Mary Reid

Yesterday was my first opportunity to represent Kingston at a London wide event. The occasion was a sung evensong at St Paul's Cathedral for all the London Mayors, to mark the beginning of the mayoral year.

The Cathedral is looking magnificent after its lengthy facelift. (The photo is taken from their website)

Entering by the north door we could not miss the new installation by Yoko Ono, Morning Beams. This is a stunning artwork consisting of ropes stretched from the floor to the topmost west-facing window, representing both rays of light and resurrection. Below is a river of pebbles - water to a parched land.

I was escorted by my chaplain, Rev'd Chris Hollingshurst, and we both enjoyed the understated, pure sound of the choir, enhanced by being seated close to them in the choir area. It was good to see Mayors from almost all the London boroughs, plus the Lord Mayors of the Cities of London and Westminster.

Afterwards we were invited back to the Mansion House for a reception. The Lord Mayor of London actually moves in during the mayoral year, and probably does more engagements than any other mayor in the UK. These include many trips abroad to promote the economic heart of our country.