It has been a very busy month since I returned from holiday with our full Council meeting taking place this week. I was able to report on several of the key events I have attended and some events coming up. Special mention was made of the evening I spent on HMS Victory at Portsmouth (photo above) where I collected an award on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council. This was a silver award in the Employer Recognition Scheme for the work we do with reservists and sponsored by SERFCA (South East Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Association). It was a chilly evening, some of it spent touring the decks below, whilst the main awards ceremony took place on the upper deck as shown.
Other events to note were two Royal visits, one at Kelmscott Manor where we greeted the Duke of Gloucester who is Patron of the Society of Antiquaries in London and was to be shown around the Manor. It was also a great honour to welcome the Duke of Cambridge to Oxford for a Police Conference on Mental Health where I was first to congratulate him on the announcement of their 3rd child. The news had only been made public the day before, so the press on hand were eager to hear his response. He thanked me and admitted they were not having much sleep at present, but hoped they would be able to celebrate soon!
There is currently a magnificent Medieval Mosaic on display at County Hall in the Grand Jury Room, which is in the Guinness Book of records and replicates the Bayeaux tapestry, though this one is made of small steel pieces. It is really worth a visit whilst in Oxford if the room is open on that day. You can check by visiting their website to see more details.
