Today the officers, ratings, cadets and civilian apprentices of HMS Sultan exercised their right, as Freemen of the Borough, to parade down the High Street. Lots of the other mayors and chairmen from across Hampshire came, so over the 'welcome' cups of coffee in the Mayor's Parlour I got my kiss with Maria after all :) Loads of them asked where we'd been last night, when we'd been expected to come to the Test Valley charity concert, so I explained about my mother's flu. Maria immediately made a cross with her arms and stepped backwards from my mother... Jim told me what a great night it had been, saying how superb the performance had been and how I'd have absolutely loved it. Thanks, Jim.
In conversation with Tony, he asked me about the fortunes of the Hawks, then told me he'd been a guest at the Basingstoke v Aldershot FA Cup tie which Basingstoke had lost 2-1 - as John from Rushmoor, an Aldershot fan, was standing nearby, I drew him into the conversation, though he admitted he hadn't been at the game as he'd had to attend a charity boxing night.
As we all lined up in the corridor ready to proceed out of the Town Hall, I met Julia, the councillor who writes poetry, so I told her the two poems she'd submitted to the box were now up on the board. She said she'd seen them, so I asked whether she'd read my two that are up there at the moment. She replied "Yes, they were heartrending."
While my mother headed the main procession, with all the other mayors and chairmen then all our other Councillors behind her, I had to lead all the mayoresses and chairmen's partners, and some other VIP guests, down the side road (and got asked to slow down a couple of times, as my walking pace was a little quick for some of the older ladies). We all met up at the ferry, where we all stood in a row. Opposite us were the Sultan personnel in their various companies, all stood to attention. We all just stood there while each of the mayors reviewed the troops (and the lady next to me engaged me in a little conversation about the lovely view of the Spinnaker Tower). Then the pipe band struck up, and we all set off down the High Street, my little party joining in this time, behind the Honorary Aldermen, with the Sultan personnel behind us. On reaching the Town Hall we again all stood in a row there and watched the Sultan personnel march past.
Then it was into the Council Chamber for a buffet. As all the Mayors of Hampshire were present, and at my mother's request they were all wearing their robes and chains, a very rare occurrence, Richard and Tony suggested they all do a group photograph. I went up to my mother and mentioned it to her. Just a moment later, she had to do her speech, the Sultan Commodore replied and they exchanged wooden plaques, then Richard asked me to round all the mayors up for the pic. I got most of them in the end, then my mother caught up with the last two and we got them all down to the Parlour; John from Fareham had already taken his robes off, but we let him be in the picture anyway :) John the Town Hall keeper wanted me to join the photo, but there were no other consorts in it, just mayors and chairmen, so I didn't want to spoil the exclusivity. I stood and watched - my mother asked me for a word for them all to say to smile, so I said 'Sausages'; Richard topped it with 'Haemorrhoids'.
Back in the Chamber I met Sir Graball D'Encloseland; he said a friendly hello but after we'd been talking just a couple of minutes someone came up and led him off to talk to someone else, so I didn't get to ask after Miss K2. I talked to a couple of ladies in Wrens' uniforms who were really Naval history re-enactors, then spent the closing half-hour chatting with Maria, John and Sheila from Southampton and Sue from Winchester. Sue had a couple of heavy bags to lug down to her Mayoral car, so I was volunteered to carry one of them for her. She won't be coming to the Havant Ball on Friday, so when I'd put her bag in the boot I wished her a Merry Christmas and we had a hug and a big kiss :) As the last people were going home I went out into the foyer and heard the strains of Fairytale of New York! It turned out to be coming from a CD player someone had rigged up. I hung on listening to the end of the song (when I sang along with the final chorus, a couple of young sailors waiting in the foyer joined in).
My mother came in after her afternoon at work and giving a reception at tea time, sounding really rough - her voice was hoarse almost to loss. Her flu had got worse. We went to this evening's Carol Service at Explosion museum all the same - "don't expect me to sing," me ma said, but it was still a pleasant carol-singing session and we got a glass of mulled wine each. When we came out, though, she was as bad as ever, so we won't be going to the FORT Charity Lake of Lights in Southsea tomorrow.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
