The Paviors took part in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday 9 November. The new Lord Mayor is Alderman William Russell, who is an Honorary Liveryman of the Paviors Company. William is the 692nd Lord Mayor of London. On the day of the Show, the weather was very welcome, with sunny periods on a crisp autumn morning.
The Paviors’ float was again pulled by a steam roller, but a different one was used this year. The Tasker ‘Little Giant’ was provided by the Amberley Working Museum from the Claude Jessett Collection, and was complete with a crew of four.
There were around 40 walkers accompanying the float: Paviors and family members, led by the Master Sue Illman, her Consort Maurice and Renter Warden Neil Sandberg. Jacqui Davis was the Paviors’ organizer of the event. The group assembled at 9.30am in St Martin’s Le Grand and donned hard hats and protective reflective jackets. The Show started at 11.00am with a fly-past of a WW2-era Hudson aircraft, and 30 minutes later the Paviors’ float joined in the procession as No.84.
The Master was interviewed live by the BBC whilst walking by the side of the float past the Mansion House. This excellent interview lasted over two minutes, discussing the history of the St Anthony’s Pig, on being the first lady Pavior Master, and the Company’s support for education.
The iconic inflatable St Anthony’s Pig continued to be a major attraction with both the BBC Interviewers and the enormous crowds lining the route. The procession passed the Guildhall on its way to the Mansion House, and then on past St Paul’s Cathedral to the Royal Courts of Justice for a lunchtime stop. After some welcome soup and bread, the pageant restarted in the early afternoon and returned along the Embankment, up Queen Elizabeth Street, past Blackfriars Station, the Royal College of Arms and on to the Mansion House for completion of the official Show. The Paviors returned to St Martin’s Le Grand to pack up and deflate the pig. Many of the walkers then proceeded to the Paternoster Chop House in Paternoster Square for an even more welcome repast.
The good weather lasted up to lunchtime, when it had clouded over, and the return route had a light mizzle, which got slightly heavier by the finish. But this did not affect the enjoyment of the Show, which was considered to be one of the best to date.
The Paviors are very grateful to the companies that sponsored this year’s entry into the Show. These include Sir Robert McAlpine, BAM, Millcroft Scaffolding, Murphy and Byrne Bros.
The Photographic Archive contains an album of Images taken at the Lord Mayor’s Show, which can be viewed by clicking here