Within the 677acres of the City's Square Mile are 25 Wards, each of which annually returns elected members to the Court of Common Council. Unique among municipalities in the United Kingdom, each Ward is also represented by an Alderman, who is elected to serve for life. The City, one of the most powerful financial institutions in the world, is then administered as a municipality by the Court of Aldermen and by the Court of Common Council.

Many of the Wards have formed Ward Clubs, some of which have been in existence for many years, and it may be considered surprising therefore that Broad Street, containing within it The Bank of England, The Stock Exchange, The Royal Exchange and three Livery Companies, did not form its own Club until 1976. This late start however has not prevented Broad Street Ward Club from becoming one of the liveliest in the City, with a full and varied annual programme.

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It was on the 19th October,1976, that the then Ward Alderman, Sir Hugh Wontner, presided over a meeting at Carpenters' Hall at which it was resolved to form the Club. Also present were a number of like-minded, enthusiastic individuals, some of them Common Councilmen, many of whom retain an interest in the Club to this day.

The formation of the Club was helped by generous financial assistance from the Carpenters' Livery Company and from Mr V A Ercolani. Successive Chairmen have also made presentations to the Club upon retirement from office.

The design of the Ward Badge, featured prominently in Club literature, was largely the work of Sir Hugh Wontner, overseen by the College of Arms. The College provides the following armorial description: "Between two crosses pattee convexed Gules voided Argent a fesse coupled checky Or and Azure surmounted of a lion's face Sable the wholeset within and upon a continuous scroll lettered Gules `Broad Street Ward Club'. "

The Ward Club has the honour each year of entertaining the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs at its Annual Luncheon, the principal Ward Club function. It therefore gave all members great pleasure when the President of the Club, Sir Christopher Collett-one of its founders- was elected to the high office of Lord Mayor in l989.

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As to the history of the Ward itself, this can be traced all the way back to 1278 when its first Alderman, William Bukerel, assumed office. His name lives on in Bucklersbury, the thoroughfare which connects Cheapside to Walbrook to this day. There has been an unbroken record of Aldermen for the Ward since that first day in 1278. Exactly when Broad Street became the undisputed name for the Ward is uncertain, as there were references in 1293 and 1308 respectively to "Bradestreete" and to "Broad Street and Lothbury ". With Broad Street always being more important than Lothbury as a thoroughfare, however, it can he safely assumed that the change took place many centuries ago.

Another famous Alderman of the Ward was one Dick Whittington, but unfortunately for Broad Street, on his election to Lord Mayor, in 1398, he promptly transferred his allegiance to Lime Street Ward.

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