After the church service and procession through the streets
(see Blog No 72) we arrived at Trinity House (see photo) for the Myddelton
Lunch. There was an air of great excitement as we had been honoured with the presence
of the Lord and Lady Mayoress and the Aldermanic Sheriff as our Principle
Guests. No pressure then!
But of course, it all went very well due to the expert organisation
of the Clerk, the Beadle and the caterers, the Cook and the Butler. And what an
enjoyable day it was too.
The lunch was preceded by a drinks reception at which my
three Wardens and I took great pleasure in welcoming the 100 or so guests in
person. There were many familiar faces present but also many new ones and it
was very enjoyable to greet each one.
But before long the Beadle knocked-up for lunch and the
guests took their places. Processing with the Lord and Lady Mayoress and the
Sheriff into the wonderful Dinning Hall was a real honour and our guests
clapped us in in good style. After grace from the Chaplain, a marvellous lunch
was served to us which – despite the usual post-Christmas diets - seemed to
disappear very quickly such was the quality of the meal!
After the Loyal and Civic toasts, I formally welcomed our
many friends and guests. As is our tradition, members of the Company drank
their health in water which is a lovely touch. And then the Lord Mayor took to
his feet to deliver a fascinating and thought-provoking speech regarding
sustainability and the environment. He paid tribute to the Company in general
at this time of great awakening regarding water-borne pollution from single-use
plastics and in particular the work we are undertaking with the Corporation to
change people’s perceptions. It was a well-crafted and powerful speech and from
such a high-profile figure.
In response I was able to further develop the Lord Mayors
themes and thanked the Company for their invaluable contribution to this vital
issue. This topic is certainly striking a chord with all who come to understand
the implications, not just for the City but society as a whole.
On a lighter note I was proud to be able to present Water
Conservator Dissertation Prizes to two students, one from Birmingham and one
from Queen Mary Universities. The quality of their work was exceptional and
they were worthy winners.
Finally, the draw for the 100 Club took place and the Mayor,
Lady Mayoress and the Sheriff drew the tickets. The Clerk will be notifying
winners shortly!
The retiring collection was held on behalf of Treloars
College and a large four figure sum was raised. Thank you to all for your
generosity.
And thus concluded the lunch which was a great success.
Thanks as ever to all those who made it possible and to all the members and
their guests who turned out on a cold January day to join together in
fellowship. Picture shows the Lord Mayor
in full flow with the Mistress, Master and Lady Mayoress giving him their full
attention!
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