In late 2023 Doug received a phone call from Col. Jane Davies, the Renter Warden and Chair of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths Mayoralty Committee for the year 2024, this year was particularly important for the WCB as it would see the first Lord Mayor of the City of London come from the Mother Company of the WCB since its conception over 750 years ago.
Doug along with another blacksmith Ian Parmenter FWCB of Parmenter Forge, were to take joint lead on the iron work to be used on the float for the parade and for the gifts to be presented to the Lord Mayor during the Silent Ceremony and the Lord Mayors Banquet.
Doug along with another blacksmith Ian Parmenter FWCB of Parmenter Forge, were to take joint lead on the iron work to be used on the float for the parade and for the gifts to be presented to the Lord Mayor during the Silent Ceremony and the Lord Mayors Banquet.
The Gifts
There were a series of gifts planned for the Lord Mayor, a pair of commemorative gold coins, a key, a casket to hold them in and a crozier or rod of office.
Doug was responsible for the design and build of the casket which would house the two gold coins, the dies used to strike them and the key, the key was to be made by Ian Parmenter as was the commemorative design to be struck by the dies on the reverse of the gold coins. The coins were pressed by Phil Carter of Phil's Forge in Derbyshire and the crozier was to be designed and made by Annabel Bradley of Malham Smithy in Yorkshire.
As well as the two gold coins, there were to be 300 hundred copper coins to be made and handed out as gifts and a token of appreciation from the Worshipful Company to those involved in the project and taking part in the parade.
Doug was responsible for the design and build of the casket which would house the two gold coins, the dies used to strike them and the key, the key was to be made by Ian Parmenter as was the commemorative design to be struck by the dies on the reverse of the gold coins. The coins were pressed by Phil Carter of Phil's Forge in Derbyshire and the crozier was to be designed and made by Annabel Bradley of Malham Smithy in Yorkshire.
As well as the two gold coins, there were to be 300 hundred copper coins to be made and handed out as gifts and a token of appreciation from the Worshipful Company to those involved in the project and taking part in the parade.
|
|
|
|
The Float
This project would bring people from the blacksmithing craft from across the country together, to work in unison to deliver a float for the Lord Mayor's Parade from colleges, small businesses and the armed forces.
Six side panels, a gazebo and a double leaf gate and a Donkey Hammer were made for this project and although a lot of work was done in individual workshops, a huge amount of work was done at a "Forge-In" held at the British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association building in Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire, where there were over 40 blacksmiths forging at any given time to create this work.
Six side panels, a gazebo and a double leaf gate and a Donkey Hammer were made for this project and although a lot of work was done in individual workshops, a huge amount of work was done at a "Forge-In" held at the British Farriers and Blacksmiths Association building in Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire, where there were over 40 blacksmiths forging at any given time to create this work.
