The Lord Mayor's Sechseläuten Visit (April 2004)Question: What starts 9am on Monday and lasts until 2am the following
morning? The Lord Mayor, Alderman Robert Finch, Prime Warden Raymond Graham, Past Prime Warden Norman Woolley, Assistant John Clarke and their wives were guests of the Letzi Guild at the Sechseläuten parade in April. The Lord Mayor used his visit to cement the relationship between the two financial centres of London and Zürich, as well as furthering the friendship between the Livery and Guilds.
On paper, the Sechseläuten itinerary seemed simple enough; Walk, Lunch, Parade, Burning of the Böögg (to signify the end of Winter), Dinner and visits to the other Guild Houses. Easy? Yes, if you have the constitution of an Ox, the athletic recovery of Paula Radcliffe and the drinking habits of Oliver Reed - for us mere mortals it was quite a challenge! Thanks to the Basketmakers, the Lord Mayor's visit to Zürich in April 2004 followed on from the highly successful Swiss participation in the Lord Mayor's Show the previous November.
Past Prime Warden Norman Woolley and Assistant John Clarke are pictured with Raymond Porchet, Honorary Guildmaster of the Zunft zur Letzi, who became an Honorary Member of the Basketmakers' Company in July.
It was a great honour for the Basketmakers to join the Letzi Guild in the parade by kind invitation of the Guildmaster, Hannes Ziegler (pictured above on the white horse). The Lord Mayor was paraded past the other Guilds by the Letzi in an early morning procession to their Guild House with the Basketmakers' proud contingent.
Pictured (at right) is Liveryman Andrew Woolley (in his kilt) with his father, Norman Woolley, John Clarke, Fritz Haller, a Letzi Guild member, with others in the parade.
Also marching with the Basketmakers was Pageantmaster Dominic Reid in his magnificent plumed hat (pictured above with Mrs.Yvonne Ziegler) |
