The Worshipful Company of Insurers at Insurance Hall, Aldermanbury Monday 11th March Modern Livery Companies Dinner

It might have been very cold outside but there was certainly a warm welcome from the Master Insurer, Rick Hudson, for the Master and Senior Warden of the Marketors.  This was the first of the two annual dinners that will be held by the Modern Livery Companies in 2013 and this Spring it was the task of the Insurers to organise.  I was reminded that a year ago it had been was the turn of the Marketors to host the dinner and I had to fulfil the duty of presiding while John, our Immediate Past Master was in hospital.

The Worshipful Company of Insurers has the good fortune to use the home of their own Chartered Institute and, while not a Livery Hall, it is located in a prestigious City location very close to the Guildhall.

The dinner was excellent and the company of so many other Masters added to the interest as we all get to know each other, particularly those whose installation closely matches mine in January.  We discussed our forthcoming visit with the Lord Mayor to Ironbridge in June.

Sheriff Nigel Pullman was an extremely entertaining speaker.  He regaled us with details of what he wears in his official capacity and how he needed to obtain ‘hold up’ black tights to wear to ensure not too close a fit!  Apparently he had been ably assisted by a member of Marks and Spencer staff, no doubt bemused, at the Marble Arch store who made sure he had the right size.  Sadly Nigel discovered that the elastic, by all accounts, does not really work and, as he was speaking he was a trifle in fear of losing the thread of his talk – or was it the tights descending?

Over a stirrup cup we continued our conversation and then it was back out to the cold – black tights or not.  There was a parting speech from the Master Actuary, who will host the Autumn dinner.

Vintners’ Hall Thursday 7th March The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers and Looking-Glass Makers of London

Hot on the heels of our own Common Hall I was invited to the Glass Sellers Common Hall held prior to their Court and Livery Dinner.  All members and guests were invited to attend, a welcome touch I felt although a bit restricting perhaps if any questions were arising – of which there were none.  It was an informative meeting with short presentations on the various aspects of the Glass Sellers Company’s organisation and work including  more recent and important links developed with industry in relation to the varied applications of glass in modern manufacturing.

It was an excellent dinner in a superb venue and the speeches and a traditional toast ‘To Glass’ emphasised the enduring nature and relevance of a cheap and recyclable material we largely take for granted – with of course glass in hand.

The Company received its Charter from Charles the Second in 1664 and ranks 71^st in precedence – thereby celebrating its 350^th anniversary next year.  Today the Company’s members are involved across many different trades and professions.  Whilst the Company’s outreach seeks to encourage interest in glass and glass making in all its many aspects and good craftsmanship, honest trading, charity and education are high on their agenda.  I was particularly impressed that the outreach included social and practical support in needy areas well outside “The City”.  As Guest Speaker the Reverend Canon Dave Wade spoke meaningfully about the work he does in his parish of St Luke’s, Canning Town, financially supported by the Glass Sellers.  Once an area of great industry and now one of the most deprived and run down areas in London,  Dave’s plain speaking  achievement  was in progressively  building his Sunday congregation back up from 3 – 150 in a short time.  This recovery almost beggared belief and his obvious commitment and energy in serving the largely unwaged and ethnically mixed population of that area was acknowledged by all present. 

Clothworkers Company, Clothworkers' Hall Wednesday 6th March

Tonight, in Company with the Assistant Clerk, it was a return to the magnificent Clothworkers’ Hall where the Marketors had held our Bowden Charter Dinner in October. This time we were attending as guests at the Company’s Annual Masters and Clerks Dinner. At his invitation, Doreen and I joined the Master, Robin Booth, for pre-dinner drinks in his private study.

Founded by Royal Charter in 1528, the original purpose of The Clothworkers’ Company was to protect its members and promote the craft of cloth-finishing within the City of London. The Company’s most famous Master was Samuel Pepys, who had finished writing his diary before he took office in 1677. So although there is no record of his year, it mentions events which must have affected the Company and annually there is a Pepys dinner.

Few of its present members are involved in the textile industry in any direct way today, but the Company continues to support textiles, principally through educational grants, fostering the development of technical textiles and colour science, and support for the nation's textile heritage.

The assets of the Company, one of the Great Twelve, are considerable and based on property and investments. These are used to support The Clothworkers' Foundation, started in 1977, a registered charity and the Company is one of the largest grant-makers in Britain, having made grants to date that total£100million.

Do you dine with Alderman or Lady Cooper? A question to perplex the uninitiated in the ways of the Clothworkers. Alderman Cooper collapsed with apoplexy in 1664 and was revived with brandy but subsequently died. Lady Cooper was angry with the Clerk as she felt he would have survived had he been given gin instead. To this day at Company dinners all guests are offered a choice of brandy or gin. I chose the Lady's tipple and recommendation and sat back to thoroughly enjoy the musical entertainment from three highly talented Guildhall students.

The guest speaker was Colonel Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, Chairman of the City of London Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. He spoke forcefully about the need to show support for all the TA serving in war zones and urged everyone to also support the Cadets, a number having formed a splendid carpet guard this evening. A commentator on Religious matters for Sky News, as well as a prolific writer, Colonel Bruce had also been involved in advising on TV programmes, including Downton Abbey and The Young Victoria. The evening ended with a stirrup cup and friendly farewells to a Livery Company that simply oozed hospitality and good fellowship.

Common Hall Stationers Hall Tuesday 5th March

Common Hall is a feature of many Livery Companies, and in some is a regular annual event at which Master and Wardens are elected.  However in many others it is an irregular event, called at the behest of the Master and not necessarily held annually.   The format also varies between companies, in some more closely resembling an Annual General Meeting, but not always and it is a mistake to think of Common Hall in this way.

My main aim tonight in the brief time available was to provide information about the progress of the Company, to highlight some of the issues of concern to the Court, to explain where we are seeking to introduce change, and to give members the opportunity to raise questions.

As a confidential meeting between members of the livery I cannot give more details here.

Common Hall was followed by our inaugural Professional Dinner in which Professor Malcolm McDonald addressed us on “The Future of Marketing”.   

He particularly lamented the division that has opened up over the years between Marketing and Sales, and the number of people operating in marketing roles without any formal training. 

After the speech he gamely fielded questions from the members present.

Court Assistant Peter Rees, Chair of the Heritage Committee had brought up our treasure out of storage, providing members with one of the few occasions to view some of the generous gifts we have been given.  Hopefully, at some point we will be able to show this off better in a display cupboard.

Builders Merchants Company City & Awards Luncheon - Ironmongers' Hall Tuesday 5th March

The Banqueting Hall of the Ironmongers is an impressive room by any standards. The Company is lucky having survived the Great Fire and two World Wars relatively unscathed and the windows, ceiling, chandeliers and oak panelling conjure up heraldic imagery. The fine stained glass windows record the rooms connections with the Monarchy and past Lord Mayors of London.

A superb venue in which to join the Builders Merchants Company for their City and Awards lunch, and meet their Master Andrew Way. The Guest of Honour was George Gillon. It was gratifying to see a Guildhall School of Music & Drama student receive one of the prizes – of which I am myself an alumni.

The Builders Merchants are 88 in the order of precedence and certainly one of the Companies whose members have a focus on successful sales and marketing. Many of the members represent smaller companies having to find and maintain their service niche through the ups and downs of the housing market, competing against the large national chains and DIY shops increasingly targeting “the trade”.

 

 

 

 

Derek Melluish Memorial Lecture – Monday 4th March

Sue Jackson, Chairman of the Association of London Blue Badge Guides, gave a splendid introduction to Lord Richard Dannatt GCB CBE MC, Constable to the Tower of London.  His lecture for the Association was entitled   ‘Sent to the Tower’.

Lord Dannatt pointed out to a large assembly of Masters, Liverymen and interested parties that after four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan  he left the Army on 31 July 2009 and was appointed as Constable of the Tower of London the very next day, 1 August.  

As an outspoken member of HM Forces he might be forgiven for thinking he was literally being ‘Sent to the Tower’. Once the seat of government, the Tower of London is now controlled and run by Royal Armouries, who keep a modest collection of armoury and weapons in the White Tower. This is also the only space allowed for private entertaining and I used it myself in 2006 for a great party with MPs and Peers suitably transported by river boat to the Tower and a private viewing of the Crown Jewels.

His tour of duty in the Tower of London mainly consists of managing 2.5 million visitors a year.  To assist him in this task he has of course the  Beefeaters.  The Tower hosts many Livery Companies for church services in the two beautiful chapels, alive of course with stories of previous worshippers who no doubt prayed there before meeting their deaths.

The event took place in the City’s Dutch Church. This dates from 1550 when King Edward VI gave Protestant refugees from the Netherlands permission to establish their own parish.  It aims to be a meeting-place for Dutch people living and working in London either for longer or shorter periods. Destroyed in the Blitz the Church was rebuilt in 1950 and is a familiar sight to those who walk down Aldersgate Street and cut through Austin Friars, the street named after the monastic order which founded the Church.  The Dutch Church has a spacious undercroft for entertaining where refreshments were provided.

 

The XXVI Annual World Traders Tacitus Lecture Guildhall 28th February

I knew Sir Richard Lambert very well from his time as Editor of the FT when I was Development Director for its owner, the Pearson Group. He gave an excellent Tacitus Lecture at Guildhall on ‘Industry and the City – Revitalising the Economy’. He was introduced by Sheriff Nigel Pullman, who had also worked with Richard and is former Clerk to the World Traders. The Chair was the Master World Trader, Mr John Burbidge-King.  Gaye Duffy, Clerk to the World Traders and our own Hon Liveryman did the honours. Also from our own Company Court  Assistant Diane Morris and Honorary Liveryman Adèle Thorpe are also active World Traders helping with the organisation of the evening.   

In true journalist style Sir Richard outlined a trilogy. First the bad news on the economic side -  despite financial services, including the related professional services sector being our largest export earner generating £55 billion in trade earnings, more than the rest of net exports, we are in depressing difficulty.  However, we are also the EU’s - and indeed the world’s - pre-eminent  financial centre with a distinctive role to play in achieving recovery.  Lastly, the sector now needs to prove that it can indeed be the catalyst for growth and helps facilitate the recovery of business outside of the financial sector across both the UK’s and the EU’s economy.  No mean feat.The full transcript of the lecture is available through the World traders website and is recommended reading.

Tribute was also given to the work of the FSG, the Financial Services Group of Livery Companies in which the Marketors plays a part in aiding this recovery.

There were over 800 in the Guildhall and, after the lecture it was good to catch up with many familiar City faces and the Masters of Livery Companies present.