On Sunday, mayors from boroughs all over London came together in style to take part in the Whittington Walk.
The walk is five miles long and takes place every year to raise money for Mayoral charities all over the city.
Fortunately, the weather held as the mayors, dressed in their full robes and regalia, headed down from Whittington Hospital in North Islington to Mansion house in the city centre.
Cllr Dave Poyser, the Mayor of Islington, said: “It was really wonderful taking all the other mayors past my front door, my child’s school and my dentist on Upper Street.
“Luckily I recently trained as a tour guide, so I was able to tell them all about the history of Islington.”
“We are the most multicultural borough.”
“I normally have chain envy, when I meet other mayors. But when they saw my mayor’s parlour in Islington, some of them definitely had mayor envy!”
In the past several years thousands of pounds have been raised for the charities and the chairman of the London Mayor’s Association, Clare Whelan OBE, was confident that this had been achieved once again.
“The Whittington Walk is one of the highlights of the civic year and Sunday was no exception,” she said.
“The Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Mayor of Islington act as welcome hosts and it is a wonderful sight seeing the mayors in their red robes as they walk through parts of London – at a more leisurely pace than usual!”
The Whittington Walk follows the route that Dick Whittington, perhaps the most famous Mayor of London, allegedly took almost 600 years ago. The first stop for the walkers is the statue of Whittington’s cat near Holloway Road, which all the mayors touch. From there they continue down to Upper Street, City Road and down the city centre via Old street.
The legend of Dick Whittington describes his journey from an impoverished childhood to Mayor of London, through the sale of his cat in rat-infested London.
Steve Hitchins, Chairman at Whittington Health, said: “It is wonderful to be part of such a colourful tradition. Dick Whittington is a character who is very close to the hearts of the hospital and London Mayors alike so it is great to be able to celebrate that history together.
“It’s always a hit and it always brings out a crowd to raise money for so many deserving causes.”
