times a year. The first meeting, in January 1895, was held at the Institute. Thereafter the council met at the Assembly Rooms in Thames Street until it acquired the lease of Church Villa later in 1895. By 1930 the building was too small and a temporary one was erected in the grounds. The house known as Benwell, which now contains the council offices, was purchased in 1932. Church Villa was bought by the council after 1929 and was used as a fire station until the early 1960s. Since World War II additional office buildings were put up in the grounds. In 1895 one person was appointed surveyor and inspector of nuisances, a collector and medical officer were appointed, and the vestry clerk was made clerk to the council. In 1957 there were five chief officers, including the joint post of public health inspector and chief housing officer, and there was an administrative staff of 48. The council's own expenditure within the district rose from £7,152 in 1906-7 () to £293,872 in 1956-7 (). In 1896 there were committees for finance, highways and lighting, by-laws, fire brigade, Church Green improvement, sanitary and general purposes, and drainage. The last comprised the whole council and a sewerage scheme absorbed much attention at first. The 'new cemetery' was provided in 1900. By 1957 the council had built 1,570 houses and flats, of which 996 were in the old parish rather than in Shepperton or Littleton. Coat of arms The district was granted a coat of arms in November 1948. It is described as: Per fess Or and argent on a fess Vert between in chief two shepherd's crooks in saltire and in base as many bars wavy azure a mitre between two Saxon crowns of the first. The crest is: On a wreath argent and vert in front of a sun rising Or a seax (Saxon sword) fesswise point to the dexter azure hilted gules. The motto is Latin for "God is my sun and shepherd". The shepherd's crooks stand for Shepperton, and the mitre for Sunbury-on-Thames, the two main towns in the district. The motto is a pun on the prefixes of the two towns (Sunbury and Shepperton). Successor The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London recommended the district for inclusion for the new administrative county of Greater London. Under the London Government Act 1963, the bulk of Middlesex contributed to