At City Hall, expecting the unexpected was just part of the job for Corporation secretary Mr. Herman Leseur.

"You have to be ready for anything -- 1,001 answers and questions,'' Mr.

Leseur said. "Every day you sort of said: `Well, I wonder what they're coming up with today.' "But it was fun. It was very exciting.'' Mr. Leseur, 67, who retired in 1991 after he suffered a stroke, joined the Corporation as an accountant in 1948. He was promoted to assistant secretary in 1951 and secretary-treasurer in 1954.

During his time in the top post, Mr. Leseur worked under seven mayors: Mr. H.

St.George Butterfield, Mr. E. Roderic Williams, Mr. Chesley White, Mr. F.L.R.

Selley, Sir Gilbert Cooper, Mr. E. Graham Gibbons, and the current Mayor, the Rt. Wor. Cecil Dismont.

"I respected them all,'' said Mr. Leseur, who can easily recite lists of their major accomplishments.

Mayor Williams, who was mayor from 1949 until he died suddenly at the helm of his yacht in 1959, presided over the extension of the city boundary to Bermudiana Road and the opening of the Perot Post Office. He also welcomed Queen Elizabeth II on Cedar Avenue in 1953.

Mayor White served for only six months before his untimely death, but like his predecessor was actively involved in construction of the new City Hall. Mr.

Leseur remembers Mayor White visited the site two or three times a day.

He loved the building but hated the reflecting pool, Mr. Leseur remembered. He was convinced passersby would fill it with trash and urged his colleagues to have it filled in to make a rock garden.

Mayor Selley (1960 to 1963) opened the new City Hall. A former chairman of the parks committee, he was "a great environmentalist'' who pushed to have more trees planted on the streets and in parks.

Mayor Cooper (1964 to 1971), the eldest son of the founder of A.S. Cooper and Sons Ltd., was "perhaps of all the mayors, the most eloquent,'' Mr. Leseur said. He was very fond of entertaining and could often be seen in the mayor's box in the new City Hall theatre. "He was a great supporter of the arts.'' Under him, the Corporation opened the Hamilton fire station, extended the northern part of the Hamilton sewage system, moved the works department from the corner of Front and Court streets to its present site on Dundonald Street, and acquired property for the Bulls Head and City Hall carparks. Mayor Cooper welcomed Prince Charles to Hamilton in 1970.

Also in that time, the Port Authority of London sent Mr. A.T.J. Richards to recommend improvements to the Hamilton docks. Greater security through dock passes with photographs and vehicle passes was among the results. The Corporation named its first dock manager, Mr. J.B. (Jack) Robinson, who retired in 1990.

Mayor Gibbons (1972 to 1988) opened the Number 8 dock container terminal in 1973, extended the sewage outfall line in 1977-78, introduced the new traffic light system in 1977, and acquired several new properties, including land for the Laffan Street plant nursery.

Acting on the Alastair Dick report, the Corporation in 1985 extended the western part of Dundonald Street to meet Serpentine Road. The pay and display parking system was introduced, numbers 5 and 6 docks were landscaped. The Number 1 and 6 sheds were refurbished, as was the City Hall theatre.

To Mr. Leseur, it was not just the Mayor and other Corporation members that he worked for. "I said in those days that I had about 300 bosses, who were the freeholders in Hamilton.

"The biggest satisfaction was seeing the Corporation's plans and improvements brought to fruition.'' And Mr. Leseur said he was always assisted by "very competent and able staff.'' As Corporation secretary, Mr. Leseur met Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Princess Margaret, and many other dignitaries. But it is a former American president who made the strongest impression, in 1961.

The Corporation was holding a party for visiting US and Canadian Parliamentarians. Deputy Mayor Cooper invited Mr. Truman after learning he was on the Island visiting his daughter.

When the ex-president arrived at the recently-opened City Hall, Mr. Leseur was sent into the foyer to ask Mr. Truman if he would sign the mayor's guest book.

He signed it: "Harry S. Truman, Independence, Missouri, retired farmer.'' Born in Paget, Mr. Leseur returned to the Island with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Allison University in 1946 and joined The Royal Gazette as advertising manager.

He spent more than a year with the newspaper, then taught for a year at Saltus Grammar School before joining the Corporation.

Mr. Herman Leseur.

NEW CITY HALL -- This Government photograph shows the present-day City Hall under cornstruction between 1958 and 1960. -- (Corporation of Hamilton).