Jenny Bolwell to become 765th Mayor of Salisbury
Mayor Bolwell says she wants to connect with the city's volunteers
Salisbury will make it's 765th Mayor of the city today, with Cllr Jenny Bolwell taking the Mayoral Chain from outgoing Mayor, Cllr John Wells.
Mayor Bolwell, who represents the Fisherton and Bemerton Village ward, is the second female Mayor this decade and the seventh this century.
She says taking the Mayor Chain is a moment of huge honour for her: "I grew up here, so seeing other people doing it, and if I was to tell the old me what I'm about to do tomorrow, she'd never believe it. I'm extremely proud."
The new Mayor said it's positive to see growing female input in local politics, which had traditionally been a male-dominated sphere.
Mayor Bolwell said she's expecting a "busy year" and that the invitations to events are "flooding in".
"I would very much like to meet as many of the different groups that I can. Having a voluntary background, I'm very keen to touch base with all the different volunteers for all the other charities and things that go on in the city, because that's what makes our city, it's the volunteers," she said.
She will be made Mayor during a ceremony at St Thomas's Church at 12pm.
We're warned of road closures in the city as a Civic Procession of visiting Mayors from neighbouring towns and cities, local dignitaries and invited guests make their way to the ceremony.
They'll leave the Guildhall at 11.40am and walk along Fish Row, Butchers Row and Minster Street, which will see Queen Street, New Canal, part of High Street and St Thomas Square closed between 11.30am and midday.
Following the ceremony, the procession will return to the Guildhall via St Thomas Square and Blue Boar Row at around 12.50pm, with St Thomas Square, Silver Street, Minster Street and Blue Boar Row closed.
Mayor Bolwell's chosen charity for the year is Salisbury Foodbank.