Below is the full version of a message passed to us from our Mayor Bob Johnson, pictured above with Deputy Mayor Jocelyn Towns.
Thanks for 2016
I am taking this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all our town communities for making 2016 such a success for us all.
By any measure, Marlow is an outstanding economic success, with considerable numbers of people and businesses wanting to establish themselves in our town, which I believe is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of the Thames Valley. Of course there is much we still need to achieve for our residents and businesses and I am all too aware that we must find an answer to our parking situation as soon as possible. Nevertheless it’s important to acknowledge that you all contribute to the fantastic atmosphere, buzz and our frequently over-used word ‘vibrancy’, which perfectly describes our town.
2016 was a lively year; from our traditional events including the Civic Service, Regatta, Swan Upping, Christmas Lights ‘Switch On’ and Christmas Carols on the Causeway to the agreement to take on the huge challenge of ‘Devolved Services’ (grass and hedge cutting), from the District and County Councils, to our fantastic bridge, which we are very happy to have open again after it was closed for several weeks following an incident with a 37 tonne truck!
However, all is well and we have had a fabulous festive period with brilliant High Street events, including Mary Berry at the Switch On night; The Marlow Chamber’s Late Night Shopping Evening; the opening of the Pop Up Picture House and the Town Council’s ‘Carols on the Causeway’ around the Christmas tree. All these events brought people back into Marlow.
In 2016 we put significant effort into engaging with the youth of Marlow and all primary schools were given a ‘Taste of Democracy’. In 2017 we will be encouraging our secondary schools to engage in youth projects and work together with us towards their own youth initiatives.
So what about 2017?
We’re looking forward to an outstanding new event called ‘Celebrating Marlow’. This will be a major new addition to the annual calendar and will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on 26th March 2017. We anticipate this being attended by around 300 people of Marlow from all age groups and all walks of life.
The event is designed to celebrate all that is good about Marlow and the successes of its community, providing an opportunity to bring together more people from both the younger and the older generations in the town. We shall be using Celebrating Marlow to present the town’s annual awards. These have previously been presented at the Mayor’s Regatta Reception, which along with the Veterans’ and Senior Citizens’ Annual Lunches, will be merged into the Celebrating Marlow event.
We also intend that the Mayor’s Annual Civic Service will take place in June to welcome the new Mayor into his or her position.
So with much already on the horizon I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.
Bob Johnson
Town Mayor
