The 3rd of October saw Christ’s Hospital School marching in the City of London.

Christ’s Hospital students marching through London’s streets is a tradition dating back to 1903.

In this important annual event, senior students, the school’s band, and the choir wake up as early as 4 am to prepare for the 3-hour-long coach trip to St Andrew’s Church, where a service took place.

St Matthew’s Day, the 21st of September, is a significant event in the school calendar, as it celebrates the school’s ties to the City of London.

Historically, it is the day the Governors of Christ’s Hospital were announced — a tradition upheld to this day.

This year involved a service in St Andrew’s Church, Holborn, before students swiftly assembled to march.

Following guidance from the school’s marshal, the students made it onto the road, where traffic was stopped.

The procession marched into Guildhall, where they were met by the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, Alderman Nicholas Lyons.

The Lord Mayor presented a largesse to the pupils, a newly minted coin.

The pupils then reconvened for lunch, before getting ready for the trip back to school.

Many thought of this year’s St Matthew’s celebrations as enjoyable — it follows last year’s, which had brought the entire school (about 900 students) to London to mark the Royal Mathematical School’s 350th anniversary.

When asked about how this year’s celebrations were, Ellie-May, a member of the choir, said, ”There was a lot happening, but I felt really glad to be there, I felt really special to be there.”

This reflected the opinions of many others, who found the day exciting and successful overall.