Society attends Hedon 678th Mayor making ceremony
The Yorkshire Society was guest of honour at Hedon’s Mayor making dinner and reception on 22nd May 2025, when Cllr Phil Hinch became the 678th Mayor of Hedon.
Steve Bradwell, a Society volunteer attended a ceremony and dinner steeped in tradition starting with the Hedon Penny Throwing – an annual tradition in Hedon, East Riding of Yorkshire, where the newly elected Mayor (and an enthusiastic crowd) throws new pennies into the street for children to collect. It is a historical parody of the “rotten borough” days when votes could be purchased, but is now a fun, family-friendly event. The event took place outside the Town Hall after the new Mayor had been sworn in and is considered the first public act of the new Mayor.
The Society was invited following a recent agreement with Hedon Town Council to pilot a new Spotlight on Yorkshire scheme the Society is introducing to help the many places throughout Yorkshire that miss out on the visitor economy. Hedon is just such a place, a historic and beautiful town of around 9000 proud Yorkshire townspeople. Located not far from Hull but inland from the coast, it is often missed by those visiting the area but well worth a visit.
Spotlight on Yorkshire has been created to almost literally shine a light on places like Hedon, to help boost its economy and increase community spirit. As part of the scheme, Hedon becomes a corporate member of the Society and will (subject to confirmation) hopefully host the Society’s official civic celebration of Yorkshire Day in 2027. Hedon last hosted Yorkshire Day in 2010.
Following the Penny Throwing, around invited guests attended a vibrant dinner with a number of toasts and responses including by Steve Bradwell on behalf of The Yorkshire Society.
Our thanks to the 678th Mayor and Mayoress of Hedon, Cllr Phil Hinch and Mrs Lisa Hinch for the invitation and hospitality. We look forward to working with Hedon Town Council on the Spotlight on Yorkshire project and to a successful Yorkshire Day in 2027.
Steve’s response to the ‘toast for guests and ladies’:
Mayor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
Can I, on behalf of The Yorkshire Society, thank you for the kind invitation to attend this important and historic event. the making of Hedon’s 678th Mayor.
The history of Yorkshire Societies is not quite so long. The first record we can find is a meeting of ‘Gentlemen and others in and near London who were born within the County of York’, which took place in 1678.
Since then, there have been many Yorkshire Societies but always outside Yorkshire providing a means for those from Yorkshire to maintain a connection with their homeland. Such societies were usually charitable and as well as providing a social connection to ‘ex-pats’ from Yorkshire, would, for example, help local communities or provide much needed education for children.
Today, so far as we know, our Yorkshire Society – THE Yorkshire Society, is the only one in the UK now, and the only one that has ever existed in Yorkshire itself. It was established in 1980, as a response to plans to dissolve the then county councils by a recently elected Margaret Thatcher. A group of well-healed and influential people decided to create the Society as a way to make sure Yorkshire didn’t disappear. That influence and the important connections made by the Society back then still exists today.
Like the other Society’s before it, ours is charitable by nature too and as well as bringing the people of Yorkshire together, we make it our job to blow Yorkshire’s trumpet and celebrate the things that make Yorkshire the special place it is – God’s own County, as we all know. Things like its history, heritage and unique character. We do this with annual events like the Yorkshire Awards, Yorkshire Heritage Summit and the centrepiece for Yorkshire Day, the Civic Celebration that brings together all Yorkshire’s mayors to mark our ‘National Day’. We also organise smaller social events, business expos, celebrate famous Yorkshire people with Blue Plaques and raise funds for charity.
Any individual or organisation can join The Yorkshire Society, and I would encourage you all to do so. The only criteria is a love of Yorkshire! Membership is important to us because we receive no public money.
The Society is run by unpaid volunteers and the more members we have, the more we can do – because, at the end of the day, The Yorkshire Society is simply a means for ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things. Like our new SPOTLIGHT ON YORKSHIRE scheme. That’s been created to help places – like Hedon – benefit more from Yorkshire’s visitor economy and achieve a greater sense of community.
The scheme shine’s a light (so to speak) on places across Yorkshire – and there are many – that are often overlooked and we look forward to working with the new Mayor and the town council on this in the coming year.
The fact that your new Mayor is the 678th proves Hedon has something to shout about, and given it’s such a beautiful place too, means there’s plenty to shine a spotlight on, and we look forward to doing that.
Mr Mayor, it is an honour and privilege to be here. On behalf of The Yorkshire Society, can I thank you for the invitation. We hope you enjoy a peaceful and productive year and look forward to seeing you in Bradford on 1st August, when we officially celebrate Yorkshire Day with all the other Mayors of Yorkshire.
Thank you.