JUDI DENCH - OCCASIONAL SWORD APPAREL IS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE

OPENPRESS) August 26, 2011 -- In 2008, the actress Dame Judi Dench was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. She said afterwards that she was looking forward "to being able to drive my sheep over London Bridge, and occasionally wearing a sword in public."

She was referring to the quirky rights that in times gone by are reported to have been bestowed on those who were granted the freedom of London. As well as sheep and swords, recipients also had the right to a 'silken rope' in the event that they were to be hanged, and could also expect favourable treatment from police if they were found drunk in the street.

The exact truth behind many of these old customs is often debated, indeed some believe they never existed at all, but on September 21st a group of volunteers will drive some sheep across London Bridge in aid of the Red Cross charity.

This follows on from a similar event in 2008, where 500 liverymen drove their sheep across London Bridge and raised ฃ40,000 for the Lord Mayor's Appeal. The reason for using the bridge is that non-freemen could expect to pay a tax when moving their livestock across the river, while the honoured few were exempt.

Hotels-london.co.uk offers many hotels in the vicinity of this fun, good natured event. The Strand Palace Hotel is just down the River Thames in Covent Garden, while Bermondsey Square Hotel is south of the river in Southwark.

For more information on the London Bridge Sheep Drive, visit www.timeout.com/london/around-town/event/234441/london-bridge-sheep-drive