Shepway Chairman's Blog

Barbara Todd, Lady Mayoress of Canterbury, Cllr Susan Carey, chairman of Shepway District Council and Cllr Pat Todd, Lord Mayor of Canterbury

Tuesday 03 August is the annual picnic hosted by the Lady Mayoress of Canterbury in the Westgate Gardens.  Our group includes the mayors of Folkestone and Hythe as well as mayors and chairman from across Kent and Sally Pickersgill, the High Sheriff of Canterbury who also happens to be the daughter of Shepway District Councillor Stan Hayward. 

Pat Todd, Lady Mayoress of Canterbury and Sally Pickersgill, High Sheriff of Canterbury

Westgate Gardens and Tower House were given to Canterbury City Council in 1936 by Stephen Williamson whose wife , Catherine, was a city councillor and served as Mayor from 1938 to 1940.  Tower House is used as the mayor’s parlour as well as for meetings and civic functions and, if it rains tonight, it will also be used for the picnic. 

The gardens are beautiful and the rain holds off.  After the picnic we all head for the Gulbenkian Theatre to see The Old Stagers production of ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’.  The Old Stagers believe they are the oldest surviving amateur dramatic society in the world and they have been appearing in Canterbury in cricket week since 1842. Many of the original ‘old stagers’ were cricketers.

The money raised from the picnic and raffle go to the Lady Mayoress’ charities which are the Royal National Lifeboat Institution,  Strode Park (which provides care for disabled people) and Help for Heroes.

Shepway District Council is working closely with Canterbury City Council to share back office costs and projects that attract European funding (See the Green Fair story)

Inside Tower House

John Hall, Cllr Susan Carey and Cllr Jean Law

A dinner held on 17 April in the newly opened Augustine House part of Canterbury Christchurch University. 

More to follow.

Tuesday 04 August and the event is a picnic in Westgate Gardens, Canterbury followed by a play at the Gulbenkian theatre on the University campus. The guests bring their own seats, tables and food which is soon shared around and the Lord Mayor of Canterbury provides the drinks.  It is a sunny evening and Westgate Gardens are looking lovely especially the vast plane tree which is thought to be over 200 years old.  There’s even a view of the cathedral.

My guest for the evening is Councillor Mrs Jean Law who is the Deputy Leader of Canterbury City Council.  Jean tells me about the changes taking place in Canterbury including the complete rebuilding of the Marlowe theatre.  One of the challenges faced by such work is that the groundworks nearly always make archaeological finds which need special care.  When the new shopping centre was built some of the finds were preserved in situ under glass and can still be seen in the new buildings.  The Mayor of Dover says that the major building works in her town are almost certain to turn up the rest of an ancient ship found when the main road was last built.

Cllr Susan Carey, chairman of Shepway District Council & Butterfly

Westgate Gardens and Tower House were presented to Canterbury City Council by the Williamson family in 1936.  Mrs Williamson was a city councillor at the time and she was the first woman to become mayor of Canterbury so it’s a particularly fitting place for the present Lord Mayor to host an event.

The evening finishes with ‘The Happiest Days of Your Life’ a farce by John Dighton put on by The Old Stagers who claim to be the oldest surviving amateur dramatic group in the world (over 150 years!).  The profits from tonight’s production and raffle are going to the Lady Mayoress’ charities – Age Concern and Canterbury Cathedral restoration fund.  Sir Bob Worcester of MORI fame who is now Chancellor of the University of Kent, John Gilbey the Leader of Canterbury City Council and other civic leaders join us for the play.  It’s a very good production which much fast banter and rushing about as there should be in a farce.

Butterfly

A thoroughly enjoyable evening and a chance to see Canterbury at its best.