Civic Events
Mayor Making & Warwick Civic Service
The Mayor of Warwick is the Lord of the Leet and, as such, members of the Court support the Mayor’s civic occasions. This includes Mayor Making – when a new Mayor is sworn in – and the Mayor’s Civic Service, traditionally held on the last Sunday of July.
The Mop Fair
Warwick Mop has taken place for nearly 700 years and today is held annually on the Friday and Saturday following the 12th day of October, with the ‘Runaway Mop’ held the following Friday and Saturday.
Originally the Mop was where workers were hired for a trial period of one week. After the week the worker could either return home or continue working for the new employer, hence the Runaway Mop. The worker would spend their week’s wages at the stalls at the Mop or the local pubs.
The Mop is officially opened by the Mayor of Warwick, who reads the Charter that allows the Mop to take place followed by a tour of the Mop led by the Showmans Guild.
Remembrance Day
Held on the Sunday closest to 11th November, we process from the Court House towards St Mary’s Church, passing the War Memorial with a pause to show respect to the fallen. The procession is led by the Mayor of Warwick, Councillors, and Officials, the Court Leet and other invited guests.
Following the 10am service at St Mary’s, we process to the War Memorial for the Minute’s Silence, a bugler plays the Last Post, and a wreath-laying service takes place. The Mayor lays the first wreath and is followed by over 40 dignitaries, officials and representatives of local volunteer organisations, who each lay a wreath.
The occasion is normally witnessed by many hundreds of townspeople who gather to watch the proceedings and is completed when the leader of the British Legion says these words: “They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We Will remember them.”
