After a restful Christmas and New Year period with our families, the City year has restarted again in earnest.
This week, the Clerk and I had the honour of being invited to the Epiphany Court luncheon of the Worshipful Company of Masons. We were made most welcome at this select luncheon attended by about 30 members of the Company and guests in the wonderful surroundings of Mercers’ Hall. Excellent food, wine and company! I had the good fortune to be seated next to our own Liveryman, Dr Christine Ridgen, Past Master Mason, Past Master Constructor, Ale-conner and former Sheriff. The Master, Mr Alistair Wood LVO MBE (seen in the photograph through the glass darkly) gave a stimulating address on the charitable and educational activities of the Company. The guest of honour Lt Col Giles Stibbe OBE, Director of Trustees of the Household Cavalry Foundation (standing), spoke passionately about this charity’s activities, caring for soldiers, casualties, veterans, horses and heritage of the British Army’s most senior regiments.
Later that day, I was delighted to join representatives of over 70 livery Companies as guests of the Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers at their Masters’ and Clerks’ dinner, held at Plaisterers’ Hall, in the largest livery hall in the City of London. The Master, Mr Stephen Gilbert, welcomed the huge number of guests (over 200 members and guests were present) and gave a fascinating insight into the work of the Company, and the vagaries of sharing an apartment on London Wall with the Clerk. The guest of honour, Mr Harry Parshal, Master of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, spoke amusingly on his Company’s well-known friendly rivalry with the Worshipful Company of Skinners which leaves them “at sixes and sevens”. Colonel Garth Manger OBE RM, the Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, also spoke highlighting the role of the many Livery company clerks in the City, and his own view of cohabitation with the Master! A splendid occasion in a quite remarkable setting, and as you can see the spectacular plasterwork was rather theatrically highlighted in bright red!
My last formal event of 2022 was to attend the Lord Mayor’s carol service at St James’ Garlickhythe on Wednesday 21 December.
‘Hythe’ is the Saxon word for landing place. Garlic was landed somewhere between Queenhythe and nearby Vintners Hall and then sold on Garlic Hill. Hence, Garlickhythe. According to tradition, St James ‘The Great’ preached the Gospel in Spain and, following his martyrdom in Jerusalem in the year AD44, his body was taken to Santiago de Compostella where it remained undiscovered for almost 800 years.
The carol service was attended by the Lord Mayor Alderman Nicholas Lyons, the Lady Mayoress, the Sheriffs and their Consorts, and Masters and Mistresses from a range of Companies. As well as carols and readings, we were delighted by the wonderful singing of a Ukrainian choir, with Alderman Dr Sir Andrew Parmley at the organ. The Priest in Charge, Fr Tim Handley SSC gave a thoughtful address, and after the service we enjoyed wine and mince pies. It was a lovely occasion, and a fitting occasion to mark the final run up to Christmas.
Helen and I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
It is a rare treat to be able to re-acquire treasure lost from the Company many years ago, probably in the 1920s. I am delighted that such an opportunity has just arisen, and we were able to purchase a pair of silver pudding trowels given to the Company. Together with a third trowel which remained in the Company’s possession, this set of three was commissioned in 1770 by Henry Wallis (Master), Henry Holland (Upper Warden) and John Watkins (Renter Warden). The third pudding trowel is illustrated in the Company History by Dr Penelope Hunting, “They built London”, on page 139.
The silversmith, William Plummer, was known for his high quality pierced work and had been apprenticed to Edward Aldridge, a very well-regarded maker. Henry Holland (senior) was the father of the Whig architect Henry Holland (junior), had a large brickmaking and building practice based in Fulham, and worked extensively with architect Robert Adam.
The trowels are in exceptional condition and have a length of 11.9 inches and a width, at the widest point, of 4.6 inches. They were recently acquired through the London silver dealer Mary Cooke Antiques from an important large collection of silver trowels.
The trowels are modelled with triangular blades pierced with foliate scroll work and flower heads. The centre displays a vacant circular cartouche and the edge is also engraved with an outer band of stylised foliate designs. The cast handle meets the blade with a double shell moulding and the top of the stem displays beautiful scroll work in relief, on a matted ground.
The reverse displays the arms of the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers in addition to the inscription on the stem "The Gift of Mr Henry Wallis Master, Mr Henry Holland Upper Warden, Mr John Watkins Renter Warden 1770".
I am very grateful to Past Master Ian Mitchell Grimshaw for bringing these trowels to the Company’s attention.
Carol service and supper, Thursday 15 December 2022
St Margaret Lothbury looked spectacular with its Christmas tree and crib and, as always, we were made very welcome by the Rector, the Reverend Prebendary Jeremy Crossley. The church was radiant with infrared heaters, as the boiler had decided that enough was enough. Despite the snow laying round about, deep and crisp and even, the church was filled with warm music courtesy of the wonderful Lothbury singers and the congregation. The Company and guests packed the church and there were some wonderful moments. A Ukrainian folk song “Carol of the Bells (Little Swallow)” with a setting by honorary Freeman Richard Townend, and a hauntingly beautiful Stille Nacht were just two. There followed a thoughtful and uplifting address by the Company’s Chaplain, the Venerable Dr Jonathan Smith, with a theme of the baby, vulnerability, trust and love. A spectacular service, and one I will long remember.
We then had a short walk to Armourers’ Hall for the reception and buffet supper in the remarkable surroundings of the Livery Hall. Fine food, fine wine and fine conversation flowed, and it was a wonderfully relaxed and warming event. I was able to introduce two new Freeman to the assembled company, and we also clothed six freemen in the livery during the Court meeting earlier in the day.
It was so nice to catch up with many members of the Company old and new, and to meet their guests at this special festive occasion. I was delighted that so many people had made the effort to come to the carol service and supper, despite the adverse weather conditions and the train strikes, and I hope that those who attended enjoyed the evening as much as Helen and I did.
It now just remains for me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Over the last two weeks, I have had the great pleasure of attending three award ceremonies, celebrating the skills of young people in pursuit of excellence in building crafts.
Together with Chairman of the Craft committee, Court Assistant David White, I visited the SkillBuild competition finals in Edinburgh. The roofing competition took place in a marquee in the college car park, and competitors showed significant resilience in overcoming the adverse weather conditions. In contrast, the bricklayers and wall and floor tilers had rather better locations inside the main Edinburgh college building.
I was honoured to be asked to present the stretch award for bricklaying, and there were also stretch awards for roof slating and tiling and wall and floor tiling. The winners will be invited to our Craft Awards in March 2023 at Trinity House.
We will welcome back Jordan Maley (on the right), an apprentice at South Lanarkshire College, who was awarded the gold medal in roof slating and tiling for a second consecutive year.
The next week, I was delighted to be invited to the Plaisterers’ Training awards luncheon with a wide range of awards in eight different categories, championing skills in plastering and internal systems.
A few days later, together with Craft Committee chairman David White, I attended the Building Craft College awards ceremony at Carpenters Hall. Presenting the prizes was Guest of Honour and Liveryman of our company, Emma Simpson MBE. The Tylers and Bricklayers award for best bricklayer went to Sam Widdop (centre). Many great young craftsmen were present, and I was delighted to be able to acknowledge the excellence of their achievements.