Great Dunmow mayor Patrick Lavelle's column on what is happening in the town.
What a summer we have had. There was hail and thunder, storms and torrential rain, sunshine and showers but through the changeable weather it has been great to see Dunmow coming back together and our community rebuilding.
In June, we held the first Sundowner Festival, a day of dancing, singing and fun in a safe environment.
In July, at the Teddy Bear’s Picnic, we enjoyed Teddy Bear throwing, kite flying and the Gin Tuk-Tuk.
And in August we shopped ‘til we dropped at the first Summer Market in Dunmow High Street. From olives to oysters and toys to trainers our local businesses were there to give us a wonderful day.
But there is so much else going on in town.
The Dunmow Park Run has restarted, setting off from the Recreation Ground, and on August 21 celebrated their 100th Park Run.
The music events in the Town Square have been great, featuring everything from bagpipes to acoustic guitar, and Dunmow Cricket Club put on a week of events to celebrate their 126 year anniversary.
Saturday, September 4 was a bumper day with the Horticultural Show in Foakes Hall, a wonderful arts fair in the Maltings and James G singing on the Town Square. I enjoyed a wonderful day dashing between the different events.
Looking forward to September there is still more to come.
The Music on the Town Square will continue, weather permitting, with details available from the Town Council website.
The fun fair will be back in the Recreation Ground during the week of September 13 and Friends of Dunmow Open Spaces have a Moth Night at St Mary’s churchyard on September 17.
The Town Meeting on September 28 will focus on the changes for Dunmow over the next 10 years.
The meeting will talk about how the Town Council and residents can influence the effects on our community of the over 2,000 new dwellings that have already been approved for our town.
Thinking about changes, our Town Clerk Caroline Fuller will be leaving in early October after nearly 12 years in Dunmow.
The role of the Town Clerk is largely unseen but is essential for the smooth provision of council services.
Caroline has managed the council through many major changes and we thank her for all her work.
To manage the transition the Town Council has appointed an interim Town Clerk, Gina Lopez.
Ms Lopez will work with all the council employees to ensure a seamless operation and the provision of council services.
The Town Council is working to appoint a new Town Clerk, ready to manage the development of our town and our council through the changes coming over the next few years.
Life is all about change and your council is working to adapt to and benefit from the many changes that will come.
Dunmow is emerging from the lockdowns as a strong community, and as a strong community we can enjoy our lively and vibrant market town.
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