I'M glad that more people are keeping the two minutes silence, not only on Remembrance Sunday, but at eleven o'clock on Armistice Day itself - which is today of course.

When I was growing up in Leeds, the whole city used to come to a dignified halt at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Now I live and work in this other city - the City of London - and the few days on either side of Remembrance Sunday are adorned in ancient acts of symbolic recollection. This is the time of year when the Lord Mayor is elected and paraded through the streets in the Queen's golden coach.

The Lord Mayor of London - not to be confused with the political opportunist red Ken Livingstone - is supported each year by two elected sheriffs who reside for the year in the Old Bailey. I've been asked to be a sheriff's chaplain this year, so I have to dust off my three-cornered hat, get out my white gloves and try my best to lend a dash of ecclesiastical flavour to the occasion.

It began last Friday as we all assembled in the Guildhall for the Silent Ceremony when the new Lord Mayor receives the official warrant of his office. It's called the Silent Ceremony because, 250 years ago, a minor riot broke out among rival factions and spoilt the proceedings. So, ever since, the whole impressive ceremony has been conducted in complete silence. The atmosphere is rich in the ancient rituals of English constitutional life and it's a bit like being at a coronation.

The Saturday of Lord Mayor's weekend is the parade when he rides through the streets to be presented to the people. In fact, by ancient statute, he is allowed to assume the office of Lord Mayor only on the condition that he agrees to be shown to the citizens: hence the title "Lord Mayor's Show." This year I got a ride in a sheriff's coach. Massed bands, dancing children, soldiers, sailors and airmen, charitable organisations and livery masters roll through the streets on their colourful floats.

First the parade stops by the steps of St Paul's where the Dean presents the Lord Mayor with a Bible. Then on to the Law Courts and his swearing in before the Recorder of London and the Lord Chief Justice. Sunday and the wreath-laying at the Memorial on Holborn.

This year we went out into the churchyard and blessed a new memorial plaque to those who gave their lives in the Korean War of 50 years ago. The armistice for that war was signed around the time of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation and the first ascent of Everest - so amid all the jubilation Korea was largely ignored and became known as "the forgotten war."

If you're reading this, it must be Tuesday; but I'm writing it on Monday to meet the deadline for tomorrow's paper. So I can't tell you yet how Monday evening went. Monday evening? Yes, it's the annual Guildhall Banquet at which the main speaker is always by custom the Prime Minister. Blair among the blaring trumpets, then. All right, it's a fair cop - and today's paper will not carry news that I heckled him.

* Peter Mullen is Rector of St Michael's, Cornhill, in the City of London and Chaplain to the Stock Exchange.