AUTUMN 2019 | No. 20
THE CLOTHWORKER
www.clothworkers.co.uk
SIR JONATHAN PORTAL BT, MASTER 2019-20 CONTENTS NEW MEMBERS
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NEW DESIGNERS
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WEAVE & KNIT...
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BRADFORD TEXTILE SOCIETY...
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LONDON CRAFT WEEK & OPEN HOUSE 10 CITY WOMEN...
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DESIGNER BOOKBINDINGS
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CHAMPIONING TRUSTEESHIP
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MILITARY AFFILIATES...
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INTER-LIVERY SPORTS UPDATE
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STAFF NEWS...
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TRIBUTES
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NEWS & NOTICES
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Jo Bird’s work-in-progress bookbinding. Read more about designer bookbindings on page 14. © 2019, Jo Bird (designer).
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reetings, fellow Clothworkers! I’m writing having just been elected and installed as your 500th Master. That is a great landmark for us all. I am looking forward to a busy year of celebration and evolution, as I outlined at the Annual General Meeting (this past June). I’m taking this opportunity to share with you some of the aspects of Clothworker business that have been of particular interest to me on my journey to the Master’s chair. I’m a chartered accountant, so it was no surprise that, when elected to the Court in 2007, I was steered towards the finance committees. I specialise in managing and growing small companies, and have also enjoyed being involved with
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commercialising textile-related ideas at Leeds University and more broadly with The Company’s textile strategy. Helping run and grow any organisation valued at more than half a billion pounds is interesting, and The Clothworkers’ Company and its Foundation are no exception. Our evolving investment policy requires continual debate: Should we be active investors or passive, which is less expensive? What is our appetite for risk? What is the appropriate balance between using the pro bono talent pool of our livery and external (and therefore expensive) professional advice? I have also played a part in managing our extensive property portfolio, the bedrock
of The Company’s recent growth in value. Those transactions are complex; our advisers skilful. The recent results – the new Angel Court, Moorgate and Fenchurch Street buildings – have contributed to the doubling of our property income in the past five years.
the skills shortages in the industry and are now working with them to find ways to improve take-up and grow employment. In parallel, we are planning to support UK textile exports by co-funding UK textile stands at the three main international trade shows in Milan, Paris and Shanghai.
To celebrate the previous 499 Masters, The Company will display information boards in the Entrance Hall for the Huguenot Society dinner and several members’ events. The small exhibition will highlight some of The Company’s most colourful and interesting past Masters. Have a look when you visit the Hall!
To entertainment… On The Company’s textiles agenda, my involvement began with the two textiles-related departments in Leeds University. The fascination for me is their endless flow of extraordinary inventions. The Clothworkers’ saw the opportunity to help these departments identify potentially commercial ideas and bring them to market. In partnership with the university, we developed a process and provided early stage funding. Waterless washing machines, Xeros, was the first success and is now an AIM-listed company. Waterless dyeing is equally ‘disruptive’ to the industry, and the university should start seeing a return on its investment this year. Among other pioneering inventions are natural hair dye products, anti-frizz products and a new kind of ostomy bag (one that safely contains matter, but can be flushed away – magic!). We are also excited by medical technology to develop textile-based scaffolds to be used for repairing softtissue, nerves and bones. The challenge and interest for me is in selecting and progressing the best inventions and encouraging the academics to get behind the commercialisation agenda.
I am looking forward to hosting a dinner for the Huguenot Society on 17 October. My four-greats-grandfather was a Protestant (Huguenot) and – along with thousands of others – escaped the late 17th-century massacres in France. His escape was particularly dramatic as he and his brother were hidden in an empty wine barrel on a ship from Bordeaux. They safely landed in England, and here I am! It’s an extraordinary story, as are all the Huguenot stories, so I encourage you to come to our dinner – you won’t be disappointed. There is a lecture before the dinner given by former Bishop of London, Lord Chartres, who is himself a Huguenot and a very engaging speaker. Tickets are selling fast. Contact David Guyon for more information: dguyon17@gmail.com.
I’m also delighted to announce that The Company will be hosting a special event next year, the 500th Master’s Ball. Save the date: Friday, 15 May 2020. This will be a glittering evening and suitably different from our other events. The objectives are to have fun, but also to raise money for the Clothworkers’ Charity Fund, mainly by means of a silent auction. Formal invitations and ticket information will be sent this autumn to all Livery and Freedom members, as well as staff, who will be welcome to attend with a guest (which may include spouses, partners, friends, etc). I do hope you will come and celebrate with me! Finally, I would love to meet you. Please come and find me when you’re next in the Hall.
Our aim is to increase our influence in the textiles industry and to encourage UK employment in that industry. To that end, I’m pleased that we have also begun to work more closely with the industry bodies. For instance, we have co-funded the development of apprenticeship schemes to address THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2019
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NEW MEMBERS (JULY) Top: Lord Frederick Windsor and Hugh Clough. Bottom: Lachlan de Klee, Emily May and Laura Watts.
Lord Frederick Michael George David Louis Windsor Lord Frederick Windsor is the third-successive generation of the Kent family to become a Clothworker. His grandfather, HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent, was made Free by Presentation in 1924. There have been, however, five generations of royal Clothworkers, beginning in 1860 when HRH The Prince Consort (Albert) was made Free by Presentation. ‘Freddie’ works in financial services, and is Vice President at JP Morgan Chase & Co. His interests include good writing, sports like tennis and football, guitar-based music, crosswords, and the non-profit world.
Hugh Peter Clough Son of Denis Clough,
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Hugh is a fourthgeneration Clothworker. The connection dates back to 1918, when his great-great-grandfather, Henry Smith Clough of Keighley (JP and partner in Clough & Son Spinners and Manufacturers), was proposed for Freedom by Redemption by Sir Swire Smith, Clothworker and MP for Keighley.
John Wayland Leslie, second son of the 19th Earl of Rothes, became Free by Redemption.
Hugh is a software developer with an MPhys from Bath University. His interests include skiing, film and music.
Emily has become Free by Redemption, highly recommended by Past Master Christopher McLean May. After winning the New Designers Clothworkers’ Award for Printed Textiles in 2014, Emily has served with Christopher as a New Designers judge on a number of occasions.
Lachlan Richard John de Klee A fourth-generation Clothworker, Lachlan is the son of Fiona Leslie, Freewoman, and grandson of Alastair Leslie, Assistant Emeritus and Past Master. The family connection began in 1934, when the Honourable
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‘Lochy’ just completed his first-class honours degree in Earth Sciences at Newcastle University. He was a member of the Harrow Pipe Band and the Newcastle City Pipe Band.
Emily Beatrice May
In 2019, Emily also became involved with the Bradford Textile Society Design Competition in a similar capacity. She is
the first ‘alumna’ to join The Company since the annual Alumni Dinner was established. Emily enjoys spending time in museums and galleries, where she gathers the vast majority of her inspiration for her designs. The main body of her work is produced for museums, and it’s an area she is passionate about pursuing in the future.
Laura Catherine Watts Laura, who has also become Free by Redemption, is Managing Director at Marton Mills, and will join the Textiles Sub-Committee from its meeting in October 2019. Laura lives in Harrogate and has two children (Max and Jess). She obtained a degree in Nursing from Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College and in her spare time enjoys running and equestrian sports.
Emily May, who recently joined the Freedom, won The Clothworkers’ Associate Prize at New Designers in 2014; her winning submission included the above printed textile design.
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NEW DESIGNERS: CLARA LEITÃO “I am thrilled and honoured to be awarded such a prestigious prize. As a recent graduate, having my efforts being valued and recognised is so meaningful and gives me the confidence to move forward.” Clara, the 2019 Clothworkers’ Associate Prize winner
Left: One of the designs from Clara’s ‘Is It, Is It Not?’ collection, exhibited at New Designers. Facing page: Clara (left), accepts her award from Past Master Christopher McLean May and new Freewoman and former New Designers prize winner Emily May.
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n June, Past Master Christopher McLean May and Emily May acted as judges for the New Designers Printed Textile Prize. They awarded this Clothworkers’ Associate Prize to 23 year old Clara Leitão. Clara recently completed her degree in Textile Design from HeriotWatt University. She draws on her Portuguese heritage and whimsical imagination for inspiration. The influence of her homeland was evident in her award-winning collection, ‘Is It, Is It Not?’, which included decorative prints and detailed illustrations that drew on Portuguese history and folklore as well as Clara’s own personal identity. Before finishing her degree, Clara explored Textile Design at the National Institute of Design (India) as well as
Costume and Set Design at Antonio Arroio Artistic School (Portugal). Over the past few years, her work has earned her a number of honours including a commendation for printed textile designs as well as third place in knitted fabrics at the 2016 Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, and many more.
chosen through TexSelect to exhibit in Chelsea and Paris, at Première Vision. It is an absolute privilege to be given all these opportunities, knowing that I have been nominated amongst a group of very talented young designers.’
Following her award, Clara wrote:
Clara will be presented with her £1,000 prize at Clothworkers’ Hall during the Alumni Dinner (23 September). Sponsorship of the New Designers Associate Prize helps The Company meet its strategic objective 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.
‘I am thrilled and honoured to be awarded such a prestigious prize. As a recent graduate, having my efforts being valued and recognised is so meaningful and gives me confidence to move forward. The £1,000 prize will help towards the development of my practice and entering a professional career. ‘After being awarded this prize, I was
You can see more of Clara’s work on her website at claraleitao.com.
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WEAVE & KNIT AT CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS Anne Marr, Programme Director of Jewellery, Textiles and Materials
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he Immediate Past Master John Coombe-Tennant led a group of Clothworkers and their partners on a visit to the Central Saint Martins (CSM) BA Textile Design course. CSM is part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), at its relatively new premises in Granary Square, King’s Cross (where it moved in 2011). The Textile Design programme at CSM has a unique philosophy of educating ‘flexible specialists’ through a holistic curriculum that covers print, weave and knit across fashion, interior and product-led material applications. Course philosophy is based around teaching a cutting-edge design approach, in-depth technical knowledge of textile processes, as well as sound employability skills. The course is popular and has a highly selective application process. Currently, Home (UK) and EU students make up approximately 65 per cent of enrolments. The Clothworkers’ Company is generously supporting students in financial hardship through the Clothworkers’ Print Bursary as well as 10 students through Material Funds.
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The course has very strong industry links, and students have been engaged in projects with companies such as Pink Shirtmaker, DAKS, Timothy Everest and Dashing Tweeds. WEAVE AND KNIT AT CSM The Clothworkers’ Company first began supporting CSM in 2010, when a large grant for a STOLL digital knitting machine was match funded. This was followed by a second grant in 2015 to fund three new digital TC2 jacquard looms from Norway. Accessing the latest textile technology has enabled more than 1,000 students to learn vital skills for future employment in weave and knit industries. Both weave and knit are constructed textiles. However, they are made quite differently. A woven piece of fabric is created on a loom, which is a threedimensional frame that holds a vertical warp of individual yarn strands. At CSM, looms can hold 3,600 separate strands across 80cm of fabric. A shuttle with a yarn spool shoots across the warp to create the horizontal weft. The process uses the natural tendency of fibre to
adhere, interweaving them into a fabric that is generally quite dense. Plaids are a well-known example of a woven fabric. In contrast, a knitted fabric is made from a single string of yarn. By hand, two needles are used to create interlocking loops. If cut, a knitted piece of the fabric can easily unravel. Knitted fabric is airy and elastic – jersey T-shirts are a typical example. Machine knitting is much more complex, involving a double bed of up to 240 needles to create a piece of fabric 100cm wide. CSM has an international reputation for being at the forefront of research developments in textiles, and has produced many famous graduates such as Ptolemy Mann, Wallace Sewell, Rita Parniczky, and Elizabeth Ashdown (who designed the 2019 Charity Governance Awards trophy textile). The new Experimental Weave Lab led by Pathway Leader and researcher Philippa Brock will explore both traditional weaving methods such as Ikat techniques, 3D-surface creation on looms, and even future technology such as 4D-weaving to create multiple inter-connected layers of materials.
BRADFORD TEXTILE SOCIETY DESIGN COMPETITION
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mily May reported on her experience as a judge for the 2019 Bradford Textile Society Design Competition in our recent Annual Review, 2018-19 (you can find digital copies of our recent past publications on the website at www.clothworkers.co.uk). The Bradford Textile Society competition has been running since 1893, and attracts nearly 1,000 entries from across the UK every year, awarding more than £14,500 in prize money annually. We continue to support the competition with other funders, like The Dyers’ Company. Among the four awards The Company sponsored for 2018-19 is The Clothworkers’ Company Award for a woven fabric design in either fashion and accessories or interiors. The winner was Eleanor Newton, who has recently completed her final year of study at Loughborough University. Eleanor is a talented and experimental designer on the rise. She describes herself as a ‘creative trained in woven textile design’. During her degree, she held internships with JW Anderson, Dash & Miller, and Margo Selby. Her main interests are exploring the use of fabrics and fibres in fashion, and she is most interested in sustainability, longevity and transparent production. Ms Newton has recently completed her graduate project based on sustainability and transparent production, part of which she exhibited at New Designers this past June. She was also nominated for TexSelect (2019). Eleanor Newton’s ‘Box Bag’, designed to showcase handwoven panels and British
You can see more of her work at www.eleanornewtonportfolio.com.
manufacturing. The woven panels contain sustainable fibres and are paired with highquality leathers. The bags were part of Eleanor’s graduate project. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2019
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LONDON CRAFT WEEK
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n partnership with Contemporary British Silversmiths, the leading association for contemporary silver, The Clothworkers’ Company hosted a day of public programming during London Craft Week (May 2019), shining a light on the fascinating process of commissioning and making silver. Attendees had the opportunity to ‘Meet the Makers’ during demonstrations by award-winning silversmiths Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto. These sessions were free to public audiences, and repeated four times throughout the day. Additionally, visitors were able to learn about Miriam and Yusuke’s live commissions for The Clothworkers’ during an intimate lunchtime panel discussion.
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Chair of Contemporary British Silversmiths, Angela Cork, facilitated a panel that included our own Senior Archivist, Jessica Collins, and both Miriam and Yusuke. Proceeds from the sale of tickets to the lunchtime lecture were donated directly to Contemporary British Silversmiths. The day concluded with a VIP tour of The Company’s own exquisite plate vaults – an opportunity for us to thank those that have helped us care for or research our collections, as well as a way to build new relationships with experts and specialists in contemporary and historic British Silver. We welcomed more than 100 people to Clothworkers’ Hall during this day. Stay tuned for more information on our plans for London Craft Week 2020...
OPEN HOUSE LONDON SEEKING CLOTHWORKER VOLUNTEERS SATURDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER
We’re opening Clothworkers’ Hall for Open House London on Saturday, 21 September (10.00am - 5.00pm). We’re looking for Clothworkers to volunteer with us at Dunster Court for part or all of the day (lunch provided!) to help us welcome the public. If you are interested, please contact Archivist Hannah Dunmow by email at hannahdunmow@clothworkers.co.uk. Last year, we welcomed more than 1,200 people to Clothworkers’ Hall for Open House London, giving them the chance to learn more about The Clothworkers, livery companies in general, and our historic archives and collections.
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CITY WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY Jessica Collins, Senior Archivist
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ity Women in the 18th Century is an exciting new outdoor exhibition opening in the City of London this autumn. It will display the often ornately engraved trade cards of the businesswomen of centuries past, bringing them to the attention of the wider public for the first time and celebrating women’s work in London. Focusing on the Cheapside area of the City, which was renowned in this period for its luxury goods, the exhibition will display the trade cards of the scores of women who established and ran successful businesses as milliners, fan makers, silversmiths and upholsterers – to name just a few of the trades represented. Visitors may explore the 700-metre exhibition trail from Paternoster Square in the west to the Royal Exchange in the east, with each trade card displayed near the original location of the 18th-century business it represents. The visual display of these cards – all from The British Museum – will offer an accessible way to explore women’s economic importance in 18th-century commerce and manufacturing within the City. Although bills and receipts were often written upon them, trade cards were essentially business cards and served to advertise goods and services; they often featured elaborately decorative borders and detailed illustrations. Unlike today, most of the luxury goods the cards promoted were made on site, and women traders often employed a considerable workforce. Although the full extent of their activities escapes extant records, this project adds to a growing body of literature disputing the assumption that women did not enter the labour market in large numbers
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until the 20th century and suggests a much earlier and more entrepreneurial female workforce – at least in the City of London – than was previously believed. Many of these women were Free of one of the City’s livery companies, and those that were not were often entitled to trade by extension of their [often deceased] fathers’ or husbands’ trading privileges as Freemen. The project complements the research of our Senior Archivist, Jessica Collins, who recently published a case study and detailed analysis of women in The Clothworkers’ Company across the 17th and 18th centuries: ‘Jane Holt, Milliner, and Other Women in Business: Apprentices, Freewomen and Mistresses in The Clothworkers’ Company, 16061800’, Textile History, 44 (1), 72-94, May 2013. Jessica has been making contributions to the exhibition, which is curated by Dr Amy Erickson of the University of Cambridge, an authority on women’s history in 18th-century livery companies. Jessica’s research has uncovered important information on several businesswomen working under the auspices of The Company in
the 18th century, but for whom only passing references are found in the Clothworkers’ records. Women featured include Ann Boyer and Elizabeth Hutt. Ann Boyer was the daughter of Jonathan, a Clothworker and silk dyer of Ivy Lane, Newgate Street. She was made Free by Patrimony on 1 August 1753. The following day, Jonathan turned his apprentices over to Ann, including her brother, John. Doing so signified the transfer of responsibility for their training to his daughter, which must indicate considerable confidence in her abilities. One conjectures that she had long been involved in the operation of the business, although she did not, of course, become a Freewoman until after her 21st birthday. John completed his apprenticeship (under his sister, Ann) in 1757. As the exhibition City Women will illustrate, the siblings subsequently co-ran their father’s silk dyeing business – a seemingly unusual turn of affairs, as there are no other surviving trade cards for a female/male co-owned silk dyeing enterprise among the 16,000 trade cards in The British Museum’s
Detail from a trade card of Christopher Gibson. © Victoria and Albert Museum.
collection. The Boyers produced several different and highly ornamental trade cards over time, which hints at the success and growth of their business; however, one suspects Ann was always the senior partner. Tellingly, when their father, Jonathan, passed away in 1763, he made his daughter sole executrix and beneficiary of his estate, although his son had reached his majority by this stage. Elizabeth Hutt was the widow of John, Clothworker and upholsterer. She managed a substantial upholstery enterprise in St Paul’s churchyard in the mid-1700s, taking on at least five apprentices in her own name once widowed. Elizabeth supplied furniture to a wealthy clientele that included the Duke of Norfolk (for whom she supplied a dressing table and glass) and Duke of Gordon (to whom she sold a Wilton carpet measuring 29 yards). Elizabeth would have been working in close proximity to Christopher Gibson, upholsterer; his trade card (pictured on the facing page) gives some idea of the fit out and luxurious feel of upholsterers’ showrooms at the time. Elizabeth was able to charge substantial fees when taking on her apprentices, even after the death of her husband – such was the demand for the children of the middling classes to gain a reputable trade. Jane Holt secured her apprenticeship with Hutt through a payment of £50 – a premium rate in 1745. John Iliffe also paid Hutt a £50 apprenticeship fee. By the time of his Freedom, Iliffe was described as a journeyman in the Strand. However, we now know that he eventually took over Hutt’s upholstery business and marketed himself as ‘the successor to Mrs Hutt’ on his subsequent trade cards, confirming the esteem in which Elizabeth’s establishment was held.
Trade card of Ann and John Boyer, ‘Silk Dyers, at the Green Man in Ivy Lane’, offering a variety of soft furnishings ‘at the Lowest Prices.’ © Trustees of The British Museum.
The City’s exhibition promises to provide insight into women’s long-overlooked contributions to the City of London’s economy in the 18th century. The stories of many more fascinating women besides Ann Boyer and Elizabeth Hutt lie waiting to be uncovered. City Women in the 18th Century
opens on Saturday, 21 September, coinciding with Open House London. Take a stroll along Cheapside to learn more about the extensive and wideranging activities of these women. The exhibition will run until 18 October and is free of charge to all members of the public. Find more information at http://citywomen.hist.cam.ac.uk. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2019
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DESIGNER BOOKBINDINGS Hannah Dunmow, Archivist
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he Company supports the endangered craft of hand bookbinding by commissioning fine bindings from established bookbinders, and also by supporting and funding several initiatives by Designer Bookbinders as well as the Queen’s Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme (QBAS). Three new bindings from established bookbinders have been commissioned over the summer to add to the growing collection. We hope to receive the completed works during 2020. Meanwhile, three completed bindings were delivered to Clothworkers’ Hall this past summer. First is an intricate binding by Sue Doggett incorporating not just leather (resist-dyed goatskin and gold leather onlays), but also textiles (dyed cloth, machine- and hand-embroidery, and wool felting). By Permission of Heaven: The Story of the Great Fire of London (Adrian Tinniswood, 2013) proved to be a great source of inspiration, and alongside the obvious fire theme, Sue was drawn to think about buildings and architecture, culminating in a representation of quadratura, illusionistic architectural painting that appears to extend the actual space into an imagined one. The general layout suggests what you might see painted on the ceiling of a cathedral – pointing to heaven and presenting you with an image of a world partially beyond the imagination, but rooted in reality. The phoenix, embroidered using Chinese silk, was prompted by one of the chapters colourfully summing up the optimism of those who envisioned the new city-to-be. It appears along the spine of the book, rising up out of a flaming
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inferno and the wreck of the city into an unnaturally optimistic blue sky. Pamela Richmond’s response to Chris Ofili: Weaving Magic – the Victoria Miro/National Gallery 2017 exhibition catalogue for our tapestry The Caged Bird’s Song (which now hangs in our Livery Hall) – is her interpretation of Ofili’s design. She felt that the tapestry itself was already an interpretation one stage on from his watercolour designs, so hers is another stage. A holiday in the Caribbean helped Pamela get a real feeling for the colours in the tapestry, leading her to reject her first design, removing the leather and starting again with richer colours and a vibrant green. The strong curved lines in different thicknesses echo the sweeping lines of the original charcoal drawings, and are gold tooled using six shades of gold ranging from palladium, to lemon, and then to a deep, dark gold. The tooled ‘stitching’ marks flowing across the binding represent the
weavers’ stitches on the tapestry. Pamela drew a template for her design on a grid, which she placed on the leather and blind tooled the lines, adding the gold afterwards. London, A Pilgrimage, written by Blanchard Jerrold and illustrated by Gustave Doré, is based on the author’s many journeys exploring London in the early 1870s, observing how people lived in both extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Jo Bird was fascinated and, after researching contemporary maps, decided that depicting a map for the cover would work in empathy with the written journey undertaken inside without detracting from Doré’s wonderful illustrations. To further suit the book and illustrations, she chose to tool with black carbon, rather than gold leaf, and recessed leather onlays. Her design began with the instantly recognisable line of the Thames, and she experimented with various shapes to try to represent the movement of
London and the way it was growing. She decided on just two shapes – tiny circles and lines roughly representing people and landmarks – for which she made her own brass tools. The tools are heated and the tip is applied onto a sheet of carbon, which adheres to the tool tip and then is gently pressed into the leather. The same shape is gone over many times. For the recessed onlays, the lines are blind tooled into the leather to create a recessed area in which the leather is applied. Calfskin is pared very finely to 0.2mm and hand dyed before it is cut into strips of 1mm. These are adhered into the recessed areas very carefully. After studying maps again, seeing how major roads, landmarks, parks and the docks created their own shapes and patterns across the city, she paid close attention to the parts of London with greater population density. The front cover depicts densely populated East London, home to the poorer classes; the back board illustrates wealthier and comparatively more sparsely populated West London.
Facing page: Sue Doggett’s work on By Permission of Heaven (top) with Pamela Richmond’s exhibition catalogue for The Caged Bird’s Song (bottom). This page: London, A Pilgrimage by Jo Bird – a work-in-progress photo is featured on our cover. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2019
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CHAMPIONING TRUSTEESHIP: CHARITY GOVERNANCE AWARDS 2019
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ur fourth annual Charity Governance Awards ceremony was on 22 May 2019. We organise the event with partners NPC, Prospectus and Reach Volunteering. Our Professional Judges were impressed with the high standard of entries, and delighted to receive submissions from charities large and small all across the UK – including charities in England, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.
We could not be more inspired by the winners – and indeed, all the shortlisted charities – this year.
Each winner went home with an award designed by textile artist Elizabeth Ashdown and a £5,000 unrestricted grant for their charity. Winners included charities working in arts, culture, community development, education, health and more. For the first time ever, we awarded a joint prize: Derry Well Women and the Muslim Women’s Network UK both received a prize for the Improving Impact (4-25 staff ) category, demonstrating the success their trustees are achieving in support of their work for women and communities in the UK.
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Board Diversity and Inclusivity: SignHealth Embracing Digital: Parents and Children Together (PACT) Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk: Coventry and Warwickshire Mind Improving Impact (0-3 paid staff ): Green’s Windmill Trust Improving Impact (4-25 paid staff ): Derry Well Women ( joint winner) Improving Impact (4-25 paid staff ): Muslim Women’s Network UK ( joint winner) Improving Impact (26+ paid staff ): YMCA North Tyneside Managing Turnaround: Dementia UK
Past Master Michael Jarvis, who chairs the Awards for us, said, ‘Congratulations to all the winners –
and the shortlisted candidates should also be proud – this was, yet again, a field of a very high standard. These creative, hard-working and inspiring trustees and their colleagues deserve to be celebrated. I would encourage everyone in the third sector to read the stories of our winning charities – these real-life experiences and innovative ideas could help any charity seeking to improve their own governance. It also reminds us all that by improving governance, a charity can dramatically improve the lives of those it serves.’ Read more from the Charity Governance Awards website: www.charitygovernanceawards.co.uk. We’re grateful the nearly 60 Clothworkers who helped us in the first round of judging, allowing us to create a ‘long list’ of entries for our second round by Professional Judges. If you’re interested in serving as a Clothworker Judge for 2020, please register via the link from the September e-newsletter.
Above: Judges Thomas Lawson and Tesse Akpeki present Nazmin Akthar, Muslim Women’s Network UK, with the award for Improving Impact (4-25 staff). Facing page: Panel speakers Alan Edwards (Trustee, Bliss), Girish Menon (CEO, ActionAid) and Lesley Michaelis (Chair, Home-Start Slough).
TRUSTEESHIP: TRAINING AND SEMINARS NPC SEMINARS AT CLOTHWORKERS’ HALL (FREE)
TRUSTEE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
30 Sep (4.00-6.00pm) Where do trustees fit with the debate on diversity and inclusion? 18 Nov (4.00-6.00pm) Trustees and the Theory of Change: Everything You Need to Know
30 Oct to 4 Dec (Wednesdays, 6.00-8.00pm) Co-sponsored by The Company and Close Brothers, this programme is delivered by Cause4 in London. It is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and learn more about serving as a trustee. Aimed at new and potential trustees. Free for Clothworkers! For registration information, email reneeladue@clothworkers.co.uk.
Find out more and reserve your free place on the NPC website: www.thinknpc.org.uk/events-and-training
Not in London? Cause4 will host training in Glasgow (9 Oct) and Manchester (13 Nov): www.cause4.co.uk.
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MILITARY AFFILIATES: THE CLOTHWORKERS’ SCOTS GUARDS COMMUNITY AWARDS Emma Temple, EA to the Master & Clerk
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mmediate Past Master John Coombe-Tennant hosted the Scots Guards, and their families, at Clothworkers’ Hall to present the inaugural Clothworkers’ Scots Guards Community Awards this past June. Guests enjoyed a reception and lunch, when the following awards were announced: Piper Michael Grant Guardsman Jake Bickerton Guardsman Jack Roden The Regimental Sergeant Major’s Soldier – Battalion Awarded to a Guardsman in the Battalion who is always supporting his comrades, even when he gains no obvious recognition or reward by it. Guardsman Gregor Campbell The Company Sergeant Major’s Soldier – F Company Awarded to a Guardsman in F company who is always supporting his comrades, even when he gains no obvious recognition or reward by it.
Sergeant Robert Duncan Colour Sergeant Isireli Taganekurukuru Outstanding Contribution to Community Relations Awarded for effort and effectiveness in fostering good and vibrant relations with the wider community. Mrs Ashley Heron Family Award Awarded to a partner or immediate family member in recognition for contributing the most time, energy and creative ideas to enhance the enjoyment of life of soldiers’ families.
Hall in 2020. We are grateful for the enthusiasm members always exhibit for our military affiliates – many of you have enjoyed opportunities to support the Scots Guards at the Queen’s Birthday Parade and other ceremonial events, and Clothworker attendance on such occasions is always warmly appreciated.
Facing page: Colour Sergeant Isireli Taganekurukura (left) – pictured with
Major John McCallum Clothworkers’ Scots Guards Colonel’s Award Awarded to someone particularly outstanding in the context of ‘community, family, wider society or morale’.
Clothworker Alastair Mathewson OBE (right) – proudly displays his award. Below: Seven of the award recipients are pictured with Clerk Jocelyn StuartGrumbar, Alastair Mathewson, Immediate Past Master John Coombe-Tennant, Lieutenant Colonel James Leask MBE,
We look forward to welcoming the Battalion and F Company back to the
Beadle Michael Drummond and Major (Retd) James R Kelly.
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INTER-LIVERY SPORTS UPDATE INTER-LIVERY SHOOTING
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he Inter-Livery Clay Pigeon Shoot took place on 16 May at Holland and Holland in West Ruislip. Once again, The Clothworkers’ fielded three teams of four guns each: A (Chris Horne, Charles Houston, Simon Purefoy and James Horne), B (Beadle Michael Drummond, Master Jonathan Portal, Chris Remers and Oliver Hartley), and C (Owen Turgoose, Ralph Anderson, Will Portal, and Giles Malyon). However, they did not place in the competition with 114 teams. Still, Team B achieved an impressive 74/80 in the Flush. It was the second consecutive year that the Master-Elect (John CoombeTennant, 2018, and Sir Jonathan Portal, 2019) joined the team, and the first time a member of staff (the Beadle) participated. The event attracted five ‘new guns’, which Team Captain Charlie Houston is hopeful of welcoming to future events, and also offered the opportunity for two pairs of fathers and sons to participate. The other shooting event of the summer
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was the Rifle and Small Arms Event at Bisley. Charles Bowerman, Nicholas Horne and Andrew McClintock represented The Company at the Sniper Rifle at 300m; the Full Bore Rifle at 900m over open sights; the .22 Rifle; and of course the six shooter, Black Powder Revolver at 15m. A new event this year was the ‘running boar’. The RAF and The Bakers’ Company provided superb organisation and hospitality, as in previous years. Of the three guns, only Charles had shot for The Company before (Team Captain Charlie Houston tries to rotate ‘new guns’ through this event). The team scored very well throughout the day. They were awarded the trophy for the best team at the Black Powder Revolver, and Charles Bowerman was recognised as the Best Individual overall by a large margin. At the end of the day, the team was ranked fifth out of 15 teams. GREAT XII SAILING CHALLENGE This annual event, in the first weekend of June, was well organised, as usual, by The Ironmongers’
Company. The racing was run by the Seaview Yacht Club, Isle of Wight. This year, in addition to the two teams of four, we also entered the Mermaid Class for the main part of the event – we were very pleased that Tom Tibbits was able to bring his family’s beautiful yacht over to participate in the race. The cruiser team consisted of Tom Tibbits, Susannah Broome, and Lucy Rawson with her husband, Marc Kernick. The Mermaid team included Andrew Strang, Amy McVittie, Katie Hirst, and Jonathan Portal (then Master-Elect). The second Mermaid team was Annabel Yonge, Sarah Churton, and John Coombe-Tennant (then Master) with his son, Matthew Coombe-Tennant. Team Captain Andrew Yonge was excited to recruit teams with both Freedom and Livery members. The Mermaid race consisted of four races, with each team competing twice. The first team sailed in sunshine, but with very light winds. While The Clothworkers’ had a great start, they struggled to get around the buoy. With the tide pushing them back and the
wind fading, they finished the race lower down the order. The Cruiser team also had a frustrating moment during their race, when they caught the line of a lobster pot around the keel – slowing them down somewhat! Overall, Clothworkers earned a respectable ninth place. Team Captain Andrew Yonge is aiming for the ‘most improved’ team prize next year. But it’s not all about winning; the event is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of other Clothworkers and build ties with members from other livery companies. Approximately 200 people – competitors and their supporters – enjoyed the informal supper on Friday and the formal dinner on Saturday, when the racing event was over. We are always looking for more sailors to join the team, so if you know your spinnakers, jibs, sheets and booms, then please get in touch with Andrew Yonge about joining us in 2020. Contact information for our inter-livery sports is on the back cover of this edition.
Shearmen (Exeter), marking the 400th anniversary of the company’s Royal Charter. Traditionally, the company would host a boules tournament for its own members. However, to help celebrate this exciting milestone, they invited a number of ‘related’ livery companies from London and beyond. Katie and Nicholas faced off against opponents from The Drapers’, Weavers’ and Woolmen’s Companies from London, and triumphed over The Worcester Clothiers to be named champions. Nick said, ‘It was a great day and wonderfully different...Having not played boules for years, I’d forgotten how competitive it could be. Nonetheless, Katie and I seemed to click as a team, and I think this helped us towards our very unexpected and incredibly surprising win.’ Nick described their winning performance among the livery company ‘visitors’, which led to a final match
against the ‘winning’ team from the host company’s own ranks. Katie said, ‘It was immense fun. I don’t think I stopped grinning all day.’ She was impressed with the organisation that went into the event, meeting the group at the quay in Topsham before getting ferried off to a sand bank in the middle of the River Exe. ‘We feasted on pasties and beer, and then played six other teams...It was very tricky on a mixture of hard and soft sand, so a lot of luck was needed! By the end of six matches, every team had become more competitive (and more accurate), and Nick and I were now, from nowhere, talking boules tactics.’ Our duo had to adjust to further challenges when the group was ferried back to the mainland, and the Turf Hotel, for the final match on hard and fast grass, but they pulled ahead to win by one point.
KATIE HIRST & NICHOLAS HORNE FORM BOULES DREAM TEAM This past July, Katie and Nicholas travelled to Exeter expecting to have a lovely day with the host company and its visitors. They didn’t expect to take home the boules trophy – a glass decanter filled with the ash from 400 boules jacks. Facing page: 2019 Clothworkers’ team for the Inter-Livery Clay Shoot this past May.
The tournament was hosted by the Incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and
This page: The Cruiser team (top left) and the Mermaid teams (top right) during the Great XII Sailing Challenge. Katie and Nick (bottom right) with their boules trophy. THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2019
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STAFF NEWS AT CLOTHWORKERS’ HALL FAREWELL
FOUNDATION TEAM
Last December, Maintenance and Events Assistant Brian Bullimore officially ‘retired’, after almost 25 years at The Company, although we are delighted to say that he continues to support the maintenance and events teams on a casual basis during busy times and cover staff annual leave.
Laura Street, who has been on sabbatical this past year, will return to Clothworkers’ Hall with a promotion, taking Sam’s place as Senior Grants Officer. Patrick O’Kelly, who covered Sam’s recent maternity leave from the Senior Grants Officer role, will continue as a temporary Senior Grants Officer for 12 months to support the team with special projects. Ayesha Tariq will continue in her role as Grants Officer, now on a permanent basis. We are pleased to say that Clare Killeen will also stay with the team, as she accepted a permanent contract to continue in her role as Grants Assistant.
Sam Grimmett Batt, Senior Grants Officer at The Clothworkers’ Foundation, accepted a new role as Funding Manager at The City Bridge Trust this past spring. We wish Sam – who worked for The Foundation for more than 10 years – all the best at her new role in the City of London.
CLEANING TEAM Both Brian and Sam have become Free by Courtesy, and we hope to have them with us at Company events in the future.
We are sorry to say that an important member of the Cleaning Staff, Carol Jackson, has had to go on long-term
leave. However, we are pleased to have welcomed Christina Kartsiou, who is currently covering for Carol. CONGRATULATIONS Please join us in congratulating Heather Rawlins, who became Free of the City of London and attended the ceremony at Guildhall this past February. Heather, Steward, has worked for The Company for more than five years. This year, 2019, also marks the five-year work anniversaries of Sophia Watkins (Event Coordinator and General Office Administrator) and Emma Temple (Executive Assistant to the Master and Clerk), as well as the remarkable 30-year work anniversary of Andrew Boon (Chief Accountant). We hope they will stay with The Company for many years to come!
Top: Heather Rawlins receiving her Freedom of the City of London, with Murray Craig, Clerk to the Chamberlain’s Court, and Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, Clerk to The Company. Bottom (left to right): Sophia Watkins and Emma Temple. Brian Bullimore with his Freedom certificate. Andrew Boon, who celebrated his 30-year work anniversary with a special lunch in Clothworkers’ Hall.
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TRIBUTES TIMOTHY CHARLES BOUSFIELD Words of Appreciation by Melville Haggard (Master, 2015-16)
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im was a sixth-generation Clothworker; the connection with The Company began in 1793, when William Bousfield was made Free of The Company. Tim became Free by Patrimony in 1974, joined the Livery in 1978, and was elected Warden in 2002. Leaving Tonbridge School in 1970, he started articles at his father’s law firm. Law was not really Tim’s scene, and he chose instead to set up as an independent financial adviser. Thus was born Tim’s own company, Town and City Brokers Ltd, which he ran for nearly 40 years from 1980. Tim was best known within The Company for the leading role he played in support of The Clothworkers’ InterLivery Golf Team. For this, I draw on recollections of Richard Saunders, who knew him best in this capacity – Tim took over as captain when Richard retired three years ago.
will remember him for his open smile and jocular, easy-going manner. Tim must also be remembered for re-connecting The Company with Sutton Valance School, which The Clothworkers’ governed for 334 years (before passing responsibility to the United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation in 1910). Through Tim, our Clerk was introduced to Headmaster Bruce Grindley to discuss ways of celebrating our historic relationship. The direct result is the new Clothworker Material Impact Prize; beginning in 2020, the annual prize will be awarded for outstanding contribution to the fabric of the school to a student leaving the upper sixth cohort. Recipients will have the opportunity to choose books to receive as their award.
His death is a huge tragedy and, in the circumstances, one is left to seek comfort from the words of St John of the Cross: ‘God only allows Death to restore Life’.
Tim leaves three children: Caroline, Ross (Freeman) and Jonte (Freeman).
IN MEMORIAM We regret to announce the following deaths: Diana Marjorie Smith Freewoman (March 2019) Timothy Bousfield Court Assistant (June 2019)
Below: Timothy Bousfield at the December 2018 Court and Livery Dinner, greeting the Master (then First Warden), Sir Jonathan Portal Bt.
Tim, like many members of the Bousfield family, was a competent golfer and played an important role on the inter-livery team. Richard recalls Tim’s handicap being between 11 and 14 – not as good as his two sons, who are single handicappers. However, Tim’s name appears on the Britten Salver and Mathieson Tankard, two trophies contested at our annual golf day with The Dyers’ Company. And, when it came to putting together a Clothworker team for The Great XII Challenge Cup some 18 years ago, Tim and his brother, David, were automatic choices for membership of the team that won the Cup that year. Tim was a very clubbable person and we THE CLOTHWORKER | AUTUMN 2019
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NEWS & NOTICES INTER-LIVERY ACTIVITIES 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. To read more about the work livery companies are doing across the City of London, check out the Livery Briefings (found in the ‘Library’), also at www.liverycompanies.info. For information, contact the Team Captains: Sailing: Andrew Yonge (andrew.yonge@zen.co.uk) GET INVOLVED WITH INTER-LIVERY SPORTS Shooting: Charlie Houston (charles@goingsolar.org.uk) If you wish to be contacted directly about inter-livery sports, make sure you’ve updated your online member’s profile to include ‘sailing’, ‘golf’, or ‘shooting’ as a ‘sport you play’. Image (top right): Timothy Bousfield (right), our late Golf Team Captain, with his brother, David (d. 2014) during a livery golf event in 2009.
Golf: If you have been a part of Inter-Livery Golf events in the past, please be assured that you will hear from the new Team Captain shortly. If you are interested in participating in future events, please respond to one of our calls for entry in the e-newsletter or interest-based emails – and ensure that you’ve updated your online member’s profile to include ‘golf’ as a ‘sport you play’.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Alumni Dinner (23 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. Election of Lord Mayor Luncheon (2 October) The election of the 692nd Lord Mayor of London at Guildhall will be followed by lunch at Clothworkers’ Hall.
Court and Livery Dinner (3 October) The theme of the dinner will be ‘New World for Business and Textiles’, and the guest speaker will be Lord Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Investment and Enterprise Council. Invitations have been sent to Court, Assistant Emeriti and Livery members.
Those eligible to cast a vote should arrive at Guildhall before 11.30am.
Young Freedom Reception (10 October) FANY will deliver a sample of their first aid scenario training. Guests are invited to join in to understand the vital work the corps does and gain life-saving skills.
Invitations to lunch have been sent to Court, Assistants Emeriti and Livery members.
Invitations have been sent to selected Court and Livery members, and all members of the Freedom under 40 years old.
The full calendar for the Master’s year is available in the Members’ Area on our website (login required): www.clothworkers.co.uk.
Log on to the Members’ Area of the website for more: www.clothworkers.co.uk. 24
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