45 The Lord Mayor's Show
Saturday 8th November 2014
The Lord Mayor's Show, despite providing a fantastic display of the heritage and traditions of the City of London, has a very practical purpose. It escorts the new Lord Mayor to the Royal Courts of Justice to swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Sovereign.
As Mother Company of a Sheriff, our Company was honoured to have a carriage in the procession, containing the Master, the Senior and Renter Wardens and the Clerk.
We started the day with breakfast in the Old Library at Guildhall and then watched the Lord Mayor, Alderman Alan Yarrow, enter the State Coach in Guildhall Yard, with his Chaplain, the Sword Bearer and the Common Cryer. Then we watched the procession from an enclosure by St Lawrence Jewry. Sadly we had to leave to enter our carriage before the Modern Livery Company float arrived, on which, as usual, we were represented. The Third and Fourth Wardens and Court Assistant Adam Bennett gamely walked the route. The crowds, eight to ten deep in places, warmly clapped and cheered and were obviously enjoying this annual event.
We alighted from our carriage at the Royal Courts of Justice and were ushered into the Lord Chief Justice's Court . Before the bench of senior judges, the Recorder of London presented first the Lord Mayor and then the Late Lord Mayor. The Lord Chief Justice addressed the Lord Mayor and the Master of the Rolls, the Late Lord Mayor and the Lord Mayor then made his Statutory Declaration to perform the duties of his office. The judges retired and we all returned to the procession back to Mansion House. As Master, I formed part of the greeting line for the Lord Mayor and then we all entered Mansion House for lunch.
The Mistress and I walked to the Millenium Bridge to watch the excellent firework display. Halfway through, the heavens opened and we were soaked to the skin. However, that did not dull a wonderful day!
