123. Admiral of the Port Challenge Rowing Race

The 1.33 mile Race, between Westminster Bridge and Westminster Boating Base, takes place each year and the Company’s Cutter, the Water Forget-me-not has won the Glaziers’ Company Rose Bowl for ladies’ crews for years. The rules require the cutter to be in full regalia: canopy, four oars, coxswain and two passengers – usually the Master and Consort. The crew this year were Natasha, Valerie, Andrea and Laura.

Sitting comfortably, under instructions from the Cox (Johnny, the Company’s Bargemaster), we left the assembled cutters for a bit of practice. It’s very pleasant being quietly rowed around as the crew warm up. But then, we noticed that the Race had been started by City Sheriff Christine Rigden the other side of Westminster Bridge. We were about seven lengths behind the back markers, never mind the leaders! The ladies, knowing an injustice when they see one, set off with a vengeance.

There’s not much time to pick up that distance in a short race, but we did, with lots of encouraging shouting from the Cox. By the time we got to Westminster Boating Base we were several lengths ahead of our rivals. The team (right) received their prize from Sheriff Christine, but the whereabouts of the Rose bowl wasn’t clear. Congratulations to the team and thanks for a great evening.

The Race is organised by the charity TTRA, (The Thames Traditional Rowing Association) which supports and promotes the sport of fixed seat rowing and sculling on the River Thames in Waterman’s Cutters.

122. City Livery Concert 26 June at the Barbican Theatre

The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, premiered the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davis’ children’s opera – The Hogboon – assisted by students from the Guildhall School and local children. This was followed by Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique. Sir Simon becomes Music Director at the City-based LSO in 2017. The evening was well attended by the Livery and raised money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

121. Armed Forces Flag Raising

For good or ill, the City has had a long relationship with the armed forces. The Corporation with the Livery Companies have links with all services and cadet movements. Each year this relationship is renewed at the Armed Forces Flag Raising Day. Held on the afternoon of 24 June, Livery Company Masters were invited to join the Lord Mayor’s Party in a military review.


The special Armed Forces Flag was raised over the Guildhall. After a prayer from the Guild Vicar, Canon David Parrott, and a welcome speech from the Lord Mayor, the assembled Service contingent and British Legion representatives was inspected by the Mayoral Party (see right) and senior military officials. Throughout the event, a Guards’ band played – stirring military tunes you’ve heard of! After a march past the Service contingent was dismissed.

120. Election of Sheriffs for 2016-17

At Common Hall at Guildhall on Midsummer Day, 24 June, two Aldermen were elected Sheriffs for the coming year. Ald. (and Haberdasher) William Russell (right) and Ald. (and International Banker) Peter Estin (below right); both agreed to serve. This is a serious undertaking, spending the year in quarters at the Old Bailey whilst they fulfil their responsibilities, which include a high profile in City affairs.

The arrangements for Common Hall are elaborate. City officials and Liverymen can attend. Masters process in reverse order but fill seats from the back! They are joined by the Aldermen and Beadles and the Mayoral Party. The election of Sheriffs, two Bridge Masters, four Ale Conners (who examine the measures used by beer and liquor sellers to guard against fraud) and Auditors is done by a show of hands. Business done, Common Hall is dismissed to shouts of God save the Queen!

119. Building Crafts College

Founded by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters in 1893, the Building Crafts College (BCC) has a long tradition of delivering high quality education and training in building crafts and building conservation. The BCC, located in Stratford, is an Educational Charity and is governed and financially supported by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, with further funding from other Companies, including the Turners and Masons.
A group of 25 Masters were shown around the training facilities by College Principal Len Conway and the level of skill achieved in wood, stone work, and conservation, after two years’ study, was impressive. Len, the Master Turner and Master Carpenter are pictured right. Talking of charitable funding (Blog 118), the Carpenters’ Company and other building-related Companies put about a £1 million per annum into the BCC to ensuring that young people can acquire key building skills.

118. So what’s it all about?

I sent the link to a good friend in Slovakia. She replied that it seemed to be a year of eating and
drinking. It can look that way but there is a motive. The 110 Livery Companies donate something like £40 million for charitable purposes each year. Most of the activities described in the Blog are paid for by the Master and Company Members and, in addition, they are expected to make a donation to the event’s charity.

Our own charity, The Water Conservation Trust, will donate over £80,000 this year, mostly on our own educational programmes: bursaries for Masters students and education work with schools. In addition, some £5,000 is spent on various schemes with other Livery Companies and the Lord Mayor’s Charity - which, this year supports Type 1 diabetes research and the Sea Cadet Movement.

The difference is often one of scale. Some years back we bought the Maidstone Sea Cadets a replacement boat. The Master of the day was able to get further funding for a trailer. We have recently promised part-funding for a replacement mooring, for which they have to raise about £25,000. By contrast, the Lord Mayor’s Charity should be able to fund a training ship for the Sea Cadets.

We also support the Hackney Carriage Drivers with their annual trip to Disneyland Paris, a trip for terminally ill children and their carers in more than 100 London Taxis. We sponsor a taxi (below right) and join the other sponsors and well-wishers for a dawn send-off. Other beneficiaries from collaborative ventures include ABF: The Soldiers’ Charity and Treloar College in Alton.

117. St Mary at Hill

St Mary-at-Hill, our Chaplain Rose’s church, celebrated the eve of St Botolph’s Day with a concert. St Botolph is the patron saint of travellers (and the various aspects of farming) and I needed his help later as Paddington Station was closed for several hours on 16 June. Anyway, the concert featured some Bardic pieces followed by some good 1930s songs and was part of the seemingly endless task of raising money for St Mary’s. Rose, of course, was busy elsewhere, as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, following the sad death of Jo Cox MP.

116. Firefighters’ Master’s Reception

Although fire and water don’t mix, the Company is close to the Firefighters in many ways, for a start we have adjacent numbers in the Order of Precedence. Anyway, the Master Firefighter stands down on 1 July and wanted to say thank you to the people who had been good company and helpful during the year. The modern fire service, formed in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London means that the Company has commemorative events planned around the 2/3 September. Murray Craig responded for the guests and I added my personal thanks to the Master Firefighter and his colleagues.

115. Livery Weekend in Ironbridge 10-12 June

Ironbridge is where the industrial revolution began.
For 33 years, Livery Masters, Prime Wardens, Upper Bailiff and Sheriffs have invited to spend a weekend touring the ten industrial museums which are administered by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. Joined by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress on Saturday, we visited four sites, including the famous bridge, before meeting at the President’s Summer Ball in the Engine Shop. The bridge was built by Abraham Darby III, who was given the Freedom of the City in 1775.

Such a busy week-end and a good social occasion where all Masters and Consorts meet, and then decide how to carry forward the friendships and in many cases working relations in the coming years to soften the post-Master blues. On Sunday morning Masters and Consorts met (separately) and set up 2016 year clubs, Phoenix for the Masters (after the great fire) and Firebirds for Consorts. Chairmen and committee members were elected

Right: Masters and Consorts, Hackney Carriage Drivers, Launderers and Water Conservators at the President’s Ball in the Enginuity Museum.

114. Livery Education Conference 9 June

About 50 Livery Companies were represented at the Livery Education Conference, together with a similar number of teachers. The objective was to better match Livery resources (cash and, importantly, people) with school needs. The focus was on preparing students for the workforce. This included curriculum and careers guidance, work placements, and stressing the appropriateness of the Apprentice Scheme. The new booklet the Livery in Education – June 2016 was issued, and it is an important read for those interested in what Livery Companies do. The Actuaries and Educators facilitated the Conference but an important contribution came from the Information Technologists who have designed web-based matching software which would be trialled in the autumn.

113. The Big Curry Lunch – the results

One of the popular events during the year is the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, which supports the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF: The Soldiers Charity). Earlier this year, two Wardens attended the Lunch and we held a collection after our Election Court Luncheon to allow them to take something with them.

On 8 June there was a reception to announce that over £217,000 had been raised this year - a record. The Lunch Chairman, Michael Hockney, thanked the Lord Mayor for the City’s efforts. In its publicity, the ABF have this splendid illustration from 2015, worth recording because it features the (present) Deputy Master and the Master Elect, alas, on the Billy no-mates table.

112. RAF Affiliation No.1 AIDU

Most Livery Companies have RAF affiliations. Ours is with the No.1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit at RAF Northolt. A good proportion of the World’s aircraft documentation is produced here, in paper and electronic format. Wing Commander Roger Flynn and his team hosted Conservators on 3 June and gave an impressive illustration of the collection, use and distribution of aeronautical information to make flying safer.

We then left for the Battle of Britain Bunker at Uxbridge, the home of Fighter Command’s No.11 Group from 1939 to 1958, where the actions of hurricanes and spitfires from seven RAF stations in the South-East were coordinated during the Battle. The control room is set for 15 September 1940. Worth a visit on an Open Day, lots of steps though.

111. Reminiscences of 1915, the Somme and Verdun

The City of London Corporation has a special outdoor exhibition: Fields of Battle – Lands of Peace and Prof. Gary Sheffield, in a related lecture, described the immediate aftermath of the Somme in WWI and the way we regard it now (Lonsdale Cemetery right). The battle, like many of the period, continued for months and was not decisive. It contrasted markedly from battles fought in the nineteen century and earlier. Even the ground fought over was not strategically important. He did dispel a number of myths about the purpose of and leadership in the battle.

110. The Master’s Luncheon

It is customary for the Master to arrange a function to thank Wardens, Officers, Past Masters, Court Assistants and partners for their help during his year. On 31 May, we met at the Dyers’ Hall and, after a look around the public areas, enjoyed an excellent luncheon. After a word of thanks for my year from the Father of the Company, I thanked all the people who had helped me, including many not present. The Dyers’ Hall is smaller than the Halls we use we rarely get a chance to visit this attractive venue.