CARMEN'S COMPANY, CART MARKING CEREMONY: 13 JULY

Coat of Arms of the Carmen's Company

Each year the Carmen hold a cartmarking ceremony in Guildhall Yard to maintain an ancient tradition that required the Company to licence carts that plied for trade in the City.  This was both to regulate numbers in the crowded streets of the City and to ensure that owners 'heeded the rules of the day.'

One of the cart marking boards that are attached to the vehicles.  This one shows that the vehicle has been recorded at the cartmarking ceremony every year for the last decade or so.  I am indebted for this and the subsequent picture to my fellow Master Marketor blogger.

The cart marking ceremony has now metamorphosed into a parade of vehicles, the majority owned and in some cases operated by Carmen, that are each driven into Guildhall Yard and ceremonially marked on a wooden board with a hot branding iron.  This year the letter was T.

A horse drawn pantechnicon that was designed to travel by rail, the top boards can be folded down for this purpose.  The vehicle is owned by the Gerson family still active in the business, but now operating as ICM Gerson, and on the livery.  Again thanks to the Master Marketor for this picture.

I have been a member of the Company since 1997 but this was only the third cartmarking ceremony I have attended.  It seems to get larger each year and there were 48 entrants ranging from handcarts to large modern tractor units and including horse, diesel, petrol and steam powered vehicles.

It was a most interesting morning with some splendid vehicles on display.

For more details about the Carmen's Company go to http://www.thecarmen.co.uk/

COOK'S SUMMER COURT LUNCHEON: 29 JUNE

At lunchtime on Wednesday I was in Mercers' Hall for the Worshipful Company of Cook's Summer Court Luncheon.  The Cooks still play a part in their trade and support a wide range of cookery initiatives.  For more details of this Company go to http://www.cookslivery.org.uk/   The Company also has the distinction of having the smallest livery of any City company, numbering 75 individuals.  A typical livery, if there be such a thing, is around 250-300 in number.

I have known the Cooks for some time.  Before the formation of the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993 one of its predecessors was the Army Catering Corps and there was a natural affinity between the two organisations.  The Royal Logistic Corps fully supported keeping these linkages going and the Cooks, along with the Carmen, Gold and Sylver Wyre Drawers and Launderers were the original  four.  Since then the list has grown with an increasing number of unit affiliations, such as 151 Regiment RLC(V) with the Marketors.  When I was Head of the Royal Logistic Corps in the late nineties the then Master Cook, Don Hodgson, made me most welcome.

The Company has interesting court members and I found debate about catering and the livery companies particularly interesting.  The Drapers' Company runs its own in-house catering and banqueting organisation and we seek to maintain the highest standards in a competitive market place.  I understand the current Warden, Bev Puxley, is keen to highlight the catering aspects of the livery movement if elected Master next year.

MARKETORS: GRANT OF ROYAL CHARTER 19 OCTOBER

The Marketors held a splendid ceremony at the Guildhall on Tuesday evening to celebrate the granting of the first charter to the Company.   It is 32 years since the Marketors, who represent the marketing profession, became a livery company and they are clearly flourishing.  For more details go to www.marketors.org/ and also go to the Master Marketor's blog http://www.worshipfulcompanyofmarketors.blogspot.com/ for further information.

Although a royal charter is now no longer essential for the operation of a livery company it is nevertheless sought as a recognition of pre-eminence, stability and permanence.  It certainly marks an important step in the growth and development of a company.

I was delighted to be invited, as I can recall first hearing of the Company some twelve years ago when it was, slightly indignantly, brought to my attention that 151 (Greater London) Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps had created a link with the Marketors. At that time I was Head of the Corps and was reminded that our rule was that individual units were not allowed to establish links with livery companies and that these had to be on a corps-wide basis. At the time these included the Cooks, Carmen and Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers.
 
I was already a liveryman of both the Drapers and Carmen and felt that, despite our rules, a TA unit based on London should be allowed to establish this sort of affiliation.  In any event it transpired that the link between company and regiment went back to the earliest days of the Marketors.  It was just that we had not found out about it.

Over the years I am pleased to say the the relationship between ‘One Five One’ and Company has developed well.  It was good to see an old colleague Brigadier Richard Rook, in this capacity as honorary colonel of the regiment, and the current commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Lee, were both present on the top table.

The Master of the Company, Venetia Howes, led the complex ceremonies, involving amongst others HRH Duke of Edinburgh, most elegantly.  Overall it was a solemn yet friendly occasion marking yet another step in the development of the Marketors. 

It was a privilege to be present.