STRATFORD-UPON-AVON TOWN COUNCIL

MAYORAL & PROTOCOL COMMITTEE

23 May, 2017

Town Clerk’s Open Report

1) Remembrance Sunday

Members are requested to note the report following a meeting with representatives of the Royal British Legion and Holy Trinity Church to discuss Remembrance Sunday.

A meeting was held on the 3 May, with Rev Patrick Taylor David Hastie and Rev. Neville Beamer to discuss in more detail the issues raised in the recent letter from the Royal British Legion. Mr Hastie stressed from the outset that any proposals which had been tabled were purely from a practical prospective, and were not intended to discourage anyone who wished to from attending the church service.The numbers attending the church service had significantly dwindled, although it had also been noted that attendees for the Wreath Laying ceremony in the Garden had increased, in particular amongst the younger generations. Also, the Leaders of the Cadet Forces and other youth contingents had indicated that the service and commemoration combined were too long. Concerns were also raised regarding the occasions when those attending in uniform had no protective clothing, and were expected to stand and then also sit church wearing wet clothes for long periods of time.

The vicar responded that although he totally understood the current concerns of the RBL members, he considered the Act of Remembrance, coupled with an Act of Worship, as the key activities of the day. Therefore, in his mind, you could not have one without the other.

Having discussed the various concerns with his Churchwardens and Clergy team, the following proposition was tabled for discussion:

Move the service in Holy Trinity to 10:00am; Service - no more than 40 minutes in length; To include one reading and appropriate poem;

1

Choir, Clergy and Civic party would then move to Garden of Remembrance for the final part of the service, including the Wreath Laying Ceremony.

Following the Wreath Laying, the Commemoration would conclude with the National Anthem, dipping of standards and final blessing.

The Town Clerk and Civic Secretary have since been working on the proposed programme regarding any timing implications or other details to determine whether it is achievable. However, it was noted that keeping the access clear into the Remembrance Garden was vital, and additional marshals would be needed to achieve much greater control. It was hoped that as this was primarily a British Legion event, some of the more active branch members might be encouraged to act as event marshals.

At the conclusion of the service, the Choir, Clergy and Civic Party would leave via the Old Town gateway. The Civic Party and other VIP’s returning directly to the Town Hall for the March Past, via Southern Lane, Waterside and Sheep Street.

The proposed programme will be tabled at next the Town Council Meeting on 25 July.

2) Dais for the Garden of Remembrance

Members are requested to determine whether it would be appropriate to display the Town Council crest and Royal British Legion logo to the daises

Following the decision at the November Mayoral and Protocol Meeting, a dais made by Men’s Shed Stratford has been completed. Mr Trevor Batchelor has indicated, that when his volunteers had completed the initial platform, they realised that they still had sufficient additional timber to create a second one. The cost of the commissioned dais is £420.00 and an itemised bill has been submitted.

Mr Batchelor has suggested that as we have two identical platforms, that we could display the Town council crest on one and the Royal British Legion logo on the other.

2

3) Town Council Ties

Members are requested to determine if it is appropriate just to replicate the current tie, or whether the opportunity should be taken of commissioning a new design

An order is about to be placed with Insignia Limited for a new supply of Town Council ties. Although the quotation to do this was received in October 2016, I am pleased to confirm that the price quoted at the time will be honoured. The company have asked for the opportunity of showing us some alternative designs before a final decision is made, and this has been offered to us (FOC).

A collection of new designs will be tabled at the meeting for consideration, and a mock-up of the new tie will be made for final approval, once a decision has been reached

4) National Awards Panel

Members are requested to note the report

Two meetings of the panel which the Town Council initiated have taken place, and currently we are aware of four submissions that have been completed and forwarded on to the Lord Lieutenants Office. This is clearly very encouraging, but the time has come to spread the word about the scheme more widely. To this end, it was suggested that an article should be written for the local press. Although this was generally supported, there were some who did not agree. Therefore it was agreed that the Lord Lieutenant should be consulted, and the Mayor would invite him to meet her informally. Mr Cox agreed to write a piece for the local press, which would form the basis of the proposed article. Once this has been received, a further meeting will be convened to progress the initiative further.

5) Civic Photographer

Members are requested to note the resignation of the Civic Photographer and consider a review of the current honorarium

It was with great sadness that the resignation of John Edwards as Civic Photographer was received by the Town Clerk. Mr Edwards has been a much valued member of staff, and his involvement in all aspects of Council will be greatly missed.

3

The Civic Photographer has proven to be an integral part of Town Council life, capturing civic events and adding to its archives for the future. Although it is early days, initial enquiries have shown that the current honorarium of £328.36, which is afforded to the position, may need to be reviewed.

6) Beacon for the end of the WW1 Commemoration

To note the report

Members are requested to note that Stratford District Council has agreed to collaborate with the Town Council to jointly fund the proposed beacon marking the end of the WW1 commemorations in November, 2018.

Town Clerk 7 February, 2017

4