Christmas Message from Councillor Elizabeth Bruce Chilton Town Mayor
As I sit down to write this year’s Christmas Message to Chilton residents it is with something of a heavy heart. Traditionally Christmas and New Year are a time for families to get together and look forward in hope.
I am conscious that this year’s COVID19 Pandemic has made it a very difficult year for all of us and even “getting together” as a family is fraught with restrictions and worry.
Some people have lost loved-ones to this terrible disease, and others have lost their jobs and businesses. Too many of us may often feel like there is no hope.
Our town motto is “ex terra vigemus”, which means “from the earth prosper”, we are a town built on hard work and coal mining. It is our hard work and community spirit of “looking out for each other” that will get us through this difficult period.
Many of you have used the lockdown periods as an opportunity to try new and old habits, some of you (including myself) have sewn masks for Charity, some of you have made donations to the food bank. September Flower made rainbow bows to hang on front doors as a sign of thanks and appreciation of our marvelous NHS. The money raised was then donated to Chilton Care Centre. I would like to thank all of you who also supported my Charity fundraising during this difficult year
There has been a lot of unseen random acts of kindness within our wonderful community that people will remember in years to come. It is often said that we as adults can learn a lot from children and that is so true. I was recently very touched by the kindness of Adriana and Dylan aged 5 and 2 who had seen the small and lowly Christmas tree that the Town Council had planted on the recently landscaped area of land at the corner of Lyndhurst Road. Adriana and Dylan felt sorry for the small tree as it was not “big and bright and well decorated like the big tree on Durham Road”, so they very kindly decorated the small tree “so that it did not feel left out on their way to school”.
The Mayors Christmas card competition was kindly organised by Chilton Academy, thanks to all the children for their lovely designs. The winning entry was designed by Layla in year 5. See attached. Christmas Card 2020 designed by Layla year 5 Chilton Academy
Please remember to look out for each other this Christmas, my husband Alan and I hope that it is a good one, full of love and laughter and that 2021 sees an end to this terrible year, so that we can move forward together as a Community stronger than ever in 2021.