A PLEA for new headgear has come from one of Tavistock?s mace-bearers who says he is ?ashamed? to be seen in the current tricorn hat. Bob Rose told Tavistock Town Council members that he had felt embarrassed at the last Remembrance Day parade in the town, because the tricorn hats worn by the mace-bearers were in such a tatty state. Mr Rose, who is also Tavistock?s town crier, said: ?I felt ashamed to be there with a hat like that; it?s a disgrace and I vowed if there was no change, I would stand down as mace-bearer.? The council was told each tricorn was beyond repair or refurbishment and would cost around £245 to replace ? but Mr Rose offered an alternative, a black hunting-style top hat with a red ribbon, which could have a rosette attached to it and would look ?extremely effective?. He said he could obtain the hats for about £60 each from Christies of London. ?I do know council mace-bearers that wear the hunting-type hat now, I?ve seen them and it does look very smart.? Cllr Caroline Keane said: ?I think that hat is vastly preferable to the three-cornered one ? it?s modern, neat and attractive ? I would certainly support this.? But Cllr Betty Batchelor said she was ?appalled? at the suggestion: ?It?s traditional to see mace-bearers with a tricorn ? I think it?s got to be traditional or not at all.? Cllr Batchelor slammed the idea of ?penny-pinching? on something so important. And Cllr Iain Andrews and Cllr Jane Ramsey also favoured the tricorn hat. ?I do feel it?s extremely important that if we have the traditional garb, we have the hats to go with it ? the mace-bearers are a highly visible presence,? said Cllr Ramsey. The council agreed to put the issue of replacement hats for the macebearers on the agenda for the next finance meeting.
