All President’s men and women soaked at Lord Mayor’s Show

Rain on my parade. A lot of rain. RN brollies try to shield Dr Andrew Parmley from the autumn deluge as the new Lord Mayor of London arrives at HMS President head of the traditional parade through the capital.

Having disembarked at the RNR base, Dr Parmley inspected the ship’s company Guard of Honour before enjoying a warming tot of Pusser’s rum ahead of enjoying the Lord Mayor’s Show.

As part of the parade HMS President manned a float depicting a Royal Navy boarding party on operations world-wide, while the Guard of Honour marched through the centre of London with bayonets fixed, accompanied by scores of RNR parade marshals and ship’s company who were able to meet the general public face-to-face.

“The Lord Mayor's Show is a fabulous opportunity for the public to meet the Royal Naval Reserve and also an opportunity for us to recognise their support for what we do,” said President’s CO Cdr John Herriman.

“With reservists deployed both around the UK and the rest of the world our role has never been more important."

Among the last acts of Dr Parmley’s predecessor was to invite President personnel to the Mansion House and bestow one of the City’s highest honours on the unit.

The City does not confer freedom upon military units, unlike other towns and boroughs across the land – but instead grants them the Privilege to march with full military panoply through its realm (about two square miles of the capital, centred on the Bank of England.

Lord Mountevens , an honorary Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, presented the Privilege certificate to President’s CO, who said it recognised “the strength of the bond between the City and the Royal Naval Reserve.”