Celebration of the 677th Mayor of Hedon
A celebration of the new 677th Mayor of Hedon took place on Thursday, 23 May 2024.
Following his formal election and having been invested in his Chain of Office, Councillor Colin Billany undertook his first official public function as Mayor of Hedon by officiating at the Hedon Penny Throwing.
The scramble for pennies and other coins, ‘thrown’ by the Mayor and civic guests, is a peculiar tradition in Hedon. The Hedon Penny Throwing is a fun culmination of an otherwise serious process of electing the town’s mayor.
The Penny Throwing event is one of the most peculiar events in Hedon’s civic calendar. Steeped in history, it is a parody of the days when Hedon was a ‘rotten borough’ with people being offered money to vote for a particular Mayoral candidate. Following their appointment the incumbent Mayor would pay-off his supporters.
Today the event is a real fun occasion with children being thrown pennies by the new Mayor, civic leaders and guests.
The Mayor’s consort is the Mayor’s wife Yvonne Billany, and the deputies who stand in for the Mayor when necessary are Councillor Jason Brindley and consort Councillor Sarah Rommell.
Thank you to Sandra Bottomley who took these photos of the Penny Throwing. John Dawson is the Hedon Macebearer.
Wonderful to see the traditions continued. Penny Throwing is just great. As a history student the parody of rotten and pocket boroughs is a wonderful legacy from the past. Poor health has prevented me from visiting Hedon this year but born on Westlands Drive and as grandson of former Mayor ST Johnson it will always have a special place in my heart. He loved the view of the church from Kings Place and I still do. Best of luck to Colin and all the best to the residents of Hedon who work to make it (still) a top place to live.