Peter McCafferty: ‘I’m sad to go because it was my baby – I created it all from scratch’

ISLINGTON’S “pageant­master” has hung up his regalia after 30 years of service.

Peter McCafferty, who was born and bred in Holloway, has been the borough’s first and final pageantmaster – as the role is being retired at the end of his three-decade stint with his responsibilities being switched to the mayor’s office.

Duties have included hosting remembrance ceremonies, overseeing other official ceremonies, and Mr McCafferty has even organised a funeral for an ex-serviceman.

“It’s the end of an era. I’m sad to go because it was my baby – I created it all from scratch. But, I’m happy, I’ve done all the work I needed to do. It’s like being the headmaster of a school – you’re in control of everything and things happen, and you deal with things as they come along,” he said. “I’ve had a very happy time with happy people. Bear in mind, it’s not a happy job, because you’re remembering those who’ve come before you.”

Mr McCafferty is now leading arrangements for all the armed forces breakfast clubs across London.

“Islington’s motto is ‘we serve’. If I were to have a coat of arms, my motto would be, ‘I will continue to serve,’” he said.

As far as Mr McCafferty is aware, he was one of only two pageantmasters left in the whole country. He said that his career has been filled with highlights, including giving a talk to school children dressed up in costumes for their Halloween celebrations.

“When we had the Queen’s death and the one-minute silence, the privilege of being able to read out ‘the Queen is dead, long live the king’ was huge. It was hard to do and I was choked up,” he said. “I was in an incubator when the Queen was crowned, I’m 70 years old next week. It was strange to think that now I’m saying this about the future king.”