In the 1960's it was still the practice for two ornate lamp standards to be be installed outside the house of the current Lord Mayor. They were outside No 1 Newlands Avenue for a year, but I can't recall exactly when. I suspect the practice stopped quite a long time ago. It originally required connections to the gas main, and later to the electricity main running down the road, so quite an expensive exercise for only a year. An economy measure during a previous round of budget cuts, no doubt. The lamp standards may have ended as scrap, or possibly stand in a former Lord Mayor's garden? Chris Morgan -----Original Message----- From: gen listlass Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 2:09 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [NMB] Newcastle - Mansion House and Lord Mayors residences I am attending a function at Mansion House in Newcastle next week and I am looking forward to seeing inside this historic Jesmond house. I've looked at it on the internet and found it is the official residence of the Lord Mayors of Newcastle. This jogged my memory of two very ornate gas lamps which were cemented into the pavement outside of a house in Nuns Moor Road, Fenham, Newcastle in the 1950's or 60's. My father told me that was where the Lord Mayor lived. Can anyone expand on this, possibly telling me where the lamp-posts are now and whether they were indeed outside of the Lord Mayors house at that time? Gen in NBL England ..

To add to my earlier post, I suspect the lamp standards went after Alderman were axed in 1974, the position of Mayor until then having been elected from the Councillors and Alderman - and very often (almost always?) went to an Alderman. "Lord Mayors are now chosen from the body of Councillors and appointed at the Annual Meeting of the full Council. In Newcastle it is customary for the most senior Councillor of the ruling political group, who has not already served as Lord Mayor, to be offered the position" says the council's website. Chris -----Original Message----- From: Chris Morgan Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 2:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [NMB] Newcastle - Mansion House and Lord Mayors residences In the 1960's it was still the practice for two ornate lamp standards to be be installed outside the house of the current Lord Mayor. They were outside No 1 Newlands Avenue for a year, but I can't recall exactly when. I suspect the practice stopped quite a long time ago. It originally required connections to the gas main, and later to the electricity main running down the road, so quite an expensive exercise for only a year. An economy measure during a previous round of budget cuts, no doubt. The lamp standards may have ended as scrap, or possibly stand in a former Lord Mayor's garden? Chris Morgan