The Hedon 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 in elections. Following their appointment, the incumbent Mayor would pay off his supporters. Today the event is purely a family fun occasion and the first public act of each new Mayor. Children are ‘thrown’ coins by the new Mayor, the town’s civic leaders and their guests.