The Mayor's Parlour

Today is a big day.  I'm going to meet the mayor of Southampton and see his parlour.

I hope I'll get to see the Silver Oar of Admiralty for the first time.

There are pictures here at Town Sergeants Of Southampton.

Pictures:

• The "mayors" section of "People of Southampton" from my degree show, last year, showing some of the list of mayors that goes back to 1217.
• Sketches from newspaper cuttings in the city archives, featuring the three maces; one of Basil Spence's buildings for Southampton University in 1966; and photos of two kings and two queens visiting Southampton - George V and Queen Mary, and George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

I should mention The History Press's "Not A Guide To" series of little books about different towns.

"Not A Guide To Southampton" has just been published, written by a local writer, James Marsh.

It's partly personal and partly official and it's full of information that I didn't know about my home town.

I got mine at October Books.