Lord Mayor's Blog 3
In the first Lord Mayor’s blog posting I mentioned possible ‘weighty matters’. I had in mind not important issues for the city that weigh on the mind, but the weight of the mayoral regalia on the shoulders! Most of the time the Lord Mayor wears pinstripes, black jacket, waistcoat, white shirt, black shoes, a subdued tie and of course the chain of office.
For wear around the Lord Mayor’s Parlour a ‘day badge’ pendant can be worn instead and the full chain. This last can be a blessing for an hour or so as the solid gold chain is very heavy (Imagine a large bag of sugar on each shoulder). For full ceremonial occasions the Lord Mayor is fully robed. In addition to the chain of office, the robes include a good deal of metal (gold) and are also pretty heavy. Moreover they are most efficient at keeping in the heat! This is fine in winter, but if you catch a glimpse of me sneaking a drink of water on my walkabouts you’ll know why!
There are two sets of robes to accommodate the varying heights of Lord Mayors. There is also the distinctive three cornered (tricorn) hat. There are three sizes. I just about manage with the largest one - even with my new, much shorter hairstyle (Press please note!)
I mentioned the Lord Mayor’s ‘parlour’. This has a nice old-fashioned ring to it. It is a suite of offices including the Lord Mayor’s room and a room shared by the Deputy Lord Mayor (the previous year’s Lord Mayor) and the lady Mayoress. There is also a ‘retiring room’ which includes a shower (remember the heat of the robes). The Lord Mayor’s room itself is steeped in history and the desk at which I work comes down to us from Neville Chamberlain.
But what makes things really special is the staff of the parlour. Eight really dedicated, professional and hard working people who ensure things work smoothly and that the Civic dimension of the City’s work is outstanding. And on major occasions the full time staff are joined by volunteers who give, largely unsung, unstintingly of their time and to whom I am already immensely grateful. You can find out more about the Lord Mayor’s Parlour and what we do by visiting the Lord Mayor's Parlour pages on the Council’s website.
In my next posting I’ll say a bit more about the interesting and varied events of the first week or two of my year.
For wear around the Lord Mayor’s Parlour a ‘day badge’ pendant can be worn instead and the full chain. This last can be a blessing for an hour or so as the solid gold chain is very heavy (Imagine a large bag of sugar on each shoulder). For full ceremonial occasions the Lord Mayor is fully robed. In addition to the chain of office, the robes include a good deal of metal (gold) and are also pretty heavy. Moreover they are most efficient at keeping in the heat! This is fine in winter, but if you catch a glimpse of me sneaking a drink of water on my walkabouts you’ll know why!
There are two sets of robes to accommodate the varying heights of Lord Mayors. There is also the distinctive three cornered (tricorn) hat. There are three sizes. I just about manage with the largest one - even with my new, much shorter hairstyle (Press please note!)
I mentioned the Lord Mayor’s ‘parlour’. This has a nice old-fashioned ring to it. It is a suite of offices including the Lord Mayor’s room and a room shared by the Deputy Lord Mayor (the previous year’s Lord Mayor) and the lady Mayoress. There is also a ‘retiring room’ which includes a shower (remember the heat of the robes). The Lord Mayor’s room itself is steeped in history and the desk at which I work comes down to us from Neville Chamberlain.
But what makes things really special is the staff of the parlour. Eight really dedicated, professional and hard working people who ensure things work smoothly and that the Civic dimension of the City’s work is outstanding. And on major occasions the full time staff are joined by volunteers who give, largely unsung, unstintingly of their time and to whom I am already immensely grateful. You can find out more about the Lord Mayor’s Parlour and what we do by visiting the Lord Mayor's Parlour pages on the Council’s website.
In my next posting I’ll say a bit more about the interesting and varied events of the first week or two of my year.
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