The council has released details of the ceremonial arrangements and road closures for Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday next weekend.
Focus of attention: Croydon’s War Memorial will be at the centre of next weekend’s ceremonials
In doing so, the busy workers in the propaganda bunker of Fisher’s Folly have revealed that despite his being paid £27,591 per year to dress up in ludicrous red robes, a furry hat and a bit of chain bling, puffed-up Tony Pearson, Croydon’s “other” mayor, the ceremonial one, won’t be bothering to turn up for the solemn event on Saturday, November 11.
Missing in action? Or just AWOL? The council press office fails to give any reason for Pearson’s absence from what is among the most important ceremonial dates in the civic mayor’s calendar…
An erstwhile member of the racist, far-right Democrats and Veterans Party and sometime kit man for Croydon Athletic, Pearson must have other engagements which prevent him from attending the Armistice Day ceremonials.
Appu Srinivasan, a Labour councillor, will deputise for him.
Pearson will be on parade on Sunday morning, however.
“Armistice Day is on Saturday November 11 and will be marked by the traditional two-minute silence led by the Deputy Civic Mayor Councillor Appu Srinivasan, Deputy Lieutenant Colonel Ray Wilkinson and other civic leaders,” the council says in its official announcement, without explaining when the formalities of November 11 became a mere optional extra for the ceremonial mayor.
The moment of silence will be held at 11am at the War Memorial in Katharine Street.
Gone missing: civic mayor Tony Pearson won’t be present on Armistice Day
“All members of the public are welcome to attend.” Just don’t expect the well-paid civic mayor to turn up.
“On Sunday November 12, the annual Civic Service of Remembrance will take place at Croydon Minster in Church Street. This is open to all and is not a ticketed event. Anyone who wishes to attend are asked to take their seats by 10.40am for the 10.55am service.
“Following the Remembrance Sunday service at Croydon Minster, there will be a procession of military personnel and other uniformed organisations. They will set off from outside Marks and Spencer in North End at about 12.15pm, marching to Katharine Street for a wreath-laying ceremony at 12.30pm.”
That’s about an hour and a half later than strict protocol might require (the King will be doing his bit by the Cenotaph on Whitehall at 11am, with national religious services arranged around that important timing), but then, as they say in Fisher’s Folly, “This is Croydon“.
Pearson is expected to show up for this, which is nice of him, together with all manner of other uniformed functionaries, as well as Croydon’s part-time executive mayor Jason Perry, who is also not listed among the attendees on Saturday. Crystal Palace have a home game that day.
“Everyone is welcome to lay a wreath – those who wish to do so should gather outside The Spread Eagle pub on Katharine Street at 12.20pm,” the council says.
The following road closures will be in place from 10.30am until 2pm:
- Katharine Street and High Street (from High Street at the junction with Scarbrook Road, to Katharine Street junction with Park Lane)
- Fell Road
- St George’s Walk
Buses that normally use Katharine Street and Fell Road will be diverted.
There was a nice little, well-polished quote from the civic mayor included in the council press release: “Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday… blah, blah, blah… opportunity… blah… community… blah… remember the service and sacrifice… blah.”
And this, from someone who is not turning up on one of the key dates in the ceremonial civic year: “We hope many of our residents will be able to join these services, so together we can pay our respects and honour those who fought for our country.”
Or not, if you are Conservative councillor Tony Pearson.
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Quite horrible that someone with such unpleasant views as Pearson is actually enjoying the perks of a well paid ceremonial public office. Looking to save money Perry? I think we can do nicely without this knucklehead parading about in velvet.
Why do we tolerate this? It is our fault that we have all this deadweight bleeding the Council of scarce funds: Pearson, Perry, Kerswell just for a start. Oh we moan and complain, we petition, and in the end we go along like sheep with eye watering increases in taxes, ever diminishing services, (when was the last time you actually saw a street cleaner, or police on the beat). We now have volunteer groups maintaining our borough’s parks because of the rot we have in Fishers Folly who then have the brass neck to start charging to use park tennis courts. Now
these paid public ‘servants’ are dumbing down traditions and ceremonies for fear of
offending anyone. No Christmas decorations in the Triangle, no ‘civic’ mayor or piss poor part time mayor attending Armistice services. Until we take definitive action and get these leeches out of office, and take back control, we really have no right to continue grumbling
What exactly do we get for our £27,591. Looks like we pay by weight!
Part-time Perry is paid £84,000 per year. #justsaying
I’m sure this rotund chap has a good reason for not turning up – I’ll ask him. For info, Croydon has had a ceremonial mayor for donkey’s years – they are just paid to turn up and be polite. I can attest to the polite bit, having met a few. They are also ‘above party’, though chosen from all parties. Poor chap came to the Haydn Avenue street party last year just to meet people and got button-holed by some with a beef about planning matters – took it all in good humour, so I’m not piling in ton ridicule the current holder or the position.
The mayor and deputy why do we have two, we don’t need them if they can’t be bothered to turn up to ceremonial functions?
The civic mayor’s absence next Saturday demonstrates why there’s a need for a deputy. But these are now in addition to the executive mayor, £84,000 per year Jason Perry. So the question really is: why do we have *three*?
Since the move to the mayoral system, we ought to have shed the silly hats and robes, and simply nominate one councillor as “chair” for Town Hall meetings only.
Thought Negrini was bad ? Kerswell is worse. No leadership from her whatsoever.
Far too low profile. Just serving out her time to retirement like many others in the council who are afraid to speak out and instigate real change. The huge debt will hang around for years. Future balanced budgets will just mean cutting local services even more. The local government model is completely broken beyond repair.