP's programme of bringing all its properties up to the Decent Homes standard now well advanced, the organisation is turning its attention to improving the estates in which its tenants reside. A number of locations have been found where there is an opportunity to turn neglected, wasteland areas into smart communal gardens at minimal cost, the first having been opened in Canford Heath in 2006, winning a Poole in Bloom Award (see Mayor's Diary for 1^st October 2006).

On arrival at Frobisher Avenue, the Mayor was greeted by local Housing Manager Tamsyn Harwood-Butler, with PHP's Technical Services Manager Mike Harrison. The Mayor admired the superb new gardens and seating area and then cut a ribbon to formally open the area, sharing the honour with one of the residents who was a driving force behind the project. Having enjoyed a chilled soft drink and admired the delicious food sizzling on the BBQ the Mayor talked with all of the residents, including one gentleman she had encountered previously on a ‘shout' while on a police patrol (see Mayor's Diary for 3^rd February). Another resident came up with an idea for further improvements, and the Mayor was able to suggest applying for one of PHP's NICE grants, available to tenants to fund minor enhancements. The Mayor was also delighted to talk about the project with PHP's Chairman Bill Constance and Chief Executive Joe Logan, who attended the opening with a number of other PHP managers.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "You have to see it to believe it. The area that the garden now covers  was like a war zone, bleak slabs of discoloured concrete with weeds growing between the cracks and discarded rubbish being blown around in the wind. Well now thanks to the local Ward Councillors working in partnership with PHP and most importantly the local residents themselves, the gardens are totally transformed into a wonderful open space which is truly inviting for all the residents. A longstanding resident lady in her late 80's admitted that until the gardens had been built she hardly knew anyone in the flats but now she has spoken to nearly all the residents and has made many new friends. There are set to be many more projects such as this delivered by PHP across the Borough. I very much look forward to seeing them and wish the residents of Frobisher Avenue flats a joyous summer in their lovely new garden."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Housing Manager Tamsyn Harwood-Butler, Technical Services Manager Mike Harrison and the garden's project manager James Weston at the Frobisher Avenue flats.

The new communal garden, with a ribbon all ready to be cut.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with a long-standing resident at Frobisher Avenue flats.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, cuts the ribbon to open the new garden, together with a resident who was the driving force behind the project.

The long and short of it - the Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, talks with PHP Chief Executive Joe Logan in the new garden.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, met ex-Mayor Mr Randolph Meech and Mr Roy McIntyre in her Parlour to discuss a new project at the Quay Foyer organisation in Poole.

The Quay Foyer opened in October 1999 and provides accommodation, personal support and access to training and employment opportunities for young people aged 16-25. Part of the Raglan Housing Association, the Quay Foyer works in partnership with a number of other organisations to provide 50 furnished bedsits for young people in need of accommodation, support and training.

After 8 years of successful operation, the buildings are in need of some refurbishment work, which can be coupled with the opportunity to improve facilities in the reception and lounge areas, laundry room, arts room and IT facilities, and the organisation is currently seeking funding for the project. With her reputation as one of the most effective charity fundraisers in Poole, the Mayor was an obvious choice to approach for advice and she was able to offer several suggestions of possible sources of grant funding, together with some important advice on how to go about securing the grants.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I wholly support the terms of reference of the Centre, teach the youngsters to care for themselves, get them into to work and to move on, empowered to help themselves and be role models for others coming in their stead.  I am hopeful my advice will be timely and effective as the centre deserves every support as it does so much in our community to give our youngsters a hand up and not a hand out, the latter which can only at best be a temporary measure."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Randolph Meech and Roy McIntyre in her Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, met Mr David Spokes, director of Beach Volleyball, to discuss the future of the sport in Poole.

Mr Spokes, a keen member of the Wessex Volleyball team, is taking a leading role in organising the team's participation in the Mayor's Charity Spring Show in Poole Park on 6^th/7^th May. The discussion clarified the team's requirements for their site and the demonstrations they would be able to provide.

The Mayor was also able to tell Mr Spokes about Poole Council's Leisure Services' intention to provide a number of permanent volleyball courts at Shore Road Beach, and about their bid to become a volleyball and trampoline training area for the 2012 Olympics. Mr Spokes, whose company is dedicated to arranging and promoting volleyball matches, expressed an interest in submitting a competitive tender to manage the courts when they become available.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I am delighted that David will be bringing the Wessex Volleyball team to my Grand Spring Show. I've seen them playing and they are dynamite and well worth seeing in action. There will be interactive taster sessions for anyone who fancies a go at the Show. I obviously can't take part but am seriously considering being captain of a seated ‘Cheer Leaders' team to spur them on, complete with pom-poms, so if anyone has any that I can borrow please let me know!!"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Mr David Spokes of Wessex Volleyball team in her Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, attended a Spring Reception held by the Chairman of West Dorset District Council in Dorchester.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "There are 26 Mayors and Chairmen of Councils in Dorset and they are affectionately known as ‘The Chain Gang'. Each Mayor/Chair holds a Civic function and all Mayors/Chairs are invited to attend. The evening was delightful with a delicious buffet and an opportunity to meet the newly appointed High Sheriff of Dorset Mr Adrian Scott, he is second in line to the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and sits above his two Under Sheriffs, who support the Mayor as does the Sheriff of Poole. Whenever we are together you can hear the rattling of chains and as most will admit due to the advancing years of your typical Mayor/Chair this is accompanied by the creaking of bones, myself in my present state no exception at the moment!!"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with members of the ‘chain gang' and their consorts at the Spring Reception in Dorchester.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, visited the polytunnel greenhouse at the Oakdale Adult Education Centre, operated by Poole Council's Leisure Services.

The polytunnel was moved to Oakdale about a year ago and taken into use as a gardening and training centre for adults with learning difficulties, under supervision of experienced gardeners working on a voluntary basis. Since acquiring the empty, vandalised tunnel, the project has exploded in popularity and is now starting to feel a need for a little more space.

Greeted by voluntary worker and close friend and fellow parishioner Mrs Margaret Padwick, the Mayor took great delight in inspecting the growing plants and meeting the students responsible for them. Outside, she found a ‘hospital' area, used by the more experienced students to rescue plants in trouble, of which there were several due to the long, unexpectedly hot Easter weekend. With the tour complete, the Mayor was able to spend some time chatting with the students and enjoying the sunshine over a fresh orange juice.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "This Leisure Services project, if you will pardon the pun, has real growth potential. It brings tremendous pleasure and a feeling of having created something very precious, to the users of the service. I had to admit to everyone that the only thing that I can successfully grow in my garden is green mould on my patio stones but undeterred I was presented with three lovely plants which to date are alive and well in my garden."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with volunteer Margaret Padwick (right) and some keen gardeners at the polytunnel.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, admires some of the plants growing in the polytunnel.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the volunteers and students at the polytunnel greenhouse at the Oakdale Adult Education Centre.

9^th April - Mayor of Poole Marches into Spring

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt and family, opened the Dolphin Marching Band's Easter Fayre in Poole Park.

The Dolphin Marching Band was formed in 1996 under the leadership of bandmaster Chris Godber, using borrowed instruments and school uniforms, but quickly expanded to acquire their own equipment and uniforms. They play regularly at events around the South West, taking part in national competitions and each year go away on a working holiday, which has seen them playing in Jersey, at Disneyland Paris and at Disneyworld in Florida.

The Band, which had already marched through Poole Town prior to the Fayre's opening, formed up at the entrance to the event and, on the arrival of the Mayor, escorted her as a guard of honour into the main arena. The Mayor took great delight in inspecting the smartly turned out young bandsmen, and then formally opened the proceedings, watching as the Band showed off their musical and drilling skills in the arena.

With the display over, the Mayor toured the Fayre, visiting all of the stalls and meeting many of the people flocking in to the event.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "The weather was fantastic as was as always the band's playing. I was stunned to be given a fanfare on my arrival and be allowed to inspect the band members and speak to each and every one of them. The event over the three days looked set to be a very successful venture. I wish Chris and his supporters every success and I am very much looking forward to them playing at the Beating of the Sea Bounds ceremony on the 28^th April on the Quay and my Grand Spring Show Spectacular over the 6^th and 7^th May Bank Holiday."

The Dolphin Marching Band arriving at the Easter Fayre in Poole Park after marching through Poole Town.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her husband David Butt, inspecting the cadets on parade at the Easter Fayre.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her husband David Butt, bandmaster Chris Godber (left), his son James and the Dolphin Marching Band at the Easter Fayre.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with bandmaster Chris Godber  and announcer Bernard Ewart.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, admits her lack of accuracy in the ‘Splash a Sailor' game.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, attended a concert organised by the Help and Care charity at St James' Church in Poole Old Town, featuring the Bournemouth Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

The Orpheus Choir was launched in 1994 by Terry Newman as a singer and Sarah Lever as an accompanist. After an early struggle, it is now recognized and well-respected, having sung in the Royal Albert Hall, Cardiff International Arena, and at massed choir festivals, as well as with choirs from Cornwall, Essex, Wales, Yorkshire and elsewhere. During the coming year they will be singing with the City of Coventry Choir and at the Summer Festival in Rome.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "We were treated to an amazing range of musical/voice entertainment, full choir, mixed quartet, male and female solo singers, solo concert pianists, poetry readings and an amazing MC Mr Barry Bull, a huge success having us all in stitches throughout the superb performances. My father used to have a saying as to what fed various parts of the body, fish obviously feeding the brain, chocolate (always in my case as a small child and still now) feeds the stomach, love is the absolute food of the heart and music - well it can only be the food of the soul and every single person there, left at the end of the evening feeling elated and their problems laying a little lighter on their shoulders thanks to the wonderful skills of our amazing entertainers."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the Bournemouth Orpheus Male Voice Choir.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, her family, Councillors and supporters, attended a special Mayor's Charity bucket shake in Poole High Street to promote the Beating of the Sea Bounds on 28^th April.

Organised on the Mayor's behalf by Cllr Ray Smith, the bucket shake was supported by all of the usual stalwarts, as well as the organisations involved in the Beating of the Sea Bounds, both collecting funds and handing out over 1000 information leaflets about the forthcoming event, 5000 of which have very kindly been printed by Judy's main sponsor for the event Mr Paul Rickford of Wessex Print Group.

With only a short break after the car boot, to ‘freshen up before her next engagement' the Mayor turned up in the High Street and spent the afternoon swaying her bucket enthusiastically in time to the music. Inevitably, she was accosted time and again by people she had met during her term of office, or in some cases just seen her picture in the Echo, but still managed to attract many donations. By finishing time, the team had received over £720 gross, £639 net after the charge for the provision of taped music had been met.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It doesn't matter how many times you ask the people of Poole to help they are always there for you, even with the obvious expense of Easter to meet for their families we still raised an amazing amount of money for the Mayor's Charities, generously contributed by the people of Poole. Again my grateful thanks to all those good people who time after time turn up to help with the collections and doing so on a Bank Holiday Saturday was really beyond the call of expectation. The group all ably led by Cllr Ray Smith has my deepest gratitude; the small change of Poole will make a huge change to the lives of so many people. With this last charity bucket shake in my Mayoral year under Cllr Smith's belt he and his amazing team have raised a huge £4500, where Ray gets his energy from I do not know but his heart is as big as his capacity to do good and that seems absolutely boundless".

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, her family, Charity Committee members and supporters, organised the penultimate charity car boot sale of her Mayoral year.

Having advertised the start time as 8am for sellers and 9am for buyers, the organisers were stunned to arrive at 6.30 to find hopeful stallholders queued three deep stretching back along the road! By the official opening time, space for sellers had almost run out with a stonking 120 stalls trading briskly, with buyers having started arriving as early as 7.30. The flow of buyers continued all morning with as many as 250 cars in the car park most of the morning.

The Mayor arrived at 9.30, having been persuaded to come an hour earlier than planned by the number of people asking ‘Where's our Judes?', and was greeted by her ‘car boot king' Peter Tarchetti of Poole Council's Transportation Services and CAB magnifico Mr Richard Bristow and his team. The Mayor embarked on a marathon tour of the pitches, meeting many old friends from past car boots as well as many newcomers. One of the early stops was to visit Charity Committee member Ann Barnley, who was selling Mayor's Charity Grand Draw tickets, and a little further on she bumped into her daughter's friends who were selling tickets for the Easter Bunny Raffle. On her rounds, the Mayor could not resist buying some bric-a-brac, most of which will find its way on to the ‘black hole' tombola at her Spring Show in Poole Park on 6^th and 7^th May.  The Mayor finally left at about 1pm, by which time some of the stallholders were giving up out of sheer exhaustion even though buyers were still arriving. By the end, the event had raised an amazing £915 for the Mayor's Charities.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "The sun shone, the wind did not blow and the car booters just kept coming. It was so good to be out in the warm Spring sunshine chatting with friends and pootling amongst the stalls.

We were all amazed at the funds raised, due of course to the modest entry fees but also to the generosity of the buyers who happily gave donations to help my three charities.  One stall was raising monies to help a Cancer Relief Charity as their mum had just recently but thankfully been treated successfully at our local hospital for cancer and they wanted to say a big thank you for her life, they were a lovely couple and I wish them the best for their Mum may she stay well long into their futures. "

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, tries out a violin on sale at the car boot sale.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, meets the girls selling the Easter Bunny Raffle tickets.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with an old friend, a veteran of many car boots.

Lots of bargain hunters at the car boot sale.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, acquires her bunny ears and a new friend at the car boot sale.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her regular burger bar attendees at the car boot - their bacon burgers are highly recommended!

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with two really big fans at the car boot sale.

The idea of a wine dispenser seemed like an absolute steal to the Mayor!

Another two young girls, who see their Mayor as a princess!

At a charity fundraising stall, the Mayor finally qualifies as a Passed wheelchair driver!

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her son Charlie Butt, launched the first phase of a new suburban art mural at Fleetsbridge Skateboard Park.

Ever since the new skateboard park was opened (see Mayor's Diary 28^th July 2006), the Mayor has initiated and promoted a project to brighten the area with ‘urban art-style' murals on the underpass walls, including a visit to the area to consult users of the park (see Mayor's Diary 6^th November 2006).

Funded by a grant from the The Community Foundation, the artwork is being drawn by local youngsters, supervised by well-known professional artist Felix Braun. Three of the young artists have qualified for a Youth Arts Award, a qualification with a status equivalent to GCSE.

The Mayor was greeted by Poole Council's Arts in the Community Officer Marianne Scahill, who escorted her to view the completed areas of the artwork and to watch some of the artists at work. With everybody gathered around, the Mayor took great delight in formally launching the first phase, with a second to follow on hopefully almost immediately. She then spent time talking to the young artists, and gathering views from users of the skate park and parents, delighted to hear directly from the users that the area is now so very popular, attracting young people from far beyond Creekmoor.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "Bit of lump in the throat moment seeing the work of so many people, over such a long period of time reach fruition. The young people have really achieved an amazing piece of urban art and they have been ably assisted by a huge team of facilitators, especially the uniquely flamboyant Felix, the project lead artist. I watched him and the young people creating the layers of paint-art that makes up these amazing 3D effect paintings, they made it look so easy too!

There was however a worrying resemblance between the mermaid painted on the wall and my good self, the youngsters kept saying ‘You are on the wall Judes can you see where you are? They wouldn't tell me but left me guessing - hopefully it wasn't the death head octopus or the fish that looked like it was having trouble thinking, I suppose I will just have to keep guessing!

Many thanks to BoP and all the officers who have made this dream a reality.  We are all looking forward to phase two which will entail painting the other side of the flyover wall and we hope to include a paved path access over the woodchip flowerbed that fronts the skate park, lighting under the flyover for darker evenings in the winter and safe robust seating with tables so the young people can chill between skate boarding and BMXing, watch this space!"

From ancient to ultra-modern - the nameboard at Fleetsbridge Skateboard Park.

- The new urban art mural in the underpass at Fleetsbridge Skateboard Park.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her son Charlie Butt, ward colleague Cllr John Rampton, artist Felix Braun (centre, in red), and the Poole Council officers and others who helped to promote the project.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with all the young artists who contributed to the mural.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Felix Braun, the artist who is overseeing the new mural.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the mermaid who she hopes is the representation of her!

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with a very young visitor and mum at Fleetsbridge Skateboard Park.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, chaired the penultimate meeting of the Beating of the Sea Bounds Committee in the Council Chamber.

The committee comprises of over 26 partners who all play a part in bringing together the age old Historic Event.  The Mayor has secured in the region of £7500 in sponsorship to ensure that all profits made, subject to a small seed fund account left with the Society of Poole Men will go to her three worthy charities. The seed fund is to provide the deposit for any set-up costs for the next Beating of the Bounds event, should it occur in the future

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It has been a marathon committee meeting experience. I called the first meeting for the Sea Bounds last February 2006 to ensure that we had enough time to plan this event.  There are so many organisations all working together that if you are not careful the planning stages can become unwieldy, however as Admiral of the Port and the driving force behind the venture, I have kept a tight ship and all on board are ready and able to deliver on the day. It will be great fun. Why not join us? Because of demand for tickets another boat has been commissioned so that the public will have the opportunity to experience this normally exclusive event. Please call Jo Clements on 01202 633200 for tickets for the day trip on the boat to include a comprehensive program guide of the ceremonies effected throughout the day, bring your own packed lunch. There is a full licensed bar on the boat tickets £12 and/or the Grand Celebration Sea Bounds Dinner Dance, three course dinner, bring your own wine, dancing to the sounds of Gemini Jazz, cost prices only charged to attract a good response at £17.50 per head. See your latest Poole News for more information about the day or pick up a flyer from the main reception at the Civic Centre in the Mayor's events display rack for a booking form, hope to see you there."

A tall ship moored alongside Poole Quay reflects the historic atmosphere of the ancient Beating the Sea Bounds ceremony.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, met PC Chris Ingram and Cassie Scrivens of Poole Council's Environmental Consumer Protection to discuss the prestigious Safe and Sound Licensed Premises Annual Awards 2006/07.

The Awards based in the Poole Area are not given lightly and the criterion in order to win such an accolade is very tough. However despite that over 20 premises this year have been successful in gaining this much sought after benchmark.  The Awards will be presented at a special evening at the Haven Hotel in Poole on April 18^th and the Mayor has been asked to present the highest accolade the Gold Award to one lucky winner.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I am especially delighted to be asked to perform this very special duty as I am an active member of Poole Council's Licensing Committee and very much enjoy ensuring that only the best of premises are gaining licenses in Poole.  It's set to be a lovely evening and I am very much looking forward to it"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with PC Chris Ingram and Cassie Scrivens discussing the Safe and Sound Licensed Premises Awards in her Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, presented a gold Community Champion Award to ‘lollipop lady' Mrs Heather Heckford in her Parlour.

Established in 2004 by Poole Council, the Community Champion Award is a way of recognising the unsung heros who make such a huge contribution to our community. The award is designed to recognise the small things that so often go unnoticed but that make a big difference to other people or to the town - for example doing the shopping for an elderly neighbour or organising litter picks in the local area. There are three levels of award; blue, silver and gold; which are judged according to the level of contribution made.

Heather has spent 19 years helping children across the road to and from school in Oakdale every day, and many of the younger children are convinced that she lives at the crossing point because she is always there.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I joked with Heather and John her husband that she could write a great book about her ‘Lady Lollipop' years as her young charges named her. Heather is now very busy returning to Adult Learning and is a great favorite with the younger adult members in her Maths class, at the Oakdale Centre in Poole, especially my son Charlie who attends with Heather on a regular basis.  Heather is a great ambassador for Poole across the ages and truly deserving of her Gold Community Champion's Award."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Community Champion Mrs Heather Heckford and her husband Phil in her Parlour.

Mrs Heckford's citation.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, provided tea and biscuits and presented accomplishment awards to 8 NACRO volunteers in her Parlour.

NACRO (National Association for Care and Resettlement of Offenders) is a crime reduction charity, which aims to make society safer by finding practical solutions to reducing crime. Founded in 1966 they work to give ex-offenders, disadvantaged people and deprived communities the help they need to build a better future. NACRO has over 200 projects across England and Wales with over 800 volunteer helpers. 60,000 people benefit directly from their work each year, while many more benefit from the work they carry out with national, regional and local agencies.

Led by local organiser Elspeth Gregson, 8 voluntary football coaches arrived in the Parlour to tell the Mayor about their experiences and to receive awards for their efforts. Mr Lawrence Diprose won the much coveted Regional Award with all remaining recipients winning the Highly Commended category, but all worth their weight in gold!

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "They are all terrific and work so hard to improve the lives of youngsters across a huge area of Dorset, they really make a difference and have turned so many young people's lives around giving them a fresh start and enabling them to really get on with their lives and help other youngsters with their issues as they grow in the community."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with NACRO Regional Award winner Lawrence Diprose.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the NACRO award winners in her Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by her husband and Consort Mr David Butt and family, attended a local charity fundraising event, and judged a talent competition.

Hosted by Mr Stephen Clements and his wife Jo, who also serves as Mayor's Secretary, it was their children Freddy and Isobel who had the idea of holding the competition, and decided to donate the proceeds to the Mayor's Charities. They invited all of their friends with their parents, and of course once the adults were there, there was no escape........

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "The acts, drawn in chance order by me, started with Jo giving a rend(er)ing of (what was it?), nobody could actually indentify the strangled selection of random tones that Jo so confidently thought sounded like a song, which set the standard of the contest (fairly low on the scale)! My husband stepped up to sing a song, only then realising that he didn't actually know the words! My daughter Georgina produced and I put on a recognisable  performance of Cole Porter's ‘Anything Goes', while the most surprising act came from two young girls, one of whom sang softly in the foreground, while her friend did some stunning ballet dancing in time to the music. Sound performances of song were given by the remaining young ladies with the two Isabelles dancing in a very hip hop and happening modern style. The mums then all fired up by the occassion, totally destroyed a Kylie Monogue hit!! At the end of the competition, I decided that all of the acts were so unique that there was no choice but to give a small prize to everyone, but not Jo as there were limits!"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, greeted by Jo Clements and her daughter Isobel at the talent competition.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Jo and some of the parents at the talent competition.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her own daughter Georgina, Jo's Daughter Isobel, and the girls who joined in the competition.

Jo Clements in full flow.

The Mayor's Consort, David Butt, NOT in full flow!

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, enjoys her wine by the garden pond.

The Mum's Chorus, putting on their best efforts.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, was delighted to receive a bouquet of flowers from Isobel.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, presents her husband David with his prize - a tiny lilac handbag!

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, relents and presents Jo with a small green egg.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with all of the contestants at the talent competition.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, attended a fundraising event for the Streetwise Centre at the Hamworthy Club in Canford Magna.

The Streetwise Safety Education Centre is a joint venture between the emergency services, local authorities and the business community. It is a life size village built inside a warehouse off Ringwood Road, Bournemouth to raise awareness of everyday safety and good citizenship issues. Safety at home, in the town, in the countryside and even on the beach is covered on a Streetwise Safety Tour lasting up to two hours. The Streetwise village includes a full sized two-storey house, a high street, a park, a farmyard, a railway track, electricity sub station, a heath, a beach and a building site. All the scenarios have been built as in real life and using real bricks and mortar and other materials to be found in the real world.

The event was a dance to a live band, starting with the all-girl Barbed Wire band playing nostalgic pop music from the 60s and 70s. They later gave way to the Haywire band, playing mainly rock interspersed with some slower numbers. The Mayor drew the raffle, her usual luck deserting her with no wins at all on this occasion, and made a short speech congratulating the organisers on the success of the evening. In an amusing incident, when the Mayor was ready to leave she found her mobile phone battery dead leaving her unable to summon her chauffeur. Fortunately, an appeal to the audience produced a kind gentleman with an in-car charger which enabled her to make the call and arrange her ride home!!

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It was a very lively evening with great music from the infamous Haywire Band.  It was a little frustrating again to be at a dance and unable to do so, but I danced at least from the waist up and joined in as best I could. The event raised £1550 for the Streetwise charity, I wish them every success for the future."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Streetwise Centre Manager Alison Curtis (left) and volunteers.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, talks with some of the guests at the fundraising event at the Hamworthy Club in Canford Magna.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, helped out with folding raffle tickets during the evening.

The Mayor's colleague Cllr Leo Belcham, joins in the dancing at the Streetwise fundraising event.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, congratulated Freddy Clements on his achievement on becoming the newest member of the Dorset & Wiltshire Society of RFU Referees, just days after reaching the minimum qualifying age of 13.

A part of the Rugby Football Union, the Society is responsible for appointing referees to all RFU matches in the two counties, and ensures the highest standards by means of training and grading of referees. It is also empowered to deal with disciplinary matters arising in RFU matches. In what is probably not a coincidence, Freddy's father, Stephen Clements, is also an RFU referee and serves as PR Officer for the Society.

Freddy turned up at the Parlour with his parents Stephen and Jo and sister Isabel, and the youngsters did a rapid demolition job on the juice, crisps and breadsticks laid out for them. The youngsters then left the adults to their conversation and were taken to the Council Chamber, where they had great fun holding an impromptu Council meeting, Freddy putting forward some unique proposals for Council Tax expenditure while his sister, as Leader of the Opposition, offered some more mundane but more believable ideas. Despite Freddy obviously possessing more talent as a referee than as a politician, the debate raged on until reluctantly brought to a close by the need for the Mayor to go on to her next engagement.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I was amazed to hear from a colleague that Freddy has accomplished such an accolade at such a tender age and I therefore asked his parents if they would like to accompany him and his little sister to visit me in my Parlour for tea and to receive a certificate of recognition of this truly startling achievement. I believe he is the youngest British rugby referee, quite an accomplishment when you are only 13 years old, well done Freddy."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with new young referee Freddy Clements.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Freddy, his parents and sister in the Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, joined in the 1^st anniversary of Poole Council's Customer Services Call Centre at the Civic Centre.

The Call Centre originated from the Council's Customers First project, which itself started as part of the Government-sponsored E-government programme, and research some 3-4 years ago showed that more than half of all telephone calls received by the Council at that time went unanswered because there was nobody available. It also indicated that most calls were straightforward queries which could be easily answered at first point of contact by suitably trained staff. As a result, the Council decided to improve its communications with the public by establishing the Call Centre which would be able to deal with about 80% of all calls using the publicly-available Council website (http://www.boroughofpoole.com/), with only 20% being passed to specialist back office staff.  As departments are phased into the Call Centre, this target is being easily achieved with the Call Centre taking an average 200 calls per day and answering more than 80% of them.

The celebrations were set off by the Mayor giving a hilarious speech about all the little problems that the CS department had suffered, the great flood for instance on the morning of the grand opening!  But undaunted they soldiered on with able assistance from Ruth Lawson and her communications department. Customer Services Manager Chris Owens paid particular tribute to three people who had contributed to the success; Katie Symons who leads the Service Development team, Mandy Lagan in the Performance Deveklopment team, and Ken Hunter in the Customer Services team. After touring the department and talking to many of the staff, the visit concluded with Ken demonstrating the latest workflow software for switching incoming telephone calls to waiting customer service advisers, ensuring that calls are answered as quickly as possible by the most knowledgable advisers.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It is gratifying to see the outcome of what seemed so embryonic just over 4 years ago.  With our E-gov team on the job we were always destined for the planning and delivery phases to be a huge success and that is just what they have been. We are now unbelievably in phase C and well on the way to the completion of the whole project. I take some part in this success as this was one of the projects that I as Chairman of the Resources Overview Group in 2003 with the support of my Vice Chairman took on board and channelled through all the required partner agencies to become the success it is. However my part is infinitesimal in comparison to that which has been played recently by Chris Owens and his superb team of ICT gurus, telephonists and admin staff in order to reach our first birthday of Customer Services and all its accomplishments. My thanks to all at Customer Services who really do provide an excellent holistic enquiry/resolution service, I look forward to their second birthday and another bit of cake!"

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Customer Services Manager Chris Owens at joined in the 1^st anniversary of Poole Council's Call Centre.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, shares one of her outrageous jokes with Customer Services staff.

The Customer Services birthday cake.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, backed by the Customer Services management team, makes the first cut into the birthday cake.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, shares another of her outrageous jokes with a customer services adviser.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, learns from team leader Ken Hunter about the new telephone call workflow software.