August 4 2014

These last couple of weeks I’ve been privileged to be present at a number of events that are important to the lives of our community. I’ll take them in date order; on Sunday 20th July it was Mayor’s Sunday. In generations past this was a major event marked by a massive parade through crowded streets as the new mayor accompanied by other civic heads, military representatives and uniformed voluntary groups made their way from the Town Hall to the Parish Church where the mayor received God’s blessing.

In recent years of course other attractions mean that people don’t turn out in their thousands to see a parade but nevertheless it is an important occasion for the Borough. I’ve always felt that this event should take place as close to the mayor’s election as possible and that we should make a real effort to return it to the more prestigious occasion it was when I was first elected a councillor in 1980. Clearly the incoming mayor and others felt the same and it had some of the occasions of old about it.

The first good sign was that as I arrived at the Town Hall I noticed that both the flags of Cleethorpes and Great Grimsby were flying proudly rather than the North East Lincolnshire flag which, as I have commented before, looks more like the white flag of surrender which, though that might be well suited to some of the administrations that have ruled the Borough it is not what you want to see for a major civic occasion.

Later that week the Royal Anglian Regiment exercised their Freedom of the Borough and rightly this did indeed bring the crowds onto the streets of Cleethorpes to cheer and support what despite re-organisations and the merger of various regiments we still respect and admire as our ‘County Regiment.’

Two days later I was at St. Paul’s Cathedral to witness the consecration of the new Bishop of Grimsby, David Court. Like all new bishops, must be ordained and consecrated bishop. It was news to me that these ceremonies always take place at either St. Paul’s, Westminster Abbey or Southwark Cathedral.

It was a grand occasion led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishops of London and Winchester and, of course the Bishop of Lincoln, was also present. In some ways it was something akin to the State Opening of Parliament - officials appear with fantastic names. At the State Opening the Heralds appear dressed like the pictures found on playing cards such as Portcullis Pursuivant and Arundel Herald Extraordinary. For this ceremony the Ostiarius, the Prolocutor, Crucifer and acolytes appeared.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet I now know that the Ostiarius was originally a doorkeeper who had the responsibility of ensuring that no unbaptised person entered the church during the Eucharist and the Prolocutor is the chairman of the lower house of the province of Canterbury. Ahead of them in the procession was the Crucifer and Acolytes. The Crucifer is someone appointed to carry the processional cross and an acolyte is defined as someone who assists the celebrant   

In the performance of liturgical rites or, and this is the meaning we associate with the word, a devoted follower.

Two days later, along with other politicians, civic heads and the leaders of many organisations, I was in Lincoln Cathedral at a service to welcome the new bishop into the Lincoln diocese which was a very joyful occasion.

The significance of these occasions is that they bring our community together and emphasise the importance of so many organisations and the part they play in keeping our society together and the Bishop plays an important part as a community and social leader. Whether or not you are a person of faith the Bishop will have some influence on shaping our local community and rightly so, it was good to be able to welcome him to his role.