Civic celebration

Parades and pageantry

The world’s oldest, longest and most splendid civic procession, the annual Lord Mayor’s Show is a stunning and remarkable pageant that draws thousands of spectators, 7,000 participants – including 200 horses – and around 150 floats. Amid the carriages, military bands and spectacular costumes, 60 Freemasons from Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter gathered with representatives from several charities to welcome Alderman William Russell as the 692nd Lord Mayor of London.

Freemasons were celebrating 11 years of participation in the show, and it was a delightful day of festivities and fun, heartily invigorated and supported by the Great British public. Metropolitan Grand Lodge’s float was composed of a fire engine with a turntable ladder carrying a giant banner highlighting our £2.5 million donation to the London Fire Brigade (LFB).

Flanking the bright red and yellow truck were delegates from several charities supported by London Freemasons, including Dementia Club UK, Lifelites, The League of Remembrance, Music in Hospitals & Care, VocalEyes, Share Community, Pursuing Independent Paths and Suited & Booted. Freemason Ben Sargent-Cain was dressed in a giant teddy bear costume This year Freemasons celebrated 11 years of participation in the Lord Mayor’s Show. John Parry, Metropolitan Grand Inspector, recounts the highlights of the day

and ambled alongside the float as part of the Teddies for Loving Care initiative, which has given more than two million cuddly bears to children in A&E units across the country. (To read more about the programme, see p20.)

Spreading the word about Freemasonry At Mansion House, in front of the new Lord Mayor and other dignitaries, LFB Group Commander Robert Davies and I were interviewed by BBC presenter Radzi Chinyanganya. This provided a great opportunity to apprise a worldwide TV audience about the millions of pounds that Freemasons donate annually to charity.

Freemasons processed the three-mile parade route, receiving delighted cheers and high-fives from the 400,000 or more well-wishers on the pavements. They seemed visibly amazed that we’d donated a massive £2.5 million to the LFB, and we received rapturous applause from the representatives of St Bart’s Hospital in particular, who thanked London Freemasons for their continued support.

London Freemasons and the City of London have long been connected: former Lord Mayors Sir David Wooton and Sir Andrew Parmley are Freemasons. Also joining us on the day were representatives of Empress Lodge, No. 2581, which holds Sir George Rowland Blades, past Lord Mayor, on its roll of Worshipful Masters. We were honoured to again play our part in 800 years of pageantry and spectacle, processing through the City of London and showing the world that ‘we are proud to be here’.