Happy New Year to you all, I hope you managed to have a good Festive season free from any of the bugs that are going around.

My family and I have been very lucky and had a really good fun, relaxed time.

I am looking to the last six months of my office as Mayor of Kendal now and am hoping to make them as full and meaning full as possible.

I have already met with my young consorts to start arranging a Mayors May Ball; we are hoping to cause quite a stir of interest, sticking to the best local food, and talent. We hope to raise as much money as we can for the Mayors charity.

I am also looking at other fundraising projects, Asda have offered me the Easter Saturday slot for bag packing, I intend to go along fully robed and pack as many bags as I can.

I will also be doing quite a bit of walking, Sunday the 25th of January I will be starting a distance walk at the scouts hut near to Gilkes and then joining in and hoping to complete the 23 miles. Only a short walk I ‘m sure you’ll agree (!) as my next one will be the Keswick to Barrow walk on the 9th of May for Sandgate Pool.

Unfortunately this clashes with the Kendal Starlight walk that same evening. I think my body will be at collapsing point by that time so won’t manage to walk that one as well.

I had lots of fun yesterday afternoon with the 3 and 4 year olds from Meadow View nursery and Stramongate nursery Forrest initiative.

We all went clad in out winter woollies and wellies to a designated woodland area just alongside the Nursery. The children spend a couple of hours out there investigating and learning how to make the most of the outside area over a ten week period.

Collecting sticks, walking on logs, how to behave near a fire, clay shapes, were just a few activities, I can say it was really enjoyable – they got lots of fun out of it, I am sure they will all sleep well on a Friday evening.

Glen the Gazette photographer had his work cut out getting a shot, it would have been one of those occasions a video camera would have been most handy just to share the experience!