This film is part of Free

Harrogate Mayoral Sunday

The mayor of Harrogate revels in the military pomp and grandeur of parading servicemen and women in this patriotic short film.

Amateur film 1951 8 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Yorkshire Film Archive

Overview

This interesting film centres on Harrogate’s annual mayoral parade. The film begins slowly with the mayor and other dignitaries walking in the street, but quickly kick-starts when young military men and women parade for the mayor and the camera. The mayor is clearly overjoyed at the enthusiasm shown in the display and by the crowd who patiently admire the event’s proceedings.

Today, the role of a mayor in Britain is largely ceremonial and they usually have very few official duties. Mayors are often not elected and are instead appointed for short terms. There are notable exceptions to this rule such as the Mayor of London, who is an elected politician and is accountable to government. Mayors often attend and promote community events in their locales and are habitually invited to open new industrial and leisure facilities in their area.