The annual “Mayor at Home” was different this year with the event limited to invited guests. Held in the Function Room at the Oak Leaf the gathering was meant to represent a cross section of community leaders to give the Mayor an opportunity to thank them for their contribution to life in Great Aycliffe.
“We are really bad at blowing our own trumpet in Great Aycliffe said Mayor Barbara.
“Did you know that, amongst the people here, we have representatives from the firm which put the roof on the Beijing Olympic Stadium?
Did you know that one of the people here fronts an Aycliffe society which has Museum status equal to that of Beamish and the Locomotion?
We have the editor of the most remarkable, community-oriented free newspaper in the country. Another person in this room, though only in her early twenties, has built up a dance academy of more than 200 members.
Amongst you are representatives from business, sport, the arts, the armed forces, community leaders, workers with youth and charity fund-raisers, whose faithful work contributes so much to the happiness of our town.
I am sorry that practicalities of numbers have meant that I have not been able to invite everybody who deserved to be here, and I apologise to them. Instead, you are here to represent all those workers in all the different organisations who contribute to the social, cultural and economic health of our community.
I have invited you, because – through its Mayor – Great Aycliffe wishes to recognise, and to say thank you for all you do and all you have done.”
The Mayor recognised multi-talented pianist, Adam, Nicholas leaving Woodham Academy this year thanking him for entertaining the guests.
The Council provided a buffet and the Mayor organised a free raffle for those in attendance. The idea of the occasion was to give everyone the opportunity to mix and talk with each other and it achieved that purpose.
Whether this change of format will remain depends on the whim of next year’s Mayor.
