Until about a month or so ago, I had never heard of The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch.  I am somewhat of an epicurean and the idea of any curry, let alone one at Guildhall, is quite appealing, so when Liveryman John Gorman mentioned it to me, I was all ears.  A quick look at the diary to check that there was nothing in for 10 April that I couldn’t re-book and I was committed.  It was an easy sell on John’s part, and as tickets were limited and I didn’t need asking twice.

 

It is Past Master Simon Martin’s dedication to the cause that has meant that there has been Tylers and Bricklayers’ representation at the event since its inception in 2008.  The inaugural event saw the attendance of 700 guests who between them raised £143,000 for HM Armed Forces charities. Since then, excluding funds raised in 2025, the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch has raised over £3.7 million that has gone to support soldiers, sailors and airmen, both regulars and reservists, and their families.

 

Given that the price of entry includes lunch as well as a significant selection of complimentary alcoholic beverages, and with no idea which might come first, I prepared by having a decent breakfast.  I had a few pressing issues to deal with at work in the morning but was back at home to get dressed for the occasion by 11.00 and in a cab with my wife Helen by 11.20.  Upon arrival at Guildhall, there was a buzz in the air. The Lord Mayor’s official cars were parked in the Yard, stalls promoted the Army Benevolent Fund, red carpets, police on horseback and soldiers dressed in full military regalia ready to greet dignitaries in the proper manner for such a prestigious event.

 

After a quick spin around the Yard to take it all in, we found our way to the (not inconsiderable) queue in Basinghall Street, where the great and good of the Guilds of the City of London waited patiently in line chatting to one another as we inched slowly forward.  As I was about to enter, someone reminded me that I was supposed to have brought photo ID.  “But I’m 57!?, I’ve not been asked for proof of age for 40 years”. Obviously, that wasn’t the point; security has to be tight for these things and fortunately my office was able to email a copy of my driving licence in the nick of time, and I was in.

 

Once inside, the energy stepped up a few notches.  We were given our tokens for our complimentary glasses of champagne and as we descended into the melee we were warmly greeted by Mike, an ex-Royal Marine Commando officer who thanked us for our support and pointed the way to the bar.  Once equipped with a chilled glass of champagne, we were shown through to the East Crypt to the Ts&Bs gathering point. There was time to say a brief hello to other company members already assembled before it was time to head to the Great Hall for the first sitting.  Food at last!

 

We were not disappointed, the food was plentiful, very tasty and all prepared by the military chefs who volunteered for the event, along with all the other military personnel helping on the bars and stalls throughout the day.  There is no denying that in spite of the size of the venue, there were a lot of people, all grabbing food and drink as well as trying to find somewhere to sit and enjoy it. However, the ushers were more than up to the task of keeping the chaos, well, sort of organised.  Somehow John Gorman, our better halves and I ended up sitting with Mike Walsh and Dean Degun.  We chatted to each other as well as ‘the friends we hadn’t met yet’ on either side of our party. There were no complaints other than when we had to make way for the next sitting.  They say that you can have too much of a good thing, but right then and there, I wasn’t so sure.

 

Throughout the day there were i-pads and screens keeping everyone up to date with the latest bids on the silent auction.  I had a brief dabble, bidding on a Banksy print, and a day out with the Met but was soon outbid by other generous donors with deeper pockets than my own. After lunch we headed out past the various livery stalls, picking up a bag of fresh fruit and veg from the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, whose eye-popping display had taken some hours to assemble earlier in the day.

 

It was here that we ran into Simon Martin who fortunately recognised me and said hello, even though I still had my mind on the tray of fresh strawberries under my arm.  He introduced us to Onyinye Udokporo, whose progress and career many will be familiar with, but if you are not, please take the time to look it up.  It was then on to coffee and chocolates in the Old Library and for the more adventurous among us, cocktails and a chance to buy some raffle tickets for some more extraordinary prizes.

 

The Lady Mayoress announced the winning bids on the silent auction at 2.50, along with the winners of the diamond and gold earrings and the bespoke watch – nobody in our party were lucky enough to win anything, but by that time we were all past caring!

 

If you have never attended the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, then you are missing out.  Make sure that you get in early and ask Simon to be included next year –  but you will have to beat me to it.  If you missed the big day and would still like the opportunity to contribute to the Army Benevolent Fund, The Trafalgar Watch Draw is open until 17.55 on the 14th May – tickets are £20 with all monies going to support veterans into employment. It is a unique watch presented in an oak box that has a fragment of the 1805 HMS Victory in the lid.  Tickets are available at www.lmbcl-auction.  Good Luck!

 

John Ward - Liveryman