Page 37 - Phonebox Magazine January 2007

Olney Town Council
News from your Olney Town Council
Sport Milton Keynes
The Mayor and Mayoress Cllr. Paul and Dorothy Watson were invited by the Executive Committee of Sport Milton Keynes to a Christmas Reception where monthly nominated achievers were presented with certificates by the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Brin Carstens. Three people from our area were presented with awards. Richard Crocker, from Emberton Sailing Club, won a Milton Keynes Achiever of the Month under 18 Award for his two sailing wins in the Milton Keynes and Bucks Youth Sailing Association Open Regatta and the Milton Keynes Cup Championship. In July Richard came 12th in the European Championships held in Denia, Spain with his helm, Matt Undrell, in a 29er skiff boat.
In the disabled category, two brave ladies from Olney both with Multiple Sclerosis were presented with Achiever of the Month
Certificates for
swimming. Swimming
is recognised as one
of the best sports for
exercise for Multiple
Sclerosis sufferers and
both these ladies
overcame great
difficulties over a period of up to 19 months to win their awards for swimming 25 metres. Pictured in the front is Sister Mary Rita Ryan on the left and Jackie Winter. Standing behind are Mayor Cllr. Paul Watson and Janet Pritchard, Chair of the Milton Keynes and District Multiple Sclerosis Branch. Many people from Olney will remember Janet as the past Licensee of The Castle where she was well known for her excellent Pizzas. n
Dickens of a Christmas
Sunday 10 December brought thousands of visitors to the town for Olney’s annual Dickens of a Christmas. The poor weather forecast might have reduced numbers into the town a little, although we were lucky to get by without rain and wind until about 3.00pm. Judging by the queues at the bank cash points, people must have been spending and we hope it brought additional income to shops, market traders, clubs, charities and other outlets.
Father Christmas started off proceedings visiting as many streets and roads in the town as the chassis on Cllr. Dave Price’s Morgan Sports Car would allow. Bob Grummitt was the car’s driver and safely deposited Father Christmas to his Grotto on the Market Place by the start of activities at 10.30am.
Dignitaries visiting Dickens of a Christmas included the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Brin Carstens and his wife Audrey and the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Alexander Boswell. They are pictured with Olney Mayor Paul Watson and his wife Dorothy, together with Cllr. Deirdre Bethune in front of the Town Council’s Hot Fruit Punch Stall manned by Cllrs Jeremy Rawlings, David Coles, Ian Morgan, and Deputy town Clerk, Sandra
Grummitt, just visible in the background. Not pictured is the Deputy Mayor, John Smail who assisted taking our visitors to the various events and craft fayres, and Cllrs. Tony Evans, Dave Price and Michael Hughes who also manned the Town Council’s Stall together with Tamsin Rawlings and young Edward Coles. n
Olney Infant School Christmas Concerts
Those of you lucky enough to be present at one of the performances of the two Christmas Concerts at Olney Infant School will have been delighted with the
performances of these young children. The Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr. Paul and Dorothy Watson, attended the Friday 8 December Concerts, which commenced with Year 1 and 2
performing “It’s a Party”. It was a fast moving joyful musical based upon the Nativity with not a missed line or wrong note. The second performance was “Mary’s Knitting” by the Foundation year. This again was based on the Nativity with Mary desperately trying to finish knitting the shawl for her forthcoming baby Jesus. Once again everybody remembered their lines and sang beautifully. For young people of such a young age their confidence in front of large audiences was wonderful to see. Every credit must go to the teaching staff who developed the programme and rehearsed the children to such a high level of achievement. The picture on the left shows the majority of the large cast of Year 1 and 2 “It’s a Party” with the picture on the right showing the cast and teaching staff of “Mary’s Knitting”. n
Phonebox Magazine 37