Preston Heritage Day Tour Of The Town Hall - Meeting The Mayor

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With a bargain 24 free annual heritage tours taking place across Preston over two days starting today it was tough choosing which to go to. I timed my tours to go for events that didn’t clash, and leaving a reasonable break between each one for me. The first event I chose was a tour of the city’s Town Hall. About twenty of us took this early tour (repeated over the day), which involved being led first to the main council debating room, a microcosm of the National Government House Of Commons. The Mayor’s dresser and bodyguard, The Sergeant At Arms, showed us the various insignia and gold/silver chains of office and ceremonial maces, swords, etc. He explained that his primary duty is not to the mayor but to the protection of the symbols of office. He told us in some humour that if the Mayor was to fall in a river, he would have to fish out the chains and mace first and then go back for the Mayor if possible. This is actually the city’s third Town Hall. The first, dating from the reign of the first Queen Elizabeth, collapsed due to water damage in 1782. The second, which was widely regarded as an uninspired mausoleum by those working there, burnt down in 1947, though bizarrely, its barely damaged ground and first floors were still in use for many years afterwards. Everything above them was destroyed. The current building was a municipal building but not officially a town hall though it was seen by those using it as one in all but name and finally granted official Town all Status. As a listed building, nothing can be structurally altered without the town hall applying in writing to its own planning committees. There are several crests on the Town Hall Windows, especially 1/. The crest of the Derby Family who were the founder politicians of modern Preston. 2/. The Royal family coat of arms 3/. The Red Rose Of Lancashire. 4/. The city’s Lamb crest and accompanying letters, PP. These actually represent the Latin for Prince of Peace, reflecting the town’s Christian roots (the prince being Jesus). The initials have however come to stand for ‘Proud Preston’ to many from their use on the shirts of the town’s premiere football team, Preston North End. Proud Preston has come to symbolize the city’s civic pride as well as its sporting history. Initially the Heraldic Society wanted the city crest to bear three P’s in keeping with heraldic tradition and symmetry, but Preston insisted on the third P being dropped so after a prolonged struggle it eventually was. Preston was regarded initially as the most Catholic town in Britain and later for a time its most violent, though not any more. The walls of the debating room are done in Australian Walnut, sent in bulk by a grateful former council member who emigrated. The ceiling is lit by old fashioned chandeliers which are now lit by modern energy saving ecological bulbs. At one time the bulbs were changed by sending children through a crawlspace over the ceiling to winch the chandeliers down so the bulbs could be changed but now electricians need ladders and scaffolding to reach them. The seating in the debating room is set out similarly to that of the Houses of Commons and Lords. One side is for the Tories, the other for the opposition. I was apparently sitting by chance in the seat for the council’s leading Conservative party representative. After a slight pause while the Sergeant prepared the Mayor’s uniform, we were now led to the Mayor’s own chambers and he greeted each of us personally. He then answered questions with great charm and delight about his work and his term of office which ends next Spring. His office is extremely plush and rich looking. There were four original oil paintings in the room and each Mayor gets to visit the nearby art gallery and choose paintings to take back to adorn the office with. The current Mayor chose a Cornish landscape and a portrait of a lady reading a book among others. There were symbols in the office associated with Nimes, and other twin towns, including a solid silver military tank model in a glass case. Nimes is represented on the town hall’s windows with a crocodile by a palm tree, reflecting its status as a one time Roman Centurion retirement town for men having served in Egypt. The Mayor is apparently to be addressed as Mr Mayor even if she is a Lady Mayoress. It was a delightful event, with a sense of access all areas and the feeling that the people running the city are well-meaning traditionalists. A big thank you Mayor John Collins, to everyone who helped make this unique opportunity possible. Arthur Chappell