Mayor's Consort chain found
The Mayor of St Albans and his wife were “ecstatic” after finding an historic civic chain that went missing three months ago.
Councillor Mohammad Iqbal Zia and his wife Farhat discovered the chain had become hidden under a pile of papers in a desk drawer at their home.
Farhat wears the regalia while she is on official engagements with the Mayor as his Consort.
She lost sight of it during a hectic round of engagements in June and believed it must have fallen out of its carrying pouch at an event.
Mayor Zia said: “This has caused us untold distress. It was a very upsetting time for me, my wife and the whole family.
“We are ecstatic that it has been found safe and sound. Ever since it went missing we have retraced our steps over and over and thought, ‘where could it be?’.”
The Mayoress said: “We searched every inch of the house when the chain disappeared . . . except this one drawer, of course.
“I kept the chain in its pouch there and it must have slipped out and become covered over by some papers. It is the last place in the world that we expected to find it.
“I was heartbroken that such a beautiful and historical piece, part of the heritage of St Albans, had been lost. I am extremely happy that it has been found and I will protect it at all costs.”
Mayor Zia had asked for residents to look out for the distinctive chain which dates back to 1907 and an appeal was made in the local media.
He said: “We want to thank all those people who kept an eye out for it and supported us through this difficult event. I am just glad for them as well as for us that there has been a happy ending.”
The gold chain, which has been valued at £3,000, consists of a shield-shaped body mounted with the enamelled Arms of the City.
It was presented to the, then, Corporation of St Albans in 1936 with the original silk cord being replaced by a gold chain at a later date.
Contact for the media:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City & District Council, Tel: 01727 296130, E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk