Lord Provost of Glasgow vists Pasadena – Dinner with Mayor Bogaard and Pasadena Scots
By Pasadena Independent
Published: Thursday, December 17th, 2009
The Pasadena Scots performed several numbers to the delight of the Right Honorable Lord Provost who was clearly touched by the performance.
There was a considerable amount of pomp and circumstance at the popular El Portal Restaurant Tuesday evening when the Right Honorable Bob Winter, the Lord Provost of Scotland dined with our very own Honorable Mayor Bill Bogaard and his wife Claire.
We’re not sure if Haggis was on the menu at El Portal Tuesday evening although many have compared the ingredients therein to those in the popular Mexican dish Menudo.
The reason we’re snooping is due to an ” unofficial” visit by the Lord Provost of Glasgow who was invited to the City of Pasadena by a local Pipe and drum band, The Pasadena Scots.
What the heck is a Lord Provost, you may well ask and why is he visiting a Mexican restaurant? I’m glad you asked….Aside from being the keeper of all lighthouses (one heck of a task I should wonder): a Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities in Scotland. Four cities actually, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Each city has the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost (mayor). The Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow enjoy the style of “The Right Honourable” before their names. He is dining here at the request of a Pasadena Scot named John McDonald.
The band, the Pasadena Scots, were the guests of the Lord Provost last August when they were in Glasgow for the World Pipe Band Championships, and invited him to visit. It is an unofficial visit because the Lord and Lady Provost are really just in LA on a stopover on their way to visit their daughter in New Zealand.
The band performed flkawlessly as they entered the restaurant at 7:30, playing a special tune in honor of the occasion called “Pasadena Scots Welcome to the Lord Provost of Glasgow”, a 6/8 march written by Pipe Major, Jennifer Febre. Both mayors were presented with the framed hand written sheet music of the tune.
A Lord Provost has a higher status than Lord Mayor in other parts of the United Kingdom. He is ex officio the Lord Lieutenant for that city, in accordance with section 1 of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 – allowing the city council to choose its own representative from the Queen.
Permission to use the title ‘Lord Provost” is granted to a city by The Queen under the Royal Prerogative, acting on the advice of Government Ministers
Councillor Bob Winter was appointed Lord Provost for four years on 17 May 2007. He is also the Lord Lieutenant of the City of Glasgow i.e. the Queen’s representative in Glasgow.
Lord Provost Winter was employed in Local Authority Social Work in the West of Scotland from 1954 – 96 with breaks for National Service and university study. He is a past President of the Association of Directors of Social Work and retired in 1996 from the post of Director of Social Work, Strathclyde Region.
He was first elected to Glasgow City Council in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007. He represents the Maryhill/Kelvin Ward. Bob has served as the Council Spokesperson for Children’s Services and Chair of the North West Area Committee, Social Renewal Working Group, North Community Health & Care Partnership, Maryhill Kelvin Canal Community Planning Partnership and Housing Forum.
From 1996-2007 Lord Provost Winter served as a lay member of the General Medical Council and as a chair of one of its fitness to practice panels. From 1996-2005 he was a member of the NHS Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust. He has been convener of the Risk Management Authority from 2004 – date. Since 1996 he has also served for periods as Chair or Member of a diverse range of public bodies and major voluntary organizations in the fields of health and social work.
Now back to the Haggis: Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish, contains sheep’s (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal’s stomach lining for approximately three hours.
Rumour has it that the Right Honorable Lord Provost will have to wait ’til he goes home to enjoy that particular delicacy .
Photos and Text by Terry Miller
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