103. Treloars Visit 27 March 2019

When asked of Past Masters in the Company and the wider Livery movement what was the most memorable event of their year, the response is invariably; “the visit to Treloars!”. And so it was that the Mistress and I joined the Lord Mayor and his party for the annual Livery visit to Treloars School and College. And we were absolutely bowled over…

Treloars is located outside Alton in rural Hampshire and was founded by Lord Mayor Alderman Sir Purdie Treloar during his Mayoral year in 1907 and remains the only Mayoral charity still in supported to this day. It is a truly inspirational place looking after as it does some 120 or so children and young people, all of whom are severely challenged in some way or other. Looking after them is a staff in excess of 800 plus countless volunteers and other supporters – an epic undertaking.

In total some 50 or so Livery Masters and Consorts were invited to witness at first hand the work done at Treloars. We joined for coffee before welcome speeches by the outgoing CEO Tony Reid and his successor Jessica Taplin. The Chair of Trustees Alistair Mackintosh, the Principle Martin Ingram and Director of Fundraising Jon Colville also spoke and set out some of the challenges – both financial and pastoral – that Treloars face. The sums of money needed just to keep Treloars afloat exceed £2m pa; any capital development work is of course on top of this.

We were then split into groups for our own private tours. Our group were shown Gauvain House, a two-story home providing accommodation for 18 young adults. Very well appointed and impeccably well run. The facilities to cater for their needs was impressive including a state-of-the-art drug prescription control process and social and living spaces.

We then went to the photographic studio and met several young students working on various projects. As we chatted to them, they proudly showed us their work, much of it being of a very high quality. There is no doubt that digital technology is the great enabler here and the opportunities they have to be creative is enormous.

We also visited the reprographic room, a commercially run facility which produces high quality stationery, pamphlets and flyers etc for a range of customers (including the WCWC). Again, the level of dedication by the staff and the input form the students was astonishing. And a visit to the Chapel courtesy of the Chaplain was much appreciated proving as it does a space for quite reflection for students and parents alike.

Lunch was held in the admin hall followed by words from the Lord Mayor, Alderman Peter Estlin. And then the highlight of the visit, a concert of music performed by students many utilising a remarkable piece of technology called Clarion. This software allows students of all abilities to play music live and together, many for the first time in their lives. Assisted (a bit!) by professional musicians the concert party performed Pachelbel's Canon in D Major which was very beautiful. Their version even contained drums and vocal harmonies. Clarion makes all this possible.  

Finally, I was honoured to present to Treloars a cheque from the Company made possible by the kind generosity of those attending the Myddelton Lunch back in January. And so came to an end an inspiring and uplifting visit to a very special place, meeting some very special people. One hopes that the close association between the Livery movement, the Lord Mayor and Treloars continues to develop and allows us to support these amazing people.

Photographs show the Master with the water feature donated by the Company in March 2017, the Chapel including stained glass windows designed by students and the Master presenting a cheque to Director of Fundraising, Jon Colville.

102. World Water Day at the Guildhall, 22 March 2019

After a week of events to mark World Water Day we came to the day itself and what better way of celebrating the very ‘staff of life’ than to mount an exhibition on that subject? Consequently, the Guildhall Yard played host to a whole day designed to inform and educate a wide variety of people in the City.

With such a broad canvas as “water” one had to narrow the field slightly and so under the banner of ‘Taking Control of Your Environment’ the three key focus areas were: using water wisely; what not to put down your drain and plastic in rivers and oceans. All very topical areas with the latter particularly building on the previous evenings WET 10 lecture (see Blog No 101). Each topic is a subject in itself and so there was plenty going on in the Yard. Space does not allow for details of all the stands, exhibitions, speeches and demonstrations but further information can be found on the Company website – www.waterconservators.org – search for “Review of Recent Events”. It is well worth reading.

The day started early with the Fleet Warden and myself on-site in the Yard by 07:30 as the various exhibits started to arrive. First in was the Company’s Magic Tap (see picture) which had been driven down from Coventry that morning. As a key feature of the exhibition it was great to see it arrive in one piece and it wasn’t long before the tank had been filled and the Tap turned on. Magic!

This was quickly followed by vehicles from Thames Water, a delivery of a bale of recyclable plastic from Viridor and a whole plethora of stands and displays. We even had hot food stalls (all plastic free of course!) to feed the hundreds of visitors we were expecting. It was a very busy few hours.

But before we knew it the Sheriffs party comprising of the Sheriff the Hon Liz Green accompanied by her Consort Peter arrived by red taxi to open the event. After the opening speech by the Sheriff I had the privilege of welcoming all those in attendance which included dozens of very enthusiastic local school children, many armed with their hand-made albatrosses (from recycled materials) and I encouraged them to learn as much as possible from the displays. Richard Aylard, Director at Thames Water gave a very graphic demonstration of the solubility of toilet tissue paper (very) versus wet-wipes (highly in-soluble) and was assisted in this task by the school children. Finally, Nathalie Parker, Head of Hugh Myddelton School gave guests a fascinating overview of the type of initiatives her staff and pupils were engaged in to respect the environment. All very ‘on-message’.

The Magic Tap continued to draw the crowds and as it did so the Sheriff and I toured the stands and spoke to as many people as possible. There was a real sense of community in the Yard and everyone, expert or lay-person, could relate to the theme of the day. Water is a scarce commodity and we must respect and use it carefully.

After the second showing of the Thames Partnership video ‘Living Thames’ in the Crypt, it was time to say farewell. The stalls packed up and the vehicles departed leaving what was earlier a very busy space, peaceful once more. It had been an amazing day and we all set off homeward to a very well-earned rest.

The list of those to thank for an event like this is endless and space does not allow – you all know who you are. But our Fleet Warden Rob Casey does need a special mention for all his hard work as Project Manager, without which none of this would have been possible. Thank you, Rob. Brilliant!

101. WET 10 Lecture, 21 March 2019

This event is the academic highpoint of the Company’s year and is eagerly awaited not only by the members of the Company but also those Livery Companies that make up the WET 10 and by the wider Livery movement. It also attracts regulators, consultants, media, businesses and many others who all want to hear about the latest thinking and developments in the water, waste and the environmental sectors.

This year’s theme centred around the harm that society’s reliance on plastic is causing and the impact on the environment. This is extremely topical with very high levels of interest across all sectors. We were delighted to have two eminent speakers each taking a slightly different approach to the subject.

Our first speaker was Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Professor of Marine Biology at Plymouth University (see picture). His lecture was entitled ‘Marine Litter – are there solutions to this global challenge?’ Our second speaker was Dr Lynette Dollar, Principle Sustainability Consultant at Stantec (see picture) and her lecture was entitled ‘Plastic Free Cities; Advantages and Disadvantages’. Both were extremely thought provoking and well-constructed and led to a most interesting question and answer session at the end. Space does not allow the full details of their lectures but further information can be found on the Company website – www.waterconservators.org – search for “Review of Recent Events – WET 10 Lecture”. They are both well worth reading.

As Master it was my privilege to host the evening and guests duly arrived at the Guildhall Club for coffee at five thirty. The lecture stared at six o’clock sharp with very kind words of welcome from Sheriff the Hon Liz Green who was accompanied by her Consort Peter. I then introduced our two speakers and settled down to hear what they had to say. Fascinating stuff. I then chaired the Q&A session and some exceptionally well-crafted questions came from the floor, all of which were superbly answered by Richard and Lynette. Sadly, time was our enemy and I had to draw proceedings to a close at seven thirty. It was all too evident that we could have carried on all night such was the passion in the room for the subject but alas, this was not possible.

After thanking our speakers, I invited guests to a drinks reception ably provided by the team from the Cook and the Butler. The room was throbbing and both speakers were able to stay over a glass of wine to answer further questions. It was very busy!

And so ended a very successful evening. My thanks go to Richard and Lynette for their excellent presentations. Thanks also to the Clerk and Wardens for pulling it all together and to all those at RG Jones Limited who provided the audio / visual technology. Finally, our thanks go to the City of London Corporation and to Stantec for their very kind sponsorship of the evening; most generous.

It was a great privilege to lead the evening and a fitting way of marking the eve of World Water Day.

100. Mistress Plaisterers Lunch, 21 March 2019

The Mistress was delighted to receive an invitation from the Mistress Plaisterer, Sara Cooke to attend their lunch party at the wonderful Plaisterers Hall on London Wall. Having never visited this hall before the Mistress was very much looking forward to going along and was joined by the Consort of the Thames Warden, Judy West. They were not disappointed.

The theme of the lunch was ‘Livery Dining Through the Ages’ and the lunch menu reflected the types of food eaten over the 450-year history of the Plaisterers. Fortunately, this did not include potage or lampreys!

On arrival coffee was served and guests were welcomed by the Master Plaisterer, Timothy Cooke. There followed by a talk given by food historian Tasha Marks entitled ‘The Confectioner as a Decorative Artist’. This was an ideal topic for the home of decorative plasterwork. The photograph shows the marvellous quality of workmanship in making such confectionary. It was a fascinating talk and the audience learned a great deal.

This was followed by a drinks reception and lunch held in the Great Hall (see picture of the splendid Robert Adams style ceilings). As promised, the menu was not the usual fare and guests were treated to Sole Veronique (from a menu of 1972), Baked Cherry Torte (1501) and Sweetmeats (1666). All these delicious dishes were prepared with great skill by executive chef Elaine Cooper. Picture shows the guests enjoying the fruits of her hard work! The Mistress Plaisterer said a few words of welcome after which the conversation continued to flow.

It was a lovely lunch and the impressive Hall made it even more special. Thank you to the Master and Mistress Plaisterer for their generosity and to the catering team and officers of the Company for making it all happen. A great success.

99. FM&GP Committee, 21 March 2019

A meeting of the Finance, Membership and General Purposes Committee was held at the Guildhall starting at 11:30. This Committee is a pivotal one and is charged with ensuring the Company remains financially sound and has a good supply of new members. I was very pleased to note that the budget year to date was playing out well and that there are some seven new member applications. A good position to be in.

We also took time to discuss the budget for 2019-20 which the Clerk had prepared. After some discussion we agreed that this budget should be taken to the Election Court on 11 April with a recommendation to approve it. We will also table the year-end budget and cloth the new members. It will be a busy Court.

There were other issues to be discussed, chief of which were the WET 10 lecture later that day and the Environmental Initiative to be held on the following day. These will be described in other Blogs.

A very successful meeting and my thanks once again to all members of the Committee for their hard work and support. We are in good shape.

98. Cheapside Re-Fill Fountain, 20 March 2019

The second event of the week to mark World Water Day on 22 March was to open a new water bottle re-fill fountain outside St Mary Le Bow Church in Cheapside. This initiative to enable consumers to re-fill their water containers rather than buy a single use plastic bottle is a central element of the Plastic Free City campaign being run by the City of London Corporation. As the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators are playing a key role in this, it was a great honour to be invited to assist in the opening of the fountain along with the Lady Mayoress.

Situated as it is right next to the world-famous church of St Mary Le Bow (see picture), the water fountain has just been installed by the Corporation and is the eighth such fountain in the Square Mile. A group of invited guests including the Fleet Warden and the PR Manager, both of the Water Conservators together with the Alderman for Cheap and others from the Corporation and the Cheapside Business Alliance gathered around the fountain to await the arrival of the Lady Mayoress. We were thrilled to be joined by a dozen or so children from the Hugh Myddelton School armed with model albatrosses which they had made from recycled materials. Very talented and right on message.

I opened the ceremony by giving a brief speech about the need to reduce single use plastic and the damage it can do to our rivers and oceans. I encouraged everyone to make but a small change to their behaviour such that fountains like these could replace the tide of plastic bottles sold every day to slake the thirst of Londoners. And it’s free!

In opening the fountain, the Lady Mayoress (see picture) thanked the children for coming along and challenged them to maintain this change in buying habits and move away from plastic. She got a very good response! She then took the first drink from the fountain using a water bottle supplied by the Cheapside Business Alliance.

We then adjourned for a light lunch courtesy of Standard Aberdeen in their adjacent offices. This gave us a chance to chat to the school children to find out more about their Eco-council and the work they are doing; very inspiring stuff. We were also able to talk to members of the Corporation who are very committed to Plastic Free City and have plenty more ideas in the pipeline (no pun!). The Water Conservators are helping them every step along the way.

So, thank you to everyone who made this all possible and in particular to Claire Dumontier-Marriage from the Business Alliance for all her input and commitment. Keep up the good work!

Picture show the Lady Mayoress and the Master using the fountain under the close supervision of children from the Hugh Myddelton School.

97. Modern Companies Dinner, 18 March 2019

Held bi-annually – the last being in September 2018 (see Blog No 16) – the spring Modern Companies Dinner was kindly hosted by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers at the lovely Watermen’s Hall at St Mary at Hill. These dinners are a rare opportunity to bring all the Modern Companies (those formed since 1926) together for an evening of fraternity and fellowship. They are always very busy and great fun.

Welcomed by the Master Hackney Carriage Driver, Mr Phil Davis and his Wardens we were treated to a champagne reception in the Court Room. With upwards of 70 guests it was a tight fit and soon got very loud and very warm. But it was great to meet up with old friends – mainly Masters, Senior Wardens and Clerks – from the Modern Companies and the conversation flowed. But soon it was time to be called to dinner in the Freeman’s Room.

Grace was said by the Learned Clerk of the Hackney Carriage Drivers, Major Belinda Tregear before we sat down to a wonderful meal courtesy of the Cook and the Butler. Most delicious. After the Loyal and Civic Toasts and a few words of welcome by the Master, Alderman Alison Gowman (see picture) gave a very interesting speech. In it Alderman Gowman praised the work of the Modern Companies and encouraged us to continue to play an increasingly active role in the industries that we represent. She spoke especially about sustainability in all its forms and set out clearly what the City of London Corporation and its residents and business expect from a modern, vibrant and relevant Livery movement. It was good to receive this recognition and the assembled guests showed their appreciation.

A swift Stirrup Cup was offered before leaving and we all bade our farewells after what had been a marvellous, if all too brief, evening. Thank you to the team of the Hackney Carriage Drivers for all their hard work in organising the dinner. We look forward to the next later this year which will be hosted by the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants. A date not to be missed!

96. Thames Foreshore Cleaning, 16 March 2019

To kick off a week of events culminating with an exhibition in the Guildhall Yard on World Water Day, 22 March, a foreshore cleaning session was arranged for Saturday morning. Working in association with the City of London Corporation’s Plastic Free City campaign and with Thames 21, the event was designed with a dual objective; firstly to collect data as to the types of wastes deposited in the Thames and secondly, to clean it up! Both very worthy causes and so it was a pleasure to turn out on what was a very windy (but thankfully dry) Saturday morning to do our bit.

I was joined by Fleet Warden, Rob Casey and our PR Manager, Keith Tozzi and we met up with about 15 other like-minded people at the Banker public house just under Cannon Street Station. The assembled crew included Jeremy Simons, PHES Chair of the Corporation together with representatives from Nomura, Goldman Sachs (both local employers who have been very active in reducing single use plastic (SUP) in their offices) and Thames 21. Our guide for the day was AJ McConville ably assisted by Issy Burkitt, both of Thames 21 with their first task being to run through the H&S briefing. This was very thorough and we were also kitted out in protective gloves.

A short stroll upstream along the Riverside Walk took us to Queenhithe beach, a small sharply sloping piece of foreshore right up against an office block under construction. One has walked past it many times before but never thought much about it. Access was over a defensive wall (see picture!) and our data gathering could then commence. Using metre squares, we carefully examined all the waste on the beach, most of which had been brought in by the tide. We were particularly keen to identify SUP and related items and each were logged before placed in bags for disposal (recycled). We were all shocked at quite how much there was with the bulk of it being water bottles. It was only a small beach but we picked over three bags plus some other larger items including half a street-side litter bin (see picture).

The beach itself was interesting in that it mainly comprised of four types of aggregate; oyster shells, red brick and slate fragments, small pieces of coke and coal and thousands and thousands of animal bones (from human consumption). There were very few stones although broken clay tobacco pipes were much in evidence too. Most bazaar. And what was more extraordinary was that most of these items were from Tudor times and had been washing up and down the beach for hundreds of years. If organic matter such as bones and shells can last that long, how much worse will be inorganic plastic? Very sobering.

Once the data logging had been completed, we gave the whole beach a good clean and it looked much the better for it. But by now we were getting cold so a brisk walk back to the Banker for a wash and change of clothes before a light buffet lunch. It was good to get into the warm again.

So, a very successful morning and the data collected will do much to assist in targeting plastic reduction campaigns. The Queenhithe beach is sampled every 10 days and so a good picture of the pollution is being built up. There is so much work to be done but events like these help raise awareness as well as having a practical benefit.

Thanks to everyone who turned out and to AJ and Issy for organising. For further details of the Water Conservators week of events please visit our website www.waterconservators.org

95. Carmen Livery Banquet, 13 March 2019

The Mansion House was the setting for the Worshipful Company of Carmen’s Annual Livery and Awards Night Banquet and the Mistress and I were kindly invited to attend. This ‘white tie’ event is the opportunity for the Carmen to recognise those who have made a contribution to modern transportation, particularly in London. We were privileged therefore to join some 160 other guests for this splendid evening.

A drinks reception was held in the Grand Salon and we were warmly welcomed by the Master and Mistress Carmen, Stephen and Linda Britt and their Wardens. It was good to chat and to make new friends in a relaxed atmosphere. But we were soon called to dinner and were proud to process to our seats on the Masters table. There followed an excellent dinner served by the highly experienced Mansion House team and we were treated to a musical accompaniment from the Gallery performed by the London Banqueting Ensemble. They made the whole dinner go with a swing.

After the Sung Grace a Loving Cup was offered which is always good fun, followed by the Loyal and Civic Toasts. We then came to the awards ceremony, presided over by the Awards Committee Chairman who read the citations for the four categories. Worthy winner included Will Butler-Adams from Brompton Bikes for innovation in bicycle design; Ricardo Ltd for services to transport technology over the last hundred years; The Boiler & Engineering Skills Training Trust for their training and apprenticeship schemes and to Network Rail Thameslink for the re-development of London Bridge Station. All prize-winners were warmly congratulated by the guests and stepped forward to receive their certificates (see picture).

The Lord Mayors representative was Alderman Ian Luder CBE (see picture with the Master Carmen) who gave a short address followed by the Senior Warden Col Simon Bennett who welcomed all the guest and toasted us heartily – a very kind gesture. Our principle speaker was Mike Brown MVO, Commissioner of Transport for London (see picture) who gave a most enlightening speech about the work of TfL. He paid tribute to the enormous achievements that had been made and the contributions yet to come. Not afraid to tackle contentious issues like Bank road junction and the delayed Elizabeth Line, he set all these and other initiatives in the context of London being one of the most complex and rapidly growing cities in Europe, if not the world. It was a fascinating insight to the world of urban planning and he is a great speaker.

And then it was over. After recessing with the principle guests, we bade our farewells after what was a splendid and fascinating evening. Our thanks of course go to the Master and his Wardens for their kind generosity and also to the Clerk for all the hard work in putting such an event together. A real privilege to be there.

94. Consorts Basketmaking Day, 13 March 2019

A day of basketmaking for Livery Consorts was organised by the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers and the Mistress was pleased to receive an invitation. So armed with apron, scissors, water spray and some clothes pegs, she made her way to the Dutch Church to join twenty or so other Consorts to learn more about this fascinating skill.

The Common Club Rush Schoenoplectus Iacustris is, as everyone knows, the material of choice in basketmaking and so copious supplies were available for the participants. After some initial tuition, work soon got underway with the first project being a place mat. Basic techniques were quickly mastered and before long mats of all shapes and sizes were appearing. Most rewarding.

After lunch, the work rate did not slacken and many weavers (?) moved on to more ambitious bowls and larger mats. The quality was, shall we say, variable but good fun was had by all and the chatter was most engaging. At the end of the day the results were proudly displayed by the now, weary-fingered craftsmen and women (see picture) and like all good craft events, they were allowed to take them proudly home!

A great day and thank you to the Master Basketmaker, his Consort and the rest of the team for making this such fun. As the Mistress remarked on leaving, professional basketmakers have nothing to fear….

93. Masters Committee, 8 March 2019

Having recovered from the exertions of the Pancake Race earlier in the week (see Blog No 90) it was time to get back to some hard work in the form of the Masters Committee. As previously mentioned, this Committee is an essential part of the machinery that runs the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators and does much to aid its effective operation. Meeting as we do in the Guildhall allows a very close liaison with the Corporation to ensure we remain fully engaged with one of our key stakeholders.

There is much to discuss and apart from the usual matters such as membership (showing some very positive increases) and finance (a constant juggling act), the forthcoming week of events to celebrate World Water Day took up a lot of time. I am indebted to the Fleet Warden and the PR Manager in particular for all their work in bring these events together. Full details of the week can be found on the Companys website; it will be an exciting few days.

We also spent time planning the Election Court Lunch on 11 April and I was delighted to note that we have in excess of 110 guests attending. In fact, due to the clamour for tickets we have had to change to a larger venue and so we will now be aboard HQS Wellington (not Wax Chandlers’) to accommodate us all. A nice problem to have.

There were plenty of other issues to discuss and I was once again very impressed by the levels of team work and enthusiasm displayed. Thank you all for your support of the Company and I look forward to its continued success.

92. Master Mariners Court Luncheon, 6 March 2019

The Learned Clerk and I received an invitation form the Master Master Mariner to attend their Master and Clerks Court Luncheon on 6 March. Unfortunately, our Clerk was unable to attend and so I went alone. But one is never really alone in the Livery – there are so many friendly faces to greet one. And this luncheon was no exception.

Warmly welcomed on board HQS Wellington by the Master, Captain Robert Booth and his Wardens, we guests were treated to a drink’s reception on the quarterdeck. It being early March one might have expected it to be very cold but with all those assembled and with the heaters on it was very cosy and most pleasant. The views of the river never cease to amaze.

But soon it was time for luncheon and we all went below. After a special grace written by John Masefield in 1959, we enjoyed the meal presented by the Cook and the Butler catering team. There then followed the Loyal and Civic Toasts given by the Master before his excellent speech about the origins of the Royal Navy and the part played by the City in its long history. Most enlightening.

We then came to the main purpose of the day which was the presentation of prizes to three very worthy recipients. The RN prize-winner was Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Cowell; the MSc prize went to Ms Eleni Jouliano (see picture with the Master) and the LNS prize-winner was Miss Anya Haydon-Guppy. Citations covering the work of all three was read by the Clerk, Commodore Angus Menzies RN and it was wonderful to hear of their excellent achievements. Well done one and all.  

The principle guest was Commodore Bob Sanguinetti of the UK Chamber of Shipping who gave an excellent speech as to the work of the Chamber and the challenges that lie ahead. He also proposed a toast to the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.

A Stirrup Cup was offered on our departure from what was a very enjoyable and friendly luncheon amongst good friends. Thank you to the Master and Wardens, to the Clerk and the catering team. The next time I shall be on Wellington will be for our own Election Court Lunch; I am sure we will be made to feel just as welcome.

91. Magic Circle Show, 5 March 2019

Another City Livery Club event and this one was a bit different. As Club members the Mistress and I were invited to attend an evening of magic and illusion held at the Magic Circle Museum up near Euston – who knew such a place existed?!

Essentially, the venue comprises of a small theatre, bar and common areas (including a marvellous suspended spiral staircase – see picture) but also a museum in the basement. Before the show started, we were able to inspect the many props and tricks from generations of Magic Circle members dating back to the Victorians (see picture). Names like Houdini were in evidence as well as more recent performers such as Tommy Cooper and David Nixon. There was even a magic stage box from Sooty! But all exhibits had one thing in common – they were designed to keep the audience guessing.

There then followed a rotation of four magicians working close up and personal with card manipulation, mind reading and spoon bending tricks to name but a few. Seeing them working so intimately with their audience – and with all the patter – makes one wonder ever more loudly; how do they do it? The standard was excellent and although these were all amateurs, they were very able magicians.

After an interval the main show began in the theatre proper. Three acts were presented including a slight of hand card sharp, an old school magician complete with white rabbit from a hat and a pick-pocket. Your Master was invited onto the stage by the latter and within seconds was relieved of his wallet, keys and mobile phone – and I didn’t feel a thing. Amazing. And what was more amazing was seeing my £20 note being torn up before my eyes! But all ended with a laugh and we did get our money back. How DO they do it…

A great evening and a lot of fun. Magic is so much better in the raw and TV does seem to take something away from the illusion. Thanks to all the performers, the President and Clerk of the CLC and members of the Worshipful Company of Marketors for organising.

90. Pancake Day Race! 5 March 2019

If one wanted to witness an occasion during the year where the Livery truly ‘lets its hair down’ then look no further than the annual Pancake Day race in the Guildhall Yard. Sheer lunacy! Where else could one find a body of (normally) sane, rational and sensible people gather together in funny robes and fancy dress to run around tossing pancakes? So wonderfully British! It is an event which the Water Conservators have always supported and so I was proud to lead the team into battle and to collect what spoils of victory we could – and we very nearly did so!

Held on each Shrove Tuesday and under the masterful supervision of the Worshipful Company of Poulters, the Livery Pancake Day Race comprises of four key races and a fancy-dress competition. Firstly, there is a Masters Race followed by a Liveryman Race; then comes the Ladies Race before all sense of decorum and order is abandoned for the Fancy-Dress Race. The Company team therefore comprised respectively of the Master, Liveryman Andrew Williamson, the Mistress and the Fleet Warden, Rob Casey (see picture). We were fortunate to have as our (non-running) Team Captain the Deputy Master, Mike Williamson who was able to ensure team training, fitness and tactics were of the highest order (not!) in readiness for the gruelling challenges ahead. We put on a good performance…

The Yard was set out with five running lanes along its length and participants had to don apron, chef’s hat and gloves before grasping their frying pan – complete with pancake – before hurling themselves down the course and back again. In the middle of the outbound and inward lap a discrete ‘tossing station’ was clearly marked and points were deducted if an appropriate ‘toss’ was not completed – the downfall of many a fast runner it turned out. And remember, we were all wearing our gowns and badges of office to boot! Ridiculous!

After registration and signing the vital disclaimer against injury, we collected our aprons etc and made ready. Words of welcome were given by the Chief Commoner and principle guests included the Lady Mayoress and Sheriff the Hon Liz Green. There was a real party atmosphere as the first race – the Masters – got underway. Running in lane five, your Master did complete the course and wasn’t last but a place in the final was sadly denied him!

Not so for the Liveryman Race where we finished first and therefore earnt a place in the final. The least said about the Ladies Race the better but at least the Mistress made it to the end and didn’t drop her pancake. There was no danger of her being called on to run again however. Then it was time for the fancy-dress.

Before the actual race, judging took place led by the distinguished guests. The sight of circa twenty members of the City of London Livery dressed as they were in all manner of outfits is a memory to savour (see picture). Our Fleet Warden took the form of a Shark to reflect our current support of the Plastic Free City campaign and he was adorned with pieces of single-use plastic to emphasise the point. One suspects the subtlety of this was lost on the judges as we didn’t make it into the final three. But our point was well made.

In his race the Fleet Warden did well but not quite well enough. So all eyes were therefore on the final of the Liveryman Race and the scent of victory was in our nostrils. Our boy done well but was beaten into second place by a last-minute dash for the line. So close! But of course, it’s not the winning but the taking apt that counts and the Water Conservators gave a good account of themselves.

And then we repaired to the Crypt for some welcome refreshments.

A great day out and thanks to all those who took part and to the organisers for all their hard work. You really had to be there….

89. Tacitus Lecture, 28 February 2019

Now in its 32^nd year, the Tacitus Lecture organised by the Worshipful Company of World Traders is one of the academic highlights of the Livery year. Every guest speaker since its inception has been at the very forefront of their topic area and there have been some very ‘heavy-weight’ names on the list. And perhaps none more so that this year’s speaker, Madam Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). With such an illustrious speaker on offer, the Thames Warden and I made our way down to the Guildhall to take our places and await her arrival. We were not disappointed.

The event was sold out and the Great Hall was bursting at the seams with most of the Livery Companies represented, and with financiers, bankers and fin-tech entrepreneurs all rubbing shoulders with senior politicians, Sheriff the Hon Liz Green and the Governor of the Bank of England, to name but a few. Security was very tight and it took a while to get us all in.

We were welcomed by the Master World Trader, Dr Edwina Moreton OBE who gave a brief speech and explained that for the first time, this lecture was being live-streamed around the world. She then introduced Alderman Sir David Wootton, Locum Tenens for the Lord Mayor whose task it was to introduce our guest speaker. Madam Lagarde has been at the IMF since 2011 and is the first woman to hold the role of Managing Director. Previously she was the first female Finance Minster of a G-7 nation (France) and originally trained as a lawyer. She is a most engaging speaker.

Her theme was not only taking stock of finance right now in a fast-moving world, at the same time acknowledging the concerns many have about recent banking crisis, but also looking forward. Her lecture can be found in full on the World Traders website but she particularly wanted to emphasise the need to make finance more sustainable, safer and more inclusive. Without these three elements in place, the world would not be able to prosper for the mutual benefit of us all. She made some very challenging statements.

At the end of her speech questions were taken from the floor including two from young people engaged in the World Trader education programme. Theirs were perhaps the most challenging questions but Madam Lagarde dealt with them with compassion and empathy.

There then followed a drinks reception the Old Library and with so many people present it was a huge logistical exercise, but expertly handled. It was good to be able to discuss her speech with friends old and new.

A big vote of thanks must go to the Master World Trader and her Wardens for making the event possible. And to Madam Lagarde for her intellectual challenges.