On Saturday, 16th July, Kelly Group was honored to be participating in this year’s prestigious historic event while supporting the City of London and The Worshipful Company of Carmen. Celebrating, and maintaining 500+ years of transport heritage and traditions, the 2022 parade took place at the City’s historic Guildhall Yard, in the heart of the City of London, with over forty inspiring modern and vintage vehicles rolling through the gates.
This year celebrates the extraordinary Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen and to honour the occasion, the 2022 parade was opened with one of Her Majesty’s cars from the Royal Mews – the iconic RR3 – 1952 Royal Rolls Royce Phantom IV. The RR3 remains in use to this day to carry members of the Royal Family on special occasions and remains a favourite amongst the Royal chauffeurs at Buckingham Palace.
New vs Vintage: Kelly Group’s 1983 CF250 Bedford Van and 2021 Hybrid Ford Transit Custom Van
Kelly Group was proud to enter two vehicles into this year’s parade; our iconic Bedford Van to honour the Group’s continual work that we have delivered within the City for 30+ years and our 2021 Hybrid Ford Transit Custom Van representing our dedication towards a more sustainable future. During this year’s parade we were honoured to have Nicholas Laister, Master Carman marking both our vehicle’s licence plate on this special occasion.
1983 Bedford Van
The 1983 Bedford CF250 vehicle was first purchased by Mr Warner of Salisbury for £4320. He subsequently sold it to second owner, Tim Kelly (Kelly Group Chairman) who has maintained the vehicle with only a few minor repairs to prevent corrosion.
The relevance of the Bedford CF250 model is quite significant as this was the first vehicle Tim Kelly used when he founded Kelly Brothers back in 1985, when the UK began awarding its first cable franchises to local operatives.
Our Bedford Van received a full-body wrap last year showcasing the wide range of services the group provides across the nation. The van is now retired and only used at charity events and parades representing the Group’s heritage.
2022 Ford Transit Custom Van
Kelly Group is passionate and fully committed to carrying out our social values through our operation. Our Kelly Fleet department is continuously looking for opportunities to capitalise on environmentally friendly solutions; some of these include the trailing of EV vans.
Sustainable transport is epitomised by this 2021 996cc hybrid van, where CO2 emissions are at 70g/km compared to a 2019 Transit’s 167g/km. The petrol engine powers a generator which fuels the battery and a 126hp electric motor. With some 30 miles pure electric range, plug-in charging is similar to the latest London taxi-cabs, providing range flexibility capacity. The Group is proud to have this innovative model representing our brand while operating in the City of London.
Cart Marking Ceremony – The Origin of Vehicle Licensing
Cart Marking is an annual charity event showcasing a unique collection of vehicles dating back from the horse and cart to today’s innovative vehicles. On a beautiful Saturday morning all participants lined up outside the Guildhall Yard, on London Wall, and entered through the Guildhall Arch where the traditional marking ceremony took place. Each vehicle was introduced by the commentator with a brief insight into its history.
Dressed in traditional robes the Sheriffs, Master Carman, his two Wardens and the Master Glover branded each vehicle with a red-hot iron on the Carman’s wooden licensing board, displaying the year letter and ‘carr’ number. This ritual is known as Cart Marking.
This was the earliest form of vehicle licensing. ‘Cart’ owners had to pay for their licence, which permitted trade for standing and plying for hire in the City of London for the forthcoming year. A new mark needed to be branded annually, to allow the trade to continue. In 1838 an earlier legislation was repealed, empowering the Keeper of Guildhall to mark carts for an annual fee of five shillings - equal to 25p today. Five shillings is still paid to the City of London for each vehicle that passes through Guildhall Arch today.
