A great little article; thanks very much for posting. Interesting to note that the Artists were first to arrive at Guildhall on the day, followed in succession by the 3rd Londons, and then the Devil's Own. It must have been a day of great fervour and patriotism in the City.
The Lord Mayor who stood on a chair to address the congregation that day was Sir Alfred James Newton, one-time owner (among other businesses) of Harrods, where he in fact died in 1921, after ingesting a large amount of strychnine present in the medication he took for indigestion.
Newton played an instrumental part in the formation and mobilisation of the CIV, though his career was not totally free from controversy having been more than a little complicit in a bit of what we might today term, 'insider trading'. Oh dear!
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to travel back in time and witness first hand the atmosphere and celebration in the streets of the City of London on that day? Might pick up the odd badge or two as well!
Nice post, Jonathan.
JT