Mayor of Bognor Regis' Weekly Briefing: A Drive through Time Motor Gala happening this Sunday!

Perfect weather for taking a stroll along the beach and enjoying an ice cream or drink from one of the many seaside concessions we have in Bognor Regis. Or perhaps for a walk around Hotham Park, taking in the beautiful scenery and stopping off at the Café, for a moment out of the sun. There are plenty of lovely walks you can take around the Town, whatever the weather. The Bognor Regis Heritage Trails website contains information on trails all around the Town, helping you discover (or rediscover) the people and places that make Bognor Regis so special, and all within a few hundred metres of the seafront. The website to visit is: www.bognorregistrails.co.uk.

Just outside of Bognor Regis, but still a great spot to visit, is West Park. I was lucky enough to go along earlier this week for a photoshoot promoting this year’s Drive through Time Motor Gala, which takes place this coming Sunday 6th July from midday until 5pm. It was wonderful to meet the event’s headline sponsors, Richmond Motor Group, to thank them for their support and the Town Crier and I had a lot of fun posing for some photos. Excitement is definitely brewing for the event itself, and I cannot wait to see West Park full to the brim with glorious vehicles and car enthusiasts, in this, the 12th anniversary of the Motor Gala. I’m sure the sun will be shining down on us, as it has been all week.

It was very touching to have been invited back to Elizabeth House Care Home a few days ago, to present some of their staff with their ‘Long Service Awards’. I think it’s testament to the Care Home itself, that so many of their staff seem to have been there for a long time. As always, I was made to feel very welcome and it was lovely to meet with the staff members, residents and their families and to share in their achievements with them. Thank you very much for the invitation.

A date for the diary next week… on Tuesday 8th July, my fellow Town Councillors and I will be in London Road Precinct, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm for our latest ‘Councillor Drop-In Surgery’. If you have a spare five minutes whilst you are doing your shopping, please do pop by and say hello. We will have lots of leaflets, information and maybe even some freebies to give away! Plus of course, we will be there to answer any questions or concerns you have with your Town and hope to be able to provide you with as many answers as possible or point you in the right direction. Rest assured that all comments are listened to, and no question is a ‘silly question’. We will be in our black gazebo with our Bognor Regis Town Council feather flag (so you can’t miss us). I hope to see lots of you there, and if you did read about this event through this weekly column, please come over and let me know! If you are unable to attend but have a comment to make or a question to ask, you can always email us: [email protected].

Lastly for this week, we are on the look out for traders to take part in a new ‘Thursday General Market’ in the Town Centre. With a heavy footfall, low pitch fees and in a great location, if this is something that sounds of interest or you know someone else who might like to take part in this brand-new initiative, then please get in touch with the Town Council’s Town Market Officer, Matt Douglas, by emailing: [email protected].