Redbridge i

As my term of office as the Mayor of Redbridge is coming to an end, I hand over the office on May 8th, I should like to say what a pleasure it has been to meet so many residents during my time as your Mayor.It has been a privilege to attend a variety of functions, AGMs and many other events put on by a wide range of organisations and individuals. I have had the honour of presenting many different Awards and certificates to a diverse range of people, both young and “not so young” to mark their various achievements.

We read a great deal about the negative side of young people but I am sure that we all acknowledge that it is just the few that give the vast majority a bad reputation. I, of course, have had the advantage of meeting thousands of young people during my term of office, all engaged in an incredible and varied number of activities. Many young people working collectively to benefit others less fortunate than themselves. Many of these have great talents and skills in a wide variety of different ways.
I think that young people today are far more aware of political and environmental issues than when I was young.

It has been extremely gratifying to show Civic support, as the first citizen of the borough to all the voluntary organisations and carers that contribute so much to other people’s welfare. Without them many things would just not get done! I am grateful to them all for the wonderful work that they do.

As people that know me well will acknowledge, my passion is the theatre and the performing arts and it has been a source of pleasure and pride to attend many cultural events and to have the opportunity to acknowledge the talent and commitment of those involved in these activities.

If you have access to a computer please log on to Redbridge’s web site, Redbridge i where you can read my Blog if you choose to do so.
I hope that by writing this, residents have welcomed the opportunity to see the variety of events and functions that I go to and learn about the things that I do.

I am of course grateful to my office staff and my Appeal Committee for all that they have done for me this year. I am also indebted to the vast numbers of people that have attended my fundraising events or put on events for my Appeal.  My appeal so far has raised over £52,000 with more still to come!

The two charities I am supporting and fundraising for are Victim Support Redbridge and The Ilford Hospital Chapel. You can read about them and my fundraising events on Redbridge i.

It has been a great honour and privilege to serve the residents of Redbridge as their Mayor for the year 2007/08 and it has been a period in my life that I shall always treasure.

Best wishes and good health to you and your families.

Joyce Ryan
Mayor of Redbridge 2007/8

As you will have read I have broken my right shoulder so what I am able to do at present is very limiting, to say the least!
I am afraid that I have been unable to fulfil most of my last few engagements. One that I was determined to go ahead with was the official opening of Cleves Walk, or rather the closure of this residential road to juggernauts delivering to the super market.

Since becoming a councillor in 1990 I have been working with local residents and fellow ward members to stop this happening. I regret that it took so long to get the required result but thanks to Transport For London, Area 3 and Council officers, particularly Geoff Claxton success was eventually achieved! I do hope that this traffic scheme will bring relief to residents, after years of misery.

It has been a pleasure writing my blog. I hope that you have found it interesting to read about where I have been and what I have done over the past 12 months.

I am very grateful to Mark Grossman and Angela Bernard for putting it on the web site for me. I have really enjoyed my time as your Mayor, until I broke my shoulder! It has been an honour and privilege.
My very best wishes to you all.

Joyce Ryan

I have very foolishly fallen over and broken my right shoulder, so my friend Angela is typing this up for me as I dictate.On 24th April Maire and I went to the Kenneth More Theatre to watch a production of ‘The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes’ by the Thistles Musical Theatre Company. I was particularly impressed by the dancing and choreography in the show. We are so lucky to have so many good amateur companies working at the Kenneth More Theatre.

Midday on 25th April Olive I went to the Victim Support Annual Lunch, at the Prince Regent Hotel. The speaker was Nazir Afzal, O.B.E. who is a public prosecutor and does a lot of work re: honour killings. He was fascinating and told us about the use of new laws that prosecute all those family members, and others, involved in the killings and not just the person/people who carry out these awful acts, in the name of honour.

In the evening, Maire, Olive and I went to the Mayor of Kingston’s Grand Ball in the Garden Room at Hampton Court Palace. What a beautiful venue, it was a privilege to be there and we had a wonderful time.

We had to leave before the ball finished (in true Cinderella style) because we had to be on a coach at 7.00am the following morning for an Appeal fund raising trip to France. We were blessed with the weather, it was warm and sunny and everyone who went had a most enjoyable day. I am grateful to Felicity and Pat for organising the trip.

Following our return from France, I called into the Panjabi Centre to join in the Vaisakhi Festival.

Sunday 27th took the three of us to Christchurch, Wanstead, for the St. Georges Day Parade, by the Scouts of the District. There were about 300 young people and their Leaders present. It was a very moving service and a real pleasure to see so many young people involved in the scouting movement. It is gratifying that so many people give up their time to help others.

The 28th April was a very busy day for me. My day begun at Cleveland Junior School where I toured their new building and attended a celebration assembly. Following this Mike Gapes MP for Ilford South and I were questioned by the School Councillors about our roles. I was very impressed at the sensible and searching questions the young people asked us.

In the afternoon Olive and I went to Bexley for a tour of Danson House. The historical house has been renovated and restored and well worth a visit if you get an opportunity to go there. In the evening, we had a St. George’s Day Dinner in aid of the Mayor’s Appeal, at the Rouge Restaurant, Redbridge College. As always the food was delicious and the service excellent. This was the last fund-raising event for my Appeal. I am sure you will be delighted to know, that we have reached a total of £50,000 so far.

The late afternoon of the 29th, was the Dedication of the Bench, in memory of the late Councillor Simon Green. The bench is in Seven Kings Park at a lovely location opposite the lake looking onto the peaceful and tranquil waters. Later on that evening, a group of students from Woodford and Ilford County High Schools came into the Parlour to present a cheque to me for the Appeal of £2,500. If you remember this was the show the students put on at the Broadway Theatre, Barking. This was several months ago and you can read more about the show further down in my blog. The young people are, Chetna Punj, Bindya Parmar, Viraj Patel, Prina Modhvadia, Faiza Ahmed, Aneesh Kaira and Rachel Grant. These young people raised £5,000 profit, half for my Appeal and half for Great Ormond Street. What a wonderful achievement by them all.

The next morning April 30th (my birthday) I fell and broke my right shoulder!!! I also gave a dinner for the Appeal Committee. I was in intense pain but grateful for all the support that they have given to me during my mayoral year.

How quickly this past year has sped by. I have only a couple of weeks left before I hand over the office of Mayor to another councillor. It has been a privilege and honour to serve the residents of Redbridge as their first citizen since last May.

Monday the 21st had Olive and me at the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s Champagne Tea Party in aid of Carers Network Westminster. Pam Ferris was the speaker and she is the Vice-President of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. I have met Pam previously in Redbridge and she knows exactly what it is like to be a carer as she was her mother’s carer for quite a few years.

In the evening I had my last Appeal committee meeting. I have had a wonderful committee, really hard working members and all committed to working for my two charities. During the meeting Cllr

Keith Prince and Cllr Ashley Kissin came in and presented me with a cheque for £500 for the Appeal. This was from the bowling match that they did for the Appeal. I was absolutely delighted as you can imagine.

On Tuesday the 22nd Olive and I went on a tour of the Geffrye Museum and Sutton House. At the Geffrye Museum we had a guided tour of the restored almshouses and then looked around the displays of the “period” rooms. It is a fascinating museum and as well as interesting exhibits inside there are beautiful restored gardens outside. One of which is a herb garden. Following this we took a coach to Sutton House. This is a Tudor house, very near Hackney Town Hall. It is a National Trust property. We had an excellent guide and it was fascinating to be told about the people that had lived in the house over the centuries and the changes that they had made to the structure of the property.

Then we returned to Ilford I was absolutely delighted to welcome Dominic Low to the Parlour. Dominic was one of the men that ran in the London Marathon for my Appeal. Unfortunately Kevin McCoy could not make it. Kevin is a local policeman and had urgent business to attend to. Dominic presented me with cheques to the value of £2000 for the Appeal. A brilliant achievement, as I am sure you will agree.

On Wednesday Olive and I went up to Liberty’s for a private event. We were given a tour of the store. It really is beautiful and the carved woodwork and staircases quite stunning.

The evening of the 16th was spent at the KMT watching a production of “Copacabana” performed by the SideShow Youth Company. It was great to see the young people on the stage giving such excellent performances. The show is of course a really lively one with lavish costumes. There are so many talented young people and it is wonderful to see them in action. Terrific that SideShow give the youngsters the opportunity to develop their skills, and enjoy themselves at the same time!

On Thursday the 17th I spent the morning looking at the East India Dock Basin and Bow Creek. Two places well worth a visit, quiet, peaceful spots beside the water and a haven for wild life. I then had a tour of the Olympic Park site. This is a massive site and it is hard to believe the transformation that is taking place there! In the evening Maire, Olive and I went on a tour of Buckingham Palace. This was so interesting. I have been on tours there before but because this was such a small party, London Mayors, it was more detailed. What a fantastic place it is, as those that have done the tour will know. The furniture, paintings, decoration, sculpture, china etc is quite breathtaking! We followed this with a lovely meal at Westminster City Hall.

Maire, Olive and I travelled to Harrow on the morning of the 18th for a visit to Harrow School and RAF Bentley Priory. Listening to the history of the school was so interesting and the buildings are fascinating. Very impressive! Amongst famous old Harrovians are seven Prime Ministers.
Following the tour of the school we went to Bentley Priory. This was where the Battle of Britain was planned and run from. Unfortunately the MOD sold the site and are in the process of moving out. It is a piece of our national history and fortunately some of the rooms in the Priory will be turned into a Visitors/Heritage Centre.

In the evening we all went to the Carlton Club for the launch of the Sikh Welfare Society. The organisation has excellent Aims and Objectives and I wish it every success. It was a lovely evening, good company and excellent food! I was delighted when the Executive Committee presented me with a cheque for £251 for my Appeal. It was interesting to note that it was cheque number 1 from the account!

On Saturday the 19th there was Afternoon Tea in Wanstead House in aid of the Appeal. This was an absolutely delightful occasion and a great success. The food was delicious and the entertainment so good. It was Redbridge’s response to tea at The Ritz! I am grateful to the committee members that worked so hard to make it such a lovely event to be at, as well as raising a good amount for the Appeal.

Following this we all went immediately to the Marjorie Collins Centre for the 50th Anniversary Dinner of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. It was a really enjoyable evening and a substantial amount of money was raised for the Centre. Wonderful work is carried out there and I know that the users really value the facilities that are available to them at the Centre. Yet again tribute must be given to all the volunteers and carers that work so tirelessly for the benefit of others. I wish them all well for the future.

Sunday the 20th had two official engagements. The first was the Sikh Charity Bike Ride. This is an annual event and part of the celebration of Vaisakhi. The participants cycle for 15 miles and raise money for local Mayor’s Appeals. A fine charitable thing to do and I am grateful to both the organisers and the participants.

In the afternoon we were at St Francis of Assisi, Fencepiece Road, for the official opening of the wonderful new church hall.
The Bishop of Chelmsford and I had the honour and privilege of declaring the hall “open” It was a lovely Parish occasion and the hall is such a wonderful resource for both the parishioners and the local community. Father Jennings is of course my Chaplain and he retires at the end of June. He, and his wife Ann, will be sorely missed. I wish them happiness and good health in this coming new phase in their lives.

Sunday the 13th was the day that Maire, Olive and I went to the Speaker of Hackney’s Civic Service. It was a lovely service but the church was cold as the heat had broken several weeks before and cannot be mended. So many old churches need a great deal of work spent on them and it is very worrying for the priests/vicars and parishioners of those parishes. It is an increasing problem of course. After the service we went to Hackney Town Hall for a delicious reception. We were unable to stay for the entertainment as we had to return to Ilford to attend Honey Kalaria’s 10th Anniversary Show.

I cannot believe that it is 10 years since Honey opened her first Dance Academy. She now has 15 of them throughout the country! Honey has also been involved in lots of Bollywood films, TV and West End productions, to mention just a few things! She has been incredibly successful and a real inspiration to others. Needless to say the show was really good. The dancers looked gorgeous, girls that is, men/boys handsome, and their dancing was terrific. Such energy!

The Civic ambassador of Newham had a coffee morning in Newham Hospital on the 14th of April. I was pleased that I was able to go along to support it. Following this Olive and I went to the launch of Redbridge in Bloom at the Prince Regent Hotel. This is the 13th year of the competition and it gets more and more popular. I find it really lifts my spirits to see a beautifully kept garden, window box or hanging basket. Good luck to everyone that enters. I know that you will enjoy working on your entry and the finished result will give a great deal of pleasure I am sure to everyone that sees it.

Later that day Maire and I went to a dinner in the Tower and following the meal watched the Ceremony of the Keys. A tradition that has gone on for many hundreds of years! I often think that if only the walls of the Tower could speak what amazing, and incredibly sad things we would hear! It truly is an astonishing building. In the evening of the 15th we had an Appeal event at Trinity High School. We had a History Mystery Lecture by Dr Paul Doherty about, “Essex’s Murderous Past.” It was superb.

Paul is not only the Head at Trinity he has written over 70 books. He is a wonderful speaker. He mesmerises you and totally holds your attention. It was a really enjoyable evening, everyone had a brilliant time and a good amount was raised for my Appeal. Paul will be in Waterstones, Ilford on the 24th of April to sign hardback first editions of his recent novel, “Murder’s Immortal Mask” about murder in Imperial Rome.

On Sunday we have heavy snow, Monday was VERY cold but Tuesday the 8th was a warm Spring day!! We are having great contrasting weather at present!
Olive and I spent the day at Kingston. I don’t think I was ever in the historic town centre previously. We were both extremely impressed and were delighted that we had a tour guide to point out certain buildings etc and tell us the history of them. It really is a very interesting place and just down a short road/walk to the river. Absolutely beautiful!

In the afternoon we had a trip on the river down to Hampton Court. That was lovely, I really like being on, or near, water. In the late afternoon we visited the Dorich House Museum. This was a fascinating place. The house is an example of 1930’s modernism and was the home of the Hon Richard Hare and his Latvian born wife, the sculptor Dora Gordine. The couple designed the house themselves. The house is listed Grade 11. The house has been renovated and sensitively restored by Kingston University who now care for the house and its superb collection of sculpture and Russian Imperial art. It has been developed as a resource and study centre and was awarded Registered Museum status in 2004. If you get the opportunity do visit it.

As those that have been reading my blog on a regular basis will know I am a passionate supporter and lover of the arts and the contribution that they make to people’s lives. I am, as many of you know, on the board of the Kenneth More Theatre. I was also proud to be the chairman of the Redbridge Arts Council for eight years and the lead member of my Group on Leisure/Arts activities for some time.

During my year as Mayor I have had the privilege to attend many arts events to show my personal support and to offer “official” civic appreciation of the great efforts put in by so many people. We are lucky here in Redbridge that we are served by so many dedicated and talented artists. As you can imagine I was really honoured when the Redbridge Musical Guild decided to put on a week of productions in aid of my Appeal. The Guild is made up of the amateur companies that perform in the borough. The show opened on the 10th April and is running until the 12th.
The show features the best bits from local plays, musicals and concerts-past, present and future-and is a celebration of the best in Redbridge’s Entertainment. I hope those of you that went to any of the performances enjoyed them. I certainly did and am extremely grateful to all those involved in the production.

I went to Beal High School first thing on Thursday morning to attend a cheque presentation from Serene Fish and Chips. Serene had wanted to develop a logo and had asked pupils from the school to design one. The winner pupil received £500, to be spent on a school event/project.

Following that Olive and I went to St Joseph’s Residential Home to formerly open a new conservatory and to celebrate St Josephs achieving a 3 Star Rating. A great achievement by the owner and the staff, well done to them! That particular rating level recognises the high level of care given by the staff to the residents.

Later that day David Fowler and his son Charlie came to the Parlour to visit me and to look around the Chamber etc. It is a beautiful Council Chamber, do look at if you are ever able to do so. I think it is certainly one of the nicest in London. David has been very supportive of my Appeal and it was a pleasure to have them visit me in the Town Hall.

On the early afternoon of Saturday the 5th Maire, Olive and I attended a lecture by Jef Page about Rembrandt. This was extremely interesting and we all thoroughly enjoyed listening to Jef and looking at the slides. Jef works at the National Gallery and is the Chairman of the Cultural and Historical section of Redbridge Arts Council.

In the evening we all went to Maldon’s Charity Ball. We had a very pleasant evening and we were pleased to support the Mayor of Maldon’s charity appeal.

Sunday the 6th was a very important day for me. It was my Civic Service at St Francis of Assisi, Fencepiece Road. Father Mervyn Jennings is my Chaplain. Maire, [Mayoress] the Deputy Mayor, [Chris Cummins] and Deputy Mayoress [Sue Nolan] and I did the readings, psalm and bidding prayers. The choir sung beautifully and Father Mervyn officiated at a very moving service. The altar looked lovely with the Calvary Garden in front of it. Naturally I chose hymns that I particularly liked! So the service was very personal and so special.

I was particularly touched that, on behalf of the parish Father Mervyn presented me with a replica of the cross that hangs over the altar, such a thoughtful thing to do! Following the service there was a lovely reception in the brand new parish hall, something that I “officially” open in just over a weeks time. The hall is really nice and will be of such a great value to the parish and community.

Monday the 7th took Olive and me to Lewisham for a tour of some of the borough’s historic sites. I don’t know that area of London at all really so that was interesting. I caught up on some paper work and e-mails when we got back. I have to work really hard to stay up to date with theses things, but don’t always succeed!

When I was young April the 1st was a time when lots of practical jokes were played but over the years this tradition has gradually faded away. I had the privilege on the morning of the 1st to officially open the new Winston Way Primary School. As a primary teacher I was delighted to have the privilege of doing this and of having the opportunity to look around woodland school at all the new facilities provided for the staff and children. I am confident that the children attending the school will be given the highest quality of education and I hope that the staff will be happy working there.

In the afternoon I was very pleased to welcome some guests to the Parlour and to show them the regalia and the lovely Council Chamber. We have a beautiful chamber, something to take pride in!

In the evening I went to Goodmayes Hospital to take part in a radio interview on the hospital radio, www.thejumbosound.com. I really enjoyed doing this and was very impressed with their recording studio. The volunteers running the station are anxious to expand and to increase their “live broadcasts”.
They are doing an excellent job, do log on and listen if you get the time.

In the afternoon of the 2nd I went to John Bramston Primary School to watch the children perform “Billy the Bus”. I enjoyed this very much and it was obvious that the children had really loved learning the songs and actions! I am a governor at the school, the longest serving one there in fact. The parents were delighted to watch the performance.

I opened an exhibition on the life of Sylvia Pankhurst in the Central Library on the 2nd. It is an excellent exhibition. Do go in to see it. Sylvia Pankhurst lived in South Woodford for many years and was of course a leading member of the suffragette movement. There are many interesting things to look at and read about. In the Mayor’s Parlour is a portrait of Sylvia, given by Linda Perham when she was the Mayor, and that is on loan to the museum at present.

Students from West Hatch Secondary School were at the opening, dressed as characters of the time, and helped make the official opening really special.
I get really cross when people do not exercise their vote, especially when you think about how hard people in the past fought to get it. Many people throughout the world would be so grateful to actually have the vote and yet so many people in this country don’t use theirs!! Can you imagine the outcry if it was removed!

Following this we all went to watch “State Fair” at the KMT. This was put on by Forest Musical Productions. It was really well done and we all enjoyed it. Like all the companies that perform at the KMT Forest maintains very high standards.

Next week, from the 10th, Re-Joyce is being produced at the KMT by the Redbridge Music Guild. This is in aid of my Appeal. Re-Joyce is a Gala Variety show featuring the best bits from musicals, local plays and concerts-past, present and future. Please try to support this show if you possibly can.

The morning of Thursday 3rd started at Woodlands Infants School. I went to see the children in their hall and had the pleasure of talking to them and listening to their singing. They looked immaculate in their school uniform and were so attentive. I was presented with a cheque for £80 for my Appeal. This was money that the children had collected at Christmas in the Exchange. I was so pleased to be there.

A couple of hours later Olive and I went to a lovely service in the Ilford Hospital Chapel. What a beautiful, peaceful place the Chapel is. It was delightful to be there and after the service I spoke to the congregation about my time as the Mayor. They have a concert there this coming Saturday, “The Magical Musical-The Greatest Shows on Earth” Time =7:30pm Price== £6;50, including refreshments [accompanied children are free]

After a really lovely few days away it was time to catch up on meetings, e-mails and paper work! On Wednesday the 25th my sister in law, Mary McMahon, flew in from Ireland. I was delighted to see her and we spent a lovely evening having a meal at the Ark and catching up on news etc. She was over so that she could accompany me to the 17th Biennial Redbridge Schools’ Choral Festival at the Royal Albert Hall on the 27th. What a wonderful evening that was, absolutely magic! Our Redbridge Music Service is recognised throughout the country as a centre of excellence, as is our Drama Centre.

I was so proud to be at the concert as the Mayor of Redbridge. I am really lucky that the concert was during my term of office. The Royal Albert Hall is of course a world famous venue and for our young people to have the opportunity to perform there is something that they will never forget. I always attend but this year, being my time as Mayor, made it even more special. How proud their families must have been to watch and listen to them perform in such a stunning arena.

I am extremely grateful to the Director of the Redbridge Music Service, Eric Forder, his staff and all the Friends of the Music Service for all the fantastic work that they do to ensure that the pupils are given, and attain, the highest level of musical skills. A real highlight of my year!

On the 28th a party of twenty five people visited both Houses of Parliament for a tour and afternoon tea in aid of my Appeal. Our tour guides were excellent and the tea was delicious. In the evening Maire and I went to Bexley for a Greek evening in aid of the Mayor of Bexley’s own fund raising Appeal. We saw some interesting Greek dancing exhibitions and then various people tried their hand at it!!!

Saturday the 29th started at the Central Library so that I could look at an exhibition set up by the Patient and Public forum. In the afternoon Maire and I went to the KMT to watch a WOADS production of “Dangerous Corner”. This was an interesting play and it was extremely well done. There was a lovely “art deco” set.

In the evening we went to the Drama Centre for a production of “Alarm and Distress” performed by the Redbridge Youth Theatre Workshop Group. It was fantastic. The young people were absolutely superb in it. The work was especially commissioned and was written by John Donelly. It really was an excellent piece of work and so relevant to young people today. It was a punchy, exhilarating new play about spray paint, beach parties, train tracks, dead end jobs, and making your mark in a place that wants to pretend you don’t exist. I really love, and am committed to youth drama. The young people get so much from being involved in it.

On Sunday the 30th Maire, Olive and I did the 2008 London Mayors’ Walk. This starts at the Whittington Hospital, Highgate Hill, and ends at the Mansion House. A walk of six miles!!!!

The last day of March had a very special event, the official opening of the Winston Way Primary School. It is always exciting when a new school is opened and this school has all the latest technology and state of the art facilities to facilitate learning. As a primary school teacher I was particularly honoured to unveil the plaque and officially open the school. I hope that all the staff and pupils, both now and in the future, will enjoy their time in the school and find it both fulfilling and enriching.