Guildhall Yard is generally considered a no parking zone, but inspectors made an exception yesterday for a fleet of vintage vehicles to receive their stamp of approval in the City’s traditional Cart Marking ceremony.
A glorious day in Guildhall Yard for #Cartmarking 2018 with the @Carmen_Company pic.twitter.com/XNElLdKhGj
— Guildhall London (@GuildhallLondon) July 18, 2018
The annual procession of horse-drawn wagons, steamers, veteran and vintage lorries, buses and coaches and modern vehicles is organised by the Worshipful Company of Carmen and dates back to 1667.
This year’s Cart Marking ceremony in the Guildhall Yard included a horse-drawn carriage with Suffragettes on board, marking 100 years since some women got the vote. #WomenWorkPower #CartMarking #GuildhallYard pic.twitter.com/1jmNsX4JkO
— Visit City of London (@visitthecity) July 18, 2018
In medieval times, the City decreed they should have control over the number of commercial vehicles operating in the Square Mile and that each would be licensed with a brass plaque.
Old LCC ambulance 1914 #cartmarking pic.twitter.com/7KCgc7gTfI
— Elizabeth Harper (@LizHarpersja) July 18, 2018
Spectators turned out to see Master Carmen, Patrick Marsland-Roberts, Lord Mayor Charles Bowman and Master Glover, Alvin Seth-Smith inspecting each vehicle and marking them with a red-hot iron bearing the year letter and car number.
