Dandy Lions

Big thanks to Dandy Lions in Buckingham who mostly sell (gorgeous!) clothes for children and young people. 

And... Jo, the shop owner, agreed to let her customers know about #TheMayorsBear - and sell a few copies of the book to them as well. 

Thank you Jo!

What does a Town Mayor actually do?

This blog tells you! https://themayorofbuckingham.blogspot.com

My experience of being Mayor of Buckingham inspired me to write #TheMayorsBear.

I am now on a mission to get more young people involved in community politics and hopefully many will get their opportunity to be a Mayor in the future!

My mission...

I think I have discovered a mission - to help young people to understand & appreciate the role of parish & town councils in our communities. Through the medium of reading my book #TheMayorsBear & explaining how I came to write it - I am hoping I can challenge the narrative that they might be hearing from their parents - that politicians are 'just in it for themselves', or 'they are all the same' or 'they never listen' etc.

In a recent visit to Buckingham Primary School one teacher reminded me of the time I visited in 2018 when I was Mayor & engaged the children in thinking about what would make our town even better for them - they had lots of questions too. 

I was charmed when she said that I really 'got' where the children were at. 

Here's a link to the blog I wrote about that visit.

Local suppliers!

Mayor Roxie is very keen on supporting local organisations and businesses - she knows that it is these small companies (and large ones with local shops) that are the lifeblood of her town. From the sweet shop run by Heather and Vanether to her own work selling holidays to people - she loves local suppliers! And of course, (previously loved) Strumbold was found in a local charity shop.

So just like Roxie, I am looking forward to picking up my promotional cards from Phillips Print later on this week. They do a fantastic job helping people and businesses in the town with their various printing needs. 

More feedback!

More feedback from people who have read The Mayor's Bear - or who had it read to them! 

"My daughters were so pleased to be some of the first to hear Jon's wonderful book. Aged 10, 8 and 5 years old they really identified with the bear and were captivated as they listened to Jon tell them the beautiful story. Highly recommended."

"My daughter and I absolutely loved this delightful children's story following the adventures of a bear, a mayor and a lost chain. We fell in love with Strumbold, the magimistical Teddy bear full of sage advice and Roxie, the feisty mayor with a tricky problem. There are some lovely themes and messages in the book, of resilience, courage and hope and some beautiful 'poems' written by Roxie's son that we could all do with in our lives."

"This book is more than just a story; it's a bonding experience that has sparked many discussions between my daughter and me about community and the magic of everyday heroes. We can’t wait to follow Roxie and Strumbold on more adventures, and I highly recommend it to any parent looking for a heartwarming, educational story to share with their children."

"Great"

"Charming, made me smile all the way through and I wasn't expecting that"

Feedback

One of the many pieces of feedback I have had about #TheMayorsBear -

"Have just read the mayor's bear!!! Its magimistical, fun, sweet and can be special for everyone. Loved the warmth, pics, references, pace and light 👍👏🌈"

More feedback always welcome! 

This isn't just a book for young people...

This is also a book for adults too! (Especially local councillors...!)

Roxie says "But I started a petition to build a new one and got over two thousand signatures. And now, there are plans to build a new skate park in a better place and all the young people are helping to design it. That is one example is why I became a Town Councillor... "

#TheMayorsBear