We've just returned from a great Master's weekend in Salisbury. The weekend was organised splendidly by Nigel and Stella Mattravers. Salisbury is a terrific City with plenty to do and see. We stayed in the Red Lion hotel where we had a dinner on Friday. We had a guided tour of the Cathedral on Saturday morning. Our guide, Arthur, was a friend of Nigel's and a qualified cathedral guide. At 87 he was both entertaining and very knowledgeable. A copy of Magna Carta was available to view. On Saturday after a pre theatre dinner we saw "Jeeves and Wooster". What a great show, very, very funny. If you get a chance to see it I would thoroughly recommend it!
My last blog was just before the Election Court and lunch at Cutlers Hall. We now have our team elected for next year. Congratulations to Richard Waller on being elected Walbrook Warden. Allan Cook, chairman of Atkins, was a good after lunch speaker. At the Court meeting we signed a new affiliation agreement with 66 Works Group, Royal Engineers. At the lunch we presented a cheque to Treloar for £1000 collected at the Myddelton lunch. Our collection after the Election lunch raised £1000 for ABF The Soldiers Charity.
On 16 April I attended the Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch in aid of ABF The Soldiers Charity with the Fleet Warden, Keith Tozzi. I was able to present the Lord Mayor with our cheque from the Election lunch. The next day I went to the Chartered Surveyors' lunch at Apothecaries Hall. The following week was the Fuellers' Election Court Lunch at Stationers Hall and the Lightermen and Watermen's St Georges day lunch at Waterman's Hall.
On 28th April I attended the City of London Corporation's Transport and Sustainability Forum as I have done previously. We heard about the "Close the Door" campaign which aims to reduce energy and air pollution in shops by getting them to close their doors. Research shows that closing the door reduces airborne pollution in shops by a third. There was also a presentation by the Corporation's new Responsible Procurement Officer. I offered the services of our livery company to advise on environmental criteria which may be included in contracts being let by the Corporation. Other items covered included the Walk to Work week, air quality action days, the green roof workshop and the biodiversity Action Plan.. This forum will in future be called the "Sustainable City Forum".
At the end of April I attended the Young Freeman's Civic Lunch at Charterhouse and the Air Pilots' Annual Cobham lecture in the evening where we heard about the exploits of Alex Henshaw who was Chief Production Test Pilot during the war. He tested some 3,000 Spitfires and the occasional Lancaster.
On 1st May I went to hear the verdict of the Trial of the Pyx and lunch at Goldsmiths Hall. The history of the Trial of the Pyx dates from the 12th century. It is the ceremony which checks the UK coins produced by the Royal Mint are within the limits of metallic composition, weight and size. The speaker at the lunch is usually the Chancellor of the Exchequer but he was otherwise engaged, something to do with the Election! His place was taken by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury
On 6th May there was the World Traders lecture and on the 9th May the 100+ Club lunch at the Information Technologists Hall. This is attended by livery companies which are 100+ in order of precedence.
The Sons of Clergy Festival in St Pauls was on 12th May. This is an annual service which celebrates the work of the Sons and Friends of the Clergy, the leading grant-making charity helping Anglican clergy and their families in times of need. The Lord Mayor processed alongside the Bishop of London with the Sheriffs, the Swordbearer, the Sergeant-at-Arms and the City Marshall in attendance. As is now traditional the choir of St Pauls Cathedral was joined by choirs from 2 other cathedrals, this year Manchester and Portsmouth Cathedrals. The preacher was The Dean of York the Very Reverend Vivienne Fault.
The next day I was at the Chartered Accountants True and Fair lecture and then at the Distillers lecture the following evening where we debated whether the whisky industry is innovative enough. I was surprised how many new blends and flavours are now on the market The vote at the end was generally "Yes", I think! After the debate we tasted some of the new whiskies with various blends and flavours. I have to say I think I prefer the traditional single malt whiskies!
On the 15th May Christine and I were guests of the Master Launderer at their Ladies banquet in Mansion House. I'd like to think that some day we will have a dinner in Mansion House but we'd need to increase our numbers substantially to fill the Egyptian Room and to make this viable financially.
On Saturday 16th it was the Tudor Pull. This is a great event which starts at Hampton Court where I, as Master of the Water Conservators, handed over our Stela, which is a piece of medieval elm water pipe, to the duty officer at Hampton Court who in turn handed it to the Queen's Bargemaster to take down the Thames to the Tower of London on the "Gloriana" the Queen's row barge. Setting off from Hampton Court on the Gloriana Christine and I with the Beadle and his wife were accompanied by a number of livery cutters and a following cruiser with two of the Wardens, their wives and other members of the Company on board. They followed us down river to Richmond where we stopped for refreshments. At Richmond I transferred into our cutter Water-Forget-me-not. I was then rowed the 20 odd miles down to the Tower by four of our women rowers . They did an absolutely splendid job. At the Tower we adjourned for well earned drinks.
On the Monday and Tuesday we had the Master's committee and the charity meetings respectively.
On Wednesday Christine and I attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace along with other livery Masters and a few thousand others! This was a great privilege especially walking in through the front gates and the front door of the Palace and then on into the garden. The weather was very kind to us and we got within a few feet of the Queen and Prince Philip but needless to say they didn't talk to us.
On Thursday I, along with Richard Waller, David Port and Malcolm Butchers represented the Company in the livery golf day at Walton Heath playing for the Prince Arthur Cup. This was 36 holes of foursomes. Golfers amongst you will know this is a tough format but made more challenging by playing against par! We had a credible result in the middle section of the field. Well done to the team.
Whilst I've been doing all this Christine has been attending a good number of functions with me when the opportunity arose. She has also had a private lunch at Mansion House at the invitation of the Lady Mayoress with12 other Mistresses. Other events she has attended on her own include lunch at the RAF Club, Plaisterers' Hall and a River Lunch as guest of the Watermens' Mistress before joining me for the Sons of Clergy service at St Pauls.
That brings me back to where I started. I'm now moving swiftly to my last month as Master with still a number of events to attend.
