I start with an apology as this report is somewhat later than I had planned. The combination of my duties as Master, other charitable commitments, the planning for our eldest daughter’s wedding on July 6th (when over 60 friends and family are visiting from the USA, with over 90 of the 200 guests glamping in one of our paddocks and guest car parking in another) and the need to drop everything to mow the cricket outfield whenever the weather permits has meant it has been and continues to be very busy, if also (most of the time) very enjoyable! The first event of month seven, for me, was as a guest at the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers Court Dinner at Cutlers’ Hall on Thursday April 18th. This was a fun and interesting evening. Fun as I had already met my host, the Master, as well as many other attendees on several occasions and interesting as I was on the top table near the speaker. She is the CEO of Headway East London, a local charity that supports people who have suffered brain injury. I was very impressed and learnt about, and discussed, the range of brain injuries and the huge efforts being put into assisting those unlucky to suffer long term consequences.  The rest of the week I was at home as Margaret was still looking after our grandson in Massachusetts and I was accordingly responsible for Maia and Theia, our two black labradors. This involved quite a bit of walking round woods and farms near our house as well as near Marlow (the latter with a pub visit so both girls could have a drink on the way home). I collected Margaret from Heathrow on the Sunday evening and life returned to normal. The following day, Monday, April 22nd, was busy. My first engagement was a meeting of the King Edward VII hospital employee pension scheme, of which I have been a trustee since my retirement from the City a decade ago. After approving the accounts I dashed off, first to Carmen Hall to be admitted as an Honorary Member of the Worshipful Company of Carmen Livery and then to Mansion House to preside over the Fuellers Court Meetings and photo sessions that took place before the Woodmongers’Dinner.  This was a joint event with the Worshipful Company of Carmen and another celebration of our long shared, if not always friendly, history. The dinner was also, in part, so we could secure an attendance large enough to fill the Egyptian Room at Mansion House. Like many other modern companies we have seen, since the pandemic, reduced attendance at Company events, in part for cost reasons but also as some seem to have lost the habit of attending. In the end we were outnumbered by Carmen diners, though by less than the ratio of current members. We are working on increasing both members and active members and the Membership Group, under Ash, our Junior Warden, has made great steps – but there is still much to do! If anyone would like to help please contact the Clerk who will put you in touch with the Junior Warden. That said, I was pleased that so many members of the two companies told me afterwards how much they enjoyed the evening. Alderman and Sheriff Masojada, my neighbour at dinner, gave an entertaining speech on behalf of the guests and we had a very interesting conversation covering many topics, including ways in which livery membership might be increased based on his many years of involvement in the City liveries.  The next day, Tuesday April 23rd, I was a guest at the Installation Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Engineers. The speaker was ……. Alderman and Sherriff Masojada and the venue ……. Stationers’ Hall, where I was installed last October. This was another fun evening with those seated around me including the Master Plumber, a retired Commodore and two retired Air Commodores. The conversation was lively, but hopefully not too noisy (which would have been a challenge given some of the competition from the assembled company!). I have seen the Master Engineer on several occasions since, most recently in the crypt of the Guildhall where the Masters were summoned to prepare to process into Common Hall … after a wait of fifty minutes, so plenty of time for a discussion including a common feature of City life: ‘hurry up and wait’!  After a rather hectic ten days I enjoyed a few days with Company activities restricted to admin and zoom meetings - and played in a two-day golf match, which my team lost but it was good to get outside on two relatively dry courses and in the sun on both days. Then, on April 30th, I drove to Norfolk to stay with Past Master Chloe Andrews-Jones. Court Assistant Edward Libbey was also staying and we were joined by newly elected Court Assistant Simon Brewster for a wide ranging discussion over a very tasty dinner before our Company visit to USAF’s 100th Air Refuelling Wing at Mildenhall, Suffolk the following morning. The sun was still shining for our visit, which had been very well organised by Liveryman Stephen Lloyd . We were hosted with much humour and knowledge by Technical Sergeant Christopher Jacobs. A key asset of the Wing is the reliable KC-135 air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft, developed in 1957 from the same prototype as the Boeing 707. We were delighted to enter a 1961 KC-135 and take turns lying down in the dispensing fuel controller’s ‘couch' from which the probe is ‘flown'. These planes are gradually being replaced by the KC-46 tanker, which is more efficient and has greater refuelling, cargo and casualty transport capacities. We were lucky to see a KC-46 on the tarmac and have a tour of the KC-135 maintenance hangar. The visit also included a visit to the FARP (Forward Arming and Refuelling Point), the elite unit which specialises in supporting special forces in remote locations via a fuel drop, potentially at night and in hostile conditions, to helicopters or fighter jets. To complete the visit, we visited a large collection of Freightliner airbase fuel tankers. I then thanked our host for our day and gave him a commemorative Fuellers plate, which was well received. A drive back to Buckinghamshire followed and then preparation for the early May bank holiday weekend.   On the following Tuesday, May 7th, Margaret and I attended the annual Service of the he Clergy Support Trust in St Paul’s Cathedral. This involved yet another procession in robes, now rather warm as summer continued to make an appearance. The Trust supports Church of England clergy, in particular retired clergy, who are in serious financial and other difficulties and augments the grants available out of the Church’s own funds. The beautiful choral service was followed by dinner at Plasterers’ Hall, which is the largest hall in the City and thus well-equipped to deal with what was a very considerable turnout. Our table was an enjoyable mix of old and new acquaintances including the Bishop of Rochester, whose excellent choir had participated in the earlier choral service.  |
The next day, May 8th, Margaret and I were guests at the first Buckingham Palace garden party of the year. I well remember my late mother’s excitement when she and my (also late) father attended this event in the 1990s. Since then it has expanded significantly, as has the time taken to get into the gardens! Before the Palace we had a lively and delicious lunch in the basement of the Stafford Hotel with nearly 40 other Masters and Consorts very kindly organised by the Master of the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators. This was a really memorable precursor to the Palace after which we all duly joined the long queue of guests waiting to be permitted entry. Not least our splendid lunch made reaching the tea tent a challenge that Margaret and I felt it unnecessary to accept so soon afterwards! We instead had a leisurely walk round the beautiful and very interesting well-kept gardens in the very welcome sunshine. A busy week continued with a drinks reception at the Mercers Hall the following evening, May 9th. Many of the guests had been at the Palace the previous afternoon so there was an element of ‘war stories’ in the conversations on what was another warm evening, which ended with some jocular photos! Then back to Buckinghamshire and an early start so my 20 year old Defender could once more pass her MoT, the garage’s first test of the day. We were back in London the following day, May 11th, for the Worshipful Company of Carmen Gala Charity Ball. This was held at Middle Temple Hall and was the first time Margaret and I had been back there since my parents arranged a party for us after we returned from honeymoon in Kenya, following our wedding on Cape Cod…. in 1987. There was very little change evident! The evening started with cocktails in the garden and the sun, which was followed by dinner in the splendid Hall, which dates back to the 16th century but was rebuilt after bomb damage in the second world war. The entertainment after speeches included comedians, dancing to a live 6-piece band, bars, cheeseboard and the charity auction and provided an opportunity to meet several fellow members of the Carmen livery. A memorable evening of fun and enjoyment raised money for the Master Carmen’s two charities: the Carmen Benevolent Trust supports education, transport and logistics, and the relief of those in need; and the Carmen Heritage Trust runs Carmen Hall (where our Clerk has his office) and delivers transport education for public benefit. My father and great grandfather were both past Treasurers so, in accordance with tradition, their coats of arms were on display, but they took quite a bit of finding!   The following Monday, May 13th, there was a website group meeting. There is ongoing progress, on both improving updating and ease of use, but overall the project is still work-in-progress. Margaret and I then attended the annual Eye Health event held at St Thomas’s Hospital by the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers. As a sufferer from diabetic retinopathy with two recent cataract operations this was particularly pertinent for me and I was not disappointed – it was a fascinating evening. The month ended with the Master’s Weekend – and thank goodness that we continued to be lucky with the weather! In any event we began on the evening of Friday, May 17th ,at the Bel and the Dragon pub hotel in Wendover. Forty three of us met for drinks and supper, with the majority staying there for the weekend. After breakfast on the Saturday morning a bus took those in the hotel down to the Henley River and Rowing Museum car park where our party all met up. The party, now forty five, then enjoyed a quick tour of the Museum before a lecture from David Barber MVO, the King’s Swan Marker, a post he has held for over 30 years. He is an old friend and his topic was swans generally, the health and ecology of the Thames and the swan upping ceremony itself, in which swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, ringed , recorded and then released. David is in charge of the ceremony, during which he records the number of swans and cygnets while being rowed down the Thames over several days in July. We then boarded our boat, the Waterman, and spent four hours cruising up and down the Thames. The sun shone and much of the time we were on the top deck, with only the buffet lunch and bar requiring a trip below. The afternoon thus passed very pleasantly. The bus then returned to Wendover while Margaret and I returned to Elmbrook to prepare for the arrival of our guests for drinks in the garden and dinner in our ‘party’ barn. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and there were no stragglers left behind when the household turned in for the night. Next morning, Sunday May 19th, we joined the crowd at the hotel in Wendover and travelled by bus to Bletchley Park, the estate in Milton Keynes where British code-breakers worked to uncover the secrets of the enigma machine and break enemy codes in the second world war. I have been visiting the Park for many years and have always enjoyed my visits, in particular noting the steady increase in exhibits and facilities. This time, however, was the first on a guided tour . This started with coffee and an introduction in the ballroom. We were then split into two groups and each was taken on a tour round the grounds and told what was available in the main house and many outbuildings. After this we were left to ourselves and at liberty to choose what to visit. A buffet lunch was then served in the ballroom, after which those with cars or returning by train to London could stay or leave whenever they wished and the bus party returned to Wendover and the hotel car park just after 4pm. I must record my very great thanks to Margaret for helping me so much with the organisation of the weekend and in particular the meals. Without her the weekend might have turned out rather differently..… so endeth my seventh month, on a very high, if rather exhausted, note!   The Master with Fuellers Healy, Stewart and Barker and the King's Swan Marker (with tie)  Bletchley Park, Sunday morning FUTURE EVENTS Dates of future Company and City events are available by clicking here and also on the Events Page.  Alex Maclean Bather Clerk Worshipful Company of Fuellers M: 07521-992 653 E: clerk@fuellers.co.uk https://www..fuellers.co.uk https://linktr.ee/fuellerscompany |
