The Mayor of Welshpool dropped me in it last Saturday night. Mrs D and I attended the excellent Annual Carol Service in St Mary's Church, arranged by Welshpool Fire Fighters, starring singers from Ysgol Maesydre. Before the final carol, the Mayor of Welshpool, Miss Ann Holloway, was invited to address the congregation to offer thanks for a really great evening. After she'd finished her bit, she asked me to speak. No warning whatsoever. I'm not over-phased by this sort of thing, but it would have been nice to have some notice. I think that Madam Mayor was quite pleased to have put me on the spot. Nice score she thought. 1-0.
Anyway, this afternoon, I attended the Ysgol Maesydre Carol Concert in the same church. It was outstandingly good. But I espied on the 'order of service' that Miss Holloway was programmed to thank everyone involved before the last carol. This time I was ready for her. Thought through what I might say during the preceding carol. So was able to relax as listening to the Mayoral thanks being sprayed around, wondering whether she'd try to drop me in it again. Sure enough. "And now, the Headteacher has asked me to ask Mr Glyn Davies to address us - in Welsh." Over the last few years, I have learned to speak Yr Iaith Cymraeg, but this was a pushing it a bit. Even worse, it was 2-0 to the Mayor.
2 comments:
Do excuses my ignorance, but why where you invited to speak by the mayor? Surly a carol concert is non political and the mayor was there as the mayor not as a political person.
I'm not being nasty and mean no disrespect to you and/or the mayor just seems a bit odd (to an outsider of course!)
Anon - Nothing political about it at all. She asked me because I was there, and know all the fire fighters, and take an interest in the school. I suppose she could have asked anyone. Fair question though. One reason might be that I've been involved in public life in Montgomeryshire so long, and am so involved in voluntary work that people don't really see me as a partisan politician.
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