RED CROSS COLLECTION CITY OF LONDON: 6 MAY

On the steps of Fishmongers' Hall with our empty buckets ready to go out and charity mug hapless commuters starting their day's work in the City.  I am looking rather serious in the middle at the back and Alastair Ross, the Clerk, is also on the far right in the rear.  The two Sheriffs, Fiona Woolf and Richard Sermon, are on the scarlet robes on the middle steps.

The Livery Companies were asked by the Sheriffs to help collect for the British Red Cross on and around London Bridge on the morning and afternoon.  To really put the fear into the giving public we were asked to appear in full livery.

I was on the morning shift with Alastair Ross, the Clerk.  We started at Fishmongers' Hall, just on the north side of London Bridge. With a number of others I decided to head northwards to Bank and I set up post outside one of the exits.

It has to be said, after at least a couple of hours close observation that the average commuter leaving Bank station in the morning rush hour is seemingly so ground down by the London Underground 'experience' that charitable giving has become a very low priority.  Even my decidedly unusual dress on a very warm late spring morning excited no comment.  But with iPods full on it is difficult to make anything other than eye contact and conversation is quite impossible.

I had clearly chosen a particularly non-productive site and after an hour or two, although my bucket was heavy it contained a lot of twopenny pieces. Others, especially those on London Bridge itself did significantly better.

We were kindly given bacon sandwiches and other refreshment by the Fishmongers before going back to work.  Later we were told we had raise some £3000.  I fear my contribution was just over 2% of that.  But I have made two firm resolutions: to smile warmly at other charity collectors with buckets in future and at least give something.  So far both resolutions are holding up.