220. Livery Masters’ Weekend, City of London, 21-23 June

Each year the Mayor, Sheriffs, Masters, and Consorts go away for a weekend to socialise, get to know each other better and plan ahead.  Previous visits have been to Ironbridge and Glasgow, next year it will be Aberdeen.  This year it was … London.

The Masters were slightly concerned that it could be more of what we normally do, but it was actually very different.  With everything on the doorstep it made organisation and travel very much easier.  We decided to take the option of weekend accommodation in London to make the most of the event.  We were even happier when it transpired that the accommodation (at various Livery Halls and Clubs) would be covered by a generous donation.  And even happier when we found that there were no trains running over the weekend between home and London, so we booked in for Sunday night as well.  We were also blessed with magnificent weather over the weekend.

On the Friday evening we met at the Haberdashers’ Hall.  It was good to meet members of other Livery companies in different parts of the country – from York, Sheffield, Bristol and Wales.  The Lord Mayor warmly welcomed us for the weekend and broke any ice with a game of heads and tails.

The Reception Dinner turned out to be an informal barbecue in the Courtyard.  It was very relaxed and casual.  We were entertained to opera and popular songs by singers disguised as waiters and cooks.  

After the dinner and drinks we retired to a local pub which was terrified by the mass invasion.

On Saturday we had Breakfast in the London Centre and Guildhall Library, where we could study the three-dimensional plans of London, Docklands and the wider area.  They were impressive and worth a return visit.

Hannah Grace, Head of Events, invited us to gather in groups, and we met our Corporation staff hosts for the tours over the day.  Several visits used coaches, which was very challenging for the drivers with many streets closed and very tight bends.  Eileen and I were in a small group that had a “behind the scenes” tour of Tower Bridge, including the control and engine rooms and the huge spaces in the towers where the bridge bascules swing when the bridge is lifted.  It was an amazing experience.

We were expecting a light lunch at the Tower of London but were treated to impressive hospitality and a tasty buffet lunch, hosted by Brigadier Andrew Jackson, CBE, Director of the Tower of London, in the New Armouries.

In the afternoon we had a tour of the London Metropolitan Archives (about to be closed for rebranding as the London Archives) where we saw a wide range of historic documents.  These included the historical explanations for the individual Livery coats of arms, a copy of the Magna Carta and a fascinating collection of maps of the City including details of the bomb damage.  I had a fascinating discussion about the fire precautions they use with the staff, having been aware of the destruction of the Norfolk Archives in a disastrous fire.

We had two hours to recover in time for a Black Tie Gala Dinner hosted by the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, starting with a reception in the Guildhall Art Gallery. 

We then moved to the Livery Hall for an impressive dinner with speeches during the dinner from the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor and the Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. After the dinner and drinks concluded we adjourned to a nearby bar.

On Sunday we had breakfast in the Livery Hall before our Masters’ and Prime Wardens’ Livery Breakfast Meeting.  This was to enable us to agree on a name for our Livery Masters year group.  It was no surprise when we settled on Domini XXIV which we had been using all year as the name for our WhatsApp group.  Time was available for us to plan our year group as well as hear the ‘hot off the press’ details from the latest philanthropic survey.  This was quickly accomplished and we then had a discussion led by the Lord Mayor on the role of the Livery, charity giving and communications.  While some Consorts went mudlarking a significant number were hosted for a relaxed breakfast by the Master and Mistress Girdler in their beautiful hall and courtyard garden.

There was then a Livery Church Service (Choral Mattins) in St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall, with a very appropriate sermon by the Bishop of London.  The music was magnificent, helped by a full church of voices celebrating together.

And that was it!  Those of us nearing the end of our term of office recognised an end-of-term feeling about the place.  But not to be too down-hearted – festivities concluded with a concert at the Barbican, with a rousing rendition of Shostakovich’s Third Symphony and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.