On Monday 30 March I had the pleasure of visiting the Lord Mayor’s Office in the Guildhall of Canterbury along with 14 other international scholars. I always knew Canterbury was an enchanting and historically rich city, but the City’s fascinating past was truly brought to life with an informative presentation given by the Sheriff of Canterbury (also the Deputy Lord Mayor), Councillor Tony Austin.
From the dark times when hangings took place from the Westgate Towers nearby, to learning how to hold the extravagant mace in processions before the Queen – I acquired a new appreciation for the deep history of this charming city that can sometimes be taken for granted.
Apart from the capitvating history lesson, it was great to meet other scholars from across the globe. I mingled with scholars from Jordan, America, Zambia, Mauritius, Italy, Switzerland, Vietnam, Colombia, Malaysia, Mexico and a fellow Canadian. I enjoyed getting to know some of them, their area of study, their interests, and what brought them to Canterbury. It became clear to me that, despite our radically different backgrounds, we all had one thing in common – a genuine love of this City and our experiences at the University of Kent.
The highlight, however, was admiring and handling the ancient regalia. I had never seen, let alone held, anything so old in my life. Needless to say I was happy to pose beside the Sheriff with the mace and the Sword of Canterbury in hand. This antique sword was granted by James I in 1609 and, following the assassination of Thomas Beckett, is the only sword permitted inside the Canterbury Cathedral. I was also impressed by the Burghmote Horn, the oldest piece of civic regalia in Canterbury used as far back as 1155 during the reign of Henry II. After one of the scholars, Samuel Leslie, gave it a blow I am pleased to confirm that it is still in good working order!
This visit both expanded my knowledge and triggered my imagination. I will certainly continue to be reminded of this experience when I roam the cobble stone High Street of this picturesque City.
