The Lord Mayor of the City of London meets the Master of the Carmen's Company As the City of London faces up to the credit crunch, stagflation and a falling Stock Market, take a moment to think about some of the strange and fascinating ceremonies that have origins that go back over centuries. This week there have been two or them - the Knollys Rose Ceremony in Seething Lane and Cart Marking in Guildhall Yard.
What relevance do they have with life in 21st century London? I believe the answer is everything. They demonstrate that the City has a rich and varied history based on traditions and values that are just as important as they were back in the days when the City was, as it is now, the world's leading financial and mercantile centre.
To find out more about the ceremonies themselves have a look at the web sites of All Hallows by the Tower http://www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk/ and the Carmen's Livery company http://www.thecarmen.co.uk/ They rarely make the pages of the tourist brochures but can add a touch of intrigue and colour to the City streets.
Sir Robert Knollys went off to fight with John of Gaunt in the 14th century leaving his wife to live in a City that was over-crowded and dirty. It wasn't much fun - but she purchased a house in Seething Lane and had a bridge built across the road to the open ground opposite and so avoided meeting the 'great unwashed' passing outside her front door.
The bridge didn't have ' planning permission', but Sir Robert was a loyal servant of the crown so his wife was asked for a nominal rent to keep the bridge - one red rose annually.
The bridge has long since gone but the garden became associated with Samuel Pepys who lived and worked in the area in the 17th century. Today the Watermen and Lightermen Company organise the annual Knollys Rose event to remember a man and his wife who showed respect and devotion to the monarch.
The cart making ceremony is a reminder of the time when all wheeled vehicles on the streets of the City had to be licensed by the Carmen's Company...an early version of the congestion charge! It is a parade of vehicles, old and new, some horse-drawn, and each is honoured with a special 'branded mark' on a special plate fitted to the vehicle. This time it was carried out by the Lord Mayor, David Lewis.
