AUTUMN 2018 | No. 18
THE CLOTHWORKER
www.clothworkers.co.uk
EDITOR’S NOTE Renée LaDue
CONTENTS MASTER’S WELCOME 3 FAREWELL
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NEW MEMBERS
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CELEBRATING TEXTILES 6 CHAMPIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE 8 SPOTLIGHT ON TRUSTEESHIP 9 GET INVOLVED!
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AFFILIATIONS 12 ARCHIVES AND COLLECTIONS 14 THE CLOTHWORKERS’ FOUNDATION 16 INTER LIVERY SPORTS REPORT
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NEWS & NOTICES
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hank you to all the members who have welcomed me to the team! In my first six months, I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of you during events at the Hall. I’ve felt inspired by the enthusiasm and passion shown by everyone – from new members being admitted to the Freedom, to Livery members building new relationships with one another and becoming more and more involved with Company endeavours, and Court members and Assistants Emeriti who toil tirelessly to provide leadership and effective governance so that The Company continues to achieve its purpose and meet its commitments to civil society. I’d love to hear from more members about your experiences of trusteeship or serving as a school governor, and how we can improve our impact and outreach in championing good governance across the charitable sector. Please feel free to get in touch with questions on membership communications, the members’ area and more: reneeladue@clothworkers.co.uk. SUPPORT THE LIVERY FUND Each year, we encourage all Clothworkers to donate, within their means, to the Livery Fund – a sub-fund of The Clothworkers’ Foundation. The Company not only matches all donations, but also allows you, as a donor, to decide where the grants are allocated by nominating and then voting for short-listed charities. This makes the Livery Fund an effective and rewarding way to support causes important to you. In 2018, the generosity of members enabled us to award three grants of £31,000 each. Would you like to nominate a charity for our next round of grants? Please complete your donation before the end of October. We look forward to hearing from you.
Clothworkers Clothworkers Receive Receive
Queen’s
Birthday Birthday Honours Honours Dhruv Prashant Patel: OBE, for voluntary service to the British Hindu community and Social Cohesion. Kimberly Anne McCutcheon, Lately Commanding Officer of First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY): OBE, for services to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and Emergency Response in London. Please let us know if we’ve missed anyone.
IN MEMORIAM We regret to announce the following deaths: Dr Simon Royle Smith Freeman (Dec 2017)
Detail of work from the ‘Hong Kong Collection’ by Claudia Sabina Veneroni. Read more on pp 6-7.
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For more information on making a donation, please log on to the Members’ Area of our website or email Emma Temple (emmatemple@clothworkers.co.uk).
THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
Mr Colin Edward Martin Freeman (Jun 2018)
JOHN COOMBE-TENNANT, MASTER 2018-19 autistic, and both of them are active in schools and charities that work in Special Needs provision. In 1999, the family returned to London, and John worked for Société Générale until he took on the management of two family investment companies. He is now a director of East Pharma Ltd, a London listed company that manufactures and markets branded generic pharmaceutical products. He is also on the board of Trophy Asset Management Ltd, a Hong Kong asset manager that runs regional equity funds.
“Becoming Master of The Clothworkers’ Company is an honour and a challenge, and a great opportunity...”
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ohn joined the Court of The Clothworkers’ Company in 2009. He is the great-great-grandson of Edgar Horne (Master, 1878-79) and nephew of Peter Luttman-Johnson (Master, 1985-86). He has served on many of The Company’s committees, and currently chairs the Budget SubCommittee and the Risk and Audit Sub-Committee. The second of five children, he was born in London and grew up on a farm in West Sussex, attending prep school in Broadstairs and then Eton College. He studied English at the University of East Anglia, with a minor in History of Art, which included a term in Italy. During his university vacations, he
John is a governor of Swiss Cottage School, a maintained special needs school. Other interests include Wales, farming and woodland management. worked in Boston (USA), Swansea, and Norwich, and he has travelled widely. John joined Cazenove & Co in 1980 and trained in financial services, starting as a Blue Button on the floor of the Stock Exchange. He qualified as a Member of the Stock Exchange and worked in the research department and in client portfolio management. He was responsible for client relations in the privatisation of British Telecom and British Gas. John joined an IT startup company in 1988, but soon moved to the Economist Intelligence Unit to cover European banking and markets. In 1991, he and a school friend sailed a 46-foot Baltic across the Pacific to Hong Kong, where he joined Jardine Fleming’s Asian research team. He married Clare Bentley, who was working as a fund manager for Baring Asset Management – both of them have very happy memories of their time in Hong Kong. They have four children, the youngest of whom is
John says, ‘Becoming Master of The Clothworkers’ Company is an honour and a challenge, and a great opportunity to work on behalf of The Company with leaders across many fields. We are in interesting times, and I know the role will be fascinating. With its medieval roots and its contemporary concerns, The Company and The Clothworkers’ Foundation work for the good of society from our historic niche in the City of London. I will need to fit my own busy family life around the job, too. With your support, I look forward to helping this great Company towards its 500th anniversary. ‘In so far as I and my speakers for events throughout the year have a theme, it is sustaining the common good – we will cover the way the generation gap is managed, how businesses might generate profit while acting more responsibly, and how to care for those with special needs.’ THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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FAREWELL AND THANK YOU Immediate Past Master, Dr Carolyn Boulter, DL
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n my final weeks as Master, several people asked me, ‘What have you enjoyed most this year?’.
It was a privilege and a joy to chair the Court, and a pleasure to feel the immense support and ability to work together that is a feature of our present membership. I also enjoyed working with The Clothworkers’ Foundation trustees, chaired by Alex Nelson. The Foundation, our charitable arm with its ever-growing grant giving, is – with Trusteeship and Textiles (which lie within the remit of The Company) – our raison d’être. I am proud to be part of the Clothworkers’, with its wide range of charitable giving and, especially, to have visited some of The Foundation’s previous projects in the North East, as well as meeting representatives of many others. We have a very efficient grants team who keep it all running very smoothly. The year as Master gave me an opportunity to look back at my own Clothworker journey. My first speech
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THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
as a Liverywoman, in 2002, was a toast to The Company. I recall that I spoke of our Company as a great oak tree with deep roots in tradition: the textile industry and care for those in need. It draws up the water from that soil for its life. Then, at the top, its unfurling leaves (present members), provide the energy for new growth, linked to the roots by the conducting trunk and branches.
“It was a privilege and a joy to chair the Court, and a pleasure to feel the immense support and ability to work together that is a feature of our current membership.” So, today, I think my answer might be that, as Master, you can see the whole tree, its history, its new leaves, its generosity in giving to those in need, its energy in engaging with the growing textile industry in the UK,
and its concern that the charitable sector governs itself well and that its membership champions good governance in the third sector. As Master, one gets amazing insight into how our extraordinary community works together. That, for me, was also one of the best parts – to live at the Hall, collaborating with the staff as well as with members, watching it all function and being part of the community. In particular, Joss, as Clerk, welcomed us; our frequent meetings were a great joy and enhanced the year for me. I am immensely grateful for it all, but especially to all the staff who looked after Hugh and me so well, and the members who encouraged us with lovely messages. We have been very privileged, and we thank you all. Left: Carolyn takes a turn on the loom during London Craft Week 2018. Right: Ann Buxton, Master of The Pewterers’ Company, with Carolyn on their visit to Ironbridge.
NEW MEMBERS (JULY) Top: Edward Brown, Jonathan Cummings, Hannah Rentoul. Bottom: Isabel Jones, Matthew Coombe-Tennant, Emma Ingham Clark.
“I look forward to participating in the Clothworkers’ for years to come.” Matthew Coombe-Tennant Edward Anthony Brown A fourth-generation Clothworker, Edward is the son of Richard Anthony Brown, Liveryman, and great-grandson of Walter Pothecary, Clerk to the Company (1933-50) and Master (1952-53). Edward has completed his second year at Reading University in pursuit of a BSc in Agricultural Business Management. His interests include sports (hockey, golf, cricket, shooting, skiing and tennis) and travel.
Jonathan Charles Cummings Son of Graham George Cummings, Freeman, Jonathan is a fifthgeneration Clothworker. The family connection goes back to 1834, when Josiah William Cummings (his great-great-great uncle) was apprenticed to Thomas White, a Waterman (and
Clothworker) in Southwark. Jonathan is the Chairman of FITCH Design in Hong Kong. He is also a Director of Cricket Hong Kong, an advisor to the board of ENZ and a founding member of the Panda Paddlers (a dragon boat team). Jonathan has a BSc (Hons) from Brunel University and a DipM from Cambridge Marketing College.
Hannah Clementine Poppy Rentoul Daughter of Tessa Rentoul (née Latham), Hannah is a seventh-generation Clothworker and from a long line of past Masters. The family connection began with Thomas, a wine merchant on St Dunstan’s Hill, who was made Free by Redemption in 1773, and was Master in 1810. Hannah is a Commercial Management Associate at Glaxo Smith Kline. She has a BSc from the University of
Bristol. Her interests include environmental sustainability, current affairs, theatre and sports (hockey, skiing, scuba diving and clay shooting).
Isabel May Harding Jones Isabel is a fourth-generation Clothworker. Daughter of Robert Jones, Liveryman, and granddaughter of Richard Jones (Master, 2002-03). The family connection goes back to 1927 when Sir Henry Frank Harding Jones (Master, 1972-73) was made Free by Redemption. Isabel is a Global Account Manager for Disney, and studied business and marketing. Her interests include travelling and history.
Matthew George Coombe-Tennant Son of John CoombeTennant, Master (201819), Matthew is a thirdgeneration Clothworker.
He is linked by marriage to the Luttman-Johnsons (the great-grandson of Frederic Michell Luttman-Johnson) and the Hornes (the greatgreat-grandson of Alderson Burrell Horne, Master, 192728). Matthew is currently studying Oceanography at Bangor University, Wales. His interests include hiking and sailing.
Emma Alexandra Ingham Clark Daughter of Thomas Ingham Clark, and granddaughter of R Alastair Ingham Clark (Master Excused Service, 1998-99), Emma is a seventhgeneration Clothworker. The family connection began in 1777, when James Fitch, a cheesemonger in Leadenhall Street, was apprenticed to Edward Whinnell. Emma is a student at the University of Cambridge. Her interests include travelling, languages, art, theatre and music. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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CELEBRATING TEXTILES INNOVATION
“My work features needle felting, machine couching and hand tufting ... I was inspired by structured botany and have enjoyed combining the geometry of machine couching with the softness of hand tufting. I was shocked to win first prize. It’s an amazing achievement ... as it’s from a highly regarded organisation that everyone in the textiles industry respects.” Kerry Napier, a 22-year-old winner from Newcastle (pictured above)
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he Company and Foundation have been long-standing supporters of the annual Bradford Textile Society Design Competition and New Designers.
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• The Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, also supported by the Dyers’, has been running since 1893 and attracts nearly 1,000 entries from across the UK every year. We committed £4,650 in 2017 to continue our support for six award categories celebrating knitted, printed and woven textile designs as well as innovation in combining textile processes and introducing new textile materials or utilising new technologies to advance the field. The 2018 winners are: •
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Wendy Roger (Heriot-Watt University): knitted design for either fashion or interiors THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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Sophie Penwright (Bedford College): printed design for either fashion or interiors which shows creative potential from an undergraduate student Hollie Andrews (Loughborough University): woven design for fashion Helena Cockwill (Falmouth University): woven design for interiors Kerry Napier (De Montfort University): design for fashion or interiors that shows an innovative combination of textile processes Emma Carruthers (Leeds Arts University): material construction for either fashion or interiors produced by non-conventional processes and/or materials, or by new technologies.
NEW DESIGNERS: THE CLOTHWORKERS’ COMPANY ASSOCIATE PRIZE This past June, Claudia Sabina Veneroni won our New Designers’ Associate Prize for her ‘Hong Kong Collection’. A 22-year-old graduate of The Glasgow School of Art, Claudia demonstrated a ‘brave, trend-setting, innovative’ approach to her designs, as well as a good sense of colour and a complete understanding of the complexities, opportunities and limitations involved in the technical production required to move her ideas from designs to products. She specialises in digital print design as well as embroidered and surface textiles. Her work combines illustration and textile design to tell surrealist stories inspired by people and travel. TexSelect has named Chelsea as one of their top 24 graduate textile designers, and they invited her to exhibit the ‘Hong Kong Collection’ in the London Preview (Chelsea, July 2018) and the forthcoming Première Vision Designs (Paris, September 2018) – The Master will be attending the latter. It is a key strategic aim of The Company to encourage innovation and foster talent among students
and young designers – particularly those who demonstrate an advanced understanding of textile technologies and possess the ability to convert ideas into products. Claudia will be presented with her £1,000 prize at Clothworkers’ Hall during the Alumni Dinner (24th September). She has written to The Company to thank us for supporting the award: ‘I am so honoured and excited to receive the award, and I really appreciate the recognition for my work.’ Take a look at her portfolio at www. claudiaveneroni.com. One Year in Development Award The Company is also pleased to announce that Majeda Clarke, one of last year’s recipients of The Clothworkers’ Company Awards at Cockpit Arts, was also a first-prize winner at New Designers 2018. Majeda’s time at Cockpit Arts paid off, earning her the One Year in Development Award. Majeda said, ‘I’m so excited about
[this award], as it recognises my practice amongst my peers. I exhibited alongside some incredibly strong makers, and to win this award is a real confirmation of how far my work has come since I began just two years ago. I have had the opportunity to develop my practice with the help of a Cockpit Arts / The Clothworkers’ Company Award and now feel completely confident of success as I move on to the next phase of my business.’
makers to follow in Majeda’s wake. The following talented craftswomen have recently taken up residence at the creative business incubator: •
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Cockpit Arts has welcomed four new
“I’m so excited about [this award], as it recognises my practice amongst my peers ... I exhibited alongside some incredibly strong makers, and to win this award is a real confirmation of how far my work has come since I began ... ” Majeda Clarke, Cockpit Arts
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Poppy Fuller Abbott, who has an experimental approach and uses a sustainable paper yarn in her textiles. Elizabeth Ashdown, who creates often-elaborate trimmings (passementerie) for garments and interior furnishings. Vicky Cowin, who graduated in 2016 and is already gaining recognition for her work as an Elle Decoration Award winner. Sophie Graney, who integrates unusual materials in her weaving and has plans to work with product designers as part of her business.
Claudia, whose work is featured on the cover and at the beginning of this article, appears below (left) with her award. Majeda, from Cockpit Arts, appears beside her (right).
THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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CHAMPIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
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ur third annual Charity Governance Awards were on 24th May. We organised the event with partners NPC, Prospectus and Reach Volunteering. This year, we had a record 131 applications and shortlisted 20 charities for the seven award categories. We’re grateful to a number of Clothworkers for helping us in the first round of judging, allowing us to create a ‘long list’ of entries for our second round, reviewed by professional judges.
Michael Howell, Chair of our Trusteeship Committee, hosted the event for us. The audience was treated to a fantastic keynote address by Dame Julia Cleverdon before the ceremony, with another insightful and relevant address from guest speaker Rosalind Oakley (Association of Chairs and Charity Governance Code Steering Group). Both emphasised the importance of celebrating and supporting good governance across the sector. David Gold, CEO of
Prospectus, chaired a panel made up of three winners from the 2017 awards, and the panellists shared meaningful advice from their own organisations and experiences. Following the ceremony, a spokesperson from each of the winning charities was interviewed, and films of those interviews are available on the Charity Governance Awards website. Feedback from the night, both from our formal surveys and social media, was very positive. Guests shared their experiences on Twitter with the #CharityGov18 hashtag – at one point in the evening it was ‘trending’ as the sixth-most popular hashtag in the UK. More information can be found online: www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk. We’re hosting the next Charity Governance Awards on 22nd May 2019. Entries will be accepted from 1st October to 22nd January – please spread the word!
Above: Professional Judges and Panellists observe the award presentations. Below: Guests from across the charity sector celebrate good governance and enjoy the opportunity to network with other third-sector staff and trustees at Clothworkers’ Hall.
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SPOTLIGHT ON TRUSTEESHIP
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oseph Winkley is a trustee for Step Forward – a small charity in Tower Hamlets that provides support to young people (aged 11-15). He has been a trustee for a little more than a year, and joined the board to provide the benefit of his financial background and business experience. ‘I have to say that, so far, I am learning a lot more than I am contributing... It’s an incredibly interesting area, something I have to admit I knew little of before becoming a trustee.’ Joe admitted that he had never thought of being a trustee before joining The Company. ‘The Clothworkers’ were very instrumental in me becoming a trustee.’ Joe credits the Cause4 Trustee Leadership Programme, which is sponsored by The Company as well as Joe’s employer, Close Brothers, for helping him connect with Step Forward. ‘In effect, it was speed dating. You have a lot of people who are interested in
“I have to say that, so far, I am learning a lot more than I am contributing ... It’s an incredibly interesting area, something I have to admit I knew little of before becoming a trustee.” becoming trustees; you have a lot of charities that are looking for trustees. You spend a bit of time speaking with one another, and where there is a match, you move forward. I was lucky in that the one I was really interested in was Step Forward. I liked the people I met there, and I liked what they were doing...and they liked me as well, so we moved forward.’
that, to me, is very rewarding.’ Joe’s advice for others interested in becoming a trustee is to do a little research. He says it’s not something to approach lightly, ‘It is a commitment. For me, it’s four days a year on paper, but it takes up more time than that – interacting with the staff and learning about what’s happening on the business side. But I would encourage you to go have a look, see what’s out there, see if there are opportunities of interest.’ Joe has no regrets! Joe is very passionate about learning as much as he can about the charity and its service users, describing the experience as ‘eye-opening’. He is learning about the challenges teens face in more deprived areas of London today, as well as the challenges the charity’s staff face and the skills they develop in the course of their work. ‘Behind it, what you don’t realise with a lot of charities, is how much work goes into it and how much support people working for those charities need in order to be able to do their jobs.’ What does he get out of it? Joe says the rewards exceed his expectations. He wanted to become a trustee to feel like he could make a difference in the world. He does feel that way, and feels grateful for the experience to learn more about societal issues he previously knew nothing about. ‘When you hear about stories of children or young adults who have had terrible times…dealing with extreme problems…and you see them coming out the other side – and you understand how the charity you work for is helping not just this child or this young adult, but a whole host of children and young adults to navigate problems and make their lives better…
Interested in becoming a trustee, but don’t know where to start? Like Joe, you can register for the Trustee Leadership Programme. This five-week course is delivered by Cause4 in London. Each session (one evening a week) is spent helping trustees (or potential trustees) build skills and develop confidence as responsible, effective board members to UK charities. The course culminates in a ‘trustee matching’ event to help those currently searching for a role connect with charities looking to fill board vacancies. Contact Renée LaDue (reneeladue@clothworkers.co.uk) if you would like to hear more about registering for the next course (spring 2019). Cause4 also delivers a series of one-day seminars outside of London. Search for ‘Trustee Leadership Programme’ at www.cause4.co.uk. Clothworkers who have logged into the Members’ Area recently might have noticed that The Company publishes trustee vacancies from its partner, Reach Volunteering. In 2017, Reach helped fill 473 trustee vacancies with its TrusteeWorks service, and aims to place another 550 in 2018. Will you be one? Save the date for our next Trusteeship Dinner on Thursday, 20th June 2019. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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GET INVOLVED! FIND A NEW ROLE OR LEARN A NEW SKILL
THE CRANFIELD TRUST
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he Cranfield Trust works with more than 300 charities a year, providing free management support by matching local business people with local charities. Cranfield Trust volunteer consultants are skilled managers from the commercial sector, with wide range of expertise. They enjoy the challenge of helping charities address management issues, using their professional skills. The Trust welcomes new volunteers in England, Scotland and Wales, and would be delighted to hear from Clothworkers who may be interested in volunteering. Find out more at: www.cranfieldtrust.org/volunteer.
LIVERY SCHOOLS LINK
Above: Local business leaders supporting charity staff at a Cranfield Trust event. Below: The Worshipful Company of Builders’ Merchants supporting an LSL event.
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The Clothworkers’ Company has registered an interest with Livery Schools Link (LSL). LSL works with livery companies and schools to support young people in education. To date, more than 100 volunteers from a growing number of livery companies have worked with 60 different schools, taking part in career and motivational talks or volunteering as school governors. All members of The Clothworkers’ Company are invited to participate, and there are opportunities for everyone – including supporting one-off events that fit around busy schedules or committing to longerterm volunteer roles. To learn more about opportunities available through LSL, please visit the website at: www.liveryschoolslink.org.uk.
NPC SEMINARS AT CLOTHWORKERS’ HALL The Company regularly partners with New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) to champion good governance across the charity sector. We collaborated with NPC on the ‘Board Matters’ investigation into challenges facing the third sector, and recruited them as partners for our annual Charity Governance Awards. We are also sponsoring a series of NPC seminars, focused on delivering practical solutions for governing boards and helping trustees develop essential skills for their roles. The seminars are hosted at Clothworkers’ Hall and registration is free (early booking is recommended): 19th November 2018 (4.00-6.00pm) ‘What Impact Data Should Trustees Be Using in Decision Making?’ Exploring how trustees can use data to learn as well as to inform strategy, programme design and resource allocation. 14th January 2019 (4.00-6.00pm) ‘How Embracing Digital Can Transform Your Charity’. Exploring what trustees need to consider when embracing digital in their charities. 18th March 2019 (4.00-6.00pm) ‘Harnessing Risk and Embracing Opportunity’. Exploring how considered risk taking can bring opportunities through new ways of working, partnering, fundraising or even developing new strategies. Visit www.thinknpc.org/events for more information.
Above: NPC Consultant Grace Wyld with Sir Vince Cable at the Charity Governance Awards. Below: Bliss accepts a Charity Governance Award for ‘Embracing Digital.’ THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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AFFILIATIONS: ‘NOTHING SPECIAL HAPPENED’
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othing special happened. That is what the front of a new memorial in Yorkshire Sculpture Park says. Designed by artist Katrina Palmer and commissioned by 14-18 NOW and the Art Fund, this spectacular memorial commemorates the contribution of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) to the First World War. The artwork consists of a hand-painted horse jump and trench, and will occasionally be brought to life through performance, as a horse and rider gallop across the landscape to take the challenging jump – this is an allusion to the original vision for the FANY to be deployed on horseback. This all-female volunteer ‘military’ organisation wasn’t founded until 1907, an even then the British Army did not want to be associated with them. However, they persevered and provided vital medical support to
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Belgian and French armies, and later helped to run medical convoys and ambulances for the British. The words on the memorial – quoting the diaries of FANY member Murial Thompson – challenge visitors to consider the everyday heroism shown by women on the front, but also the extraordinary determination shown by women fighting prejudice everywhere. Immediate Past Master Carolyn Boulter, the Clerk and other members of The Company attended the unveiling in mid-June, which was presided over by none other than FANY Commander in Chief HRH The Princess Royal. Top: Sculptor Katrina Palmer with members of The Company. Right: A horsewoman makes the challenging jump. © 2018, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and 14-18 NOW. Courtesy of the artist. Photos by Jonny Walton/Kaptur.
AFFILIATIONS: THE RAF CENTENARY
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elebrating its 52nd birthday in the Royal Air Force this year, the C-130 Hercules is the longest-serving operational aircraft currently in use. The Hercules has been continuously deployed at the forefront of global operations. At the end of the Falklands conflict, more than 36 years ago, it was the first British tactical transport aircraft to land at Port Stanley, and the Hercules fleet maintained a permanent presence at Mount Pleasant until April this year, when it handed over to the A400M Atlas. As a tactical transport aircraft, the C-130 Hercules has often been the first aircraft to land at forward locations, close to intense military activity. It was the first to land in Kuwait after the Iraqi retreat, the first into Bagram during the liberation of Afghanistan and also the first into Tripoli during the withdrawal of UK civilians from Libya. Currently, No. 47 Squadron have two C-130 aircraft continuously deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where they act in support of Operation SHADER in Iraq. The C-130 – and all squadrons who operate her – are now based at RAF Brize Norton, having moved from RAF Lyneham in 2011.
47 Squadron, noted, ‘It is an honour to take part in this historic event today, particularly in an aircraft that has been in service for more than half of the RAF’s 100-year history and one that will remain at the forefront of tactical air mobility for many years to come.’ The flypast, which included 100 aircraft, took place on 10th July – 100 days after the official RAF centenary. Beginning in Ipswich and travelling via Chelmsford, the procession was in the skies above Buckingham Palace in London around 1.00pm. It was part of a larger celebration that included a parade of more than 1,000 service men and women along The Mall, after which Her Majesty The Queen presented a new Queen’s Colour to the RAF.
The crew who participated in the RAF 100 Flypast was made up of personnel from No. 47 Squadron, the operational frontline squadron, No. XXIV Squadron, the operational conversion unit, and No. 622 Squadron RAuxAF (who provide aircrew and flying support personnel to the C-130). Above: View of the C-130 flying over
The Captain, Officer Commanding No.
London. Courtesy of Flt Lt Tom Arnold. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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ARCHIVES AND COLLECTIONS Senior Archivist, Jessica Collins
RESEARCHERS IN THE ARCHIVES
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he Archives continue to be busy, and we have been fortunate to recruit two new and dedicated volunteers to help us tackle some long-outstanding, but significant, backlogs with our Clothworker family trees project as well as cataloguing our Book of Deeds and Wills, a fascinating register of all bequests and gifts to The Company from the 16th century onwards.
Top: Master Weaver Emma Jo Webster during a London Craft Week
The volume also includes some wonderful insights into the plethora of matters concerning our livery forebears, including the costs and contents of Election Dinner menus from the 1560s, a list of the 33 Clothworkers who were press-ganged into service for the ill-fated Newhaven Expedition in 1562 and instructions on the effective running of Sutton Valence Grammar School in Kent, including this gem:
demonstration. Left: Visitors take turns on the portable loom, including Court member Col Alastair Mathewson (bottom).
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‘[It is ordered] that neither the said Master nor Usher shall bee a common
Gamester or common haunter of Taverns or Alehouses or a common swearer or by [wearing] unecessarie or unseemlie apparrell or by anie other mea[nes] become an infamie to the schoole and an eville example [to] the youth under their chardge and tuition to whome [in all] points they ought to shew themselves of honest continen[ce] and godlie behaviour.’ You can find a catalogue of our Archives on our website at: www.clothworkers.co.uk. LONDON CRAFT WEEK Now in its fourth year, London Craft Week has a growing reputation for showcasing the best of creativity and craft. On Friday, 11th May, we became part of this initiative, opening the Hall to shine a light on the craftsmanship behind our new tapestry. With Chris Ofili’s magnificent The Caged Bird’s Song as a backdrop, the Livery Hall was the location for a series of tapestry master classes hosted by two
of Dovecot Tapestry Studio’s Master Weavers and their newest apprentice. Guests were invited (and, we’re pleased to say, enthusiastically agreed!) to put their weaving skills to the test with one of Dovecot’s portable looms. Weavers Naomi Robertson and Emma Jo Webster also delivered a fascinating lecture on the making of the tapestry, explaining to an enthralled audience how they went about translating and interpreting Ofili’s small watercolour cartoon – with all its colour and nuance, both accidental and deliberate – to the loom on such a large scale. We welcomed more than 100 members of the public over the course of the day, and we were all struck by the genuine enthusiasm and appreciation of the guests for both the opportunity to see the tapestry in the flesh (the first time for many viewing it in this setting) and to meet the makers, who were inundated with questions throughout what was a most successful day. Our first foray at participating in London Craft Week, we plan to open the Hall during the 2019 event and are considering broadening our remit to include the other crafts we support.
SUPPORTING CRAFT SKILLS In other news, we are pleased to announce that the antique Vulliamy clock, recently recovered by The Company following its theft from Clothworkers’ Hall in 1970, will soon be travelling to West Dean for specialist conservation work. The timepiece is in need of some attention following its near 50-year absence from the Hall, including removal of congealed oil and severe verdigris in places as well as repairs to its movement. The work will form a one-year project for a postgraduate student, with appropriate supervision from West Dean’s team of expert horological conservators. Given The Company and Foundation’s keen interest in the field of conservation, it is most apposite that the clock can be of wider educational benefit, enabling a student conservator to gain valuable experience on the project, from condition reporting right through to completed treatment. Supporting skills and emerging talent in other fields, we continue to fund postgraduate silversmiths on their one-year residential programme at
Bishopsland, a unique craft skills and business training course. We provide small bursaries to enable students to purchase raw materials and essential tools, for use both during and beyond their studies. This year, Takuya Kamiyama was one of five students who received a bursary, using the funds to purchase three hammers, pliers and a ‘dremel’ that aided his creation of a silver vase. Two silversmiths who have previously benefitted from Bishopland’s training and funding provided by QEST, (with whom we formerly funded a bookbinding bursary) are amongst those The Company has invited to produce designs for two new loving cups. The winners of our design competition, who will then go on to make new cups to celebrate our first Lady Master and 500th Master respectively, will be announced in the next edition of The Clothworker (spring 2019). Finally, we will soon receive delivery of several new designer bookbindings, which were commissioned in recent years from a number of leading names in the field including Pamela Richmond, Jo Bird and Sue Doggett.
Left: Takuya Kamlyama puts his new dremel, purchased with a Clothworkers’ bursary, to work. Right: Takuya’s completed vase. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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THE CLOTHWORKERS’ FOUNDATION DRAMATIC ARTS
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he Clothworkers’ Foundation held its first trustee meeting of the year in March, and we were delighted to award seven large grants totalling £540,000 under the Main and Small Grants Programme. One of the successful applicants was Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA), a specialist domestic abuse service. BWA had applied to The Foundation for help in purchasing and renovating its leased refuge building. The purchase will allow BWA to improve the financial sustainability of the organisation, and the renovation will create an additional seven bed spaces – greatly needed – for service users. Domestic and sexual abuse is one of the nine key programme areas funded by The Clothworkers’ Foundation. The number of refuges in England has been steadily decreasing, and threequarters of local authorities with responsibility for providing refuges have cut their funding since 2010. These ongoing pressures on domestic abuse organisations make The Foundation’s continued support in this area a critical asset to organisations raising funds for their important work.
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The Foundation’s £1.25m Dramatic Arts initiative (one of the Proactive Grants Programmes) includes a major £180,000 grant to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), one of the UK’s leading drama schools. The grant provides bursaries of £30,000 over three years to talented young students from low-income backgrounds, allowing them to accept a full-time place on a prestigious acting or technical course. Dr Carolyn Boulter, the Immediate Past Master, visited BWA as part of The Foundation’s volunteer visitor programme. She said, ‘The service users I met during the visit, and the stories of how BWA had helped them, most impressed me.’ Staff at the Foundation have said, ‘We were impressed by BWA’s strong and well-thought out application. It is an organisation with a good track record, and we felt that they clearly demonstrated a holistic and wholefamily approach to their services.’ Margaret Rice-Jones, Chair of BWA’s Board of Trustees, responded to the grant, ‘We were absolutely delighted with the support from the Clothworkers’. At a time when demand for our services has been increasing year on year, local government funding has been cut quite significantly. The money will help us to provide more rooms of high-quality accommodation to support women and their children, and to transform their lives and finally live free from the fear of violence. These women will come not only from our local area in Berkshire, but also right across the country.’
The fourth – and most recent – recipient is Leonard Buckley who, on completing his first year at RADA, said: ‘I am writing to you as I approach the last week of my first year at RADA to express my inconveniently inexpressible thanks for the invaluable support The Clothworkers’ Foundation has given me.
“Put simply, there is just no way of saying what your support has meant to me; how indispensable it has been to the first year of my training at RADA.” ‘Put simply, there is just no way of saying what your support has meant to me; how indispensable it has been to the first year of my training at RADA. Coming from a very modest financial background, money has always been a big source of anxiety in my life, so when I was offered a place at RADA,
once I’d gotten over the initial shot of euphoric disbelief, my first thought was naturally, “How on earth am I going to fund this?” There was no form of government grant available to me in Ireland; a student loan and CDL were both out of the question on account of my graduate status and Irish citizenship respectively; and although I’d lived frugally, worked, and saved tirelessly in the years prior to my acceptance, and crowdfunded as much as I could afterwards, it seemed a distinct possibility that I might have to turn down my place. ‘For these reasons, I don’t think it’s oversentimental or hyperbolic of me to say that your support has played a pivotal role in making what once felt like a pipe dream a reality; and moreover, that this support has made for an ease of mind that has allowed me to make the absolute most of my training and consistently exceed my own expectations of myself as an actor. ‘I have yet to complete the entirety of my end-of-year tutorials, but I can say that they have been very satisfied with the work I have produced throughout the year, and I have been assured that I am in the ideal place to be starting the second year of my training.’ Leonard signed off with, ‘eternal thanks, once more’. We look forward to watching his star rise! This is the final year of the five-year Dramatic Arts initiative, and we will see the final RADA bursary awarded in September. The Foundation will commission an external evaluation of Dramatic Arts to help it decide whether the programme should be extended.
Above: Leonard Buckley, pictured on stage (right), was the recipient of a RADA bursary in 2017 from The Clothworkers’ Foundation, part of The Foundation’s Dramatic Arts Proactive Grants Programme.
THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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INTER LIVERY SPORTS REPORT GREAT XII SAILING CHALLENGE
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mmediate Past Master Carolyn Boulter commissioned new caps for the sailing team and attended the Great XII competition with her consort, Hugh, and our Beadle, Michael Drummond. The annual event raises money for The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, but also provides a wonderful opportunity for members of the Great XII to get to know one another. Clothworker teams did not take a top place this year, but all who attended will have fond memories of the event. Contact Captain Andrew Yonge if you are interested in participating in 2019. GREAT XII GOLF COMPETITION Clothworkers took third place in the Great XII Golf Competition at The New Zealand Golf Club this past April, where The Fishmongers’ Company hooked the cup. In May,
Clothworkers Charlie Hutchins and Justin Roberts stole the spotlight at The Dyers’ Company, also at The New Zealand Golf Club. Charlie won the Britten Salver, and Justin took the Bousfield Trophy. The pair then took the Mathieson Tankards. In July, Captain Timothy Bousfield led the team to another victory in the annual competition against the Scots Guards. INTER LIVERY CLAY SHOOT Clothworkers’ sent three teams of four to the event in May, including three new participants: Master-Elect John Coombe-Tennant, John PembertonPiggot and Ralph Anderson. Team captain Charlie Houston described 2018 as a ‘vintage year’ for the Clothworkers’, as the senior team won the flush with 77 out of 80 – an impressive victory as there were 110 teams competing. Champagne went to the senior team as well as to James Horne (senior team) and Ralph
Anderson ( junior team), who both scored above 60 out of 80 individually. INTER LIVERY RIFLE SHOOT This June event included four competitions: sniper rifle at 300 yards, target rifle at 900 yards, gallery rifle at 25 yards, and .44 black powder pistol at 15 yards. The ambitious Clothworkers hoped to maintain their first-place position from last year, but the competition was fierce. After winning a glass tankard each for first place in the target rifle event, Edward Wates, Andrew Wates and Andrew John Stevenson Clarke managed a very credible second place out of 14 teams. Those interested in joining the Inter Livery Clay Shoot next year (15th May or 22nd May) or the Inter Livery Rifle Shoot (31st May) should contact Charlie Houston for information.
Above: Photo from the Great XII Sailing Challenge this past June with members proudly displaying their new Clothworker caps.
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Above: Master John Coombe-Tennant joined the Inter Livery Clay Shoot competition for the first time this past May. Right: Clothworkers faced off against the Scots Guards for a golf competition at The Berkshire this past July. Major James R Kelly, Regimental Adjutant of the Scots Guards, wrote to congratulate the Clothworkers’ on their triumph in two matches, with one halved.
INTER LIVERY ACTIVITIES
GET INVOLVED WITH INTER LIVERY SPORTS
To find out more about Inter Livery activities, and how you can become more involved in events in the City of London, check out the Diary at www.liverycompanies.info.
For information, contact the Team Captains:
To read more about the work livery companies are doing across the City of London, check out the Livery Briefings (found in the ‘Library’) on the Livery Companies website.
Sailing: Andrew Yonge (andrew.yonge@zen.co.uk) Golf: Timothy Bousfield (tim.bousfield@outlook.com) Shooting: Charlie Houston (charles@goingsolar.org.uk)
THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
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NEWS & NOTICES AMBITIOUS ABOUT AUTISM
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mbitious about Autism, the national charity for children and young people with autism, will celebrate its 21st anniversary this year. The Clothworkers’ Foundation has partnered with this charity for many years, providing funding to build TreeHouse School in Muswell Hill, Ambitious College (London’s first specialist day centre for post-16 year olds with autism), and a number of programmes supporting children on the spectrum and their parents. Many things that people take for granted are out of reach for children and young people with autism, often for no good
reason. Ambitious about Autism exists to make the ordinary possible for these young people, by making sure they have access to the right education for their needs and by setting them on a pathway to the adulthood they want. This year, the charity will mark its anniversary with a campaign, We Need an Education, that addresses the sad fact that children with autism continue to be denied an education. This campaign examines issues of access to education, exclusions, support for professionals and progression to opportunities beyond school. The campaign will culminate in a debate on education for children with
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
THE REVD OLIVER ROSS
Alumni Dinner (24th September) A dinner to bring together those in textiles and conservation who have received support from us in the past. Invitations have been sent to selected Court and Livery members.
Court and Livery Dinner (3rd October) The theme of the dinner will be ‘The Generation Gap’, and the guest speaker will be The Rt Hon. the Lord Willetts. Invitations have been sent to Court, Assistant Emeriti and Livery members.
Election of Lord Mayor Luncheon (1st October) The election of the 691st Lord Mayor of London at Guildhall will be followed by lunch at Clothworkers’ Hall. Those eligible to cast a vote should arrive at Guildhall before 11.30am.
Young Freedom Reception (11th October) A pub-style quiz will serve as entertainment. Invitations have be sent to selected Court and Livery members, and all members of the Freedom under 40 years old.
Invitations to lunch have been sent to Court, Assistants Emeriti and Livery members.
autism, taking place at Clothworkers’ Hall on 15th October (6.00pm). The charity is delighted to open this event up to Clothworkers’ members and staff. To register your interest, please email communications@ ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk.
The full calendar for the Master’s year is available in the Members’ Area on our website (login required): www.clothworkers.co.uk.
This past summer, The Revd Oliver Ross left his position as rector of St Olave Hart Street and chaplain to The Clothworkers’ Company. Oliver graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at London University, and then taught for two years in South West Uganda. Following ordination in the UK and curacies in Preston and Central London, he was Vicar of Holy Trinity, Hounslow, for 12 years. He was appointed chaplain to The Company in 2006 and Area Dean of the City in 2009.
Carolyn Boulter thanked Oliver for his services to The Company. On the suggestion of Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark (Billingsgate, City of London), she presented Oliver with a stole, embroidered with The Clothworkers’ Company coat of arms (pictured above) at each end. Oliver will be admitted to the Freedom and become an Honorary Liveryman.
At our Election Dinner on 6th June, Immediate Past Master
We hope to see him and his wife, Lizzi, at the Hall soon.
Log on to the Members’ Area of the website for more: www.clothworkers.co.uk. 24
THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2018
