Mary Reid

In 1967 a group of Progressive Jews from the Kingston and Surrey area decided to set up their own congregation. For some years they met in Tudor Hall, but then got the chance to buy a redundant school in Long Ditton. Although they moved outside the borough boundary they still kept the Kingston name, and today they marked their fortieth anniversary with an inclusive and celebratory service.

Actually I was at the synagogue only three months ago for the Civic Service, and this time I was quite taken aback - the sanctuary had been enlarged and the ark moved to a different spot, making the place look completely different. It is light and airy, with a flexible layout as you can see in this photo.

So congratulations and best wishes to Trainee Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Rabbi Danny Rich who acts as her mentor, and Paul Levene the Chair of the Synagogue.

On the left, a team of footballers from Bordeaux, which included as former French rugby international; on the right, our own Dinton Casuals Veteran Football team.

Felicitations.... et merci bien pour la bouteille de vin et les fleurs.

Some months ago I opened the Kingston Day Nursery after it had been remodelled. I must have behaved myself because I was asked back today by Asquith Nurseries to re-open Surbiton Day Nursery as well.

This is a corner of the babies' room, and you can see that it provides a colourful and stimulating environment for little ones. They also have a large garden and the older children have access to it at all times.

I spoke about how much I valued high quality child care provision and that we were grateful to the private sector for helping to meet this need.

Last year Kingston's Land's End to John O'Groats bike ride in aid of the Pakistan Earthquake relief - E2E4E - was a great success. One year after the earthquake we held a memorial event and began to hear about the projects that the funding would be supporting.

Then last night I hosted a very well-attended event in the Guildhall to celebrate some extraordinary achievements.

Earlier this year Cllr Shiraz Mirza and Sara Butterfield travelled to Lahore to see how the funds had been used by the Red Cross (Pakistan Red Crescent). They personally helped to construct some of the 300 shelters that it provided. The two of them then took a hazardous journey up to the earthquake faultline in the mountains and delivered clothes to people in a very remote tented refugee camp.

But the real eye-opener was back in Lahore. The Fountain Trust is a highly respected medical centre, and here the funding from Kingston is building a complete rehabilitation centre for those suffering mental health problems as a result of the earthquake. This is to be known as the Royal Kingston Rehabilitation Centre, and the architects have designed a building with remarkable similarities to the Guildhall!

A highlight of the evening was an amplified phone call through to the manager at Lahore. Here Roy Taylor - Head of Community Services at Kingston Council and an end-to-ender in the bike ride - on the phone to Lahore, with a picture of the person he is talking to on the right of the photo on the screen. 

250 pupils from Year 10 in local schools responded to the Speak Out Challenge. This is organised by Speakersbank, which encourages young people to learn communication skills and develop self-confidence through public speaking. It recognises that the ability to be articulate in public is a key skill in active community life, and it actively promotes this through workshops and competitions.

These were the finalists - two from each school - with Sean Heslop, the Head of Tiffin, where the finals were held. Sadly I had to leave before the speaking got underway as I was hosting my next event at the Guildhall. But it was great to meet them all and to wish them well, whatever the outcome on the night.

Jasmines Ward at Tolworth Hospital offers a very specialised service to five local boroughs. It gives in-patient assessment and therapy to people with significant learning difficulties who are also suffering from mental health problems. People with learning difficulties have the right to access the same acute admission wards as everyone else, but in some cases they are too vulnerable or have communications problems, and this is where Jasmines Ward comes in.

The ward has just moved here from Sutton. The project to convert a redundant ward at Tolworth to provide this very specific work was completed in just a few months. And it is a lovely setting, with homely lounges, comfortable bedrooms, games facilities, and several therapy rooms.

Here I am cutting the ribbon with Peter Houghton, Chief Executive of South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust.

At the South of the Borough Neighbourhood meeting last month we decided to install parking meters in Hook Parade. This idea was first floated by the local traders some time ago. They were concerned that cars which were parked for very long periods were making it difficult for some of their customers to get to the shops.

The report on the consultation on the proposals was fairly inconclusive from the point of view of residents and shoppers. But of the nine traders who responded, seven were in favour of parking meters, so we agreed to go ahead with the scheme.

At Neighbourhood Committee last night we were presented with a petition signed by 1200 people objecting to parking meters, plus letters from the traders. So we have put the proposals on hold and will have meetings with the traders and the people who live in the flats above the shops. The results will be reported to the July meeting when we will have the opportunity to cancel the project formally.

A group of runners taking part in the Breakfast Run on April 1st collected sponsorship for Young Kingston - thank you so much!

To thank them in person I invited them to a reception in the Parlour before Full Council on Tuesday. I'm afraid I committed the sin of forgetting my camera, but I'm hoping to be able to get some from someone else to add to this entry.

Just before the end of the mayoral year we hold two Mayor's Awards ceremonies to recognise the work done by Council employees and schools. Two weeks ago the long service awards were made; this week we lauded those people who had been specially recommended by their line managers for the quality of the work they do.

In each case a citation was read out, and it was very inspiring to hear how much they had all achieved, going well beyond the basic requirements of their jobs. Here they all are...

At Full Council last night we elected Councillor Shiraz Mirza as the incoming Mayor of the Royal Borough. I was delighted to be the first to congratulate him.

He will be installed as Mayor at the Annual Council on 9th May when he'll don the robes that I take off - in his case for the second time.

This stunning set of textile panels were displayed in the Mayor's Parlour on Monday. They represent the four faiths of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, incorporating key symbols of each. Although each panel is separate and distinct, they are linked through swirls that represent water and light, both of which are common to all four faiths.

The panels will tour around the schools accompanied by a sound piece that explores the themes through voice and music.

This Faith Communities Artwork and Recording project is an excellent initiative of Global Arts Kingston. Sue Edkins led on the project which involved group discussions with members of each faith, many of whom turned up for the launch. We also met the textile artist Louise Baldwin and the sound artist Keya Ashraf.

The Friends of Kingston Hospital is one of those organisations that works quietly and very effectively, but without getting the publicity that is given to the major fundraising campaigns such as Kingston Can, Born Too Soon and Momentum. But it is highly respected by those who benefit from its activities, as can be gleaned by the attendance of both the Chief Executive of the Hospital and the Chair of the Trust Board.

From left: Christine Swabey (Chair of the Hospital Board), Carole Heatley (Chief Executive) and Serge Lourie (Chair of the Friends)

The Friends contributed £82,000 to the hospital last year, and this was all directed at specific projects such as anaesthetic equipment for theatres and volumetric pumps for Critical Care. They also manage and fund Kingston Hospital Radio, and it was good to see Cllr Geoffrey Austin and his wife who keep that vital service running.

It's actually tomorrow, but the Royal Kingston District Scouts always celebrate the day on the nearest Sunday with a huge parade through Tolworth. These are just a few of over a thousand young people involved.

Note the centenary flag - Scouting began in 1907, and there are many events this year to mark Baden Powell's inspiration.

The afternoon began for me with a service in Our Lady Immaculate Church, although the Scouts, Cubs and Beavers had paraded to the church before the civic party arrived. Although OLI is the largest church in the borough it is still not big enough, and the youngest children met in the Hall with the Deputy Mayor.

I confessed to the older members in the church that I had never been a Scout - this produced cries of 'shame!' until I explained that they didn't allow girls to join in my day, but that I was a Guide. I actually remember the Jubilee Year in 1957, and recalled a very long train journey from Cardiff where I lived to North Wales to attend a Jubilee rally and to hear Lady Baden Powell speak.

Now who could this be?

This was Peter Moore's first event in his new role as Kingston's Tipstaff, and a good job he did too.

Last night we held the Mayor's Charity Ball on Ravens Ait - the culmination of our fundraising for Young Kingston and a great evening out.  It's a superb venue and taking the boat across to the island only adds to its special atmosphere.

Peter Moore, Kingston's Tipstaff, acted as toastmaster for the evening so we posed for a photo before the guests arrived.

After a champagne reception we sat down for an excellent dinner. I had promised to put the emphasis on fun - with table entertainers and musicians - so cut out all the speeeches, apart from a welcome from me. It was also a chance to publicly thank Alison Croucher, the Mayoral Officer, who had organised the whole event so expertly.

After dinner people wandered around the function rooms, joining in the dancing, sitting and chatting or watching the river out on the terraces.

These fine people are my daughter-in-law, Sarah, my two sons in the middle, Stuart and Duncan (married to Sarah), flanked by Stephen and Michael Ball.

The Deputy Police Commissioner for the Met was the chief guest at the graduation ceremony for new police officers based in Richmond and Kingston.

They had all been through a new 31 week training programme that has replaced previous 18 weeks at Hendon, and they all seemed to value the new approach. Each student had been assigned to one of the boroughs where they had combined their theoretical studies with practical experience on the streets.

So here is the Kingston class of  2007, with Borough Commander Laura Nicholson - look out for them around the area. Best wishes to them all.

The AGM of the Kingston Association for the Blind was the best attended of all the AGMs I have been to this year!  It is a well supported organisation which is highly valued by its members, who include both visually impaired people and sighted volunteers.

KAb isthe umbrella body for the Surbiton, New Malden, Social Eyes and Eye Contact clubs, they produce the local Talking Newspaper. A number of buddy schemes have also emerged, including Eye Buddies, Tandem Buddies (cycling), Running Buddies and Dog Buddies.

The presence of Jacqueline Wilson as the guest speaker was undoubtedly a draw at the AGM. She started by explaining about how she became a children's writer, and the famous story of how Jackie magazine was named after her.  Then spent some time telling us about her support for the RNIB's Right to Read campaign, which aims to increase the number of books published in braille, large print and audio versions.

Although I do spend a lot of my time meeting with the local voluntary and public service organisations, we are all aware of the significance of the commercial sector. In the run-up to Christmas half a million people come shopping in Kingston every week - this is hugely important for the economic health of the borough.

So I was very pleased to be invited to meet the South West London team at the Royal Bank of Scotland/ NatWest. They were launching their new dedicated commercial service in Kingston and surrounding areas.  It was a good opportunity to network with business professionals from the borough.

You know that advert - 'My bank is now a trendy wine bar' - this time the reverse operated and the bank invited us to a trendy pub.

Although the vast majority of my engagements are within the Borough, occasionally we get a chance to visit other parts of London. It's good when this can be combined with support for another Mayor's Charity. So on Tuesday I grasped the opportunity offered by an invitation from the Mayor of Merton for a charity tour of the home of tennis - the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon.

So here we are, an assembly of mayors , enjoying the sunshine.

This is famous view across to Number 1 court from Sue Barker's desk in the BBC studio.

Centre Court is a building site, and it seems impossible to believe that it will be fully functioning again for the championships in June. They are removing the existing roof, so this summer spectators will have to bring sunhats. Then after Wimbledon fortnight a new roof will be erected, and by the end of the following year it will have a fully retractable transparent roof, with lighting, so that play can continue in spite of rain and bad light.

Well normally only one, but I had an whole fire-engine-full turn up at my home to help publicise their Free Fire Safety Check service.

They did a thorough job and gave us lots of helpful advice about fire escape routes, use of multi-point plugs and, of course, smoke alarms - which they will fit for free if you need one.

You can ask for a Fire Safety Check of your home by phoning 08000 28 44 28 or emailing smokealarms@london-fire.gov.uk.

You may like to suggest a check for an elderly or vulnerable person - just get their permission first before contacting the Fire Service.

For more details see the London Fire Brigade website.

Care-ful Mobility is a local company that provides mobility aids, and on Monday they ran a Mobility Awareness Day in Eden Walk.

So here I am trying out one of their electric scooters with Max Kislingbury, the Managing Director, and his staff.  My mother-in-law had one of these and it transformed her life - they are great for getting down to the shops and other local places.

I'm always ready to support local traders like these, especially when they offer personal support in specialist markets.

Sparkle was a spectacular show of the very best local young performers in Kingston, Merton and Sutton, staged at Sutton Theatre. It was organised by Global Arts, the Kingston based body that brings together arts from across our cultural communities. So the show featured energetic dancing drawing on African, Indian and street styles, plus gospel, soul, pop and rock.

There is real talent amongst these young people, plus some excellent ensemble playing, all imaginatively produced by the creative Fran Rabin.

I wish I could show you some photos. I did try taking some shots during the performance. I didn't see any signs saying 'No photography' and it is usually OK to do so with amateur productions provided no flash is used, but as soon as I pointed my camera, usherettes were bearing down on me from all sides, shining their torches accusingly at me. I was expecting to be frogmarched from the place - still wearing my chains. Very embarrassing for me and for the other two mayors sitting with me!

More new British Citizens were sworn in during an impressive ceremony at the Guildhall today.

This time we welcomed people originating from Kazakhstan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Canada, South Africa, Afganistan, India, New Zealand - and those were just the ones I managed to ask!

Keen eyed readers will notice that Steve Vincent was filling in as mace bearer this time.

Back in the summer I enjoyed a BBQ with the Tolworth Organic Gardening Club on their allotment. At their AGM yesterday they changed their name to Tolworth Community Gardening Club; not because they've given up on organic principles - far from it - but because they wanted to emphasise the open community nature of what they are doing. This is a club that makes strong efforts to be inclusive, is disability aware and welcomes people of all ages.

I was delighted to see that Kingston's Parks contractor, Quadron, was fully involved in the project. Indeed they are looking for other possible sites and are able to draw on charitable funding to support them. All it needs is a few enthusiastic individuals!

The meeting concluded with some entertainment, which took me completely by surprise. There was no obvious connection with gardening, but we heard overtone singing from Rollin Rachele. The technique is explained here, and that article also refers to Rollin's book. Essentially he produces a normal baritone sound and then he overlays that with a tune that sounds like a piccolo playing. Apparently, what he does is to use his mouth, nasal and sinus passges to amplify the high components of the basic tone - all sounds are complex and include many harmonics, and he somehow isolates them and creates astonishing music.

Rollin on right with drummer Jason

The Mayor of our neighbouring borough, Elmbridge, invited us to his Civic Reception on Thursday evening. He wanted to tell everyone about the successful fundraising for his charity, the Surrey Association for Visual Impairment.

SAVI is a voluntary body which offers support and advice to people with viusal impairment, and in particular provides training for those who have recently lost their sight. I was fascinated to hear how some of their clients with limited vision have been able to read again using a technique in which the eyes sweep the area of vision several times. And, of course, we also heard about the technologies that can enable a visually impaired person to use the Internet and computer sysytems to their fullest.

I will be visiting Kingston Association for the Blind next week so will be interested in comparing notes.

Yesterday we celebrated with a dozen people who had served Kingston Council for 25 or more years.

They've presumably found RBK a good employer or they wouldn't have stayed so long, but we value enormously the knowledge and experience that they have built up over the years. They have made major contributions in two apparently contradictory ways - by maintaining stability of staff, but also by being innovative. These are the key elements of success in this authority, which are always picked out by inspectors when we are being assessed.

I'm within my last month now as Mayor but two of the most significant events are still to come.

Next week we will be enjoying the Mayors' Charity Ball on Ravens Ait, and that will be a wonderful climax to a year of fundraising for Young Kingston.

I have a terrific Charity Committee to thank for everything they have achieved this year. Here they are ...

From the left they are Graham Child (of Jaggerprint), John Perry (solicitor), Lucie Moore (Kingston's Tourism and Events Manager), Sue Frett (of ROYAD and several other voluntary organisations), Alison Croucher (Mayoral Officer) and Cllr Sheila Griffin (Deputy Mayor). We were also joined  by members of Kingston Youth Council, notably, Charlotte, Dylan and Darius. Cllr Bart Ricketts was also away on the day the photo was taken.

They have been a fantastic help, coming up with lots of ideas and finding the energy to organise events, from a quiz night to a grand ball.

The other significant event before I finish will be the launch of Young Kingston. Of course, I was awkward this year and decided to set up a new fund instead of simply supporting existing charities. The Charity Committee was remarkably patient with me - we didn't even have a name for it for the first couple of months!

A separate Steering Committee is now managing Young Kingston under the umbrella of the well-established Thames Community Foundation. I'll write more about it after the launch.

 Getting ready ....

and they're off....

At the start of the race Oxford is in the foreground with the eventual winners, Cambridge, beyond them.

We had joined a boat load of Mayors and other guests for a Boat Race Day outing organised by the Mayor of Wandsorth in aid of his charity. I've never actually seen the race live before, and it was odd watching no more than the first few seconds in front of us. The rest we could follow on the giant screens on the other side of the river.

Then off for a cruise along the Thames to Hammersmith Bridge. It was perfect weather for the whole afternoon and the crowds were partying on the banks.

No mayoral engaments today. Instead I joined members of my church, St Paul's Hook, and of the other churches in Chessington and Hook for a service at St Paul's. We then walked behind the cross through the shopping centres to St Catherines for prayers and hot cross buns.

Thanks to Alan Dean for this photo of part of the procession as it made its way through Hook Parade.

Just a year ago the Fircroft Trust relaunched itself with a new name and image. Its previous name, Mental Aid Projects, although explicit, was not helpful when communicating with service users.

Fircroft celebrated by asking its patron, the Bishop of Kingston, to cut a cake (with the help of the son of a volunteer). And we all - staff, volunteers and service users - enjoyed a chat over a cup of tea.

The Fircroft Trust exists, as it says in its mission  statement, to support adults living in the community with mental health problems and/or learning disabilities. They offer a number of residential places, in several homes ranging in size from 3 to 13 adults, plus day activities at the Fircroft Centre.

Like any organisation in the voluntary sector they need to raise funds, and you'll find their two shops in Tolworth (Ewell Road) and Surbiton (St Andrews Road).

How could anyone do a day's work with a view like this from the office window?

The Royal School of Needlework is located at the back of Hampton Court Palace, with this glorious view towards the Long Water and the Jubilee Fountain. But inside are even more stunning things to look at. This is the organisation that trains and employs specialists to conserve and reconstruct old and very precious embroidered fabrics.

When I called in some of them were working on a dress made around 1740 with the most intricate and colourful floral embroidery.

The School has its own archives which deserve to be seen by a wider audience. They also take on modern commissions and had recently completed a colourful altar frontal for Canterbury Cathedral.

I learnt that all the apprentices learn the art of Coronation embroidery, using raised gold threads; they keep the skill alive, waiting for the next opportunity to use it, for this was the body that created the Queen's astonishing Coronation gown.

And believe it or not, even beginners can join classes and learn from some of the most skilled craftspeople of their generation.

There are only five Scout and Guide Marching Bands in the whole of London - and two of them are in my ward! In fact, good youth marching bands are pretty rare these days so they are in high demand, which in turn helps to drive up their standards. 

The 1st Hook band has held the National Scout and Guide Marching Band Champions title for 4 years running. It also won three gold medals in the European Open Band Competitions last year, and each year it performs in the Lord Mayor's Show.

So their concerts are not events that are only really appreciated by parents of the players - they are a real treat for everyone. Yesterday's performance at the Epsom Playhouse was attended by the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell and he greatly enjoyed it.

This was a staged concert, with no marching, so it gave them a chance to explore a wider repertoire, including the 1812 Overture, with long bangs and confetti showers.

I said in my speech at the end that all of us in Hook are immensely proud of them and want to thank them for acting as ambassadors our town.

Cllr Bart Ricketts (left) getting ready to run in the Kingston Breakfast Run this morning, organised by the Surbiton based sporting events company Human Race.

He, along with 13 others were running in aid of Young Kingston. Many thanks to all of them, including Paul Kenny, Kingston's Member of the UK Youth Parliament (left).

It was a very cold morning but I was pleased I got up early to see all the runners off from outside the Guildhall.

About 5000 took part, and the atmosphere was great, with a mixture of fun and club runners, some of them, of course, preparing for the London Marathon.

They can choose to do either the 8.2 mile circuit along the towpath to Hampton Court then back along the Kingston side of the river, or to go round it twice to cover the full 16 miles. (I can't quite understand how twice 8.2 makes 16, but then I've never run it myself).

The results should be posted here very soon.

This is one of the very accomplished young dancers who entertained a large audience on Saturday evening at Tolworth Girls School.

She is a member of the Kingston Tamil School, which teaches the Tamil language, music and dance to over 200 young people every week.

The school is just one of the branches of the Surbiton based Institute of Tamil Culture. ITC Fine Arts promotes the arts in the whole community, and is a key member of Kingston's Global Arts.

The ITC Youth Sports Club sponsors football and other teams, and the Kingston Community Centre offers activities, advice and information to adults.

But back to the show, which was rather lengthy because each class wanted to show off its skills ...

Veena players

Violins accompanied by miruthangam drums

Young singers dressed up for the occasion