On Friday afternoon I drove down to Exeter for dinner with the Incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen of Exeter in Tuckers Hall. This is an amazing building dating from 1471 with a wool and linen exhibition on the ground floor and a wooden barrel-vaulted dining room on the first floor with magnificent carvings. There […]

The Army Benevolent Fund (The Soldiers Charity) laid on a splendid reception and lunch at the Guildhall on Thursday 10th April. I was accompanied by Court Assistant Chris Thierry, and at the reception I was presented to HRH The Duke of Gloucester.  After the reception the Guildhall was full to bursting of people queuing for […]

Probably the high point of every Master’s year is the Lord Mayor’s Banquet at Mansion House, and this year was no exception. Janet and I were delighted and privileged to be invited to this splendid evening: the Egyptian room was full, and there was a glittering array of tiaras and jewellery and some of the […]

Then we proceeded to St Paul’s Cathedral (via a coffee or two) for the United Guilds Service, which as usual was a wonderful occasion. Rousing hymns, a stirring sermon from the Dean of St Paul’s about the difference between appearances and the substance of people, and a new anthem specially commissioned by the Founders’ Company […]

On Friday morning we presented a pair of sheep shears to the Chamberlain Chris Bilsland and he presented us with our new Ordinances for the Worshipful Company of Woolmen. He is due to retire as Chamberlain on 16th April, so we were delighted to make the presentation to him before then.  We were all in […]

On Thursday I drove back up to London again for the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in Mansion House with Janet – we are regular visitors there now! – and it was another splendid evening, with the Lord Mayor – again. The Egyptian room was full, and there was a glittering array of tiaras and jewellery – […]

On Tuesday morning I had a meeting with Woolmark about the sheep drive in October. There are lots of areas of common interest, and they are holding their launch of Wool Week near Tower Bridge on the same day, with a reception in Potters Field.  It was very interesting to hear their plans and see […]

On Monday 24th I drove into London for a meeting with an old Army friend – it is always good to catch up with people from those days and hear all the gossip. That evening, Janet and I were invited by Alderman Vincent Keaveny and his wife Amanda to the Solicitors” Banquet at the Mansion […]

On Thursday night I had a most enjoyable evening at a dinner with the Wheelwrights in Cutlers’ Hall. I had been invited as a guest of Past Master Richard Proctor (Past Master of both the Woolmen and the Wheelwrights) and their guest speaker was His Honour Gerald Clifton.   We were sat at a very convivial […]

Tuesday 25th was a full morning of meetings with the Finance Investment and General Purposes committee and the charity committee. We welcomed Ken Ayers to the meeting and we managed to get a lot of work done before the inevitable thinning out of people who had other things to do.  The sandwiches were as bad […]

On Friday we had an informal curry lunch on board HQS Wellington for about 30 members of the livery. Chris Dancaster had arranged it with Mark Grove of Cook and Butler and we had a very good lunch with our guests.  With so much going on in the world I could hear conversations ranging from […]

On Wednesday Howard Venters and I visited RAF Brize Norton and were made very welcome. After initial discussions with Gp Capt Eddie Cole we were briefed about the new Voyager aircraft and then crawled all over one, including the cockpit.  we were shown the Joint Air Despatch Training and Evaluation Unit where they assess all […]

On Tuesday we took a couple of stands at the Livery Schools Link showcase event at Apothecaries Hall. There were about 30 Livery Companies there and hundreds of school children, who came through in fairly orderly groups and were very interested in everything on show.  And very well behaved! Bill and Jean Skidmore had spent […]

Thursday evening was the reception for the Reserve Forces and Cadets in Greater London at Yeomanry House, followed by a curry supper. The AGM part was a little slow (particularly since we were sat on hard chairs), but then the Lord Lieutenant, Sir David Brewer CMG JP (and former Lord Mayor of the City of […]

It was a great evening on Tuesday night when Janet and I were invited to the Joiners and Ceilers Court of Livery Dinner at Plaisterers’ Hall.  We had a very good time.  Jimmy Perry, script writer for such TV favourites as It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Dad’s Army, Hi-De-Hi, You Rang Me Lord and many […]