As summer came to an end, I took a much-needed break in August to spend time with family and friends.
By the time September arrived, my diary was packed with civic events and community activities – and what a month it turned out to be.
The annual St Neots Dragonboat Festival was once again a fantastic day out for all the family.
A few new teams joined the competition this year, eager to challenge last year’s winners.
After some tense and exciting races, the Coveris team took first place, followed by DHL in second place and Young Guns II in third.
Our council team didn’t quite make it to the semi-finals, but we were delighted to take part and cheer everyone on.
The day before, I joined veterans and residents at the town’s War Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day.
The service included a wreath-laying ceremony and a moment of reflection to honour those who served and sacrificed in the Far East during the Second World War.
Later in the month, I was delighted to be invited by St Neots Library to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
It was wonderful to meet staff past and present, share memories, and, of course, cut the cake.
I was fascinated to learn that the library was once located on Huntingdon Street – a detail I’d never known before.
September was certainly a busy month, with more than 40 meetings, events, festivals, shop openings, and community celebrations filling the calendar.
One highlight was supporting ABSolute Storm Fitness at their 24-hour test of endurance – 25 bootcamp sessions back-to-back to raise money for three incredible charities.
Now in its third year, I was honoured to start the clock and managed one exhausting hour of training myself.
A huge well done to the whole team on such an amazing achievement.
The Living History Festival returned once again, and the mayoress and I enjoyed meeting the actors, residents, and organisers who make this event so special.
We even had a lovely chat with 'Queen Victoria' and learned what life was like for a monarch in the 19th Century.
We were back at the museum the following week to celebrate its 30th anniversary with staff, trustees, and supporters.
The team had curated a fascinating exhibition on the early years of the museum and showcased some of our favourite items from their collection.
I visited the Air Cadets at their open day for new recruits.
Over the last few years, their numbers have dwindled, so it was pleasing to see lots of eager faces.
I was invited to the St Neots Detachment of the Army Cadets, where I met some inspiring young people and saw first-hand their dedication and teamwork.
From fieldcraft demonstrations to Duke of Edinburgh Award activities, the cadets showed great pride in what they do.
It was a pleasure to see their enthusiasm and commitment recognised with well-earned awards.
Later in the month, the mayoress and I returned to the library to present medals to children who completed this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
This is my fourth year supporting the programme, and it remains one of my favourite duties.
Seeing so many young readers proudly collecting their medals is always a joy.
Between library ceremonies, we took part in the Heritage Open Day at St Mary’s Church and climbed the tower for the first time in years.
The views over the town – especially the refurbished Market Square – were absolutely fantastic.
At the Association of Local Councils conference, held at Wyboston, I joined our council officers for a series of useful presentations.
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly seeing St Neots named Council of the Year – an incredible honour, given there are nearly 300 parish councils across Cambridgeshire.
The rest of the month was equally full.
I met members of the Rotary Club to hear about the sundial they commissioned at the turn of the century on the market square, dropped by the Vinyl Club’s new venue at Chaii Hub, and then helped celebrate Loves Farm House’s 10th anniversary by handing out awards.
The team at Waitrose invited me to relaunch their Green Tokens appeal, a much-loved fundraising scheme, and I spent a brilliant day with golfers at my annual Charity Golf Day, meeting nearly 80 players before returning later to award the winners.
Finally, I toured the Priory Centre to see how the refurbishment is progressing.
The transformation is taking shape, with new internal walls being installed and the old terrace wall removed as part of the redesign.
Everything is on track, and the main building work is expected to be completed by September 2026.
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