54. The City New Year Service

The first formal get-together in the New Year is the invitation to join the Drapers’ Company for the City New Year Service at St Michael’s Cornhill. This attractive church (right, before the service) has been a centre of Christianity for over 1000 years - the Drapers’ Company have been Patrons for 513 years! Rector Stephen Platten welcomed several hundred worshipers; Readings were given by Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, and Dame Fiona Woolf, and the Sermon by Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales. A good way to start the New Year; and thanks go to the Master Draper for his hospitality.

53. New Year’s Honours

The Company and I congratulate Professor Peter Matthews, Chair, Natural Resources Wales, on his appointment as Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: for Services to Environmental Management.  Peter was Master Water Conservator in 2012-13 and has had a long and distinguished career in the water industry. I got to know him well in the 1980s when, working for Anglian Water, he was the industry’s sewage sludge and general waste water expert. Our paths have crossed, on and off, ever since.

Former Lord Mayor, Alan Yarrow, has received a knighthood for services to international business, inclusion and the City of London.  His Mayoral Year, which finished last November, was never dull, and, at times, quite demanding – for example, the two hour Go Kart race in July. His other achievement in which the Livery played a major part was raising funds for his Charity Appeal. He is shown here raising a glass of Thames Water’s best on the anniversary of sale of the conservancy of the River Thames to the Corporation of London.

52. Back in the…

… harness, or do I mean saddle?
A Happy and Prosperous 2016!

Appearing here with Mrs Master in Valletta’s Grand Harbour; we celebrated the New Year without the benefit of snow, frost, rain, etc. It didn’t seem right for New Year’s Eve but it was a nice change.