Portrait To Be Offered Back To City

Today the 1st February an historic and important portrait of Alderman Alan Davies will be handed over to Wolverhampton City Council officially, by Mr Brian Jackson Chief Executive of National Express Bus Division.

The portrait has been in the ownership of Travel West Midlands part of the NX Bus Division, and the company believes it is the right time to return this important historical figure to the City Council.

Councillor Bateman Mayor of the City will receive the work at 12 Noon in the Mayor's Parlour. Journalist's and Photographers will be welcome to witness this event.

Alderman Davies was an important and influential figure in Wolverhampton in the past. Indeed history records that Alderman Davies was trumpeting city status for Wolverhampton over 50 years ago!
The Express and Star reported that "Alderman voices city ambitions in October 1947 the council's Alderman Alan Davies described the honour as the town's "rightful reward."

The report continued "The alderman had been trumpeting the town's achievements saying that growth of the Towns transport undertakings had gone from an "almost bankrupt" concern to a flourishing service with an increase in the past year of more than £700,000."

Alderman Davies, the chairman of the transport committee, added that since the end of the 1914-18 war, the area of the borough had increased to some 9,000 acres and the electricity undertaking had swelled so much it was now the largest in the country outside the big cities.

He said he was looking forward to the time when the town would be rewarded by being made a city."

It was further reported on the 24th January1954,of the death of Alan Davies, Alderman, past Mayor and an honorary Freeman of the Borough.