Lake Havasu’s Mayor Honored In London

By Becky Maxedon

Not every city in the United States can boast an up close personal relationship with an iconic world center like London.

Lake Havasu City is the exception, and the connection is stronger than ever after Mayor Cal Sheehy visited London last week to be presented with the Freedom of the City of London.

The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a “free man” or “citizen” protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. Freemen are admitted by the Clerk of the Chamberlain’s Court during a ceremony at Guildhall.

And so, Mayor Sheehy became a “freeman” Oct. 17, in that very hall.

“I was so honored to get the Freedom of the City of London and to represent Lake Havasu City,” Sheehy said.

Sheehy’s mission – aside from receiving the award – was to strengthen the exchange scholarship program sponsored by the London Bridge Rotary Club.

Photo courtesy Michael McCulloch

Sheehy said the scholarship program began in the 1990s and continues today. Students attending Arizona colleges and universities are eligible to apply for the scholarship which allows them to explore the college experience at the University of Westminster in London.

So far, a couple hundred students have participated in the program, Sheehy said. After applying, students are interviewed and selected. Upon their return, they present a summary of their experience.

“You can just tell by the looks on their faces when they present their summaries how much the experience has meant to them,” he said.

“I just wanted to talk with people about how we can further cement the commitment to the program,” Sheehy said.

“I had good discussions with the Lord Mayor (Michael Mainelli), who is the first American-born Lord Mayor.”

Sheehy explained the Lord Mayor, referred to as the Right Honorable Lord Mayor of London, is in the position for one year. Mainelli’s tenure will end in November.

Sheehy said for the first three days of the five-day trip, which he personally financed, he explored the city on his own.

“I went to the Big Ben Tower which is actually the Elizabeth Tower. We were given a private behind-the-scenes tour and went under Tower Bridge. It’s almost like an amphitheater underneath. All the mechanical gear used to raise the bridge is there,” he said.

Photo courtesy Michael McCulloch

Sheehy walked across the new London Bridge that replaced the one that currently spans the Bridgewater Channel in Lake Havasu City.

Sheehy was accompanied by Michael McCulloch, the grandson of Robert P. McCulloch, who originally purchased the London Bridge for $2.4 million. The reconstructed London Bridge was dedicated in Lake Havasu City in October 1971.

“As a fellow Freeman, it was a privilege and honor to be present for Cal’s Freedom Ceremony,” McColloch said.

The pair sat down for an interview with the BBC while they were in London. “I am glad we were able to set the record straight about the long-standing urban myth that my grandfather bought the wrong bridge,” he said.

A popular urban legend is that Robert McCulloch mistakenly believed he was buying the more impressive Tower Bridge. Authorities who were present for the purchase have long denied the legend and Michael McCulloch takes every opportunity to refute the myth.

“Putting the trip together took almost a year,” Sheehy said.

“I felt so honored to foster the relationship and our shared culture. It was a great opportunity to be there,” he said.

To view a video interview with Michael McCulloch on BBC Facebook page, visit: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/q4ctLiydcJLmRGzc/