Preparations are well underway for the Lord Mayor’s Procession on Saturday 9 November starting at 11am, which will be broadcast live on BBC One.
In the 1960s and 70s many of our students travelled to London to see the procession (there was even a special tube carriage laid on for them!) but the School is taking part in the procession for the first time this year.
The 692nd Lord Mayor of the City of London, elected on 2 October, is Alderman William Russell who is a Court Assistant to the Haberdashers’ Livery Company. There will be four entries in the parade representing the Haberdashers’ schools – Habs Girls, Monmouth, Hatcham and Haberdashers’ Adams, as well as musicians from both Boys’ and Girls’ Schools in a number of static ‘Performance Zones’ along the route. If you get the opportunity to come down in person or watch the procession on TV look out for us as we will be the 24th float in the parade.
It is the first time in 50 years that the Lord Mayor is a Haberdasher and the previous one was Sir Ian Bowater who held office from 1969-1970. Ian was William’s grandfather and, indeed, William is the fifth member of his family to hold this prestigious role. His great uncle, Sir Noel Bowater, a Vintner, held it in 1953, his great grandfather, Sir Frank Bowater, a Girdler, held it in 1938 and his great-great uncle, Sir Thomas Vansittart Bowater, another Girdler, was Lord Mayor in 1913.
