The annual pilgrimage of the City of London to Ironbridge
took place over the weekend and the Mistress and I joined nearly all of the
Livery Masters and Consorts together with the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and others
for a couple of days of fraternity and fellowship in the beautiful Staffordshire
country side.
Unfortunately the weather was against us and after a very unpleasant
motorway journey on the Friday afternoon we arrived at our hotel at about
three. The rain continued unabated until late Saturday night but our spirits
were undampened.
Leaving the hotel at four to be taken to Coalbrookdale, the entire party of circa 200 settled
down to a workshop entitled ‘Ironbridge Reborn’. This new initiative by the
Lord Mayor was designed to get the collective creative juices of the Livery flowing
such that we could map out a future for the Livery in light of some challenging
and significant issues that face us. There were no holds barred and the
workshop facilitator worked us hard in getting some key action points down on
paper. These will be worked on by the Mansion House team in the next few weeks
and some great ideas were brought forward.
After all that hard work we had earnt a drink and the Lord
Mayor kindly hosted a drinks reception followed by dinner in the Covered Bays.
A slightly more relaxed occasion than in previous years (no Black Tie!)
nonetheless a very enjoyable evening and the conversation flowed. But after a
busy week we were glad to be back in the hotel just after ten thirty for a
quick night-cap.
Saturday dawned with the now familiar rain as we boarded
coaches for a whistle-stop tour of the very many Museums and monuments that
litter this World Heritage site. First up was the Ironbridge itself (pictured),
just visible through the rain. We then made our way to the Museum of Iron at
Coalbrookdale to see the mighty blast furnaces and the water mill. This humble
technology was in fact a hugely significant step in the industrial revolution.
From there we went to the Tile Museum at Jackfield to see the impressive
collection of tiles (see picture with Mistress) amassed by John Scott and to
understand the process of ceramic tile manufacturer.
After lunch at Coalbrookdale we visited the China Museum at
Coalport to see how hand made fine bone china was produced and fired. And
finally, a visit to Blists Hill Victorian Museum – complete with real-live Victorians
(in costume!) who inhabit this amazing village recreated from original
buildings (pictured). And the rain kept coming.
Back to the hotel for a wash and brush up before leaving for
the Presidents Dinner (Black Tie this time!) at Enginuity. After a welcome
speech by Sir Algernon Heber-Percy, President of the Ironbridge Gorge Trust who
emphasised the strong links between the Livery and the Trust, a magnificent
dinner was served. A cash raffle was held to raise funds and then the dancing
started. Discretion dictates that details of this part of the evening go
un-reported but suffice to say a good time was had by all!
A slightly later night than previously but all made it down
for breakfast to choose the officers who would lead the Past Master Association
for 2019, a key feature of the weekend. Details will be confirmed shortly but
after about 30 minutes a result was achieved and guests started to make for
home (in the brilliant sunshine!).
However the Mistress and I joined about 50 others who were
happy to delay their journeys and we were treated to some further fascinating
tours; firstly to the Costume Collection and then to the Darby Houses. Very
interesting. As we concluded with a light lunch, we were lucky enough to see a
steam train (pictured) make its way over the iconic viaduct that dominates this
part of the Gorge; a very rare occurrence we were told (but not for our benefit!).
And so ended a very enjoyable and useful weekend. The
friends one makes during ones Mastership and very real and plentiful and it was
a joy to share so much time with them. Our thanks must go to all the organising
committee for all the hard work in putting the events together, all of which
went without a hitch. It is a beautiful part of the country and one which we
shall visit again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment