26 July 2008
Parading
to
the Mayor's
Service
at
St Mary's Church
Central Dover.
Sunday July 27: Doverforum strolled over to catch the Mayor's Parade as they made their way from the Town Council offices to St Mary's Church in blazing sunshine for the annual service. Indeed you can see the blazing high bright sun had an effect on the pictures but nevertheless despite such pitfalls it was a delight to be there and capture the event. The Parade, I say parade as not sure what else to call it, was smaller than anticipated, as one was expecting a wide range of dignitaries from surrounding towns and so on, but nevertheless the smaller group strolled in fine style and as elegantly as ever to take up position at the church.
Top Picture: And speaking of elegance... our tall Mayor, Cllr Diane Smallwood, looking great in very fetching red shoes, this to match the long red robe of course, played her part with elegant perfection. Right behind her in the group is Mike Webb, our amiable Town Clerk. The name of the chap to the right of the Mayor is not known to us..so if someone can let us know(See JHG comment below).
Picture Above Left: A wider shot of the group as they make their way through the shopping area, at the rear of group you can just spot top forumite Cllr Sheila Amos flitting along in her magic motor.
Picture Above Right: Cllr Jan Tranter, former Mayor, tips her three cornered hat to the poor beleagured Doverforum photographer standing in the gutter!! (The gutter press in action!) Also in the shot is the ever pleasant Deputy Mayor Cllr Sue Jones. Both lovely ladies... seen here parading in fine style.
Picture immediately Above Left: Always immaculate and cutting a fine dash is the dependable Town Sergeant Bryan Walker. He also plays a mean bugle does Bryan.
Comments always welcome - add yours below.
The Kite Festival:
Picture above by Ian Lillford. Many thanks Ian its a cracker, capturing the Castle through the porthole! Well I never! Thanks for the earlier COMMENTS guys. Always welcome, see below. Add yours..again, see below.
Picture to the left by Paul Boland.
I took an amble over to the Kite Festival around 11am, after an earlier trip to capture a photo of the Mayor's walk to St Mary's Church for the annual
Mayor's Service. Pictures from that on monday. The Kite festival is/was in a nice location, fairly easy to reach but the crowd wasnt there. Okay it might have been too early at 11am but a mere scattering, a mere handful, braced the early morning air. Okay there were one or two kites in the air at that time but not enough to muster up enthusiasm for the casual passer by..
Perhaps there just are not enough Kite Flyers in and around Dover, and its true to say I myself dont know one end of a kite from another, but at least they are colourful and easy on the eye. I once had a traumatic episode with a kite obtained from a Lucozade promo when I was aged SIX, and thats my sole experience of Kites..the trauma was because I couldnt assemble the thing...doh!
Maybe we can have a COMMENT or two below letting us know if the crowd picked up later. There were pleasant stalls, one offering food and drink, which is always good to know, and a good sound system running so all the ingredients were laid on. Pity then about the early turnout. Was it a case again of nobody knowing it was on?
PB
Full Load Onboard.
Well we are enjoying high summer at last. The hotels are full with passing traffic, their carparks packed with overloaded cars, none apparently burdoned by the horrors of rising fuel prices, and all heading to the continent with gay abandon and gleeful enthusiasm. Dover is here, as ever, to serve the travelling hordes. Down on the seafront all is well, especially for those with less aspirational travel prospects, as the beaches are full with ocean obsessed kids of all ages, but mostly teens, splashing and screaming all day. Ah bliss! The summer is in full swing.
The sea is very blue and so is the sky..and into view saunters the little tour boat of Richard Mahoney still plying away successfully after all these years. Initiative and enterprise clearly paying off... for as you can see he has a full load onboard. It could to all intents and purposes be a boat any where in the world, along the Nile perhaps, as all are visitors to a man and boy, and of ethnic origin too I believe. Good to see we can all enjoy the facilities Dover has to offer and have a high old time while doing it with nary a difference raising it's head. As with most seaside towns in the UK, the town of Dover needs a good summer spend.
Please come to it we still need alot more to support it if we are to get it back next year.
Vic Matcham