The Mayor’s parlour & mace – two Swindon gems if ever there were. And at last, after three decades in Swindon, I got to properly see this fabulous room – and the mace. Big thanks to the outgoing Labour mayor, Abdul Amin for making it happen for me.
When I wrote Swindon in 50 Buildings I included the civic offices and the image below of the mayor’s parlour from the 1930s. I did take some photos – see bottom of the post – but they really don’t do it justice. You’d need to be David Bailey to manage that TBF.
The Mayor’s parlour & mace – 1930s image of the mayor’s parlour courtesy of Swindon local studies
The Mayor’s Mace
The Swindon Mayor’s Mace
So, aside from the Art Deco, living, breathing, Hercule Poirot set wonderment that is the mayor’s parlour, what I want to focus on in this post is the mayor’s mace. Because this isn’t any old mace – but we’ll come to that later. First of all a look at the mace in general.
The Ceremonial Significance of the Mace
In essence, the highly decorated ceremonial mace is an evolvement of a bludgeon – for it once served as a weapon of war.
With the introduction of armour, fighting men began binding their wooden clubs with iron. Then later the club began being made entirely of iron and steel.
This website about the Llantrisant Macetells us that the mace found itself adopted as the weapon of the Sergeants at Arms appointed first by Philip II of France (1180-1223) to guard the king from suspected assassins. It’s believed that Richard I (Lionheart) of England appointed a similar bodyguard
During mediaeval times, the royal Serjeants-at-Arms were distinguished by their power of arrest without a warrant. To an increasing extent, their maces – originally ordinary weapons of war, similar to a club – became their emblems of authority. They became stamped with the royal arms. And in an age in which few men could read or write, the Serjeants effected their arrests by showing their maces and not by producing any form of written warrant.
At length it became the custom to inscribe royal arms on the top and to decorate the handle end. As time went on the mace became less a weapon and more a symbol as it became covered with precious metal. It’s now a weapon of war no longer but a symbol of authority as its incorporated coronet expanded into a full-sized crown. And the whole item swelled to much larger proportions.
Today, many government bodies, such as the House of Commons, universities, local authorities and other institutions have ceremonial Maces. They’re often paraded in academic, parliamentary or civic rituals and processions.
A footnote
There’s a somewhat curious footnote about the mace, as this historical development of the mace points out. ‘The most curious and interesting point to note about the evolution of the mace is that it was also a revolution. The hitting end has become the innocuous base and the handle knob has become the head. Ergo we now carry the ceremonial mace upside down.
The mace should precede the mayor when entering and leaving the council chamber. It should always repose in front of the mayor when the council sits. When the mayor is seated, the mace rests horizontally before him with the crown to his right hand. In church, the crown should point towards the altar.
The Swindon mace
Measuring four feet in length, well proportioned and covered in silver gilt, Swindon’s mace is the most valuable piece of Swindon’s insignia. It takes the customary form, with an open arched crown surmounted by an orb and cross. There’s a replica of the royal arms on the first cap beneath the arches. The four arched compartments contain respectively:
The royal initials E VIIIR crowned
The Thamesdown coat of arms (1974)
The coat of arms for the former borough of Swindon (1936)
The coat of arms for the borough of Swindon (1997)
Below the mace head it bears four oak leaf and acorn brackets. The staff is divided into three sections, by two ornamental spheres. It terminates in a decorated foot knob.
The foot knob has six compartments, one of which contains the inscription: ‘1936, Presented by WE Morse Esq …Mayor of Swindon, 1914-1916. Hallmarked London 1935.’
A most particular mace
But … as interesting as all the above surely is, our Swindon mace is of a particular interest. And that’s because it bears the royal cipher of Edward VIII – who of course was never crowned because he abdicated in 1936.As far as we know, as far as it’s been possible to verify, there are only five other maces in the country bearing Edward VIII’s cypher. And I think that’s rather cool.
There’s a story that the Queen Mother, on visiting our town, asked to have the mace back and the mayor at the time refused to hand it over. Now, I’m unsure of the veracity of this tale but if it’s true … I admire the man’s nerve!
Now for the promised dreadful photos! But they give a sense of just how wonderful this room is. And it’s stuffed with wonderful things.
Angela Atkinson in the mayor’s parlour in Swindon civic officesSwindon’s Coat of Arms The Mayor’s Parlour & Mace – the fireplaceTable inside the mayor’s parlour
So – hands up who knew we have here a Swindon independent film festival? Well – you might but I didn’t until I started seeing their tweets. So here’s a wee post about it.
Swindon Independent Film Festival – Putting Swindon in the Limelight
A guy by the name of Doug Kirby started it off, in 2018, to bring creatives together. There were a number of people doing film-related stuff and he wanted to pull it all together. Over the ensuing years the whole thing has evolved and this year the festival has a new team of four to take it forward.
As they point out: ‘Swindon has a rich history linked to films and filmmakers and the Independent Film Festival aims to continue to showcase the best of Swindon’s film scene. So, that’s why, if you’re a filmmaker from Swindon you can enter your film to our festival for free!’
You can find their website here: https://www.swindonfilmfestival.com – though it’s my understanding it’s being updated. Once it’s updated they will share the news on their social media channels. They tell me it’s not far off being ready now.
Their website tells us that the festival aims to showcase both the best of independent cinema and to create a supportive and diverse community of film makers and film lovers.
I do like that they have the Corn Exchange in Old Town as their logo. That might look and seem a tad random but there is relevance. Once that building had ceased to be a town hall and corn exchange it underwent many incarnations. And one of those was as the Rink Cinema with seating for 1,000 people. And aside from that, having this much-neglected heritage asset as their logo keeps it in the public eye.
How wonderful it would be if that ‘building’ were in better shape. I use the word building loosely – it’s really little more than a facade help up by a bush!
Paralympian Louise Hunt Skelley to commentate once more at this year’s Wimbledon Championships
Paralympian Commentating at Wimbeldon. Former British wheelchair tennis player Louise Hunt will be sharing her expertise while commentating at this year’s Wimbledon championships. The championship has, this year, provided more opportunities for wheelchair players.
I’m so excited to have involvement in the tournament which is going to be more inclusive than ever,’ Louise said.
Paralympian Commentating at Wimbeldon – Louise Hunt, Paralympian
The July wheelchair tennis tournament is this year taking place over five days instead of four. This move will allow more public access to the sport and also to further support the players.
Marc Mccarroll, NAGP Coach for the Wheelchair Performance Pathway and member of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) said:
‘This will give the public another day to see our sport in action. I’ll help the players maintain the high level we’ve seen over the years, due to the demands that grass has on wheelchair players.
‘Also off the back of last year’s success where wheelchair matches took place on Court 1 and the crowds that brought to the sport, it will be great to build on this and continue to see the sport grow in this country.’
Over the eight
Louise, who lives in Wroughton, is celebrating commentating on her eighth Wimbledon tournament and has some tips on who to look out for this time round.
One to watch this year is Novak Djokovic. He’s won Wimbledon six times and is currently the defending champion. The main reason he’s one to watch though is that this year he is chasing a record-breaking twenty-one Grand Slam titles! If he’s successful in winning the championships again, he would surpass both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer!
‘Jack Draper from the UK has had a considerable rise in his rankings this past year and his powerful leftie style is always exciting to watch. He’s got so much potential and I’m looking forward to seeing what impact he can make this year!
‘In the wheelchair competition, world number two from Japan, Tokito Oda, is definitely one to watch. At a mere sixteen years old he has had a phenomenal year, flying into the top ten in the world very fast.
‘In January he made his first grand slam final on his debut at the Australian Open. Then in April he became the youngest winner of the Japan Open (Super Series) men’s singles title in Iizuka City. A super nice young man with incredible talent and determination, I can’t wait to see him make an impact.’
Louise
Louise represented Great Britain at both the London and Rio Paralympics. She’s won thirteen senior singles and forty-one senior doubles titles, with a career-high world ranking of Ten. She made two Wimbledon appearances as a player. Once in 2015 in the doubles and the following year in both the singles and doubles event. This was the first year that the event held singles matches.
Today Louise is a tennis commentator, tournament director and inclusion specialist as well as a motivational speaker. Find out more about her by visiting http://www.louisehunt.co.uk
The season starts on Friday 19 May with Hollywood blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick. This is an exceptional outdoor cinema experience, presented by Swindon-based Horizon Experiences.
The 1936 art-deco style Bowl, situated in Town Gardens, Swindon, is one of only a handful of its kind in the country. It provides a unique backdrop to a spectacular range of events throughout the year. And, in 2023, audiences will once again have the chance to experience first-class theatre, music, comedy and cinema in this iconic venue.
Horizon Experiences will be back on Friday 26 May with A Star Is Born and then again to round off the season with The Greatest Showman on Friday 22 September.
Twelfth Night
The Duke’s Theatre Company is returning for a third season with the wonderful Twelfth Night on Friday 28 July.
Summer 2023 at the Bowl – Twelfth Night at Swindon town gardens bowl
For Shakespeare-loving Swindonians looking for a more modern twist on a classic, then check out Shake It Up. This is an improvised Shakespeare show, set to be the perfect night out on Saturday 1 July. And for comedy fans, why not join Aurie Styla, Paul McCaffrey, Esther Manito and Matt Richardson for an evening of Comedy At The Bowl this August Bank Holiday weekend?
You want something more modern?
For audiences looking for something a touch more modern, the season continues with the return of BlackBox Theatre, in collaboration with Swindon and Wiltshire Pride, to the Town Gardens bowl. This, following their sell-out tour of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit in 2021 and Bouncers in 2022, as they bring the world premiere of Ortonesque. This is a new play looking at the extraordinary life and times of the outrageous playwright, Joe Orton, and his doomed relationship with long-term collaborator and partner, Kenneth Halliwell. It comes to Swindon on Sunday 13 August.
Summer 2023 at the Bowl – Ortonesque
That’s complemented by the riotous summer adventure depicting Britain’s best-known folktale, Robin Hood. It’s presented by Three Inch Fools on Tuesday 8 August.
The little ones aren’t forgotten
There’s something for everyone this summer at the Town Gardens bowl.
That goes for the littlest ones too! South Swindon Parish Council are welcoming the delightful Music For Miniatures with their Teddy Bear’s Picnic. This is a classical performance suitable for ages 0-4. Watch the live music enchant little ones, as they dance, joggle and explore their surroundings. With scarves and egg shakers provided for all.
Let’s play the music and dance
And, for grown ups looking for something a little more musical, South Swindon Parish Council will be hosting a varied programme of music events at the bowl. That’s in addition to their collaboration with My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad Festival.
The programme features performances from artists as varied as Supersonic Queen, 21stCentury ABBA & Elton and Old Time Sailors.
There’s never been a better time to get the friends and family together. So book tickets for what promises to be a summer evening to remember.
The History of lacemaking is the subject of the latest Teatime talk at Malmesbury’s Athelstan Museum on Wednesday May 17th.
‘Malmesbury Lace – Past Present and Future’ will feature several short talks from local experts Alison Lewis, Gill Bright and Janet Casseldon. And one of them will feature the history of lacemaking.
Alison Lewis will talk about the history of Malmesbury Lace, an industry that has been present in the town for more than 300 years. She is the author of a popular booklet on the subject, The Fascination of Lace.
All by chance
It was a chance discovery that piqued Alison Lewis’ interest in lacemaking.
I became interested after we found a Malmesbury lace bobbin in our cottage 50 years ago. Before that, I had no knowledge of the craft. I was later asked to write my book on lacemaking in Malmesbury by Roger Griffin, who was then chair of the museum’
Gill Bright, a member of the Malmesbury lacemaking group will talk about the group’s activities and about the lace itself, including current examples of lace made in the town. Gill and Alison have worked together for several years.
We have worked together to put on displays of lace in the museum,’ Alison says. ‘And twice a year, we run lace days in the town. I have spent many hours with the lacemaking group over the years.’
Janet Casselden will also provide an overview of the Athelstan Museum’s plans to exhibit the town’s lace. And also she’ll provide an insight into the sessions she leads, where she teaches lacemaking to both adults and children.
There’ll be a demonstration of the type of work the lacemakers of today undertake both before and after the talk. That will give attendees the opportunity to take a close look at a display of some of the museum’s lace collection. And further to ‘have a go’ on the pillows that are set up for the family lace workshop sessions.
Where and when
The tea time talk will take place in the Rausing Building. Tea will be served from 2.30 pm with the talks due to start at 3 pm. Tickets are £6.50 (tea and cake included in the price) and are available online and in the museum shop.
