After three months of intricate repair work to Bangor’s 140-year-old ceremonial mace by Royal Warrant holders and goldsmiths, Wartski of London, it was returned yesterday …. but not before being ‘saluted’ by the King’s Household Division Welsh Guards at their headquarters barracks opposite Buckingham Palace.

 

 

The Mace – symbol of Bangor City Council’s Royal Corporation status by Queen Victoria in 1883 – suffered decades of ‘wear and tear’ to a point last year when it was unsafe to handle outside its wooden case.   The cost of having expert work done by specialists was deemed almost unaffordable by the City Council.

But then the London jewellery firm Wartski, first established in Bangor in the 1865 stepped in … offering to fully refurbish the irreplaceable and historic item at their full cost.

Now, after months of meticulous and specialist repair work it is ready for use again … but not before firstly being presented and saluted by the Buckingham Palace footguards of the Welsh Guards.  

And even at the Guards barracks opposite Buckingham Palace there was another Bangor welcome.   For the Mace was received by the Household Division’s senior chaplain, Lt.Col the Rev. Deiniol Morgan who before joining the army was Minor Canon at Bangor Cathedral.  ‘The last time I held Bangor’s magnificent mace was to place it on the cathedral altar at the Bangor Civic Service umpteen years ago,’ he said.

Regimental Adjutant, Lt. Col. Guy Bartle-Jones said yesterday: ‘We’d of course read of the City mace restoration being done by Wartski close by us at St. James’s, so really couldn’t let it leave London back to Bangor without it receiving our best wishes and blessing.  

‘The Welsh Guards are immensely proud to hold office as Freemen of the City of Bangor.  The Mace is to Bangor what Regimental Colours are to us; symbols of our history and values.

‘Regrettably, the Welsh Guards as a full battalion are on operational training in Wales at present but there was a good number of Welsh Guards RHQ officers and men in full dress and Bearskins to meet it here at RHQ in wish that it serves Bangor for many more decades to come.  It was a delight to us to cement our friendship with Bangor’.

Bangor Councillor Mark Roberts said yesterday: ‘If I’m honest the story of the Bangor Civic Mace and its travels to London became something like a Winnie-the-Poo or Paddington Bear story … both heading off on a journey to London and ending up at the gates of Buckingham Palace!!!

‘Until a few months ago hardly anyone paid attention to the civic mace or even knew about it.  Now it has been cared for by the King’s warrant holder, it’s been on TV news, publicised internationally, been promoted in other Bangor-named cities around the world and now, jewel in the crown, presented to the King’s Guards who paraded and even blessed it.   It’s been an astonishing and almost incredible journey for an artefact of ours normally locked away in a steel safe within the City hall basement!

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if when its carrying case is opened back in Bangor we find a Royal Marmalade Sandwich tucked inside!’

As Royal warrant holders, the former Bangor jewellers, Wartski, created the wedding rings of both King Charles and Queen Camilla and of the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Katherine and their London offices are still decorated with Welsh slate.

Wartski joint-managing director Katherine Purcell added ‘We were delighted to have given it new life. It’s a very distinguished piece.  Although Wartski is now located in London and is known internationally, our roots are in Bangor and indeed in the early years of WWII  Isidore Wartski, the son of our founder, was Mayor of the City and did so much to the benefit of Bangor not least in the relief of housing poverty in the Hirael area to the gifting of land which is now the Nantporth sports grounds or Wartski Fields and much in between.

‘But when the Mace left our premises and was walked via Buckingham Palace to the headquarters of the Welsh Guards for their ‘saluting’ was simply wonderful.  It went with the blessing of the entire Wartski family and staff and left London with the blessing of the Welsh Guard padre.   How good is that!’

Photo credit:  Sgt Chris Morgan – Welsh Guards