Where else to begin but with the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Whether it was at Fylde’s Coronation After Party at Fairhaven Lake, a Coronation Big Lunch, or Monday’s Big Help Out it was wonderful to see such an outpouring of joy and national pride as friends, family and neighbours came together to celebrate.
For the majority of people, this will have been their first experience of a Coronation; and what an occasion it was, with His Majesty putting his characteristic twist on proceedings, blending centuries of rich history and tradition with our vibrant 21st century society.
Few other events can draw such an esteemed list of guests, with leaders from across the globe in attendance, it was a demonstration of the ties of friendship we hold with so many countries and the leading role that the Royal Family continue to play in the pursuit of good causes.
But that so many community volunteers and workers from frontline public services were also invited to be a part of the day, inside Westminster Abbey itself or on the specially erected grandstands outside Buckingham Palace, is a testament to King Charles’ commitment to service and his recognition of that of others.
Thursday was polling day in Fylde, and I wanted to congratulate all those re-elected, or joining the Council for the first time.
Similarly, a sincere thank you to those outgoing Councillors for the dedication they have shown in the role. The past four years have seen terrific progress on countless local projects, be that the town centre regeneration work now underway in Kirkham, improvements to Fylde’s flood defences or the ongoing effort to doubles service capacity on the South Fylde Line.
So much of this work goes unseen, particularly that undertaken during the unique challenges of the Coronavirus lockdowns, and I look forward to working with the new team of Councillors to continue delivering for Fylde.
Lastly, I cannot wait to see Eurovision arrive in Liverpool this week for what I am sure will be a colourful festival of friendship, fun, and to a lesser extent, musical talent.
While incredibly proud not only that our Ukrainian friends have chosen the United Kingdom to host this year’s event, but that it will be held here in the North West, it is nonetheless a poignant reminder of the continued conflict that prevents them from hosting on home soil.
Since last year’s competition we have seen Ukrainian families begin new lives in Fylde, at first with sponsor families, but many now living and working as active members of our community.
In such times of hardship, we can all benefit from the kind of positive celebratory energy that only can Eurovision deliver. Last year saw the best British result at Eurovision for many years, here’s hoping that we can go one better on Saturday!