To consider representations from members of the public on items to be considered at this meeting, in accordance with the Council’s scheme of public participation.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Tourism & Town Promotion Sub-Committee held on 18 March 2025, Minute No’s TTP25/035 – TTP25/041 (attached)

To consider the Town Council’s Calendar of Events (and give updates on events that have taken place) including:

2025 Taken Place

• • St George’s Day Re-enactment (Saturday 26 April 2025)
• • VE Day Commemoration (Thursday 8 May 2025)
• • Mr BuzzKing’s Puppet Things (30 May to 2 June 2025)
• • Floating Market/Waterside Events (31 May to 1 June)

2025/2026 Upcoming/To be agreed

• • Classic Car Event
• • Children’s Summer Inflatable Whale Event (12 August 2025)
• • Summer Street Party (Saturday 16 August 2025)
• • Florence Brass Band Concert & Burma Star Commemoration (17 August 2025)
• • Vegan Market (20 September 2025)
• • Christmas Lights Switch-On (Thursday 20 November 2025)
• • Texas Flag Raising, marking the anniversary of Texas joining the Union on 29 December 1845 (Monday 29 December 2025)
• • Texas Flag Raising, marking Texas State’s independence from Mexico (Saturday 7 March 2026)
• • Any other suggested new events for 2025/26

To consider the purchase of publicly accessed bleed kits for installation in the town.

• • Remembrance Plaques Working Group
  Currently Councillors: L. Davies (Co-ordinator), J. Davies and P. Leason
• • Market Strategy Working Group
  Currently Councillors: J. Hood (Co-ordinator), J. Davies, R. Kenney, A. Mottershead and C. Thornicroft. Co-opted Member: J. Cook
• • Friendship Agreement Working Group
  Currently Councillors: J. Davies (Co-ordinator), L. Davies, J. Hood, J. Metters and R. Townsend
• • VE/VJ Day Working Group
  Currently Councillors: J. Davies (Co-Ordinator), L. Davies and J. Hood

• • Remembrance Plaques Working Group
• • Market Strategy Working Group
• • Friendship Agreement Working Group
• • VE/VJ Day Working Group

Councillors: J. Hood, R. Kenney, A. Mottershead, P. Leason and J. Powell

None made.

None received.

Due to this meeting taking place in the pre-election period for County Council elections, the Scheme of Public Participation had been suspended.

The Minutes of the Tourism & Town Promotion Sub-Committee meeting held on 14 January 2025 (Minute Numbers TTP25/026 – TTP25/034), were approved as a correct record.

The Sub-Committee considered the Town Council’s Calendar of Events for 2025-26 and gave updates on events that had taken place:

2025 – Taken Place

• • Texas Flag Raising, marking Texas State’s independence from Mexico (Saturday 1 March 2025)
  Councillor Davies gave a report on the Texas Flag Raising in the High Street, which had generated a lot of interest in the town and was well supported. Councillor Davies advised the Sub-Committee that some sections of the Texas State Song were pared down which worked well given the song is lengthy.

2025/2026 – Upcoming/Agreed

The following events to be hosted by the Town Council, and their agreed dates, were noted by the Sub-Committee:

• • St George’s Day Re-enactment (Saturday 26 April 2025)
  The arrangements for this event were in progress.
• • VE Day Commemoration (Thursday 8 May 2025)
  Councillor Davies advised the Sub-Committee that he would provide a progress report on the planning arrangements for this commemoration later in the meeting (under Working Groups).
• • Mr BuzzKing’s Puppet Things (30 May to 2 June 2025)
  The arrangements for this event were in progress by the organiser.
• • Floating Market/Waterside Events (31 May to 1 June 2025)
  The arrangements for this event were in progress by the organiser.
• • Children’s Summer Event (to be confirmed)
  The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that a date for a summer children’s event had not been set but the Town Council was considering arranging a space themed event.
• • Classic Car Event
  The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that he was awaiting confirmation of the date for a Classic Car Event from the organiser.
• • VJ Day Commemoration (Saturday 16 August 2025)
  A music event would be held on Saturday 16 August with an ‘End of WWII theme’.
• • Music Event/Street Party (Saturday 16 August 2025)
  The music event will be linked with the VJ Day Commemoration.
• • Florence Brass Band Concert & Burma Star Commemoration (17 August 2025)
  The Florence Brass Band will perform in Stonefield Park on Sunday 17 August 2025.
• • Vegan Market (20 September 2025)
  The arrangements for this event were in progress by the organiser.
• • Christmas Lights Switch-On (Thursday 20 November 2025)
  The usual arrangements will apply.
• • Texas Flag Raising, marking the anniversary of Texas joining the Union on 29 December 1845 (Monday 29 December 2025)
  The usual arrangements will apply.
• • Any other suggested new events for 2025/26
  The Chairman invited Sub-Committee members to put forward new ideas for events in 2025.

The Chairman invited co-ordinators from each Working Group to address the Sub-Committee:

Remembrance Plaques Working Group
Councillor L. Davies advised the Sub-Committee that the Remembrance Plaques were continuing as a work in progress.

Market Strategy Working Group
The Town Clerk advised the Sub-Committee that a Market Strategy Working Group meeting had recently taken place and the markets, and their future management had been discussed. The main outcome of the meeting was a decision to offer market tables free of charge from 1 April 2025.

Friendship Agreement Working Group
Councillor J. Davies advised the Sub-Committee that the Friendship Agreement Working Group was working on two threads. The first was to compose a Town Council policy on friendship agreements and to define the structure on how these should be managed. Meanwhile the group was continuing to encourage the links and friendship between Stone and Bagnacavallo and was pleased to put the Scouts in the two towns in contact. Councillor Davies said the proposals for local government reorganisation and the loss of Stafford Borough Council with its own twinning agreements, may provide the Town Council with an opportunity to extend its international links for the benefit of the people and businesses in the town.

VE/VJ Day Working Group
Councillor Davies thanked members of the VE/VJ Day Working Group for their input which had provided useful information enabling the Town Council to develop a detailed plan for VE Day.

He said that the Town Council will be observing the national commemoration timetable on the actual anniversary of VE Day (on Thursday 8 May 2025) including the raising of the VE Day flag in the High Street at 9.30am, and in the evening, participating in the lighting of the beacons at 9.30pm.

Councillor Davies advised the Sub-Committee that several local organisations were keen to participate in the commemoration including Stone Scout & Guide Band, Stone Choral Society, Florence Brass Band, and local scout, guiding and cadet groups. A plan for the day was currently in draft and a public announcement will follow.

The arrangements for the celebration of VJ Day had already been made firm through the organisation of a Music Festival on Saturday 16 August 2025 and the Florence Brass Band Concert & Burma Star Commemoration on Sunday 17 August 2025.

Councillor Davies reminded the Sub-Committee that it was important to remember that WWII was not over on VE Day and that a nasty war was still going on in the Far East until August of 1945.

As the working group’s work was now done, it was likely it would not need to meet until after the events when a review meeting would take place.