New 675th Hedon Mayor Making

COUNCILLOR DAVID THOMPSON has been nominated as the Hedon Mayor for the civic year commencing 19 May 2022. The Deputy Mayor nominated is Councillor Di Storr.

If the Mayor Making ceremony, which is also the Annual General Meeting of Hedon Town Council, takes place as expected on the 19th, Councillor Thompson will become the 675th Mayor of Hedon.

So what happens at the Mayor Making?

King Edward III granted a Charter of Incorporation in 1348 which gave Hedon the rights to be a self-governing borough and to elect a Mayor. The Mayor Making ceremony has become a traditional and formal part of Hedon Town Council’s Annual General Meeting.

The new Chairman will be formally elected by other Hedon Town councillors and by being elected to that post will also become Hedon Town Mayor. The new Mayor will then retire to the Town Hall Parlour for the official robing.

The new Mayor donned in the official robes returns to the Council Chamber and will be invested with his Chain of Office by the Sergeant of the Mace. The new Mayor will appoint his new Mayoress who will be presented with her Chain of Office.

The Deputy Mayor elected will appointed and be invested with her Chain of Office. Her consort will be announced.

The new Mayor and councillors will pay tribute to the retiring Mayor Councillor Sarah Rommell, remarking upon her role in representing the town, acting as its ambassador, raising charitable monies and highlighting good causes – mostly during difficult lockdown conditions imposed by the pandemic.

The standing committees of the Council will be appointed: Planning, Property, Finance & General Purposes, and Emergency Planning.

With formal business completed, the first public act of the new Mayor would normally be to lead other councillors, civic leaders and guests to take part in the Hedon Penny Throwing Ceremony outside the Town Hall. However, that event has taken place only recently with the 674th Mayor because of delays due to the pandemic. The Penny Throwing event for the new Mayor will not take place until Thursday 21 July 2022.