MASTER’S BLOG

June 2023

Looking at the schedule it would seem there is another busy month in store.

Tuesday 6th June 2023

I attend the Worshipful Company of Distillers City Debate. Two opposing panels debate the motion “this house believes that the emergence of whiskey as a private investment asset is good for the growth of the wider global whiskey market”. It was decided that it wasn’t! Nonetheless, some 8 visiting Masters enjoyed a very pleasant evening among which was the newly installed Sam Chadd, the Master of the Young Freeman. The event was held at London Scottish House, the army reserve headquarters of the London Scottish and a building worthy of a visit in its own right.

Thursday

I am invited to a reception at Grocers Hall given by the City of London Livery Committee. Most of the Masters are present together with members of the Livery Committee and Sheriffs. A full and interesting evening learning more of the city’s attitude to the Livery and the enormous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes.

Friday

Today sees the holding of the second of my series of Masters lunches at Watermans Hall. The Senior Warden co-hosted the lunch with me and eight of us enjoyed an extremely convivial lunch enabling those present to get to know each other better and for newer Liveryman to make those all-important connections. These are excellent good value lunches, and I shall hold another in July and one in September.

Wednesday 14th June 2023

Today is Committee Day! I attend hourly meetings of Finance and General Purposes; Masters Advisory Group; Charity; Functions; and Fellowship. These are long days. They are however invaluable for the Master to know as much as possible of what is going on; to monitor individuals’ contributions and to gauge the health of the company generally.

As gluttons for punishment, half an hour after the Committee Meeting ends I, Kim and the Senior and Junior Wardens all attend an evening at the Old Bailey organised by the Treloars Trust focusing on the outstanding work undertaken by Treloars (and which I referred to in my Blog earlier in the year following the visit which I made to this wonderful school). The reception is punctuated by speeches, short films made by students, a magician and inevitably the opportunity to give money. The Grand Hall of the Old Bailey was an imposing venue for this very worthwhile cause.

Thursday 15th June 2023

Not everything takes place away from home. This afternoon I participate in a zoom meeting of the Governance Advisory Group. Over the last two or so years this company has examined and updated almost every aspect of its Corporate Governance. This has involved an enormous amount of time, drafting Terms of Reference for committees, procedures etc. It has involved an inordinate amount of time upon the part of many including several of my predecessors. The task is almost completed, however there will always be ongoing maintenance!

Later that day I attend the Worshipful Company of Broderers Election Dinner at Mercers Hall (and I am grateful to the Immediate Past Master and his Consort for fulfilling a further engagement that evening that I am unable to accept!)

The Broderers and ourselves have a great deal in common, particularly our involvement with the Royal School of Needlework. Interestingly for an installation dinner, there is also an element of community singing. Finally, the Master sings a song to the assembled company -not an innovation to be introduced at Needlemakers!

Friday 16th June 2023 to

Sunday 18th June 2023

Kim and I travel to Glasgow to participate in the Masters Livery weekend. This is an event (traditionally held at Ironbridge in the West Midlands) at which all Masters in post at that weekend meet to form a “Past Masters Association” and to choose a name for it and a set of officers. It was decided for whatever reason that this year’s weekend should be held in Glasgow and organised by the Trades Guilds of Glasgow. It was certainly an experience!

Travelling by train we had a relatively trouble-free journey, others were not so lucky with flights cancelled, luggage lost (yes even just as far as Glasgow) it is probably best to simply state that there was a gap in expectations of the parties involved. The expectation of those of us travelling from London was that the forming of the Past Masters Association would be a central aspect of the weekend, whilst our hosts were keen to extol the virtue of their Trades Hall. They did indeed organise some fascinating visits for us on the Saturday to a church designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh, to the world-renowned Burrell Collection and to a tall ship permanently at anchor on the Clyde.

The catering arrangements sadly left much to be desired. There was also a failure to find time in the programme to organise the meeting of Masters (together with the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs who attended the entire weekend) and we returned to London as possibly the only Masters group to ever go away and return nameless. At the point of my dictating this blog to you, a meeting has yet to be arranged for this purpose while a number of Masters have already left office!

Monday 19th June 2023

Kim and I are invited by the Master World Trader and his Consort to their annual service at All Hallows by the Tower and thereafter to their summer lunch at Trinity House. At Trinity House the table configuration is round tables, rather than the top table and sprigs which we utilised at our lunch in April. This is a historic and interesting venue to which I was pleased to return and as a guest had more time to explore. I very much hope that as a Company we shall visit Trinity House again in the future.

Wednesday 21st June 2023

I attend the Armed Forces flag raising ceremony held in the presence of the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs together with Senior Service Officers in Guildhall Yard. It is extremely hot. At least one individual from one of the service contingents faints, Aldermen are seen in their robes (but having sensibly first removed their jackets) and I am privately delighted that the ceremony is not longer for it really is very hot indeed.

Afterwards we repair to the Old Library in Guildhall for a cup of tea, something to eat and an opportunity to discuss Glasgow!

Monday 26th June 2023

This promises to be a busy day with technically four engagements.

8.30 finds me at breakfast at Armourers Hall. Breakfast has been kindly laid on by the Cook and the Butler Event Company for Masters who intend to vote at the election of the Sheriffs which is to take place in Guildhall later in the morning. We saunter in over a 45-minute period or so, exchanging comments and wondering how hot it is going to be sitting in Guildhall as we shall be gowned for the ceremony!

By 11 a.m. I and with one or two exceptions, every other Livery Master is in the Crypt of Guildhall together with our respective Beadles as we all climb into our gowns and are shepherded by very patient City Corporation staff into the Order of Precedence – most junior at the front. This is indeed a massive exercise in herding cats however they have done it before and most of us behave ourselves. It is however very, very warm. It may be an immense privilege to wear ermine sitting in a cold church in October or November the honour is not quite so great in a very hot crypt in

June. In due time we process into Guildhall, are seated and the centuries old proceedings fall effortlessly into place. After an hour or so Alderman Bronek Masojada and Alderwoman Susan Langley are duly elected as Sheriffs for the coming year.

We process out and are thankful to be able to remove the gowns and chains. (Thank goodness I didn’t have to wear the bonnet as well!)

The Needlemakers contingent lunches at Armourers Hall. An enjoyable mix of past Masters, Wardens, Court Members, and Liverymen, and lively conversation is had. I would recommend to any member of the Company who has not attended either the election of the Sheriffs or the Lord Mayor to do so. It is a wonderful experience.

My day is not over. In the evening I accompany Pippa Rousselet to an event organised by the Museum of London, a discussion on the legacy of the Suffragette Movement held at the University Women’s Club in Audley Square. One of the delights of the Mastership is the width of events one attends during the Master’s year, not something that perhaps I would have chosen but which I enjoyed very much.

Tuesday 27th June 2023

No peace for the wicked. Another “three event day” dawns.

At 11 a.m. Kim accompanies me to a service of Thanksgiving for the life of Sir Christopher Wren held at St Pauls Cathedral. This is the 300th year commemoration of the death of Sir Christopher, one of our foremost architects and a man responsible for the rebuilding of almost of all of the City of London following the Great Fire. A tasteful and well-planned service which takes place in his masterpiece Cathedral is a fitting tribute to an inordinately talented man. Following the service, we attend (in common with many other Masters and consorts) a lunch held at Plaisterers Hall. Many companies are represented (and indeed lunches are held in other halls in addition). Present at the lunch are direct descendants of Sir Christopher.

We have scarcely had time to digest our lunch when Kim and I find ourselves (together with our excellent clerk) as the guests of the Master and Wardens of the Society of Apothecaries at their hall at a Guest Night.

Dinner. This very old hall (which largely escaped damage in the Second World War) is possessed of a courtyard and with the fine weather we are enjoying, full use is made of it for the pre-dinner reception. Again, we are in the company of four or five other Masters and their Consorts.

Thursday 29th June 2023

Today I am invited to attend the Leavers Ceremony held by City of London School for Girls for their 2023 Leavers Cohort. This is an afternoon event at which all the leavers are celebrated but importantly for me this includes our talented bursary student Toluwani Agbedu. Sound words of advice are provided both by Jenny

Brown the headmistress and by “Old Girls” who have made their mark in business since leaving the school. Afterwards in the “tea tent” I catch up with the Master Glover (the Glovers also sponsor a student); with members of the Governing body; but most importantly with Tolu with whom I can have a good chat.

Meeting with those who are recipients of our charitable giving is possibly the very best part of being Master.

Friday 30th June 2023

Kim and I attend the Coronation Ball held by the Master of the Worshipful Company of Stationers. In essence, this is a Stationers event, however we are invited on the “Consorts Network” in the company of another number of other Masters whose Consorts have also seemingly found a way to attend. We dance the night away and the event finishes well after midnight. A wonderful end to yet another very busy month.