49. The Presentation Dinner of the Lord Mayor Elect, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, Carpenters’ Hall, 23 October 2023

The Master, Wardens and Clerk of the Water Conservators had the honour to be invited to the presentation of Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, along with representatives of each of the 13 Livery Companies of which the Lord Mayor Elect (LME) is a member.  It was hosted by the World Traders who are the Mother Company of the LME and we were welcomed by the Master.  Because of the large number of “the Great and the Good” that had to be invited each Livery company was restricted on who could attend.

The Worshipful Company of Carpenters provided their hall for the event.  Their first hall was built in 1429 and survived the Fire of London but was severely damaged by fire in 1849.  The second hall was burnt out in 1941 and the third hall finished in 1960.  18 different types of wood were used in its construction and it is a show case for the craft of carpentry.

The LME was introduced by Alderman Sir David Wootton who provided a succinct history of the lives and careers of both the LME and Mrs Elisabeth Mainelli.  From the LME and Sir David we learnt that the LME claims four nationalities.   As the third Irish Lord Mayor, he is a bit like London buses, all coming at once.  He was born in the USA of an Italian family, has a German wife, and family in Japan and the Netherlands.  In addition to his being a World Trader, a boat-owning Watermen and a proud liveryman of one dozen other companies, his wife is a Mason.

The LME shared his vision for the city with his theme “Connect to Prosper”, pointing out that within two miles of where he stood there were almost 100 centres of research and knowledge even before you reach the Royal Holloway.  He celebrated the many Knowledge Miles of the Square Mile, the World’s Coffee House and outlined the events planned.  He is committed to promoting societal advance through informed decisions about technology and finance.

The music during the evening was provided a group of musicians from Ukraine who played a mix by classical and Ukrainian classical composers, including Mendelssohn, Haydn and Skoryk.  It was a magical mixture which exemplified the LME and London’s international outlook.

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