BEING USED
Sheep Drive in London
Last Sunday was the day of the Sheep Drive in the UK capital. The occasion commenced with a celebrity, broadcaster Gloria Hunniford, driving some sheep over Southwark Bridge. She was accompanied by the Lady Mayor and other dignitaries. Ahead of the sheep, facing them, was the mass of the media.
Thereafter during the day, groups of sheep were driven to and fro over the Bridge by groups of Freemen of the City of London and their guests. A handsome price had been paid for tickets for the privilege to drive sheep along a section of the Bridge. The format was for a drover group to walk behind the sheep and for some official handlers to walk in front of the sheep, facing them. At the end of a drive was a photo-op time, and with helpers and drovers reaching across the sheep for transferring mobiles. To one side of each of the two droveways was a service corridor. In this service corridor, groups of drovers awaited to go into the droveway for their allocated drive; and also the service corridor was used by Drive officials. The general public could occupy the middle of the Bridge. The Drive attracts a lot of spectators. Attending the Sheep Drive is free to all, except drive participants.
The sheep journey to London for the Drive from Bedfordshire. One of their owners says the sheep ‘will have been to a few shows during the summer as David [the other owner] does main arena displays with them …. The sheep will therefore be used to seeing the public’. The sheep get rests, good care, hay and water, during the time of the Drive. A representative of the RSPCA is in attendance. Nonetheless, on last Sunday the sheep were panting, had their ears back on drives, and hardly looked a picture of happiness.
The Sheep Drive and the associated Livery Fair is described by its hosts, The Worshipful Company of Woolmen, to be a ‘charity event, celebrating a Freeman’s ancient “right” to bring sheep to market over the Thames, toll free; all in aid of raising funds for The Woolmen Charity and The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.’
Sheep for the Sheep Drive had transportation from their usual milieu and back, and had hours in close proximity to people. For questioning is this, ‘Can the charitable purpose of the Sheep Drive justify the chosen means of achievement, that of bringing sheep for use in an urban and closely-peopled environment?’ The Sheep Drive can be viewed as a very public demonstration of humans perceiving sheep as for humans’ purpose.
1st October 2026