by Jason Lever
Posted on Sun, 01 Dec 2013 18:10:37 GMT
Wife, daughter and brother play their part
(This chapter is based on his correspondence file accessed in Hackney Archives.)
Family did not miss the opportunity to prevail upon the Mayor’s time. A certain J. Lever wrote to S. Lever, to seek the latter’s participation for an event of the Hackney Associated Clubs (Boys’ and Girls’) in December 1951. The formal invitation was from the Organising Secretary, his brother Joe!
The Mayor also wrote to his wife, Annie, via Miss Gresham (the Mayor’s Secretary) to seek the Mayoress’s agreement to assume the customary role as Honorary Patron of the Hackney Branch of the Royal Artillery Association.
His daughter, Isabel, did not miss out on opportunities during the Mayoral year. She accompanied her father to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace of Their Majesties (King George, Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother, Mary). Isabel also entertained the Mayoress of Southwark and a few friends to afternoon tea in the Mayor’s Parlour, presumably on a day when her father was out judging herring displays.
Finally, one letter from the Mayor on file was to a certain Mr B Mee, Manager of Arsenal Football Club in April 1952. Being ‘an ardent supporter of the Arsenal since my school days’, he wondered if Mr Mee ‘could kindly spare a couple of tickets for the Mayoress and myself to see Arsenal play in the Cup Final at Wembley’. These were not “freebies” as a cheque of 10/6 was paid for each ticket upon receipt.
A fair share of tea and sandwiches were recorded in the lists of sundry expenditure incurred in the Mayor’s Parlour, along with bouquets, gratuities to drivers of charabancs and three-quarters of a yard of black ribbon for the rosette on the Mayor’s Chain. Reflecting the times, there was also an entry of 6 boxes of Swan matches and a bill for scotch, other spirits, cordials and gallons of bitter and ale.
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