A Norfolk town is set to play a key role in one of London most historic and longest-running events.
Nick Lyons, from Wells, has been elected as the new Lord Mayor of London and will be sworn in on Friday (November 11).
On Saturday, he will take part in the traditional Lord Mayor's Show, culminating in the City of London.
Once at the Royal Courts of Justice, he will swear allegiance to the Crown.
During his year in office, the Lord Mayor hosts diverse visiting heads of state, heads of government and other foreign dignitaries on behalf of His Majesty and the government.
As is customary, the new Lord Mayor's town will play a key role in the festivities - which is where Wells comes in.
Mr Lyons said there was only one man to mastermind Wells’ float: Pat Weston, chairman of the town's carnival committee and head of a newly-formed organising group called 'Quay Workers'.
"The icing on the cake is that the inimitable Pat Weston, maestro of the Wells Carnival, has taken it on, supported by numerous friends and neighbours," said Mr Lyons.
Heaping praise on Wells, he added: "Wells is a thriving community, brimming with local activities all year round, and there has been enthusiastic support from the town.
"We have fantastic services here. Our key workers were amazing during the Covid crisis looking after everyone."
Mr Lyons and his wife, Felicity, moved to Wells in 2020 having lived in the nearby village of Stanhoe for 21 years.
His Lord Mayor’s Show is themed around children, charity and community, with the Wells float focusing on ‘quay’ workers including its fishing fleet, coastguard team and RNLI members.
In total, Mr Weston and his team are taking 70 workers to say thank you for their service, as well as local schoolchildren from Alderman Peel High School whose artwork will be on display.
The popular Beach Road bus will carry equipment and support people walking the route during the parade, which is being screened live on the BBC.
"We can’t believe we have this incredible chance to tell the world about our fantastic community," added Mr Weston.
"We will be representing all the small communities in England that help each other and work together. In a quiet way, they just simply get the job done."
To make a donation to the Quay Workers, visit their GoFundMe page.
Who is Nick Lyons?
Alderman Nicholas Lyons was born in Ireland and is the son of Dr FSL Lyons, a historian and former Provost of Trinity College Dublin.
His journey towards becoming Lord Mayor began when he was asked to stand for election as Alderman of Tower Ward, which he won in September 2017.
He served as Aldermanic Sheriff at the Old Bailey for 12 months from September 2021 and, in September this year, was elected Lord Mayor for 2022-23.
Mr Lyons worked at JP Morgan, Salomon Brothers and Lehman Brothers from 1982 until 2003, specialising in advising banks and insurance companies on mergers and acquisitions.
In 2003 he began a plural career, sitting on the boards of many financial institutions and numerous charities that focus on education, hospice care and the visual and performing arts.
He is currently Chairman of the Phoenix Group, a FTSE 100 pension company.
Mr Lyons and his wife have four children and five grandchildren.
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