2010-08-14-647 Blenheim & Woodstock Mock Mayor Ducking
Scenes from the annual ceremony of 'Ducking the Mayor' at Old Woodstock Oxfordshire.
The Corporation line up before the ducking (The Mayor wears a top hat)
Old Woodstock and New Woodstock were once separate boroughs and when New Woodstock acquired a Mayor the residents of Old Woodstock thought the new place was getting a bit above itself, so they appointed a mock mayor and threw him in the river.
The ceremony has been going on since the 18th Century.
These photos show the actual ducking. In addition to the Mayor, the rest of the 'Corporation of Old Woodstock' are also ducked.
The annual ceremony is an opportunity to raise money for local charities
It does seem to me that the idea of ducking politicians could, with advantage, be applied more widely!
I will be loading some more photos of this event, however I don't intend to keep them permanently!
For more information on the Old Woodstock Mock Mayor ceremony please see
2010-08-14-647 Blenheim & Woodstock Mock Mayor Ducking
Scenes from the annual ceremony of 'Ducking the Mayor' at Old Woodstock Oxfordshire.
The Corporation line up before the ducking (The Mayor wears a top hat)
Old Woodstock and New Woodstock were once separate boroughs and when New Woodstock acquired a Mayor the residents of Old Woodstock thought the new place was getting a bit above itself, so they appointed a mock mayor and threw him in the river.
The ceremony has been going on since the 18th Century.
These photos show the actual ducking. In addition to the Mayor, the rest of the 'Corporation of Old Woodstock' are also ducked.
The annual ceremony is an opportunity to raise money for local charities
It does seem to me that the idea of ducking politicians could, with advantage, be applied more widely!
I will be loading some more photos of this event, however I don't intend to keep them permanently!
For more information on the Old Woodstock Mock Mayor ceremony please see