124. Mistress Paviors’ Luncheon, Watermen’s Hall, 27 February 2024

To mark the impending conclusion of her period in office, and, as we were later to discover, her birthday, Lizette May, Mistress Pavior, invited a cross-section of friends from the Consorts, the Worshipful Company of Paviors, and the Professional Ladies’ Club to a delightful lunch, held at the Watermen’s Hall.  Guests included the Lady Mayoress, Elisabeth Mainelli, the two Sheriff Consorts Jane Masojada and Gary Langley, and the incoming Paviors’ Consort Michael Hampton.

We were greeted with champagne and by consorts whom we had not seen for some while, before proceeding to the delightful dining room where we had an excellent repast, courtesy once again of Cook & Butler. 

Our guest speaker was Ted Gradosielski, Master Waterman, on his hobby of bee-keeping.  His enthusiasm for his topic was almost matched by two of my neighbours who also kept bees, and he certainly didn’t drone on.  Beekeepers are apparently so content with their lot that they tend to live longer, as evidenced by Ted’s own mother, at 99.  Communication is crucial to bees; their renowned waggle dance indicating direction and distance of nectar is only relevant in the open; inside the hive it is pitch black and there bees communicate via pheromones.

Our delicious dessert included icecream made with Essex honey from the Gradosielski hives.

And then it was time to buzz off.