From the Town Hall to the School Hall: the Mayor makes the grade!
On Wednesday 30th April, The Mayor Of Wells (Jasmine Brown), the Sergeant of Mace, and Town Crier came to visit Wells Cathedral Prep School. It was a very entertaining visit, where we learned all about what these three people did.
It started with the Town Crier using a traditional bell to announce the arrival of The Mayor. Then, the Mayor told us how she became a Mayor. She was elected to be on the Council, and that the Council chose her to be Mayor. If you are selected to be Mayor, then, because it is a full time job, you’re Mayor for one year, and then the job passes to someone else. Jasmine Brown, (our current Mayor) is Wells’ 650th Mayor.
They were all dressed very smartly, but also differently. The Mayor was wearing a red robe, with black stitched onto it. This is because Queen Victoria used to visit Wells, and all the “high up” Counsellors wore red robes, so the Queen could never tell who was the Mayor. When Prince Albert died, the Queen only wore black, to mourn for him. She told all the Mayors in England to wear black on their robes as well, not just to mourn, but also so that Queen Victoria could tell who was the Mayor. The Mayor also wore a tricorn hat, as well as a necklace, which was made with gold. It had the symbol of Wells on it, to signify that it would always be worn to represent the City of Wells.
We learnt a lot in the Assembly, including the fact that the first female Mayor of Wells was elected in 1954. We also learned that the Town Crier used to walk around town (and still does sometimes) shouting out the day’s news. He would do this around three or four times a week.
The Sergeant of the Mace explained that he has to walk in front of the Mayor for any ceremonies (specifically parades) with his mace. In the olden days, this used to be so that if anyone tried to harm the Mayor, the Sergeant of Mace – with his mace – could ward them off. This mace is made of silver, with a thin layer of gold gilt. This mace is linked to the monarchy, and is a sign of authority.
We learnt a lot about some important people who are involved with local democracy.
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