Yesterday, the Pearly Kings and Queens walked across 16 London bridges – from Putney to Tower Bridge – raising £565 for charity.
The tradition began in Victorian London when street traders imitated the pearls and finery of the West End wealthy.
The story goes that Henry Croft, a street sweeper and rat catcher, found a shipload of mother-of-pearl buttons on the muddy banks of the Thames and sewed the first pearly suit to raise funds for his orphanage.
While numerous Pearly groups keep the tradition alive, the originals – who took part in this year’s ‘London Bridges Walk’ – say they’re ‘all in it for the same thing’, which is raising money for charity and helping their communities.
Find out more in the video below:
Feature image credit: Ivy Burnett
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