94. Cwmni Anrhydeddus Lifrai Cymru

In May 2013, the Welsh Livery Guild was granted a Royal Charter, to be recognised as the Worshipful Livery Company of Wales. This year they organised a London Away Weekend and invited London Livery Company Masters and Consorts to their Livery Company Dinner aboard HQS Wellington on 22 April. I was a guest of our Past Master Ivor. The speaker was Alderman Andrew Parmley who welcomed their generosity of spirit to celebrate St George’s Day with us! My thanks go to the Livery Company and to Ivor for a great evening. But, we were caught on camera improperly dressed. Two naughty boys wearing their teardrops, facing a reprimand from the Clerk!

93. The Fuellers Election Court Luncheon

Time flies! It doesn’t seem long since I attended John Ingham’s installation as Master of the Fuellers’ Company and here we are welcoming his successors. He probably feels the same having just attended our Election Court Luncheon the day before. The Luncheon was special, being held at Mansion House, and attended by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, and Sheriff Charles Bowman, together with about 170 diners.

Senior Warden (Master Elect) Jan Harrison proposed the toast to the guests and the Lord Mayor responded – actually, he spoke first because of pressing engagements elsewhere. John Ingham responded outlining the Election Court events and welcoming new Freemen and Liverymen. Many thanks to the Master and Fueller’s Company for their kind invitation to our Clerk and myself.

92. Election Court and Luncheon

Our Election Court was held on 21 April and the team for 2016-17 was elected. Master Elect is Keith Tozzi, seen here in our Cutter, Thames Warden, Mike Williamson, master of fancy dress at the inter-livery pancake races, Fleet Warden, Richard Waller and Walbrook Warden, Mark Lane. A strong team to take us through next year’s exciting events, starting with Keith’s Installation and Dinner at the Painted Hall, Greenwich. We also welcomed five Freemen and three Liverymen.

The guest speaker was Michael Cooper, a senior accountant responsible for coordinating the financial management of CAP expenditure. He is the Immediate Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks and is the parish clerk of St Magnus the Martyr. He noted that the connections between the parish clerks and water go back 800 years, and in the middle ages, the parish clerk was known as the ‘water bearer’. Michael described his job, and his Defra inheritance – a pair of wellingtons. But the job carries crucial obligations which affect our Company, particularly care for the environment.

Thanking Michael for his speech and insight into our history, I reviewed the last three months and looked forward to another City Go Kart Grand Prix in June and a Bursary event in September. Talking of which, it gave me great pleasure to present engraved water jugs to Best Dissertation prize-winners: Irem Unay from Brunel and Vinicius Delboni from Queen Mary. These awards are managed by The Water Conservation Trust, the Company’s charity.  

Concluding the event, we held a retiring collection for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF). Successive Lord Mayors have raised over £1.4m for the ABF since 2008, with this money being used to support soldiers and veterans. Our army affiliate is the Royal Engineers, who build infrastructure - most recently hospitals in Sierra Leone for people contracting the Ebola virus. The collection adds to the cheque presented earlier in the month at the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch attended by Prince Harry and two of our Wardens.

91. The Tudor Pull Sunday 17 April

Leaving the Master’s Weekend I headed for Hampton Court Palace for the Tudor Pull. This is a ceremonial event where the Company delivers a Stela, crafted from an old elm London water pipe, to Her Majesty’s Barge Master (see right: with Master Watermen & Lightermen and me) so that he can take it by river to the Governor of her Majesty’s Tower of London for safe keeping. It celebrates that use of the River Thames as an ancient highway.

We boarded the QRB Gloriana and set off for Richmond, accompanied by a number of cutters rigged with full ceremonial canopies and flags and rowed by liveried crews. All carried passengers.

Breaking the journey at Richmond for lunch, we were joined by another dozen cutters. The flotilla caused quite a bit of excitement as it travelled down the Thames to central London, stopping at Tower Bridge.


The Company’s Cutter, Water forget-me not took part, rowed by our winning ladies crew and carrying the Thames Warden and his wife. Nice style, but things got a bit rough at London Bridge during which most crew got wet, but the TW, on his elevated seat, kept dry and dignified. The worst thing, he said, was seeing the breakers coming. The crew, facing backwards could not!
Having arrived safely, the final part of the ceremony was to deliver the Stela to the Governor of Her Majesty’s Tower of London. The Yeoman Warder challenged the party and the HM Barge Master replied that he was on a duty to deliver this Royal Stela to the Tower of London. This was duly delivered, safely, for another year. Passengers on the Gloriana included Water Conservators and guests, and a film crew with Penelope Keith for a forthcoming TV programme about life in Britain during the Queen’s 90th Birthday Year.

The Beadle to both our Company and the Watermen & Lightermen deserves a big thank you for the arrangements, and for crowd control.

90. The Master’s Weekend 15-17 April

The Master’s Weekend 2016 took place in Bristol, with a focus on Brunel and the watery heritage. The base was the excellent Avon Gorge Hotel in Clifton where the Weekend Dinner was held on Friday night.

Saturday was a busy day. The first port of call was Clifton Suspension Bridge The party was split in two with one group (for those able) a descent down a ladder into the vaulting which supports the Leigh Woods tower and the other group a guided tour and a history of the outside structure. Then we swapped.

The vaulting was incredible and had only been rediscovered about 15 years ago – by accident – having been quietly growing stalactites and stalagmites for 150 years. As water engineers and scientists we were given special access. We visited two vaults, linked by a short narrow tunnel and were amazed by their size. There are approximately 12 chambers, up to 35 feet high, from ground level to road level. Most are accessible – but by abseiling.

Just before noon we hurried to Welsh Back Ferry Station for a tour of the harbour and River Avon on the Brigantia. Setting off we headed east to the Netton Lock which seals the floating harbour from the tidal Avon from Bath. Then we headed west, out the floating harbour lock at Cumberland Basin racing (at high tide) to see how far we could get, and get back, before the tide took the river navigation away. We followed the path of all ships, over the last 1,000 years, using Bristol as a port – only open at high tide.

Returning to the Arnolfini, we were given an hour tour of old Bristol by local Bob. Although the blitz took its toll there is much to be seen of 17th and 18th century Bristol and a few odd 20th century buildings as well. For example, the Llandoger Trow (right) is a historic pub dating from 1664, near the old city centre docks. Named after a village in South Wales whose trows (boats) traded with Bristol. Damaged in the war, only three of the five original gables survive. Tradition has it that Daniel Defoe met Alexander Selkirk here, and inspired Robinson Crusoe and it was Robert Louis Stevenson’s inspiration for the Admiral Benbow in Treasure Island.  We finished at Christmas Steps, with steep-slanted steps constructed in September 1669.

Sunday, I had to leave to join the Tudor Pull but left my Bailiff in charge. The party visited SS Great Britain. Many had seen the ship in the 1970s when she had just arrived from the Falklands and visiting today was a big surprise. The Museum was good but the outfitting of the previously empty and decaying hulk was amazing.

Lots of people helped me but especially, Claire and Bob, David, G, and a range of good guides.

89. The Management Consultants

The Management Consultants’ Company held their Inaugural Livery Dinner on 13 April at the Armourers’ Hall. Before dining, Alderman Dr Andrew Parmley was installed as a Liveryman. In an exciting ceremony, Andrew was paraded in front of the Consultants’ hierarchy to make his Livery undertakings before being congratulated by the Master. We then progressed to a most interesting dinner which was centred on wines (and a beer) garnished from the Company wine committee’s travels around Europe.

But it was more purposeful. The impact on the City’s trade and Livery under Eleanor of Aquitaine was described, and particularly her encouragement to wine drinking. Wine trade links were established between Plantagenet countries and London. The First Warden welcomed the guests and Andrew Parmley responded, toasting the Company and its Master. Many thanks to the Master for his invitation to dine and to enjoy a great historical event, suitably accompanied by wines of the region.

88. The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch

On 7 April, the ninth annual Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch was held at the Guildhall to raise funds for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. The Lunch, which is hosted by the Lord Mayor, has raised over £1.4m for the ABF since 2008, with this money being used to support soldiers and veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. On this occasion (right) the Company was represented by Wardens Keith and Mike, seen here presenting our Company’s donation to the Lord Mayor.

87. Professor Carolyn Roberts – Britain’s Damaged Rivers

Continuing her lecture series Britain in Trouble Waters at Gresham College on 7 April Carolyn looked at river channels over time, and the impact of events, especially man-made events, on the shape of river channels. Rivers, as we know, have a mind of their own and their response to urbanisation has been under-researched. Excluding issues of pollution, sedimentation, etc., urban drainage and rural development can expand river channels by a factor of four and have a huge potential to cause or facilitate damage.
But, some lessons emerge about current thinking on restoration: people don’t necessarily like reversion to the ‘natural’ state; up-stream catchments need to be understood; improvements to one section of a river can be counterproductive, and river characteristics should be used and not fought. More floods and more droughts are likely and knowing how rivers cope is very important. Carolyn’s lectures are available online, this one at: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/britains-damaged-rivers

86. Lunch with the Actuaries

The Actuaries’ Company held its Court Lunch for Masters and Clerks on 5 April at the Dyers’ Hall, inviting Master and Clerks from the Arbitrators, the International Bankers, the Management Consultants and the Water Conservators. After a warm welcome from the Master we celebrated the election of new Liverymen and Freemen and the appointment of a new Clerk. The vote of thanks was given by the Master Arbitrator. My thanks also for a very informative (comparing activities over a wide range of interests) and enjoyable lunch.

85. Water Conservation in Malta

It’s nice to get a message with a picture from overseas, especially with encouraging news about water conservation. Here, the Company Organist and a 1994 Vintage Member, meeting unexpectedly, celebrate the archaeology of Malta with a glass of the local stuff, thus avoiding strain on the public water supply. Great stuff.

84. Mistresses visit the Middle Temple Hall

Nothing to do with me but a great event. The Mistresses Launderer and Water Conservator organised a tour and lunch at the Middle Temple Hall on 23 March attended by mistresses/ consorts from 36 Livery Companies. The history of the Middle Temple and its Hall and the Call to the Bar (graduation ceremony) were explained and some of the rooms behind the Hall visited (see right).

83. Professor Jane Plant

Jane Plant CBE passed away on 4th March. She joined the Company in 1999 and in the early days played an active part. Jane was one of the world's leading geochemists and was chief scientist at the British Geological Survey from 2000 to 2005, as well as Professor of Geochemistry at Imperial College. She is most often remembered for the encouragement she gave to cancer sufferers – recommending a dairy-free diet, based on her husband's observations of the much reduced impact of cancer in China. She will be greatly missed.