MARLBOROUGH gets a new Mayor this week.

Councillor Mark Cooper joins a long tradition of mayors in his family which started with his great uncle Henry taking the robes in 1933 and again in 1945. His father Maurice picked up the mantel in 1989 and in 2000 and his uncle, Stewart Dobson in 1986 and then again in 2000.

"Politics is in my blood," said Cllr Cooper who works as a classroom manager at St John's School in Marlborough.

"I am very much looking forward to being Mayor and representing the town I love, grew up in and have huge family connection with. I think it is going to be a challenging time for all of us in the coming months, and I want to play my part for Marlborough."

Mark has been town councillor for West Ward, which includes Manton, where he lives, since 2017.

Cooper’s Meadow in the town was named after Mark’s grandfather who grazed cattle on it, destined for the family’s butcher’s shop on the Parade.

The Mayor Making Ceremony usually involves the outgoing Mayor - in this case, Mervyn Hall - leaving the council chamber with the incoming Mayor, and swapping robes before re entering in their new guise. This time, the ceremony will be more of an online tick boxing exercise due to lockdown restrictions.

Outgoing Mayor, Mervyn Hall said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time, with a high point being a Civil War re-enactment of the Battle of Marlborough, when he was playing host to 12 other mayors from the region.

"We were standing on the steps of the town hall when this big procession of civil war soldiers went past," he said. "I think they were quite impressed!"