Councillor Gordon Lucas officially took over from Councillor, Nigel Gibbs, becoming the new Mayor of Ross-on-Wye at the Mayor Making Ceremony, held at the Larruperz Centre on Monday 9th May.

Gordon is very well known locally, not only for his motorcycle shop but also for his devoted interest in the town of Ross, its affairs, its events and its people. We would like to congratulate Gordon and wish he and his Mayoress, Margaret every success in his new and very important role!

Below, Gordon makes his first speech as Mayor. A congratulatory kiss from Margaret and seated with last year's Mayor, Nigel Gibbs after the ceremony. All photographs I took at this occasion can now be viewed in the Gallery.

A special 'Pets' service took place at Upton Bishop Church on Sunday 8th May, to which people of the village were invited to bring along their pets. The service, led by Nick Read, Agricultural Chaplain for the diocese was the idea of Doreen Floyd and took a year to organize.

'Pet Services' have been held for some years now at various churches but Sunday was a first for such an event to take place in Upton Bishop. Chaplain, Nick Read commented that there is some real theology in the idea, Saint Francis himself making a point of being kind to all animals.

Sunday's congregation included many dogs, kittens, some sheep and a cockerel. The dogs were surprisingly well behaved. Pictured below are some of the congregation, after the service with their pets, Alex Newman inside the church with his cockerel - Boris and Jacky Thompson with her sheep.