To mark the 50th anniversary year of the church's rededication as well as the half century of the Guild of St Bride, Guild Sunday on February 4 saw the dedication of a new Guild virge (or wand) which will be carried in procession at the beginning and end of Eucharist.

The virge is a remarkable piece of craftsmanship and will enhance the impressive collection of historic plate collected over centuries. The design features the guild badge surrounded by gilt cherub motifs, and below it a simplified version of the church's famous wedding cake spire joined to the ebony shaft of the virge. To complete the links with Fleet Street, an opened newspaper is depicted. The virge is made in hall-marked sterling silver and the cost has been met by a grant from the Goldsmiths' Company, an anonymous private donation, and the Guild itself.

With the help of Guild member Paul Dyson, the gold and silversmiths company, Richardson and Ottewill, based in Kent, designed and produced the virge. The company is one of the leading producers of gold and silverware in the UK and has won nearly 30 national awards for design and manufacturing skills.

The work was carried out principally by Steve Ottewill and Robert Russell at the company's Ashford site. Both have been delighted to be able to be involved in a piece of St Bride's history and they and their families are planning to attend the guild service to witness the dedication of the virge and its use for the first time. "Mostly, our work tends to be locked away in cabinets and seen only infrequently, so it was very pleasing for us to produce something that will be seen and used regularly," Steve told me.