Town Events 2009-13
Mayor's Community Day 27 February 2010
(March 28, 2010)A LARGE number of Warminster businesses, voluntary groups and campaigners were at the Assembly Rooms for this year's Mayor's Community Day on Saturday 27 February.
The event provides an opportunity for the groups to meet friends old and new, showcase their
talents and bend a few ears. Those attending included county council chairman Brig Robert Hall and local MP Dr Andrew Murrison.
With all the controversy surrounding the plans for the Assembly Rooms VFW was present for the opening couple of hours handing out leaflets outlining our position.
Inside the town council had a large table set out with detailed plans of what it proposed to do.
Town mayor Tony Nicklin said he was in danger of losing his voice by the end of the afternoon.
''Make sure you visit all the stalls as they all have an interesting story to tell,'' he said.
First port of call was the town information centre where George Jolley and Chris March had set themselves a target to sell at least four Warminster tea-towels.
(Pictured left - George with one of the tea-towels.) Shortly afterwards I was the proud owner of one of the tea-towels and 3.99 lighter in the pocket.
Just around the corner Ray Beaty, former BBC and Warminster Journal reporter, was manning the West Wilts Rail Users Group.The group keeps an eye on the rail services in this area and tries to secure improvements in rolling stock, timetabling and stations.
They have more than 100 members and volume gives them greater clout, says Ray.
''Now that we've more than 100 members we'd like to keep it that way and not slip back to the 90s,'' he said.
One issue the group will be taking up is the senior citizens' railcard which used to be available to the over 60s as an option instead of the bus pass.
Local OAPs lost this right when the new unitary authority voted to harmonise travel concessions but Ray feels they should reconsider the matter.
A little further on the guys from the camera club were showing some of the amazing shots taken by their members .
With their awe-inspiring 600mm lens on display it just didn't seem appropriate to flash my little point and shoot Fuji in their direction.
Sandra Major, the chairman of the carnival committee, appeared to be giving off light in her bright yellow t-shirt and the Fuji didn't even need to flash! (below)
The carnival committee is already hard at work planning this year's main event in October but in
the meantime they are planning a Scarecrow Trail on 13 June and the theme this year is Disney characters. Entries must be in by 1 June.WCR community radio were well represented and hope to be broadcasting 365 days a year on FM within the next year or so.
New licences and equipment will mean that a great deal of fund-raising will be required. Even now, while they are broadcasting on the internet, the group of volunteers produce around 70 hours of live output a week, which is no mean feat.
Radio is addictive and a family affair for Blanche Darvill who was on the stall - her daughter is station manager and Blanche and her husband do their own show between 9.30am and noon
every Wednesday.Andrew Robinson, assistant station manager is on air from 5pm to 7pm each Thursday. (WCR pictured right)
Craft and artisan stalls made up the bulk of the exhibitors in the small hall.
Included here was Dents, the ancient firm which still makes around 300 pairs of gloves in Warminster every week. Although the locally made output is a tiny fraction of their output across the world it is keeping
the old skills and traditions alive.The firm expects to move to its new site on the outskirts of the town next year - we wish them good luck.
Lurking by the exit was Warminster Country Markets whose boxes of delights were difficult (okay impossible) to resist and saw a purchase of something sweet and sticky to be consumed fairly quickly.
Pictured left: Charles Mulholland of Warminster Country Market.
Below: Outside there was an armoured vehicle manned by soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's).
