It's not only a right, but a priviledge... >>Freemen flock to last London Bridge sheep drive
LONDON (Reuters) - Freemen dressed in medieval garb drove a flock of sheep across London Bridge for the last time on Tuesday before the abolition of a centuries-old tradition.

Lord Mayor of London Clive Martin joined more than 400 Freemen of the City, an order dating back almost 1,000 years, to raise money for charity after police said they would scrap a range of traditional rights no longer suitable in modern times.

"It is a myth that the Freemen have the legal right to drive sheep across London Bridge, but it was traditionally done to avoid taxes and turnpikes," the Lord Mayor told Reuters.

Martin said the event had raised more than 40,000 pounds for Barnardo's children's charity, which is this year's beneficiary of the Lord Mayor's Appeal.

The pedigree Jacob sheep, which had been trained to cope with crowds, were insured for the day by their owner and event organiser Jenny Tate.

Organiser Sean Larkins said City of London police would scrap a raft of ancient traditions and rights in August. The event was a fun way to raise money and mark the end of an era.

Larkins said Freemen were once a respected order of traditional professions such as fishmongery and stirrup-making. They were accorded a number of rights or freedoms in the city, including the privilege of being hanged by a silken rope should they be condemned to death.

Now they are mostly concerned with fund-raising for charity, said Larkins.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2000