Flashback to 2003: Royal visit, sadness over post office axe and civic honours
It was the month that a town rolled out the red carpet for two royal visitors, campaigners took action to save their post office and two brothers were making civic history.
Hundreds of royal watchers and dignitaries turned out to welcome the Earl and Countess of Wessex to the Midlands.
Crowds cheering and waving flags greeted the couple during their one-day visit to the region.
Following a stop at Cleobury Mortimer’s Lacon Childe School the couple were whisked away by car, accompanied by Shropshire Lord Lieutenant Algernon Heber Percy, to the town’s Pioneer Centre.
The centre specialises in developing physical, mental and spiritual skills through sports and outdoor activities. David Mack, general manager, said the royal guests teased instructors and encouraged youngsters to have a go at the activities.
Unveiling the foundation stone of a new £2 million building at the centre, Prince Edward said: “I am delighted that so many friends and supporters have come along too - and thank you for laying on such fantastic weather.”
The couple then visited Much Wenlock’s William Brookes School where they were greeted by Stacy Davis, the school’s youngest pupil.
Pupil Amy Wilkinson, 17, said: “The Countess asked me about my exams and wished us good luck in the summer. She was really nice and was interested in what I had to say.”
Headteacher Penny Cooper said: “It gave the school a great buzz and highlighted the new arts centre, giving it a good profile.”
Finally, the Earl and Countess of Wessex visited the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where the couple officially opened the new £3.5 million Shropshire Education and Conference Centre.
There was banter from the couple when it came to unveiling a glass plaque to mark the centre’s opening. The Earl said that he and Sophie played a lottery-type game.
The one who was nearest the plaque cord got to draw back the veil.
He looked behind and said it was his turn. It took years and years of practice, he told guests, to perform such a task - and then won loud laughter from them by pretending the cord was stuck.
The royal couple were shown around the centre by the hospital’s former medical director, Dr Ashley Fraser, who is chairman of the Dinwoodie charity which has helped to fund the facility.
In the centre’s lecture theatre they were given a video conferencing demonstration before dividing up to view some of the centre’s other facilities and talk to staff.
Meanwhile, hundreds of residents had signed a petition as part of a campaign to keep their post office open.
Millfields Road post office in Wolverhampton was facing the axe amid concerns that too many outlets were competing for too little business.
Ward Councillor Alan Smith said a few hundred people had signed the petition to keep Millfields Road post office open which he had sent to Royal Mail's national consultation team in St Albans.
He said the community felt very strongly about keeping the post office on Millfields Road open.
"It is a community meeting place and it would be such a shame if it was taken away from them," said Councillor Smith.
Paul Maisey, post office spokesman, said that proposals to close post office branches were not made without considerable research and discussion and they gave people an opportunity to write in with their concerns.
Campaigners fought tooth and nail but finally lost their battle at the end of May.
The branch, in Ettingshall, had served customers for more than a century.
Sub-postmaster Gian Singh, who had run the post office for 16 years, said everyone had done their best to save it.
"The post office is an important landmark in the area. We are all very sad to see it go. It has served people in this area for more than 100 years and holds a great deal of history.
"Customers protested against the closure with petitions and so forth, but it didn't do any good. Unfortunately business has dwindled over the years with people paying bills by direct debit. Also the decimation of the manufacturing industry in this area has also had a negative affect upon us."
Meanwhile, a long-serving Wolverhampton councillor was poised to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother into the Mayor's Parlour.
Tory councillor Alan Hart, aged 69, was set to be elected deputy mayor, which meant he would become the city's civic head in a year's time.
His brother Robert, aged 59, had been Wolverhampton's mayor for the past 12 months and was handing over the job to his deputy, Labour councillor John Rowley.
Alan had represented the Penn ward since 1976, and had been Tory planning spokesman for about 20 years, including two spells as chairman of the committee. He said: "Robert and his wife Sylvia have had a very successful year as mayor and mayoress, and I am looking forward to the challenge.Doubtless, I will be getting a few tips when the time comes."
Robert said that as far as he was aware it would be only the second time in Wolverhampton's civic history that two brothers had served as mayor. That was when Labour's Harry Bagley became mayor in 1964-65, five years after his brother Norman.
