THE Mayor Making ceremony at Saltash was unusual on May 23, 2022, as timing did not go quite according to plan. 

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Julia Peggs, was in the middle of her speech when the church bells rang out early to proclaim the new Mayor. However, she continued and completed her speech. 

Then as the ceremony was going quite quickly, the Mayor and Mayoress, Richard and Sarah Bickford, started to follow the ancient tradition of throwing fruit and pennies to the waiting children in the street outside Saltash Guildhall - but there were only three or four of them there. 

Later, after the Guildhall ceremony ended and the new Mayor and Mayoress were greeting their guests, a crowd of children arrived and waited underneath the window. The Mayor heard about this and then went up quickly to throw the rest of the fruit and pennies, and then, along with the Mayoress, he met the children in the street.

The official ceremony began in Saltash Guildhall with the National Anthem. Prayers were led by the Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Tim Parkman of Saltash Baptist Church. Guests were welcomed by the newly elected Town Clerk, Sinead Burrows, who has been Deputy, then Assistant Town Clerk, and for the past 14 months Acting Town Clerk.

Councillor David Yates, spoke about the new Mayor’s work for the town as a councillor for several years. 

The new Mayor signed the Book of Oaths and was presented with the key of the town by the Town Clerk.

The Mayor invested the Mayoress, his wife Sarah, with the Mayoress’s chain of office.

Councillor Jean Dent then spoke about the new Deputy Mayor, Councillor Julia Peggs.

The Depty Mayor invested her husband, Geoff Peggs, as Deputy Mayor’s Consort.

After the ceremony, the Mayor and Mayoress left as the guests sang ‘Trelawney’ and a buffet reception was held at the recently re-furbished Saltash Railway station building.