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Cambridgeshire
County News
2010/2011
There was no time to savour my Justice Service held on October 3rd - indeed, there is little time to savour anything during one's Shrieval Year as engagement crowds on engagement. In my case, between three and four per week, with the ‘rest of my life’ somehow fitting in around them. In my second six months of Office I was, however, able to spend more time on the criminal justice side of things with visits to the Youth Offending Service, several law courts and the prisons of Whitemore, Littlehay and Peterborough. We have now lost two very historic courts, those of Wisbech and Ely. I attended the last Rising of the Court in the former and the actual closure of the latter. Both were moving occasions as were the two Holocaust Memorial services I attended.
I continued to yo-yo between Peterborough and Cambridge for Citizenship Ceremonies at least twice a month and I have much enjoyed helping whichever civic leader was present to create a proper sense of occasion and I hope, therefore, a memorable one for our new citizens.
I attended the Installation of the new Bishop of Ely, a colourful and joyous event and one which was, mercifully, not as ‘perishing’ as the carol service in that cathedral where I thought that, at best, I should die of hypothermia and, at worst, the thousand-strong congregation would hear the High Sheriff’s teeth chattering as he read his piece! Luckily, neither occurred... I managed seven carol services in ten days with a lesson at each and, despite the intense cold really enjoyed the singing of the choirs in the beautiful, medieval churches.
My ‘highlight of highlights’ was the Burns Supper I held in the Cambridge Union Society building on January 25th. This improbable blend of the Most Scottish with the Most English, was to raise money for the High Sheriff's Award Scheme – which it did. I believe that many people were persuaded that they enjoyed Burns Suppers after all! There was hardly a dry eye during a performance of ‘My love is like a red, red rose’ sung to perfection. I fancied that I could even hear the occasional chuckle of approval from Mr Burns sitting on his cloud no doubt surrounded by a bevy of adoring, tartan-clad angels!
 
The sword of Office was duly handed over to my distinguished successor, Richard Barnwell, on April 8th in Wisbech. The sun shone as the local farmers wished it had not, and, as my wife and I drove gently back home to Cambridge, we reflected that a week may be a long time in politics but a year in the life of a High Sheriff is gone in a flash - and that, as the Norman kings realised, is quite long enough!
 2010/2011
My Declaration took place on April 9th in the Crown Court on East Road in Cambridge. I am extremely grateful that time was made for this ceremony on a working day. The dramatis personae included Their Honours Judges Haworth, O’Brien and Bate as well as my Under Sheriff, Caroline Stenner, and the Clerk of the Court, Carl Poole. To give the ceremony a musical flourish I had engaged the services of a brilliant Cambridge undergraduate trumpeter, Jack Ross, who played a fanfare he had composed himself. Afterwards, we strolled down the road in glorious sunshine to Hughes Hall and then on to launch the Cambridge Literary Festival.
The principal activities of Citizenship ceremonies in Cambridge and in Peterborough kicked in almost immediately with individuals becoming citizens from an A to Z of countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
There have been some deeply moving moments with wreath-laying in the Church of St Andrew the Great in Cambridge on ANZAC Day and on May 31st at the US Memorial Day at Madingley. Standing in front of the massive wall engraved with the thousands of names of the dead is unforgettable. Despite the legendary Shrieval secretary, Renata Dallaway’s, gloomy pronouncement that “It always rains for this ceremony”, miraculously it didn’t and so the final and thunderous salute given by mighty US Air Force jets was able to mark the end of the service.
I have presented awards at the Chief Constable’s Awards Ceremony – if only the general public knew more of what an unbelievably devoted and gallant service it receives – and to the Fire Service – vocational above and beyond the call of duty – and to forces veterans at a service in March.
On June the 14th I honoured the memory of my friend and former High Sheriff, the late Jeremy Marshall, with a never-to-be repeated concert in the University Concert Hall which has raised well over £30,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The musicians were all string players for whom I have helped obtain mainly 18th century, Italian instruments. It was an improbable but wonderful adhoc orchestra of which I think Jeremy would have been proud.
On September 10th I was able to thank many of the people who had been so generous to me during my year so far by inviting as many as could attend to a Reception in the Cambridge Union Society. This Victorian ‘splendour’ hidden behind the Round Church is less well known than it should be. It provided an excellent and unusual venue. A good time was, I believe, had by all which included quite a large number of civic guests.
The latter also turned out in force for my High Sheriff’s Justice Service on October 3rd which, for a change, was held in Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge. I was honoured that the new Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, had accepted my invitation and surrounded by Proctors and Beadles he joined in a procession which started from Trinity College and included seventeen judges, the Queen’s Remembrancer, High Court Judge Sir David Foskett, fourteen mayors, two bishops and many other clergy, a posse of neighbouring High Sheriffs and former ones, the Lord Lieutenant, and me together with my wife. It was a beautifully executed service sung by the Choir of St John’s College, bracketed with trumpet fanfares, music by Selwyn Image and including a challenging sermon by the Right Reverend Robert Hardy, formerly Bishop of Lincoln and HM Prisons. It has been a busy and enjoyable six months, and there still six wonderful months to go!
Nigel Brown OBE
High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire 2010/2011
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