Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole 2006/07

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, attended a concert of Autumn Music, held at Poole Grammar School.

The superbly performed and presented musical evening included many variations of musicians ranging from big band and orchestra to a 4 person percussion ensemble and a St Louis-style walking saxophone group, including a massive choir of 180 Year 8 boys, all giving a smooth and slick recital which was a credit to the school and its music department. For more information about Poole Grammar School, see http://www.poolegrammar.com/.

At the end of the evening the Mayor, delighted at having been presented with a huge bouquet of flowers, gave a speech of thanks on behalf of the audience.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "It was a evening of true talent, great music and a lump in every parent's throat.  In my speech I shared with the audience my father's great philosophy regarding music and it is thus:

‘Fish is the all time honoured food of the brain;

Chocolate (well at least in my case) is the definitive food of the stomach;

Love is the only food of the heart;

But music, ah music, can only be..................... the food of the soul............'

I have to admit that my ability with musical instruments is as Twiggy is to Sumo wrestling, but the array and standard of music and singing of the young men will always enable their spirits to be lifted as was mine and the hundreds of parents, relatives and friends in attendance on the evening. "

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her husband Mr David Butt, and Poole Grammar School Head Boy David Sheridan and Deputy Head Boy Abhiney Jain at the Autumn Music concert.

The massive choir of Year 8 boys at the Autumn Music concert.

Two of the players in the St Louis-style walking saxophone group at the Autumn Music concert.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, accompanied by the Sheriff, presided at a very special Inaugural Citizenship Ceremony where her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Mrs Valerie Fox-Lane Pitt-Rivers was in attendance.  The Citizenship Ceremony is to ‘Swear in' and ‘Affirm' new British citizens and welcome them to our lovely town of Poole. For information about ther Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, see www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page9285.asp.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I was so proud to receive and entertain our very own Lord Lieutenant. It was a double honour because when the Queen requested that all her Lord Lieutenants (the Queen's representative in her absence) visit a Citizenship Ceremony to learn a little more about the process, the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset chose to visit Poole first even though there are many towns in Dorset that also have a registrar's office. Mrs Valerie Fox-Lane  Pitt-Rivers is the very first female Lord Lieutenant to be appointed in Dorset  and will stay in post until she decides to step down or she reaches her 70^th birthday. The Lord Lieutenant was delighted to receive a small posy of freesias and gold roses as a token of thanks on behalf of all the residents of Poole for her great kindness and interest in our town, I very much look forward to welcoming her back at another time."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the Sheriff and the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Mrs Valerie Fox-Lane Pitt-Rivers at the Citizenship Ceremony.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Mrs Valerie Fox-Lane Pitt-Rivers in the Mayor's Parlour.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with her husband and Consort Mr David Butt, was delighted to award GCSE certificates to successful students of St Edward's School at St Mary's RC Church in Wimborne Road, Poole. For more information about St Edward's School, see www.st-edwards.poole.sch.uk/.

Attended by a huge audience of parents and family, the Head Teacher, Mrs Pola Bevan, gave a report on progress at the school during the past year, describing how the school encouraged not only academic achievement, but also improving students' personal qualities and spiritual development. The Mayor then presented the many GCSE certificates to the students, including her own son Charlie who, typically, took the opportunity to bear-hug his Mum and plant a huge kiss on her cheek, much to the delight of the audience and of course his Mum! The Mayor then gave an address regarding her great pride in every individual's accomplishment. The event was followed by tea and a delicious Stollen cake in the church hall, during which the Mayor met all of the parents and students who attended.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "I have a very special interest in St Edward's since all three of my children have been educated there, my 14 year old daughter Georgina still in attendance, and I have great confidence in the standard of teaching. I am particularly delighted that the school is not just focused on the high-flyers for whom success often seems to come more easily, but also celebrates the prowess of students who face certain challenges in their academic education, especially those with specific learning difficulties, who have worked so very hard and have achieved so much more than was expected."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt with her husband Mr David Butt, Canon Peter Webb (left), St Mary's parish priest Rev Mark Skelton (3^rd left), and St Edward's Head Teacher Mrs Pola Bevan (centre) at the GCSE presentation at St Mary's RC Church.

A view of the podium at St Mary's RC Church, Wimborne Road.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt with a very special GCSE certificate recipient and his parents following the presentation.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, chats with one of the GCSE certificate recipients following the presentation.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with one of the award winners, who is Youth Ambassador for the 2012 Olympics, and his father, following the GCSE presentation.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, attended the Annual Senior Awards Ceremony at Parkstone Grammar School, presenting a number of special awards to outstanding students. For more information about Parkstone Grammar School, see www.parkstone.poole.sch.uk/.

The afternoon began with a welcome address by the Head Teacher, Mrs Anne Shinwell, and an amusing speech from the Mayor, who passed on some of her favourite anecdotes from her schooldays, (clearly not to be copied by the students)!! Following this, Mr Jan Weddup, a senior lecturer at Bournemouth University, presented achievement awards to dozens of successful students, many of whom gained two, three or even four separate awards.

The Mayor then presented special awards to five outstanding students for their successes in GCSE results and academic progress, the event then ending with an amazing performance by talented young singers from the school. In a more relaxed gathering over coffee afterwards, the Mayor, never to miss an opportunity, talked with the recipients of the special awards and explored the possibility of using the vocalists in a later Mayor's Charity event.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "When I went to school (just a few years ago now), I distinctly remember being absolutely apoplectic and totally distraught due to the disastrous loss of face when, to my abject horror (and to this day I am sure it was a joke on me by my poor beleaguered and careworn teachers), that I was awarded the Conduct Prize, even my poor parents had difficulty hiding their confusion in me receiving such an accolade! However all the girls receiving their awards had every right to them and to be equally delighted by their personal successes."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Parkstone Grammar School Head Girl Hayley Marsh (Right), and Deputy Head Girls at the Annual Senior Awards.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, congratulates one of the special award winners on stage.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, in mid-speech at Parkstone Grammar School.

Three gorgeous girls - the Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with two of the singers at Parkstone Grammar School.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the five outstanding special award winners at Parkstone Grammar School.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, presented National ‘Teaching Assistant'  qualification certificates to the latest huge tranche of newly-qualified individuals in a ceremony at Poole's Civic Centre.

In a formal ceremony held in the Council Chamber, the Mayor presented 14 new teaching assistants with their hard-earned qualifications, and congratulated them in turn finding a personal and amusing remark for each of the teachers much to their delight. This was followed after the ceremony by an uplifting speech of encouragement and usual humour.

Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, Mayor of Poole, said "The role of the ‘Teaching Assistant' has come on in leaps and bounds over the last 10 years. But sometimes sadly even the TA's feel that they are not as valued as the fully fledged teacher. My clear advice to these wonderful newly qualified folk is, when someone asks if you are a teacher, instead of saying ‘No I'm a teaching assistant' you should say ‘Yes, I'm a teaching assistant'.  My only small worry was that most of the TA's looked young enough to still be at secondary school and those that didn't had more often that not, been ‘teaching' in our schools as ‘general assistants' for years and sometimes decades! Their tenacity to succeed is humbling and their achievement all the more poignant due to such passion in their determination."

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with the newly-qualified teaching assistants at the presentation ceremony.

The Mayor of Poole, Cllr Mrs Judy Butt, with Poole Council's Head of Pupil & Parent Support Mrs Vicky Wales and her awards team.