THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGISTS
600th Anniversary of the
Battle of Agincourt
A
t the Westminster Abbey service to commemorate the 600th
anniversary of The Battle of Agincourt on 29th October 2015, WCIT was
honoured to be seated near the High Altar among the assembled Livery
Companies and dignitaries.
The Company was represented by the Master, Alderman Sir David Wootton,
Senior Warden Chris Histed, Panels Warden Wendy Parmley, Deputy Master
Nicholas Birtles, Clerk Mike Jenkins and also Past Master Ken Olisa OBE, the
Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London.
This service was a very special one, 600 years to the day after news reached
the City of London of Henry V’s victory over the French. That day in 1415, the
then Lord Mayor Nicholas Wotton, Aldermen, Livery Masters and other City
leaders went to the Abbey to give thanks for the victory. The City had loaned
most of the funds used to fight the King’s military campaign which led to
Agincourt.
During our current day service, Henry V’s helm was on the High Altar, and the
Master Cutler Janek Wichtowski bore the sword of Henry V from the Great
West door to the High Altar. Past Master Bowyer Robert Hardy CBE eloquently Westminster Abbey
read from the prologue to Shakespeare’s Henry the Fifth Act IV; and the Royal
Shakespeare Company’s Sam Marks acted the Saint Crispin’s day speech from
Act IV Scene 3 – resplendent in full plate armour, crown and sword.
Articles and photography contributed
O
by Senior Warden, Chris Histed
nd
n 2 November, the Garden of Remembrance was opened at St Paul’s
Cathedral, marking the start of a month in which the lives of those lost in war
are remembered.
Senior Warden Chris Histed placed a cross on behalf of WCIT during the ceremony,
along with Masters from the 110 Livery Companies, the Lord Mayor, plus other City of
London, military and Royal British Legion dignitaries.
The moving ceremony included the Last Post and Reveille, a two-minute silence and
Sara Jones CBE JP, President of The Poppy Factory, delivered the Kohima Prayer:
The
Remembrance
Garden, St
Paul’s
“When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For our tomorrow, we gave our today.”
Walter Carter: WWI Soldier’s Tale
The WCIT Charity supports First World War educational project
told through social media as if it were today...
WW1 Soldier’s Tale, supported by the WCIT Charity, tells the
story of fictional character Walter Carter, from Battersea, who
from 1912 is a member of the Territorial Force, 1/23rd (County
of London) Battalion The London Regiment.
Follow Walter:
Walter Carter: ww1 Soldiers Tale
@WW1SoldiersTale
Not using social media? Keep up with the story by reading
Walt \