We were invited to visit the council chamber in Chorley, Lancashire, to meet the mayor, Alan Whitaker and hear about local government. Chorley is a relatively new borough, established in the 1880's. We heard how the mayor is elected by his or her fellow councillors for a one year term of office; the mayor's consort could be a spouse or an invited person of the opposite sex. We were shown the ceremonial robes and regalia of the mayor, the mayor's consort and the deputy mayor. Then some of us got the chance to dress up:
From the left: Rob is dressed as the Mayor's Deputy, Jason as the Mayor and Kim as his Consort. The real mayor stands behind wearing his chain of office. Rob is holding the mace that sits on the table when the Council is in session. Jason is holding the mace that the mayor uses on ceremonial occasions.
Under a portrait of the Queen (The Mayor is the Queen's representative in the community) the group waits for the ruling of the Mayoral Court! Outside the chamber we saw photographs of other visitors from around the world (including Roanoke, Virginia). No doubt our picture will appear in due course.
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