Cart Marking Ceremony in Guildhall Yard
The new-look LONDON FOOTSTEPS website is designed to help you discover some of the hidden secrets of the City. Coming up soon is the Cart Marking Ceremony on Wednesday, 11th July. It takes place in the Guildhall Yard and features many of the vehicles – from wheelbarrows to buses -which have been seen on the streets of London over the centuries.
The Lord Mayor and other civic dignatories will be there to ‘brand’ each of the vehicles. The Master of the Livery Company carries out his duties on this occasion wearing white gloves that are always presented by the Master Glover. It’s a symbolic and traditional event which has its origins in the days when the Worshipful Company of Carmen controlled and licensed all the wheeled vehicles in the City.
Sounds strange? Certainly…..but isn’t that just what makes the City so fascinating?