Category Life As We Live It

“I’ve had an incredible year as Lord Mayor – here’s to the next 695” – City AM

Leading figures from the business, finance, law, education, medicine, literature, and diversity and inclusion sectors have been awarded the Freedom of the City of London during a group ceremony, hosted by Lord Mayor Professor Michael Mainelli.

Well, tonight’s event was an honour. We say that a lot, but this evening it truly was as I was given the rank of Commendatore in the Italian Republic’s Order of Merit.

I could start to get a bit cranky about achievement awards, but not about this one from Vietnam International Awards. While I related this true story in my speech to the judges this week:

Ah, how childhood musical infatuations return again and again. I was so excited to receive via email earlier this year a new march for the bagpipe composed by Malcolm McCaig:

What a fantastic evening at the Guildhall! Tonight, in our special gala for LSO Discovery, the legendary Il Cannone – Niccolò Paganini’s 18th-century Guarneri del Gesù violin – was brought to life by violinist Simon Zhu, with Sir Antonio Pappano…

The HAC Light Cavalry are the bodyguards for the Lady Mayoress, while I am solidly defended by the HAC Company of Pikemen & Musketeers. The HAC Light Cavalry was originally formed in 1861, then later absorbed into the Horse Artillery element of the…

In proper City tradition, as part of ringing the long change, we now begin easing out of office with the election of the 696th Lord Mayor, Alastair King, taking office on 7 November. Here’s my reply to the vote of…