| Where: | London at the Guildhall Yard on Gresham Street and the church of St-Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside |
| When: | A Sunday in September (often the last Sunday) |
| Time: | 1pm at the Guildhall and 3pm at the church |
On a late Sunday in September the Pearly Kings and Queens of London’s Costermongers celebrate the harvest in their own unique style at the spiritual home of the Cockney, the church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside. During the afternoon there are performances at the Guildhall Yard including morris dancers, musicians and drummers, the highlights of which are the maypole dancing involving all the Pearlies, visiting dignitaries and Chelsea Pensioners, and the perambulation of Pearlies singing the traditional Cockney songs. A parade of dignitaries with edible goodies is then transported by barrow from the Guildhall to the church for a special service. Well known hymns are sung appropriate to the season and the Pearlies will speak about their history and involvement with charitable works. The famous Bow Bells are rung for the event, which is a rare chance to hear them (they’re satisfyingly loud!). Expect a big turnout and lots of fancy costumes – it’s one of the main events at which the Pearlies really go to town.
Helpful Hints
It’s regularly reported in books and websites that this event takes place in October but it’s currently in September (usually the last Sunday of the month but not invariably).
In 2023 it was on Sunday September 24th- 2024 date is yet to be confirmed.
If you want a seat in the church service, you’ll need to arrive quickly to get one as space is limited.
Click here for the church website: https://www.stmarylebow.org.uk
Click here to find out more : http://www.pearlysociety.co.uk
I went to see this yesterday. There are a lot of activities at the Guildhall, including pipe bands and morris dancers ( although I’ve never really thought of morris dancing as being a typical costermonger activity.) Masses of mayoral cars from London boroughs parked outside. The yard was packed with spectators, and with those who made up the parade. These included Pearly Kings and Queens, quite a few other people dressed up in Victorian clothes – including a convincing Queen Victoria – Chelsea pensioners, a crowd of Mayors and civic representatives from the London boroughs, a couple of vintage cars, and a London taxi disguised as a rabbit. My favourites were the donkeys and their little carts. I tried taking a photo of one who persisted in looking downtrodden, until his owner held his ears pointing forwards. I spoke to some of the people with the donkeys, and they seem to have all come from outside London, although one told me that she had heard of a greengrocer in the inner London area who still had some.
The parade left late, and was sandwiched by a couple of policemen on bikes, and a couple on horses – including an edgy piebald. The route is about half a mile, and finishes at St Mary Le Bow, although apparently it has only been held there for 14 years.
The church is quite small inside, but is the home of the famous Bow bells, which were pealing as the procession made its way up Cheapside. According to legend, you are only a proper cockney if you are born within the sound of Bow bells, and as the vicar said, the sound doesn’t reach to the edges of East London. (They were able to test this during the Queen’s Jubilee, when they joined in a celebratory peal.) However, the vicar informed us, help is at hand, as now it is posible to get a recording of Bow bells to play on your mobile phone, thus allowing any dedicated Londoners to play the bells at crucial times in the delivery ward.
After the service, according to the woman next to me, everyone goes to Smithfield. “Oh”, I said, keen to discover folkloric details, “What do they do then?”
“Drink,” she replied.
I George Major Pearly King of Peckham, worked hard to get the first Costermongers harvest Festival to have it at the St. Mary-Le-Bow Church, at Cheapside 21 years ago
No help and on my own, after Many Meetings with the Canon and on the last meeting I asked do you agree that god works seven days a week, his reply was yes. Then I said that I only want just one Sunday a year, and I can get the people there, knowing that St Mary- Le-Bow Church does not open on Sundays.
Hi George, Thanks for getting in touch! I’m glad you persevered as it’s such a lovely event- we attended a few years ago and were lucky enough to squeeze in at the back of the church for the service, after following on from all the dances and performances in Guildhall Yard. We love to see the Pearlies – we go to lots of events (when they’re allowed!) and particularly enjoyed all the traditional songs at the Hop Festival at Faversham. Keep up the good work!
Very Best wishes,
Averil