Showcase for final mile, Express logistics delivery to door, rain or shine. Iconic City of London courier motorcycle returned to the historic freight vehicle parade across Guildhall Yard, (19th July) – Thunderstorm and pouring rain, but delivered and final mile branded, running well in the stair-rod rain. This final mile with half a million items delivered across one hundred and thirty thousand City miles. Half a decade of courier history for half a millennium of transport ceremony, with five hundred guests celebrating transport in the Square Mile. The steam billowed as the hot iron branded a tax letter for the year's trade on the CX-500's oak cart board.

IOC chairman Carl Lomas, a touch wet below his high vis, rode the 1976 Series One Honda CX-500 courier bike dressed in the brands of the eighties' same day delivery companies - Pony Express, Delta, Security Despatch, Mercury and GLH.

A vehicle ambassador for our sector, ‘we deliver rain or shine’ the courier bike was recognised for delivery of freight by the Worshipful Livery of Carmen, Master Carman and IOC Hon Fellow Leon Daniels and the Lord Mayor Alastair King. The Lord Mayor, using gloves provided by Master glover, took a red-hot branding iron in hand and tax-marked the courier bike for the conduct of trade in the City of London as his predecessors would have done five hundred years ago to the oak carts delivering goods in the City Square Mile. ‘The Lord mayor smiled to see the Carmen Scottish tweed, saluting the roots of his Scottish origin.’

Alderman Alison Gowman comments, ‘The City of London relies on goods deliveries and so with the Lord Mayor's theme of "Connect to Prosper" the courier industry is key. Tremendous for the IOC to take part and celebrate the success of the final mile express sector on such an iconic motorcycle.’

The transport livery of Carmen's Cartmarking is believed to be the oldest vehicle taxation for trade in the world; five hundred years ago, oak carts moving goods from the Thames Wharfes to the city had to enter Guildhall Yard each year, they were brand marked with a year registration making them legal to work in the City. Today is ceremonial, an oak branding board is attached to trade vehicles to be branded by the Lord Mayor, he places a hot iron to mark a letter of the alphabet for the tax year. The brand mark is valid for one year to ply transport trade in the City of London.

Lomas explains the iconic courier motorcycle, ‘by modern motorbike standards, the bike is big, heavy and scary to ride! Particularly double careful today in the rain on cross-ply tyres. But iconic for our sector, a bit of living history, almost fifty years old. The water-cooled, shaft-driven V-twin had an enviable record for reliability. Today I am focused on the cobbled yard ahead. Wet sand on the cobbles of Guildhall Yard helps the horse freight entries but runs a little scary on two wheels!’

Rain soaked IOC Chair, Lomas last mile to Guildhall yard delivered in thunderstorm

Carmen Scottish tweed for Lord Mayor

Cartmarking 2025 Gallery