Over the last few weeks Mayoral functions and events have started to slow down in pace as we draw near the end of the municipal year.

However, I have had a the pleasure of being a judge this month, tasked with choosing winners of the Best of Brecon Volunteer awards, a mammoth task as every nominee was deserving of a win. 

I attended an open meeting of Hay, Brecon & Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees and was incredibly moved by the speaker's account of the warm welcome extended to her by the residents of Brecon. The generosity within our community is truly outstanding.

On a similar note, I would like to congratulate the Brecon Pride team on a hugely successful first fundraiser for this year, a quiz at the Wellington Hotel. Another brilliant show of inclusivity, positivity and a lot of fun too! Please follow Brecon Pride on Facebook for regular updates.

Last weekend saw the return of the Medieval Fayre at the Cathedral which entertained countless people with music, displays and even battles. The Lewis Merthyr Band was a particular favourite of mine on the Sunday night, beautifully performing the iconic music of The Lord of the Rings and paying tribute to the late Bernard Hill (Théoden, King of Rohan from the film trilogy). Another recent honour was to bowl the first of the season at Brecon Bowling Club, I will most definitely be visiting again in future. 

But my highlight of the month was attending my Chaplain, Anna Bessant’s licensing to the BMM area. I wish her all the very best for the future while recognising a great loss for Brecon.

Lastly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all readers and residents of Brecon for their support this year. As I will have ended my year as Mayor by the time of publication I want to acknowledge that being your Mayor has been the greatest honour and privilege and I will treasure this experience forever more.

To be continued...