Leadership blog - 15.11.18

In the last blog, the Deputy Leader talked about the Sunderland Festival of Light and the Illuminations and I'm delighted to say that the crowds have kept on visiting and thoroughly enjoying their time in Roker Park and along our beautiful sea front.

The Festival continues until Sunday so if you haven't visited already, do try and get along in the final few days.   

There's so much been going on in Sunderland events-wise in the past couple of weeks including the huge announcement that the Spice Girls are coming to Sunderland next June as part of their UK comeback tour.

The return of big music acts to the Stadium of Light has been welcomed by everyone and created a wonderful buzz around the city. I think we've all missed having the concerts in Sunderland and it's great to be back on the map as a top choice for the world's most famous artists and bands to play. Well done to everyone involved at the Football Club and in other partner organisations including the council for making it happen.

We also had the huge honour at the weekend of being selected as one of only a few places in the country to host famous director Danny Boyle's Pages of the Sea Remembrance event.

I was proud to be able to pay my own respects alongside thousands of other residents at the annual Remembrance Parade on Sunday morning. Then in the afternoon, large crowds came along to Roker Beach to see the portrait on the sand of fallen Houghton soldier 2nd Lt Hugh Carr and to make their own etchings of the silhouettes of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

A huge well done to the team and everyone who once again made a fantastic contribution to the Remembrance Parade and also to all at Sunderland Culture who organised Pages of the Sea in a city which is renowned for showing its gratitude to our Armed Forces heroes, past and present.

Cllr Graeme Miller
Leader