Diary

JUNE 2000

Starting the month with a fews days break over Whitsun, I soon got into the swing with a visit to Richard Cobden School for a celebration of their namesake’s birthday, finally learning what his connection was with Camden Town.  Actually there is no connection, but simply a number of people, then involved with the St Pancras Vestry, wanted to commemorate his efforts on behalf of the country’s poor through the repeal of the ‘Corn Laws’ and efforts for free trade with france (an early Europhile!), and erected the statue at Mornington Crescent in his honour.  This was followed by my first ‘Royal’ engagement as mayor, greeting  the Princess Royal before a meeting and reception held by the British Nutrition Society.  This was quite nerve wracking.  Would I say the right things, would I remember to do a little curtsey, would I remember the names of the people I had to introduce to her?  Luckily I had already carried out a similar function as deputy mayor and knew that Princess Ann was very pleasant and knew the protocol so well herself that it all ran like clockwork.  The Royal family featured again a few days later when I was invited to attend a reception given by the charity Childline, hosted by Esther Rantzen at Leather Sellers Hall in the presence of the Duke of York.

The month carried on with a photo op with Environment Department as part of a ‘noise awarness’ campaign, attending the Evening Standard Youth Awards, an opportunity to meet the visiting head of  a large Japanese Buddhist order at the School of Oriental and African Studies and a very warm welcome to the Dickens Museum in Doughty Street and a visit to the New Journal’s annual job’s fair.

The lauch of the ‘Don’t Choke Camden’ week involved the hilarious photographs on a Penny Farthing bicycle, complete with Edwardian costume.  It’s time to come claen on this one.  The only way I could get onto the bike was with the aid of a ladder!  A huge vote of thanks and congratulation for managing the Herculean task of keeping the Penny Farthing upright goes to it’s owner, ……………….  I was probably only up there for about ten minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.  Apart from my complete terror and the fear of  certain death if I fell, Neil Litherland, Director of Housing, almost split his sides laughing and risked serious shock when suddenly coming across the scene on his way back to his office.  The end of that week continued the theme of fashion and fresh air with an invitation to Brent’s County from their Mayor, Joyce Bacchus and a very entertaining evening of dance and fashion design from the Phillipines.

Environmental issues were again to the fore during a trip along the Regents Canal to look at the work being carried out by Groundwork Camden.  The aim was to make the canal tow path walk a safer and more pleasant environment.  They had also produced booklets identifying the trees that could be seen along the canal and I must say that the numbers of different types that could be found was surprising.  This trip was made all the more enjoyable by the sunshine and the fabulous lunch provided by the Islington Chinese Association.  Another very pleasant afternoon took place in the Lea Valley Park with the Chairman’s garden party at Middleton House. 

The month included a reading event for children at the O₂ Centre and art projects for children from a number of local schools in Lauderdale House and Waterlow Park, celebrating a new drop-in at Queens Crescent for mothers and toddlers and cutting the ribbon on the formal opening of a new stable block at Kentish Town City Farm and the refurbished youth project at the Surma Centre.  I was very pleased to be invited to the Irish embassy for the announcement of the grants being given to organisations working with Irish people in England, a number of whom were in Camden.  The arts were also represented by an invitation to the Wellcome Foundation’s 210 Gallery and the unveiling of a mural at Platform 12 in KingsCross which was the culmination of a community arts project.

Elegant eating also got a good look in with a dinner hosted by the British Carribean Association, lunch at Chelsea barracks with the Reserve Forces Association and I was also asked to make my first after-dinner speech in the wonderful surroundings of Harewood House as a guest of St George PLC, who will be one of the major players in the forthcoming Kings Cross railways lands development.  A second charity event, a dinner cruise on board the My Fair Lady along the Regent canal was very successful and food and drink was celebrated at the opening of an exhibition charting 400 years of dining at Kenwood House.