When I was a Trooper in the Honourable Artillery Company in the 1970s I twice took part in the Lord Mayor’s Show.
Once it was a chilly morning and we were in greatcoats. One of my colleagues took the weight off his legs by leaning on his rifle. His bayonet went through the thick greatcoat and punctured an artery. I still remember his astonishment as great squirts of blood pumped out through his sleeve. The one thing we didn’t see on those parades was the Lord Mayor’s State Coach.
It is on display at the Museum of London, one of many London museums that I have never visited. However, at this time of year it is taken to Guildhall and placed in a glass box to be made ready for the Show and that is where I saw it yesterday. It is so ostentatious that when the Queen comes to the City in a carriage the Lord Mayor does not use his to avoid up-staging her.
This year the Lord Mayor’s Show is on Saturday 11th November.
https://youtu.be/kG0_vbM918Y