On July 12, Jempsons’ MD and Mark Chamberlain and Service Manager Paul Fuller were thrilled to take part in the annual Cart Marking ceremony at London’s Guildhall Yard, honouring the 500th year of the Worshipful Company Of Carmen.

Jempsons were invited to the prestigious event by a member of the Carmen. Mark and Paul took the company’s reconditioned 1937 N3 Commer on the back of a low-loader to take part in a parade on the streets of London, before ending up at Guildhall Yard to be “marked”. According to the Worshipful Company Of Carmen, “Once a year, usually in the summer, Carmen bring their horse-drawn waggons and carriages, steamers, veteran and vintage lorries, buses and coaches, and modern trucks and tractor units, to be branded, or marked, with a red-hot iron, on a wooden plate, with the year letter and the ‘carr’ number, as a reminder of centuries of service to the City and to maintain their ancient tradition.”

After the ceremony, hundreds of guests joined VIPs, including Carmen Master Marsha Rae Ratcliff OBE and Lord Mayor of London Dr Andrew Parmley, for a sumptuous sit-down lunch of smoked salmon, melt-in-the-mouth steak and chocolate mousse.

MD Mark says, “We were honoured to be invited to take park in such an historic ceremony.”