Tuesday 9th March Plastered with the Tax Advisers

The Tax Advisers held their Budget Banquet last night in Plaisterers' Hall. As you would expect, the plaster work is elaborate and painted in wonderful pinks, greens, gold and cream. Here's a link to pictures of the hall interiors http://www.plaisterershall.com/gallery_corporate.php

Their craft display included two copper-bottomed omelette pans, won in the recent Pancake Day races. Of course our own Simon Campbell-Davies won the Liveryman's class that day, but we don't have an obvious place to put our own pan-trophy.

The President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation explained how it was a profession that had wide access gates, with people coming into it from all sorts of previous educational and career routes. Many parallels with the Marketors. The Commissioner of the City of London Police, Mike Bowron, spoke with great enthusiasm and pride of his 30 years in the service, including the fact that the last Class A murder in the City was one of Jack the Ripper's !

I was seated next to Lord Howe of Aberavon (Geoffrey Howe as was) who is an Honorary Liveryman. Having always been taught never to discuss sex, religion or politics at dinner, I wondered whether it was in order to discuss politics with a former politician - we cheerfully agreed that it was!