Wiltshire is unique

Has it really been a year since we moved out of the old County Hall offices whilst they underwent a refurbishment? I can’t believe how the time has flown and how much the way we work has changed as a result of changing the offices into open, airy, modern space. The days of musty corridors and closed cellular offices seems like a life time ago now! All our main hubs will be open plan, encouraging more flexible working, less paper and better working relationships. And, I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine how we managed without the atrium space and the great café and restaurant facilities that we now have. This space is always buzzing and with such a mix of people; young mums, toddlers, visitors, staff, elected members and partners using the space for meetings, events and refreshments. I have moved back to the old building and it is so different and I am really looking forward to hosting our first full council meeting in the chamber next week.

On the subject of new buildings, last week I attended the opening of the new Garrison Theatre in Tidworth, which can host up to 750 people. The facility, which is located in the heart of the community, to help integrate military personnel with the local community, will be the venue for the next Wiltshire Assembly (2 December) which will focus on Wiltshire as a military county and the impact that the growth in the number of military personnel that will be based in our county, both now and in the next few years, will have on the local economy and communities in the future.

Wiltshire is unique as we have the largest military settlement in the country and by 2020 we will host half of the British Army. This Sunday (10 November) is Remembrance Day and this will be extremely poignant for many of our local communities. I will be attending services in Wilton in the morning and Malmesbury in the afternoon to reflect and remember those who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedom and help others to find theirs.

On Monday (11 November) it is Armistice Day and we will be hosting a unique and moving exhibition in the atrium that will focus on local Wiltshire soldiers who lost their lives in the Great War. Next year marks 100 years since the start of the World War 1 and Wiltshire lost more men in this terrible war than anywhere else in the country. The exhibition will officially open on Monday at 5pm with tea and Anzac cakes (baked to a recipe from 1914!), please join us, or take some time to view this extraordinary exhibition, which is the work of local historian and author Richard Broadhead.

This week saw the start of the staff forums and it was so good to see more than 700 of you at the Civic Hall yesterday (Thursday). It’s been a year since we hosted the last round of forums so there was a lot to discuss and to reflect on. It’s good to look back and just recall our achievements and successes; and we’ve had lots and this is testament to your hard work, enthusiasm and commitment. I look forward to seeing many of you next week in Chippenham and Salisbury and as always I welcome your views, ideas and questions.

Have a good weekend,

Jane