The Admiral has landed.

Admiral John Walcott was the MP for Christchurch from 1852 to 1868 the then Parliamentary Borough also included the Parish of Holdenhurst. Bournemouth was not created as a Parliamentary Borough until 1918! He was also a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for the County of Hampshire and it was he as a benefactor that was instrumental in moving the old town hall from its original location at the junction of Castle and The High street to its present location in the centre of the High street. His portrait was presented to the inhabitants of Christchurch by his daughter in 1871 and for some reason has been languishing in the vaults of the Russel Cotes museum since 1965. Painted in 1857 by a Lewis Holloway who died at the young age of 24 this portrait has been sorely missed so getting it back has been a significant project of the last Mayor Cllr Nick Geary and I was glad to help at the final stages of the negotiations. The Admiral will be displayed in the Mayors Parlour in the very near future after an unveiling ceremony at which I hope Bournemouth Councillors will attend.