The people in the picture are: (l to r) Lady Mayoress Lesley Stuttard, Tiina Järvelaid (OIWC), Peter Halliday (City of London), Mrs Pirjoriita Laajava (the Wife of the Finnish Ambassador to the United Kingdom), Jean Slate (British Embassy, Helsinki) and Marion Eichorn (OIWC). Photo by Sarah Clarke.

The Lady Mayoress of London, Lesley Stuttard, passed through the city of Oulu on the 8^th of June during a visit by her and the Lord Mayor to Finland, promoting London and the UK.

On her way through Oulu she stopped to meet members of the Oulu International Women’s Club and have breakfast with them at the Sinni Women’s Resource center in Tuira.

The Lady Mayoress has been a friend of Finland since her and the Lord Mayor lived in China, where they helped to train Chinese accountants. She explained that two of her closest friends there had been Finns, and commended their outgoing natures – her friends were always out exploring China.

The Lord Mayor of London is not the same as the Mayor of London, and the two positions are often confused. Whereas the Mayor of London is a political position created in 2000, the Lord Mayor of London’s office was created in 1189, over 800 years ago. The current Lord Mayor is the 679^th to hold the position, which is responsible for the City of London, home to only 10,000 people and the centre of British business.

The Lord Mayor’s position is often seen as being mostly ceremonial, however this is not the case. It is not uncommon for the Lord Mayor to start work at 8 in the morning and still be working at 11 in the evening – long hours for a ceremonial job! The main duties of the Lord Mayor are to promote businesses in London and the UK – no small task. These days the Lord Mayor traditionally serves for one year before retiring, and is usually chosen from the London business community. The position involves a great deal of travel and meetings with people in Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor. Visiting dignitaries and heads of state often visit the Lord Mayor when they are in London – the office is not without some power.

During his time in office the Lord Mayor will support a charity, and the current Lord Mayor, John Stuttard, supports the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) charity. VSO send qualified volunteers from all walks of life to volunteer in developing nations.

Photo by Isabela Ion

But it’s not all hard work. Every year the Lord Mayor hosts a children’s party at the residence, at which they have over 1000 guests. During the party the mayor traditionally leads all of the guests on a conga through the house – certainly something which the office of the Lord Mayor is not widely known for!

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