The City of London, being very ancient has many traditions and ceremonies, and as many of us still like dressing up in livery finery, many of them still happen today.
Many of the ceremonies take place in private and aren’t open to the public, but as they involve processions from Halls to Churches, that part can be observed.
So it’s no surprise to be wandering around the City sometimes and run into a group of people wearing furs and lace, carrying something special to a ceremony.
Event | Venue | Usual Date | Confirmed Date |
---|---|---|---|
Trial of the Pyx | Goldsmiths’ Hall | 2nd Thursday in February | |
Sir John Cass service | St Botolph Aldgate | In January or February | |
Cakes and ale ceremony | Stationers’ Hall | Shrove Tuesday | 25/02/2020 |
Inter Livery Pancake Races | Guildhall | Shrove Tuesday | 25/02/2020 |
Spital sermon | St Lawrence Jewery | In March or April | 05/03/2020 |
Bridewell service | St Bride Fleet Street | 2nd Tuesday in March | 10/03/2020 |
United Guilds’ service | St Paul’s Cathedral | March | 27/03/2020 |
Butterworth charity | St Bartholomew the Great | Good Friday | 10/04/2020 |
Stow commemoration service | St Andrew Undershaft | On or near 5th April every 3rd year | 20/04/2020 |
Gift of fish to the Mayor of Tower Hamlets | Billingsgate Market | April | |
Festival of the Sons of the Clergy | St Paul’s Cathedral | May | 12/05/2020 |
View day by the Lord Mayor | St Barts Hospital | 2nd Wednesday in May | 13/05/2020 |
Pepys commemorative service | St Olave Hart Street | On or near 26th May | |
Beating the bounds | Various churches | Ascension Day, May | 21/05/2020 |
Challenge at the Tower of London | All Hallows Church | Ascension Day, every 3rd year | 21/05/2020 |
Bubble Sermon | St Bride Fleet Street | 1st Tuesday in June | 02/06/2020 |
Trinitytide procession and service | Trinity House to St Olave Hart Street | Week after Whitsun | |
Fishmongers procession | Fishmongers Hall to St Magnus the Martyr | Usually in June | |
Skinners procession | Skinners Hall to St James Garlickhythe | Corpus Christi Day, June | 11/06/2020 |
Knollys Rose ceremony | Seething Lane to Mansion House | On or near 22nd June | 17/06/2020 |
Admiral of the Port’s Challenge | River Thames | June | 17/06/2020 |
Election of Sheriffs | Guildhall | Midsummers Day, June | 24/06/2020 |
Vintners’ procession | Vintners Hall to St James Garlickhythe | Usually 2nd Wed in June | 08/07/2020 |
Swan Upping | River Thames | 3rd week in July | 13/07/2020 |
Cart marking ceremony | Guildhall Yard | On or near 19th July | |
Doggett’s coat and badge race | River Thames | In July or August | 03/09/2020 |
Firefighters Memorial Service | City Church to “blitz” | September | 06/09/2020 |
Christ’s Hospital School procession | City church to Guildhall | Around St Matthew’s Day, September | |
Admission of Sheriffs | Guildhall | Last week in September | 28/09/2020 |
Costermonger’s Harvest Festival | Guildhall to St Mary le Bow | Sunday in September | |
Sheep Drive across London Bridge | London Bridge | Late September | 27/09/2020 |
Harvest of the sea service | St Mary at Hill | Sunday in October | |
Quit Rents ceremony | Royal Courts of Justice | October | |
Election of the Lord Mayor | Guildhall | On or as close to 29th September | 29/09/2020 |
Lion sermon | St Katharine Cree | 16th October | 16/10/2020 |
Painters-Stainers procession | Painters Hall to St James Garlickhythe | St Luke’s Day, October | |
Presentation of fruit to Lord Mayor by the Fruiterers | Mansion House | Last week in October | |
Submariners parade and service | Submariners Memorial, Embankment | Sunday before Remembrance Sunday | 01/11/2020 |
The planting of the crosses | St Paul’s Cathedral | Usually first Mon in November preceding Remembrance Sunday | |
Admission ceremony of the Lord Mayor (Silent Ceremony) | Guildhall | Friday before the 2nd Sat in November | 06/11/2020 |
Lord Mayor’s Show | Mansion House to the Law Courts | Second Sat in November | 07/11/2020 |
Service/Wreath laying/HAC march past | St Paul’s Cathedral/Royal Exchange | Remembrance Sunday | |
Wreath laying by Royal Fusiliers | St Sepulchre Church | Remembrance Sunday | |
Presentation of hat to Lord Mayor by Feltmakers | Mansion House | November | 10/11/2020 |
Presentation of boars head to Lord Mayor by Butchers | Mansion House | On or near 6th December |
If you have some more dates to add, or fill in gaps, let me know below.