HOLLYWOOD ACTOR DAMIAN LEWIS LEADS THE 2024 SHEEP DRIVE
What a success. The 2024 London Sheep Drive and Livery Fair saw Hollywood actor and Freeman of the City, Damian Lewis take up his ancient right to drive his flock over the River Thames toll free on Sunday.
Damian, carrying his shepherd’s crook and at times accompanied by a sheep dog, said “I’m no shepherd, I know that, but it was really good fun“.
Best known for his roles in Band of Brothers, Homeland and A Spy Among Friends, he was wearing a wool coat which had belonged to his grandfather during WW1 for the occasion.
The sheep driving tradition dates back to the 12th Century and saw more than 1000 Freeman and their guests take part.
The Livery Fair was crowded all day with visitors learning about innovations in wool; watching demonstrations of sheep shearing as well as ancient crafts and trades from other Livery Companies.
Damian said “The fact these traditions still exist today, it’s quite eccentric, to close down a bridge in one of the largest, most prominent cities on the planet, just so people can drive their sheep across the river. It was really fun. I’ve learnt a lot about wool today, and it makes an event like this worthwhile”.
TOP CHEF RICHARD CORRIGAN LEADS THE 10th LONDON SHEEP DRIVE 2023
Richard Corrigan, Chef and Farmer’s son said: “That was an amazing experience, humbled. I am humbled, no question about it. London has always delivered a lot of new surprises, new experiences, but I honestly don’t think I am ever going to live this one down. Bringing sheep over the bridge, I know what it’s like to be a shepherd as well. Just keep them moving, keep them moving, there is always a frying pan at the end of their journey, especially with me.
The sheep represent commerce, they represent food and substance when there is nothing to eat. I know all the difficulties of making a meagre living on the land so I have huge respect for sheep farmers.
It brings it all together, Sheep represent the whole City of London for the last 1000 years or more. It’s part of its wealth making, it’s part of its success, part of its taxation, it’s what made the City of London. And for everyone to understand that, to see the sheep coming over the Bridge is really cool”.
Master Woolman Vincent Kearney CBE (former Lord Mayor of London) says “It was fantastic. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate one of the great London traditions, bringing sheep over a City bridge, a London bridge, something the Freemen of the City of London have done for hundreds and hundreds of years. It’s such a fun and slightly crazy thing to do, it’s a great day.
There are two reasons we do it, firstly because it’s such a great London tradition, it’s important we keep some of these traditions alive. Freemen of the City of London have been driving sheep over the bridges over the River Thames, along with other cattle, for hundreds and hundreds of years, because they were able to take their sheep and cattle into the City without paying a toll, so it was a really valuable right. More sheep came over London Bridge than any other animal, so people associated the right to bring your livestock into the City with sheep, and that’s what we’re celebrating today. But we’re doing it for a purpose, we’re doing it to support charities, the Woolmen’s own charity, and we also support the Lord Mayor’s charity, so we’re doing good but also having a lot of fun.
The Livery Fair is a great opportunity for the Livery Companies, many of which still have living crafts and trades associated with them, to showcase those to the public. We’ve also got some businesses, who are working with wool in innovative and new ways, exhibiting their products. It is a great new part of the wool industry”.
Alan exchanged his trusty trowel and spade for a shepherd’s crook and put his many skills to good use in driving sheep over London Bridge. After working as a gardener in a nursery in his native Yorkshire, Alan Titchmarsh trained and subsequently taught at Kew Gardens before becoming a journalist – first as a gardening books editor and then on gardening magazines. He began broadcasting on BBC Radio 4 in 1977 and has not been off the airwaves ever since. Alan went freelance in the late 1970s, earning his living by writing for newspapers and magazines and by broadcasting. He became a regular on Radio 4 and subsequently on Radio 2. His first television appearance was on BBC Nationwide in 1979 which led to a regularly weekly appearance on Nationwide until moving to BBC Breakfast Time in 1984 where his brief was expanded to cover the British countryside as well as gardening. 
