OXFORD’S first Green Lord Mayor will carry the spirit of the city’s Green pioneer during her year in office.

Ahead of Monday’s Lord Mayor’s Picnic and family funday, new Lord Mayor Elise Benjamin paid tribute to the trail blazed by Mike Woodin.

In 1994, Dr Woodin became the first member of the Green Party to be elected to Oxford City Council.

In the years that followed, the party gained several more councillors and remains a strong opposition voice at the Town Hall.

Dr Woodin passed away in 2004 aged 38, after suffering from cancer.

Ms Benjamin said it should have been him taking on the role of first Green Lord Mayor.

“It should have been him,” she said. “I feel like I am carrying his memory with me.”

Ms Benjamin also paid tribute to her parents in an acceptance speech during last week’s mayor making ceremony at the Town Hall.

She said her father Brian had taught her about apartheid in South Africa, the CND movement and introduced her to the songs of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

During the ceremony, council leader Bob Price paid tribute to outgoing Lord Mayor John Goddard and added he fulfilled the role with “real grace”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Armitage is Oxford’s new Deputy Lord Mayor.

Proposing him, councillor Altaf Khan said Mr Armitage had both lived and worked in countries around the globe.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jean Fooks succeeds Labour’s Colin Cook as Sheriff, an office responsible for protecting Port Meadow.

One of the duties of sheriff is the annual round up cattle on Port Meadow to check they belong to the Freemen of Oxford or Wolvercote Commoners, the only people allowed to graze their livestock on the meadow.

In proposing her, councillor Jim Campbell revealed Ms Fooks had the right skills for the job, as a member of the university horsemanship club as an undergraduate at Somerville College.

Ms Fooks said taking on the role was a “great honour” and added: “I still think the sheriff ought to have a stetson, a star and, of course, a horse.”

The mayoral party will parade through Christ Church Meadow today 12.30pm before finishing at Oxford’s Botanic Garden where Elise Benjamin will be formally welcomed as Lord Mayor.

The family fun day takes place each year to celebrate the robing of the Lord Mayor of Oxford with children’s activities, music, market stalls and performances.