A visit to Bristol

A visit to Bristol by the Princess Royal on Monday February 22^nd meant that I could not be in London that day.  As Chair of Governors of Bristol Cathedral Choir School, I received the Princess as she opened the Academy and toured the new buildings.  I had commissioned a new choral work “At the round earths imagined corners” by Malcolm Archer which was performed for the first time that day in Bristol Cathedral. 

Back to London

Back to London on Thursday for the World Traders Tacitus Lecture.  Tacitus was one of the greatest Roman historians and wrote in AD 84 that London “was a busy emporium for trade and traders.”  Indeed, it is.

This was the thirteenth Tacitus lecture and the Great Hall of Guildhall was full to capacity.

The Lecture was a serious occasion and the speaker Donald Brydon CBE talked thought provokingly about threats from a breakdown in trust.

I was hosted with several other Masters to dinner afterwards in Brewers Hall by the Master World Trader Michael Wren and I am most grateful to him for is hospitality.

The following night our great friend Deputy Philip Willoughby, Chairman of the City of London Finance Committee kindly invited me to dine at the Livery Hall Guildhall.  I had a very jolly night indeed in the company of Simon Duckworth the Chairman of the Police Committee.

Twickenham for the match

Saturday morning dawned and rugby was in the air. Happily I had been invited to Twickenham for the match between England and Ireland.  It is not a good season for England (the back row has just not clicked) but it was an excellent occasion and it is always a delight to be with Irish rugby fans.

St David's Day

St David’s Day came the following Monday and there was much evidence of leeks and daffodils at home!  Then the following day it was back to London and the Massey Shaw Charity Dinner at Apothecaries Hall given by the Worshipful Company of Firefighters.  As there were more Security Professional Past Masters in attendance than we sometimes see at Court, I felt very much at home!

Massey Shaw was a nineteenth century fire fighter of repute and the legendary leader of the fire fighting movement in its infancy.

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and I was therefore pleased to hear that the Worshipful Company of Firefighters is planning a Fire Commissioners Dinner and is now making bravery awards similar to those made by the Security Professionals.

The Under Warden of the Firefighters is now Michael Harper who used to be my boss when we both worked for a rocket manufacturer in the early eighties.  No cracks about it’s not rocket science please!

Company Spring Dance

Saturday night brought the Company Spring Dance at the Rembrandt Hotel which was a great success.

We arrived to find Blue Brothers dark glasses at every place and the evening quickly caught fire.  160 guests sat down and after an excellent meal, Peter French conducted a brilliant auction of prizes donated and with the raffle and Euro Disney sponsorship raised £26,000!  A fantastic achievement and one that he and the Worshipful Company should be really proud of.  This is a difficult climate and to raise £26,000 for charity in one night is just brilliant!

Thank you Peter and all your team.

Then the Blues Brothers sang their set and really got people to their feet.  The room was in the mood to party!

Modern Companies Dinner

On Monday the 8^th of March it was the Modern Companies Dinner at Tallow Chandlers Hall and our guest speaker was Alderman Fiona Woolf who will be an Aldermanic candidate for Sheriff this summer.

Back to Business

Back to town on Wednesday the 10^th for the marathon of the WCoSP Standing Committees.  This day of meetings kicks off with Trustees at 11.00 a.m. and then ran uninterrupted until 6.30 p.m. by which time we had also held Fund Raising and Marketing and then F and GP.  My particular thanks to our Treasurer Andrew Knights who gave three very detailed technical presentations on VAT and its impact to the business model of our Worshipful Company.  We are very lucky to have Andrew as our Treasurer and he puts in a huge amount of work on our behalf.  I thank him and commend him.

Hackney Carriage Drivers Dinner

The next night it was the Hackney Carriage Drivers dinner at Sadlers Hall.  A lovely Hall and one in which our next Master hopes we may hold our Christmas lunch in December.  We were invited as a sponsor of cabs to Euro Disney when the Hackney Carriage Drivers take needy children there for a weekend in October.  It was good to be able to report to them that we will sponsor cabs again this year.

Royal Charter Evening

Friday March 12^th will be an important night in the history of the Company.

It was the night that the Lord Mayor Alderman Nick Anstee presented the Security Professionals with its Royal Charter.

Our Clerk Judith Pleasance had produced a lovely programme for the evening containing a brief history of our Worshipful Company and listing our Principal Founders and Founder Members and our Military Affiliates.  We have come a long way in 10 years.

Mansion House glittered and was buzzing with conversation as the Lord Mayor and his Sheriffs arrived.  I introduced the Lord Mayor to the people who had done the work to achieve the Royal Charter and photographs were taken.  Then it was speeches and both the Lord Mayors gracious words and my humble response are now available on the web site.

We had Livery Masters “a plenty” to cheer our achievement and I am most grateful to them for their support.  108 is now very much a part of London Livery life.

It was very good to have our sponsoring Alderman Sir David Brewer with us for the celebration and he is also Prime Warden Blacksmith this year.  All save two Past Masters were also there and it was great to celebrate success and recognise our Founders so completely and so symbolically in one evening.

I am most grateful to the sponsors of the evening Derek Gee of Security Plus Limited and Gratte Brothers for their support.