Jimmy is Lord Mayor for a day

Aug 20 2008 by Richard Partington, Liverpool Daily Post

Jimmy is Lord Mayor for a day

HOSPITAL worker Jimmy Reil will be inaugurated as Lord Mayor of Liverpool today, but don’t expect a big shake-up – he’s just there for the day.

After winning a charity competition to become Lord Mayor of Liverpool for the day, the 61-year-old, of Solar Road, Aintree, is donning the mayoral chains of office. In a ceremony taking place this morning, the current Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Steve Rotheram, will hand over his responsibilities to Jimmy, who normally works as a supervisor at Ashworth hospital.

Jimmy, together with his wife, Pat, will oversee a number of civic functions, including a tour of the International Slavery Museum and the unveiling of a new Beatles portrait.

He said: “I’d completely forgotten about the competition and it didn’t really sink in when I was told I had won. I remembered that my wife, Pat, and I bought the tickets in the Railway Club, and now I am really looking forward to tomorrow.”

Thousands of people entered the competition in which they donated a minimum of £1 to the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal for the chance of becoming Lord Mayor for the day. The appeal benefits a wide range of causes including the Marina Dalglish appeal, Alder Hey’s Imagine appeal and the Alzheimer's Association.