SHERIFF: solicitor Geoffrey Bond takes a different City role

Linklaters international property partner Robert Finch was this week elected as the 676th Lord Mayor of the City of London.

With the status of a cabinet minister when travelling overseas, the Lord Mayor is the ambassador, both at home and abroad for the City.

In addition, he is head of the Corporation of London, which provides local authority services for the Square Mile, chief magistrate of the City of London, and Admiral of the Port of London.

He replaces barrister Gavyn Arthur.

Mr Finch's appeal for his mayoralty will be to support music, arts education and community programmes under the banner 'Music and the arts for everyone'.

The appeal will primarily benefit LSO Discovery, the London Symphony Orchestra's innovative music education and community programme.

He takes office next month at the 'Silent Ceremony', which is held on the day preceding the Lord Mayor's Show, and will not speak publicly about the role until then.

Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire solicitor Geoffrey Bond was this week admitted as one of two sheriffs of the City of London.

He will serve for a year, and will live at the Old Bailey.

Mr Bond began his career in the City and was later senior partner of Nottingham firm Ashton Bond Gigg.

An original member of the 'Antiques Roadshow' team, he now runs the Geoffrey Bond Consultancy, which advises private and public trusts on heritage matters, especially decorative arts.

The office of sheriff pre-dates the Norman conquest and is the oldest office in the City of London.

Until the institution of the mayoralty in 1192, the sheriffs were the governors of the City.