The London Borough of Greenwich was created in the big local government shakeup of 1965, bringing together the Metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich. That change came in to effect fifty years ago today with the new borough using the name of Greenwich but being based in Woolwich.
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich’s final meeting
At the very last meeting of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich in the old town hall, councillors unanimously agreed to place on record their “deep appreciation of the loyal and untiring service given to the Borough over the years” by staff members and in the the final motion, moved by Labour’s Johanna Gollogly, expressed their “deep regret that the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich” was to lose its identity on 31st March 1965.
A week later, the councillors of the new borough met at Woolwich Town Hall for their first Annual Meeting at which the borough’s first mayor, William (Bill) Brooks, was chosen, with his proud mother who was also on the council, watching on.
The name London Borough of Greenwich survived to 2012 when royal status was conferred upon it and it became known as the Royal Borough of Greenwich. At that time, I went through the archives and found this special newspaper supplement celebrating the new borough:
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