69. The New Lord Mayor’s Briefing

Earlier this week, the new Lord Mayor, Alderman Andrew Parmley, invited all livery company Masters and their Clerks to attend a briefing at the Mansion House. Ralph Riley and I attended on behalf of our Company.

At the briefing the Lord Mayor explained that he will be visiting a record 31 countries during his year with the specific intention of promoting the City of London. He also spoke of his love for music and his three appeal charities – they are The London Symphony Orchestra Discovery Programme, Music in Hospitals and St Paul’s Cathedral Foundation.

In response to a question at the end of the briefing, he amusingly explained how his diary works – he gets up in the morning, is dressed in his regalia, is fed, is put in a car to a destination and has a speech put in front of him. He claimed to be doing exactly what he is told, something his wife Wendy has failed to achieve after 40 years of marriage!

The Lord Mayor is very proud of his roots – his home town is Blackpool and he attended Blackpool Grammar School before going off to university. When we left we were all presented with a limited edition piece of Blackpool Rock!

Photographs show the new Lord Mayor in some of his regalia and a close up shot of the Blackpool Rock!