It was the seat of power in a West Yorkshire town for generations
Civic dignitaries had perched on Pontefract’s Mayoral Chair from the late 1800s.
By the 1970s it was beginning to look a little jaded.
And the winds of political change were sweeping through the region.
When Wakefield Council replaced the old Pontefract Corporation in 1974 the old chair’s days were numbered.
The new powers that be decided the mayoral chair was on its last legs.
It was despatched to a dusty storage room and forgotten about until earlier this year.
Now, 38 years later, the mayoral chair has been restored to its former glory after painstaking work by a team of expert furniture restorers.
And it is back at the centre of local politics after being returned to its former home in the Nelson Room behind the old magsitrates’ bench at Pontefract Town Hall.
The chair was repaired in a £500 project by furniture specialists Tim Phelps and Chris Lund, who have previously carried out work for the National Trust.
The repairs included fixing a broken leg and re-fitting a castor, preparing damaged wood surfaces resealing bare wood, wax polishing and replacing perished support webbing underneath the seat.
Coun Elaine Blezard, Mayor of Wakefield said: “It is great to see this historic chair be returned back to its rightful place.
“It is important that we look after memorable items likes this for future generations to enjoy and experience.”
The chair repair project was part funded by Wakefield Council and an ‘Effective Collections’ grant from Wakefield Museums.
The ‘Effective Collections’ scheme is designed to fund initiatives to bring objects out of store so they can be displayed for the enjoyment of future generations.
Pontefract Town Hall is set to undergo development works early next year when a new access ramp will be built at the main entrance.
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