Sharon Ball

I have just opened my presents and I am getting ready to go out on my first function of the day. Yes I know it is Christmas Day but I am off to see the homeless and people living alone this year in the hope to bring them some Christmas Cheer.

I have this year set my theme as one of looking out for carers and those that are cared for.

So whilst at home today with your family spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourselves and if you can do some thing to help some one this festive season then please do it. And why not in your New Year resolution make a promise to help others less fortunate than yourselves.

I trust that in this I can enlist your help, and in the mean time Happy Christmas.

They said that Christmas as Mayor would be busy and it certainly is.

14t December

On Friday 14^th I hosted a Christmas Party for Children with special needs in the Banqueting room of the Guildhall. It was really good to have the help of my fellow councillors on this very special day for the youngsters who all received toys and went home really happy, my thanks goes to Rotary Club of Bath West, Rotork Charity committee & Team Bath football for their help and sponsorship.

In the afternoon of 14^th I attended the Bath Townswomen's Guild Carol service where I then read a lesson and joined in the carol singing at the central reform Church, argyle street.

15^th December

On Saturday 15^th I at last got to do some much needed Christmas shopping in the morning before going on to the Avon County Scout Christmas celebration to mark the end of scouting centenary year. This was a special needs carol service and the readings were given by scouts with special needs. Father Christmas also came but this time he was collecting presents for those in greater need than us.

In the evening I attended a Christmas party with my former work colleagues from Horstman Defence who I see very little of this year. It was good to shake off the Mayor formality and relax with friends over dinner.

16^th December

It's Sunday morning and worse for wear after Saturday but at least I have the morning to recover and get ready for the afternoon, where I attended a Thanksgiving service for the restoration of St Stephens Tower and blessing of the new bells by The Bishop of Bath & Wells.

I then went on to a Concert of the Bath Recital Artists Trust where we heard a young man of only 20 years old play some fantastic music. Thanks to Tom Clarke our Host and sponsor for keeping this going.

17^th December

It's Monday Morning and looking forward to the 13 events in four days and then hopefully a rest till Christmas Day when I will be attending the open Christmas event at Kingswood School.

A famous poet has given The Mayor of Bath special permission to use his unpublished poem at her Call to Prayer for the City in The Guildhall at 7.30 pm on 8 January.  ‘A Fine Romance' by Roger McGough is a particularly poignant poem with a husband apologising to his wife, just in case he should ever suffer from dementia and fail to recognise her any more.

The Mayor, Councillor Sharon Ball's theme is ‘Caring'.  Her Consort, and husband, Councillor Tim Ball, will read the poem as a fitting finale to a talk by Martha Flower on supporting those affected by Alzheimer's.  A group of young carers will also share their experiences and Pat Smith will talk about 30 years fostering children.

The Mayor said: "I think it is very kind of Roger McGough to allow us to use his heart-rending account of the frustration and sorrow suffered by people with dementia.  I hope it will make people think about the hidden army willingly performing thankless tasks day in and day out to support their loved-ones."

It is now 40 years since Roger McGough achieved real fame as a poet with the publication of the best-selling poetry collection ‘The Mersey Sound'.  1967 also saw him with a hit song on his hands, ‘Thank U Very Much' as part of ‘The Scaffold' along with John Gorman and Mike McCartney brother of Paul, no less).  In the following year the Scaffold's anthem, ‘Lily the Pink', reached number one in the charts.  Today as a regular presenter of BBC Radio Four's ‘Poetry Please' he brings poetry to an even wider audience and, most recently he has published his autobiography ‘Said and Done'.

I had a nervous time this morning doing a live recording The Mayor's Christmas message for Hospital Radio at the Royal united Hospital in Bath.

I should not have worried as all those volunteers at the Hospital radio team were marvellous and made the two messages that I had to give a pleasure. One of the messages will be broadcast until Christmas Day and another a special live Broadcast will go out on Christmas Day itself.

I would like to pay tribute to all of our Hospital staff this Christmas for all of the excellent work that they do often without thanks.

At lunch time it was more relaxed as I visited Bath Opportunity Play group Christmas Party. The Children were absolutely marvellous and seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Staff at BOP are absolutely brilliant and do an excellent job getting the best out of children with special difficulties. I would like to thank them on behalf of the whole community for the work that they do.

I am out again tonight at a fundraising concert and will report more on this later. I was told that Christmas for the Mayor would be a busy time and it certainly is. 

I attended the March in Keynsham on Saturday 8^th December in support of the Cadbury workers who organised a mass demonstration after it was revealed that the Cadburys board of directors had decided to close the Fry's Factory in Three years time.

I am pictured with Liberal Democrat leader on Bath & North East Somerset Council Paul Crossley and Keynsham Town Councillors Tony Crouch and Keith Kerwan.

The rain poured all morning but that did not dampen the spirit of the many demonstrators who are determined to stop Cadburys moving its production to Poland and then importing its products back into this country.

The effects on the residents of Keynsham and the local economy will be devastating if Cadbury's carry out their proposals it will also affect neighbouring communities as some of the workers live in Twerton & Oldfield Park.

The demonstration made it very clear of the feeling of many local people and local politicians of all parties that turned out in support of the Cadbury workers.

The sacking of workers and moving production across the world for short term financial gain by our large companies is something that the Government has to address.

 The Keynshan Jobs need to be saved either by Cadburys backing down or by Government intervention.

It's Now December and we are into the round of all the Christmas parties and the Carol singing.

It is only the 2^nd December and I have already attended several very enjoyable Carol services and I know that I have a lot more to go to this month. I wonder if the tunes will play in may head all night long as they some times seem too.

This afternoon I am going to a 41^st centenary celebration of the independence of Barbados, I went to this went I was Deputy Mayor and enjoyed myself so much that I am looking forward to meeting some old friends as I know that Tim is. After this I am going to Bath Abbey for some more Carols.

On Christmas day I will be visiting the Homeless at Kingswood School and then returning home for dinner that my 20 year old son is cooking, help!

I must say that the hospitality of all the people that I have visited so far this year has been fantastic. I have set up a photo blog at www.readmyday.co.uk/sharonball-mayor for people to be able to look at where I have been although this is not comprehensive it gives a good flavour of what I have been up to.

I am still chasing up on some of the forty year awards and feel that I may have found some one who has done 50 years in one place.

I am not sure how many entries that I will be able to make on this site as it is now becoming so busy but please look at the photo's as these will keep you up to date.