I extend warm Summer greetings to you all and I hope that everyone continues to be fit and well.

Starting with Covid-19 matters, there was confirmation that the vaccines would be rolled out to all 16-17 year olds, and this commenced immediately. There was also medical approval for the Moderna vaccine to be given to 12-17 year olds, but this process has yet to receive political backing. The great news is that over 75% of all eligible adults have now received both doses of vaccine, which will hopefully enable the “normality” that we are all now experiencing, to continue long into the future.

August has been a fairly quiet month in terms of City Events, but very momentous, as I managed to finally hold my long-awaited Annual Dinner. And what a marvellous event it was! The setting was the fabulous Grand Hall of the Barber-Surgeons, where around 100 of us were seated at a wonderful horse-shoe shaped dining table under the watchful gaze of Holbein’s Henry VIII. I was very privileged to have Sheriff Professor Michael Mainelli as my Principal Guest, with his wife, Elisabeth. We dined on superb food and drank plenty of excellent champagnes and good wines. It was a night to remember.

I also managed to hold the joint Charter Day and Consort’s Visit this month. A small group of us visited the amazing Copped Hall in Epping. This is a fine Georgian Mansion that is currently under extensive restoration by a group of incredibly dedicated and hard working volunteers. Liveryman Dick Spellar, one of the Trustees of the Copped Hall Trust, facilitated this wonderfully interesting visit, which included a tour of the house and extensive gardens and a fabulous homemade lunch. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

September looks like being a very busy month, and I am looking forward to joining in with all the activities that the City has to offer.