Teslin Davies, Mayor of Abergavenny, tells us what she has been up to since coming to office in May this year
Having been installed as the Mayor of Abergavenny in May, life has been hectic!
I’ve chosen a year when all the significant anniversaries end with a zero: it’s the 100th anniversary of the end of the 1st World War and there will be events marking that occasion happening in November.
It’s the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote; various events have already taken place; a parade through Abergavenny; children from local schools have made pictures and had lessons on the importance of that event.
It’s the 50th anniversary of the twinning between Abergavenny and Ostringen in Germany and last weekend our town welcomed 50 German visitors who had a fantastic weekend of music, talk and food. A party of twinners, including myself, went out to celebrate and mark the occasion. It was brilliant!
It’s the 30th anniversary of the twinning between Abergavenny and Beaupreau in France; the Rhinos football club and people involved in the twinning visited Beaupreau in May and were treated to fantastic hospitality there. We will welcome our French friends next Easter. We are expecting 250 visitors!
It’s the 20th anniversary of the Food Festival and what a feat of organisation that was! The fish decorations in the Market Hall were as wonderful as ever and created by local people. In the middle of it all we welcomed Chief Chinomhara from Zimbabwe. I marched with him through Abergavenny on Saturday alongside pupils from Llanthilio Pertholey school and Ysgol y Fenni.
You may or may not know that it’s the 50th anniversary of the fireworks in Belgrave Park organised by the Round Table which will be marked in a special way this year.
It’s the 10th anniversary of Abergavenny Community Centre and I was lucky enough to make a commemorative speech earlier this year.
As well as attending and supporting all these events, I have opened the Foxhunter Care Home in LLanfoist which is incredible in what it has to offer the elderly who need full time nursing care. This year Abergavenny received a silver gilt award through Wales in Bloom which was wonderful and I will be handing the group their certificates soon.
I am also the secretary of the Friends of Bailey Park which tries to keep the park tidy and works on the Sensory Garden just to the side of the area where the outdoor pool was located. Earlier this year we were awarded the Green Flag for the garden.
I’m on the board of governors of Cantref school and a member of the Give Dogfouling the Red Card.
I also support and am a member of the Fairtrade group which tries to ensure that as many goods as possible are being sold through Abergavenny shops and cafes.
It’s very busy! But I will keep you posted.
Teslin Davies
