"Wyre Forest is the place to be" were the closing words in a poem written by a visitor to the World Mental Health Day Fair in the Town Hall on Monday. 
I echoed this sentiment opening the Fair for many reasons including events I had attended in the previous few days.

Stands at the Mental Health Fair demonstrated the facilities available for learning about mental health, local services and opportunities. In addition to the expected services provided by voluntary and public agencies there were craft workshops, complementary medicine and drama and music demonstrations. It was good to see Primary Care Trust chiefs there because they hold the purse strings and mental health services can be the Cinderella among health priorities when compared with acute services.

The same day I visited Network (Worcestershire) Electrical Appliance Re-use Centre and was staggered at the scale of their operation. 

They accept fridges, washing machines, TVs and almost any appliance that requires a three pin plug and where possible refurbish these for re-use. I saw their show room combined with the furniture recycling unit where many of the goods appeared as good as new and were for sale at low prices. This is a marvellous service that prevents dumping of repairable electric goods or removes re-usable parts and then disposes of the recyclable waste in sorted categories. It is one of only eight such centres in the country and for all of us to take unwanted electrical goods to their unit at The Firs Industrial Estate rather than to the tip is essential. They also provide a collection service for a nominal fee. The aim of the staff and board of directors is to increase the work so much that they could eventually become self supporting. 
In the meantime, I and other MPs have to persuade the Government to comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment European Directive by June 2006 as this would ensure the Centre's financial viability of this vital facility.

Another privilege for local people is the annual Bewdley Festival which always has something for everyone. 

I went to the opening concert by Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band.
Each of the players is a virtuoso and Acker is generous to all of his players giving each as many solo opportunities as himself and watching and listening with evident, almost paternal pride as they perform brilliantly. Of course they played my favourite 'Stranger on the Shore'. 

On Sunday evening we had the display of the amazing mezzo soprano voice of Buddug Verona James in St. Anne's Church with three talented musicians playing baroque instruments. Her programme told the story of a famous castrato singer and allowed an exhibition of her voice that must be in power and range similar to that of the castrati said to have been the most accomplished opera singers of the past.