A threatening sky did nothing to dampen the spirits of York's Merchant Taylors as they emerged from All Saints' Church, Pavement, after the annual Straker Sermon.

The company has come to expect good weather for the annual parade, Clerk John Baily said: "It never ever rains and it looks as though it is not going to today, but we always carry umbrellas just in case."

And Evening Press records confirmed that apart from a bit of drizzle at the 1993 ceremony, it has not rained since 1977.

The ceremony and parade is an annual event during which the company chooses its new master. This year North Yorkshire coroner Michael Oakley was selected for the post.

The sun began to emerge as the group of 96 members and their wives stood on the grass in front of the Merchant Taylors' Hall in Aldwark sipping Pimms and choosing from a selection of exotic-looking canapes presented on shining silver platters.

Minutes earlier they had paraded through the streets in a long procession led by the leaders of the company, dressed impressively in gowns, furs and hats, halting traffic and getting excited tourists' cameras snapping. The bright floral outfits of the women who walked along at the back of the parade provided a lively contrast to the dark-suited men who went in front.

The members then enjoyed a lavish afternoon tea laid out on the tables inside the 600-year-old hall.

The company, one of six guilds in York, was originally established to act as a kind of trade union but now has only three tailors among its membership. The rest are key representatives of the business community in York who are invited to join by existing members.

Their main duties are to take care of the upkeep of the hall and raise money to help individuals in need in the city.

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