• What appears to be a bad case of applied
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vandalism is in fact the continuation of a centuries old annual 'Cart Marking Ceremony' in London's Guildhall.
The ceremony, in which the Keeper of the Guildhall brands the Arm of the City of London on to the vehicle dates back to the 17th century. Each year members of the Worshipful Company of Carmen are invited to have a vehicle marked enabling them to comply with the 1838 Act of Common Council to "stand and ply for hire within the City of London".
The picture shows an SPD-owned Ford Iveco 32ton tractor unit receiving the prestigious brand earlier this month from John Lucioni, Keeper of the Guildhall, watched by Oliver Sunderland. Master of the Worshipful Company of Carmen. What I want to know is, how on earth did the carthorses of the 17th century survive such fearful looking brandings?