WAITING OUR TURN SINCE 1571 The next City of London Lord Mayor by Doug Campbell FWCB

This is a historical year for the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths and for the entire craft of blacksmithing. Past Prime Warden, Alderman and Past Sheriff of The City of London Alastair King DL is next in line to become the 696th Lord Mayor of the City of London. Alastair will be the first Lord Mayor whose Mother Company is the WCB since the granting of our charter in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth I. Alastair will be sworn in as Lord Mayor at The Silent Ceremony on the 8th of November 2024. The day after The Silent Ceremony, The Lord Mayor’s Show is held, the biggest day in the City’s calendar where some 7,000 people, 200 horses, and around 150 floats will take part in a three mile long procession to mark the Lord Mayor’s first full day in office. For which a processional float from the WCB whose decorative components have been designed and will be made by blacksmiths from all around the country. The Lord Mayor’s Show brings the whole community of the City together - whether it’s those who live, work, study or visit there, to cheer on those taking part. They will also welcome the new Lord Mayor who in turn will be ‘shown’ to the people of the City, which is the original purpose of the Day and includes swearing an oath of allegiance to the sovereign at the Royal Courts of Justice. The procession is built around the state coach in which the Lord Mayor travels and is accompanied by the Pageant master, City Marshal, Pikemen and Musketeers that reflect the Show’s history which stretches back more than 800 years. They are joined by military bands and units, modern business city floats, community groups and charities in a blaze of colour and noise that show the modern face of the Square Mile. The main concept for the parade float is being developed by lead blacksmiths Ian Parmenter AWCB of Parmenter Forge whose concept for the float, is that of a busy and noisy working forge and Doug Campbell FWCB of Caimbeul’s Forge, led by Mayoral Committee Chair Colonel Jane Davis. The float will show the busy scene of the blacksmiths forge including four teams of smith and strikers, helve hammer and anvil and forge. There will be six side panels designed by Doug Campbell FWCB, the side panels will be made by blacksmiths from around the country including Rhys Harlen FWCB from Darenth Valley Forge, Simon Grant-Jones FWCB, Simon Hall AWCB, Don Mallet AWCB who will run panels for the Blacksmith’s Guild and the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers based at the Metalsmiths Training Centre in Lyneham. A double leaf gate designed and made by Phil Carter of Phils Forge in Derbyshire, a gazebo designed and made by Adam Greenwell AWCB and his team at Hereford College and a fire pit which will be decided by selection from submitted designs by award holders and working liverymen and women from the WCB. In addition to the float, lead blacksmiths Ian and Doug have been tasked with designing and making the gifts to be presented to the Lord Mayor for this year’s prestigious and historical event. Although we can’t say much about this portion of the project, Ian and Doug have also recruited Annabelle Bradley from Malham Smithy in Yorkshire who has also designed one of the gifts and along with her team of blacksmiths will make her piece at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show being held on the 9th to the 12th of July. A professionally filmed and produced documentary by Nick Johns from Forwards Film Group, will record the events leading up to and including the Lord Mayors Show and include interviews with working blacksmiths regarding the importance of the craft. We have also made contact with the Victoria and Albert Museum, and it is hoped that once Alderman Alistair’s term of office is concluded, the gifts and other suitable items along with the documentary will become an exhibit in the V&A’s Ironwork Gallery the Lord Mayors “treasures”, are to be released should another Lord Mayor come from the WCB and returned again once their term is completed. It is hoped that the display and its contents help to make the public more aware of the Livery Companies within the City of London, particularly the WCB, it’s craft members and its craftspeople who make up its ranks. To celebrate and pull the project together as it nears its completion, there will be a forge-in held at Stoneleigh Park on Friday 30th August to Sunday 1st September with kind permission from the BFBA who are supporting the WCB by providing the site, where blacksmiths from around the country will join to light fires, forge steel and celebrate this historic event. Items to be made at this event will include a fire basket which will have been designed by an award holder of the WCB and selected by the Mayoral Committee, any small items which those attending would like to make and add to the Charity Auction, the posts for the panels and any finishing touches needed for the panels, the gate and the gazebo and of course we are hoping to forge some solid friendships along the way.