LONDON — Actor Damian Lewis drove a flock of sheep throughout the River Thames on Sunday in homage to a centuries-old custom.
Lewis is amongst 1000’s of individuals granted the honorary title of Freeman of the Metropolis of London, which in medieval occasions got here with the fitting to deliver livestock throughout the river to market with out paying tolls.
Greater than 1,000 freemen exercised that proper on Sunday within the annual London Sheep Drive, many sporting black hats and purple cloaks. Lewis wore his grandfather’s wool coat and carried a criminal as he led the throng herding the animals over Southwark Bridge.
“It was fabulous,” mentioned Lewis, star of “Band of Brothers,” “Homeland” and “Wolf Corridor.”
Lewis was requested to symbolize the Worshipful Firm of Woolmen, a commerce guild courting to the twelfth century. He mentioned he was happy to be a part of “this eccentric, very British day, honoring an previous custom.”
Manny Cohen, Grasp Woolman on the Worshipful Firm of Woolmen, mentioned the traditional sheep-driving custom was revived about 15 years in the past and has turn out to be a serious charity fundraising occasion.
There aren’t any plans to deliver again different historic freemen’s privileges comparable to the fitting to hold an unsheathed sword in public and to be escorted residence if discovered drunk.
