Diary meeting

My first diary meeting of the civic year with Joan, the Chairman's friendly helpful administrator at the Civic Centre. She's been holding back a lot of invitations to various events, so we check them out and add them to the calendar. I also ask Joan to make arrangements to kick off the work I want to do on my theme for the year - ambition, achievement and aspiration for Harlow's young people.

Dinner with our French friends

Nick and I have been invited to dinner with M Loison and some of our other Vélizy visitors at the home of former council chairman Cllr Ian Jackson.

It's a relaxed evening, and we hear all about their visit to Sudbury that day, including a major misunderstanding about the coach route and arriving back in Harlow about an hour and a half later than expected!

The next trip to Vélizy-Villacoublay is not planned to take place until May 2008, after the end of my term of office as Chairman of the Council, so it's not certain that we'll be able to visit them in return while I'm still Chairman.

Town Twinning celebration

This evening sees the 30th anniversary of Harlow's twinning with the French town of Vélizy-Villacoublay. The Council is hosting a celebratory event in the Civic Centre, and I've been asked to give the welcome speech. Interpreter Kay is relieved that my French is (just about) up to welcoming our guests in both languages, as she has two more speeches to translate!

On behalf of the Council, I present the Mayor of Vélizy-Villacoublay, M Joel Loison, with an engraved piece of local glassware. He presents me with a miniature copy of a famous Rodin sculpture of two hands, and a book of the works of Rodin - these will be added to the collection of gifts in the Chairman's Suite in the Civic Centre.

We all settle down to a buffet, over which our French visitors have a chance to exercise their excellent English, and we have the opportunity to practise our indifferent French.

Beat the drought

This afternoon sees the launch of a campaign by the South East Joint Water Company Alliance and B&Q. The alliance was formed last year after the south east of England experienced the worst drought for 100 years.

For the next two weeks, customers visiting Harlow's B&Q at the Oaks retail park can pick up a brochure full of advice for the home and garden on how to reduce water use.

I've been asked to help launch the campaign - and as a practical example of what residents can do to help cut water use I'm presented with a lovely planter filled with plants that don't need as much watering as those we've been used to in the past. I'm asking the council to put it out on the rooftop area near the Council Chamber, so that it can be enjoyed by visitors.

Chairman's charity

I receive a call this afternoon from the Harlow Stroke Support Group, my chosen charity for the year. I'll be meeting my administrator Joan tomorrow, so I'll ask her to arrange a meeting where we can make plans for the year ahead. I'm really hoping the year will raise awareness of stroke, and of the local group's excellent work - as well as funds which I know will be very welcome.

Annual Council meeting

Tonight is Harlow Council's Annual Council meeting, where the handover from the outgoing chairman to the new chairman usually takes place. Unfortunately, outgoing chairman Cllr Greg Peck is absent - unwell in hospital. The council sends him its best wishes, and his group leader reads a short statement about Greg's year in office and what he has accomplished.

There isn't a contest for the chairmanship, so I'm invested with the chairman's chain of office. Cllr Tony Hall is elected as vice chairman, also without a contest.

I announce my theme for the year - a Year of Ambition for Harlow's young people, in which I hope to engage educational institutions, the business community, the voluntary sector, parents, the Youth Council, and of course young people themselves, in a wide-ranging debate about how we can be truly ambitious as a community for the achievement of Harlow’s youth, and set our sights ever higher for the up and coming generation.

My charity for the year is the Harlow Stroke Support Group. I have chosen this group because it has been quietly carrying out some truly excellent work, providing support, information and friendship to people in the Harlow area who have had strokes, and to their families, friends and carers.