Skip to main content
The Actuary: The magazine of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries - return to the homepage Logo of The Actuary website
  • Search
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit The Actuary Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Logo of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Main navigation

  • News
  • Features
    • General Features
    • Interviews
    • Students
    • Opinion
  • Topics
  • Knowledge
    • Business Skills
    • Careers
    • Events
    • Predictions by The Actuary
    • Whitepapers
    • Moody's - Climate Risk Insurers series
    • Webinars
    • Podcasts
  • Jobs
  • IFoA
    • CEO Comment
    • IFoA News
    • People & Social News
    • President Comment
  • Archive
Quick links:
  • Home
  • The Actuary Issues
  • March 2014
03

Rain fails to dampen spirits at maths march

Open-access content Wednesday 5th March 2014 — updated 4.50pm, Tuesday 14th April 2020
2

The Lord Mayor's Show, an annual event that has been taking over the streets of London for nearly 800 years, had a particular significance for Actuaries in 2013. Adrian Waddingham CBE was participating as non-aldermanic Sheriff, and the Worshipful Company of Actuaries brought along a float named 'Maths is Fun'.

After a pleasant morning's preparations, the weatherman's forecasted rain started spot on at 10.30am, along with the procession. Beginning with an RAF flypast, the parade featured over 6,000 soggy people, military marching bands, Chinese acrobats, a procession of decorated floats and the Lord Mayor's gilded State Coach. Towards the head of the procession were two wicker giants, Gog and Magog, the traditional guardians of the City of London.

The Actuaries float, number 57 out of 155, comprised a crew of actuaries alongside teachers and pupils from Reed's School, Cobham, and from Surrey Square and St. Peter's schools. (The Company of Actuaries Charitable Trust is supporting Reed's in a Primary Maths Forum whereby they help primary schools, of which these are two, improve maths education.)  Marching with the float was Johnny Ball.

The whole team, 50 in all, shrouded in blue plastic macs, cheerily plodded though the streets following a giant inflated hourglass, symbol of actuarial forethought. Ball led the pupils with shouted questions. Enthusiastically they replied, giving a firm impression that maths, or at least arithmetic, really can be fun. 

Following much later in the procession came the many VIPs, including the carriages of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries with Master Charles Cowling accompanied by Wardens and Clerk, of Sheriff Adrian Waddingham, and the 18th-century gold State Coach of Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Fiona Woolf.

This article appeared in our March 2014 issue of The Actuary.
Click here to view this issue
Filed in
03

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Life Reinsurance – Client Manager/Senior Manager

London (Central)
£ excellent + bonus + benefits
Reference
143661

Life Actuarial Analyst

South East / hybrid with 3 days per week office-based
£ dependent upon experience
Reference
143660

Investment Associate Consultant

Flexible / hybrid
£ dependent upon experience
Reference
143659
See all jobs »
 
 

Today's top reads

 
 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to The Actuary

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
Spread-iPad-slantB-june.png

Topics

  • Data Science
  • Investment
  • Risk & ERM
  • Pensions
  • Environment
  • Soft skills
  • General Insurance
  • Regulation Standards
  • Health care
  • Technology
  • Reinsurance
  • Global
  • Life insurance
​
FOLLOW US
The Actuary on LinkedIn
@TheActuaryMag on Twitter
Facebook: The Actuary Magazine
CONTACT US
The Actuary
Tel: (+44) 020 7880 6200
​

IFoA

About IFoA
Become an actuary
IFoA Events
About membership

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to The Actuary Magazine
Contribute

The Actuary Jobs

Actuarial job search
Pensions jobs
General insurance jobs
Solvency II jobs

© 2023 The Actuary. The Actuary is published on behalf of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries by Redactive Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ