PEWTERERS' MASTER AND WARDENS DINNER: 16 JUNE

On Thursday evening Alastair Ross and I went to Pewterers' Hall for their Master and Wardens Dinner.  The company is still linked with the pewter trade and for more details go to  They occupy a charming Hall, rebuilt after the Blitz, on a site between London Wall and Cheapside.  For more details of the Company go to http://www.pewterers.org.uk/

I was made most welcome by the Master, Professor John Donaldson, and other members of the Company.  As with so many meetings with fellow livery companies it revives memories.  My maternal grandfather, Harry Willis, was an inveterate collector.  Starting in the 1920s and for some decades thereafter he pursued what were then regarded as highly esoteric interests.  These principally were English brass church furnishings, such as candlesticks, from the late medieval and early modern periods, and pewter from the sixteenth and seventeenth century. 

I can remember, as a teenager, his interest in makers' marks where I think he was considered one of the leading amateur experts.  He would recount at length long passed visits to the Victoria and Albert Museum to discuss newly discovered marks with the curators.  At the time the regularly repeated stories seemed a little tedious but they clearly made a long term impression as I now wish I had listened more carefully.

Back to the present a most enjoyable evening at which I was presented with a beautifully made Pewterers' quaich - the traditional Scottish friendship cup - with the design of the vessel including handles using the seahorse supporters from the Company's arms.  It is one of a limited edition produced for the current Master and designed by Pewterer liveryman Nigel Israel. 

DINNER AT PEMBROKE COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE: 16 MAY



On Monday evening Alastair Ross and myself travelled up to Cambridge on a packed commuter train for dinner at Pembroke College.  The two worlds of railways and university could not be more different.  It was a beautiful late spring evening and the onset of dusk amongst the quietness of the Cambridge colleges was in sharp contrast to the elbowing for even the most marginal position of comfort on the Lea Valley line, the constant ringing of mobiles and the hissing of iPods.

This annual event is the formal recognition of the long-standing arrangement where the Company supports Drapers' Fellows at the College.  There are usually three Drapers' Fellows every four years with two fellowships in every four year cycle for science related subjects and the other for humanities.

We were joined at Pembroke College by Junior Warden William Charnley, who is a fellow of the College and a benefactor of the university, and Liveryman Jonathan Trower who is an alumnus.

Sir Richard Dearlove, a past director of SIS - or MI6 to those who do not keep closely abreast of Whitehall reorganisations - and the current Master, made us most welcome and we met a selection of Drapers' Fellows and other members of the College.  The fellowships cover an extraordinarily wide range of subjects: studies of meerkat behaviour in relation to human psychology, reconstructing proto Greek and Latin, consideration of historiography in late second century AD China and considerations of philosophy that I regret to say were well beyond me.  Next year's Fellow is the entirely appropriately named Sky French who is working on particle physics and spending some time at the Large Hadron Collider.

We had a most enjoyable dinner.  It had been decided that Monday's should be a vegetarian day for those dining in College and the only concession to our visit was that there was a fish main course on the top table.  It was a most enjoyable meal and with the prospect of three further dinners that week the lightness of vegetarian cuisine was most welcome.

Sir Richard in welcoming us noted how many Drapers' Fellows had made their mark both within the College and further afield.  Our support over the years had suppored some key first steps for many distinguished scholars of today.  Yet again, as with so many other academic visits this year, it was clear that the Company's consistent contribution over the years had helped individuals grow and develop in exceptional ways. 

VISIT TO BANGOR UNIVERSITY: 9/10 MAY

On Monday Alastair Ross, Andy Mellows, our Head of Charities and myself travelled up to North Wales for the the Master's Annual Visit to Bangor University.  Our links with the university go back to 1890, only six years after its foundation.

Despite our excellent archives the reason why we began to support the newly created University College of North Wales, as it then was, are obscure.  However it is almost certainly connected with the endowment of Thomas Howell (c1480-1537), an immensely rich early sixteenth century.  He was born in North Wales and came down to London.  In the 1520s he established a major position of domination in the Anglo-Hispanic trade living for many years in Spain during a period that saw the transformation of the country following the discovery of the Americas.  He died childless and left his very considerable fortune in trust to the Company.

The story of the Howell's endowment is very complex and for some centuries its prime purpose was to provide dowries for girls of his line or from North Wales.  By the mid-nineteenth century the original purpose of the charity 'to provide dowries for deserving Welsh maidens with an indicated preference for orphan girls for orphan girls of his own lineage' seemed to be almost frivolous in a more pragmatic age.  The Hall received a regular stream of largely London-based claimants with far fetched stories of descent from Howell's family.

The charity was therefore reorganised by two acts of Parliament to create two Howell's girls' schools at Llandaff and Denbigh and a broader charity to support educational activity in North Wales, today called the Thomas Howell's Fund for Education.  Part of the latter, with other Drapers' Company funding,  goes to support activities at Bangor University.

A view of the central part of the Bangor University campus looking north to Angelsey across the Menai Strait.  The Library, that was built after a large grant had been made by the Company between 1909-11 is the stone building on the left of the tower

Today Bangor is a thriving university occupying a beautiful location on the nort Wales coast.  For more details go to www.bangor.ac.uk/

Our host throughout the visit was Professor Colin Baker.  Colin is a Pro Vice Chancellor of the University and its Professor of Education.  He is also a Freeman of the Company.

We covered a lot of ground during the visit starting with a most pleasant dinner with the recently appointed Vice Chancellor Professor John Hughes and other members of the faculty.

The next morning stated with a visit to the School of Electronic Engineering formerly the focus of a noted Bangor Liveryman Professor Wynn Humphrey Davies.  We consider progress arising both from Wynn's recent bequest, of which the Company are trustees, of creating closer links with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by exchanging students.  Also we returned to that perennial problem as to how best could we help students with good STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) abilities get into university, especially if family finances are tight.

We then moved to the Council Chamber to consider potential PhD scholarship candidates proposals in Modern Languages and then heard the two currently Draper funded PhD students, Emma Roberts (Compensation for Personal Injury in Europe - Harmonisation on the Horizon? ) and Lauren Mawn (Transformational Leadership and the Student Experience) update us on their work.  We were impressed.

We then toured the Library to consider planned work.  It is always hard not to get involved as Master when there are Drapers' insignia wherever one looks.

Then it was on to a presentation about the most recent visit of ten undergraduate students from the School of Ocean Science to Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences field school on the Atlantic coast that was partially funded by a Drapers' Company grant. All we spoke to were excited with not only the chance to work in a completely different habitat than the rocky coast of north Wales but also to see a bit of the States.

Finally we reviewed the budget for next year including our contribution to the Hardship fund and an interesting idea of a possible PhD project to consider some part of the Company's archives where much still remains to be studied.

This is a much longer post than normal.  But it was really great, and also a little humbling, to see the tremendous enthusiasm and opportunity that Drapers' funding stimulated across this lively university.  Our particular thanks to the Vice Chancellor, department heads and especially Prof Colin Baker for a stimulating visit.

71 (CITY OF LONDON) YEOMANRY SIGNALS REGIMENT OFFICERS' CLUB DINNER: 21 FEBRUARY

This dinner, Alastair Ross and I all got a mention in the Daily Telegraph Service Dinners bit of the paper's Court and Social page.  It thus clearly deserves a mention in my blog.  For those to whom the Daily Telegraph  of 22 February is not immediately to hand I can inform that it announced that on Monday 21 February I attended the 29th Annual Officers' Club Dinner of 71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment at the Cavalry and Guards Club, Piccadilly.

I have only tangentially mentioned this unit in my blog.  So, to start from the beginning.  It is one of our four military affiliations.  The other three being the HMS Monmouth, Welsh Guards and RAF Shawbury.

The naming and role of Territorial Army units is not a subject for the faint-hearted to tackle and units with a yeomanry tradition have particularly complex stories.  I will simplify and in so doing I hope I do not cause any unintended  offence. The yeomanry has roots stretching back to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars when individuals who possessed horses volunteered to form cavalry regiments for local defence.  Initially this was against the threat of a French invasion. Many yeomanry units trace their origins back to that time.  However existence was not neccessarily continuous.  The nineteenth century was usually a story of disbandments and sudden resuscitations, normally in response to the, surprisingly, frequent French invasion scares that occurred throughout the period.

In Haldane's reforms around 1910 the yeomanry was incorporated into the Territorial Army as reserve cavalry.  However the decision in 1935 to mechanise the Army and dispense with horses meant another series of major changes occurred.  Many yeomanry regiments were redesignated as Royal Signals units and had distinguished service in the Second World War in this role. 

Since the 1950s it has, unfortunately, been a story of continuous reduction. Today, 71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signals Regiment combines the heritage and traditions of six former regiments in three squadrons:

• 265 Kent and County of London Yeomanry Sharpshooters Support Squadron (Volunteers) located Bexleyheath.
• 47 Middlesex Yeomanry Signal Squadron (Volunteers) located Uxbridge and Southfields.
• 68 Inns of Court and City & Essex Yeomanry Signal Squadron (Volunteers) located City of London, Whipps Cross and Chelmsford

The regiment has a home defence communications role.

The Company is involved with the regiment in two events next month.  A visit by all ranks to the Hall on 4 March for lunch and a look round and a major event on 28 March to launch the regiment formally with its City of London title.  More news of these in due course.

Back to the dinner.  Brigadier Charles le Gallais, the regiment's honorary colonel, presided and Lieutenant Colonel Tim Allen, commanding officer, responded with an interesting overview of the regiment's current wide range of activity.  In common with all volunteer units these days it stretched from the local drill halls all the way to Afghanistan by way of a lot of places in between.

Although I am a member of the Cavalry and Guards Club I do not visit too often these days as it is currently a bit too far west for me.  But I was pleased to note that, as always, they put on a good dinner.

More news about the Drapers' relationship with the regiment over the next few weeks.

AUDIENCE WITH KING OF NORWAY 21 JANUARY

Royal Freeman HM King Harald V of Norway

Although making claims in the world of the London livery companies is a dangerous enterprise I think we are currently the only Company that has two reigning monarchs as freemen: HM the Queen and HM King Harald V of Norway.

King Harald is the third generation of his family to be free of the Company.  His grandfather, Prince Carl of Denmark, was admitted to the Company in 1896 when he married Princess Maud, the youngest daughter of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.  Prince Carl went on to become Haakon VII,  the first king of the modern Kingdom of Norway when it peacefully separated from Sweden in 1905.  His son Olaf was, in his turn, free of the Company and his son, now Harald V, was admitted in November 1960.

Six degrees below and the Royal Palace, Oslo is surrounded by a light dusting of snow.  Unlike royal palaces in Britain you can walk right up to the front door.

This resulted in a party of four, Master Warden Tony Walker, Renter Warden Christian Williams, our Clerk, Alastair Ross, and myself having an audience with the king on Friday 21 January at the Royal Palace in Oslo to present a humble address marking the fiftieth anniversary of his admission.



The Humble Address illuminated on vellum commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of King Harald V of Norway being free of the Company.  This work was beautifully and most skillfully carried out by Timothy Noad.

The humble address on vellum contained the following wording agreed by the Court:

'The Master, Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Worshipful Company of Drapers of the City of London send fraternal greetings to His Majesty King Harald V of Norway and offer the Company's warmest congratulations on his fiftieth anniversary as a Freeman of the Company.

The Company is deeply proud of its continuous association with the Royal Family of Norway since 1896 when His Majesty's Grandfather His Majesty King Haakon VII (As His Royal Highness Prince Carl of Denmark) became a Freeman of the Company and we trust and hope this long association may long continue.

It is our fervent wish that we will have the opportunity of welcoming His Majesty back to Drapers' Hall before too long.'

In the Bird Room of the Palace which is the ante-room to the King's Study and entirely painted with styilised mountain scenes abounding with bird life.  From left to right Christian Williams, Tony Walker, myself and Alastair Ross.  Not the best shot, I think we are all giving the king's ADC instructions how to use the camera.  But it is the only one he took.

We had a most enjoyable audience and discussed a wide number of topics and I shall be able to report back to the Court that our links remain strong with the Royal House of Norway.

King Haakon is in a select group of Drapers' Royal Freemen who were not in direct line of succession when they joined the Company, although they subsequently became monarchs.  There are two others. William of Orange was admitted to the Company in 1676 while Stadtholder of the Netherlands.  It was a clear indication of the Company supporting a wider City view at the time of their preference for a Protestant, rather than a Catholic, succession.  Finally, King George VI was admitted to the Company when Duke of York in 1919.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE STUDIES VISIT: 19 NOVEMBER



The Royal College of Defence Studies is located in Seaford House on the south-east corner of Belgrave Square. 

The Royal College of Defence Studies has, since 1922, provided training for senior officers and officials both from United Kingdom and other countries and future leaders from the private and public sectors for high responsibilities in their respective organisations.  Its mission statement promises to develop analytical powers as well as widening  knowledge of defence and international security.  More details are at www.mod.uk/rcds

Meeting up before lunch in the Drawing Room

I am not entirely sure I measured up to these very high aspirations.  Nevertheless, I attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in Belgrave Square in 1995.   Alastair Ross, the Clerk, also attended as a naval officer a few years earlier.

Most years my course meets up for a reunion and, because each course includes representatives from at least twenty-five countries, they are held world-wide including Australia, South Africa and the Czech Republic. This year, the fifteenth anniversary of our course, the reunion was back in London.

As part of the series of events in this year's programme we met at the Hall on Friday.  A good number turned up and after a buffet lunch we toured the Hall.  As usual Penny Fussell gave her excellent talk that she seems to to tailor effortlessly to each group of visitors.

The Master's jewel about half size.

I began the visit by wearing my Master's badge which is an impressive jewel containing 365 diamonds, one for each day of the Master's year.  One of the less respectable members of my course suggested on a leap year the 366th should be worn as a nose stud.  I think this idea has little chance of adoption by what I have absolutely no doubt, as far as the male members are concerned, is an unpierced Court.

In the Company's strong room.

Planning now starts for the sixteenth reunion.

GREAT XII MASTERS AND CLERKS DINNER: 17 NOVEMBER

One of the customs of the Great XII livery companies (see page on this subject) is that over a year each Company entertains the Master, Prime Warden in the case of the Fishmongers and Goldsmiths, and Clerk of the other eleven companies at the Hall.

Of course it would not be admitted there is any inter-company rivalry as to who puts on the best show but it is an event where the team who run the Hall led by Alastair Ross, the Clerk, John Freestone, the Beadle and Gerald Quadros, our new head chef, put both a great deal of thought and energy into the evening.

Every Master labours under the illusion that his year hosts the best party ever but, being as objective as possible, I think we had a great evening.  It was particularly nice to be told how the Company atmosphere in the Hall is particularly welcoming and hospitable.

The Master Mercer, Sir David Clementi, makes a speech on the behalf of the guests, except of course at the Mercers' own dinner.  In his youth he was a noted hurdler and made specific reference to Second Master Warden Lady Victoria Leatham's father, the sixth Marquess of Exeter.  In addition to being a Draper he was a Conservative politician, prominent athlete and sports official. He won the 400 metre hurdles at the 1928 Summer Olympics - a feat famously portrayed in Chariots of Fire.  He was later President of the International Amateur Athletic Federation and Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee. David said it was a matter of personal pride that improved training and equipment had allowed him to beat the 1928 record some forty years later.

He also asked me to put a glowing report of the evening on my blog, but I have probably said enough already.

LORD MAYOR'S SHOW FLOTILLA 2010: 13 NOVEMBER

Getting ready at St Katherine's Dock the Company barge in the foreground.  Tower Bridge framing the scene nicely. Photograph by Janice Thomson. 



 

Not quite heading upstream, a tricky manoeuvre to get back on station.  Left to right Gill Durdal, John Borradaile, Andrew Finlay -as the Wiffler at the bow - Robin Blandy, Alastair Ross and Andrew Oborne. Richard Norton's hat just visible at bottom of picture.  Photograph by Janice Thomson.

 

Things probably not best to wear on the Thames.  I am wearing the Master's fetching hat and gown over a life jacket and some warm clothing.  Rosemary is much more elegantly dressed.  Photograph by Janice Thomson

For the first time in many years the Lord Mayor had asked for a flotilla to row upstream from St Katherine's Dock just beyond Tower Bridge to Waterloo Bridge.  He would acknowledge the flotilla and it would arrive shortly before his fireworks display.

Originally the Lord Mayor's procession had been based on the Thames and had only moved on land in the mid-nineteenth century.  The reasons for this are a matter of some debate.  Two favourite themes emerge.  The first that the whole enterprise had become a chaotic shambles and second the extremely unsanitary conditions of the Thames, it was in effect an open sewer serving a rapidly growing city, were so unpleasant that no-one wanted to take part in or observe the event.  Probably it was the combination of both.

Whatever the true story a hundred and fifty years later we were re-creating history.  Twenty rowing boats of various types took part and we set off from St Katherine's Dock at 3.40pm into a steadily darkening late autumn evening. The Royal Thamesis, the Company's barge (see more details on an earlier post of  29 September), was crewed by stalwarts of the Company including:  Andrew Thomson, Cox and Bargemaster, Andrew Finlay, Wiffler - at the bow, John Borradaile, Robin Blandy, Richard Norton, Gilll Dirdal, Andrew Oborne, and Alastair Ross. Rosemary and I along with our daughter Grace, Janice Thomson and Sue Borradaile sat in relative luxury under the awning.

From the outset it was clear that the tide was moving faster than anticipated and we made rapid progress.  But very early on the plans for a tightly marshalled flotilla failed to be achieved although our admirable Whiffler, Andrew Finlay, kept station with the Jubilant - the vessel at the centre of the flotilla, as well he could.  There was an exciting moment when we crossed over a very substantial rope linking two buoys that suddenly appeared in our path.  A following craft, not so expertly handled, got stuck trying to do the same manoeuvre.

There was good turnout along the Embankment and a vociferous crowd of Drapers had come down from the Hall to cheer us on.

 Almost as dusk was falling we passed the Lord Mayor.  I precariously stood up and doffed my cap but I have severe doubts as to whether anyone more than a few yards away saw me.

Our task completed we tied up.  It was a great experience.  It was clear to me that the significant difficulties of organising and maintaining any form of order with a river based display makes a land-based option much more attractive.  This must have been a principal reason for the transfer of the Lord Mayor's Show to the land.

I thank the Drapers' barge team for a really great experience.  I have no doubt that the Lord Mayor's Flotilla will again become a permanent feature of the Lord Mayor's Show in future years.

We than stood on the Victoria Embankment and watched the spectacular fireworks display that concluded the day.

The firework display in its full glory.  St Pauls is lit up in the left distance and the OXO Tower a bit closer on the right.  Photograph BBC News.

ARMOURERS AND BRASIERS 11 NOVEMBER

The Livery hall of the Armourers and Brasiers showing part of their fine collection of arms and armour.  Picture from the Company website http://www.armourersandbrasiers.co.uk/

On Thursday evening it was a short walk from the Hall with Alastair Ross, the Clerk, to the Armourers' Hall on London Wall and just a bit closer to Moorgate Station than we are. 

The Company is unusual in reflecting the amalgamation of two trades on equal terms.  Regrettably in the days when trading monopolies were seen to bring very great advantage rival guilds could be very hostile towards each other and the stronger dominated, or sometimes eliminated, the weaker. The Armourers and Brasiers own a beautiful hall with a very fine display of armour, predominately from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.   For more details see http://www.armourersandbrasiers.co.uk/

In recent times the Company has established a major presence in encouraging the education in science and to promote materials science both commercially and industrially. 

The current Master, Sir Colin Humphreys, is a leading figure in this field.  His research interests include "all aspects of electron microscopy and analysis, semiconductors (particularly gallium nitride), ultra-high temperature aerospace materials and superconductors.  Amongst a remarkably wide range of prestigious appointments he is the Goldsmiths’ Professor of Materials Science at Cambridge University, Professor of Experimental Physics at the Royal Institution in London and a Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge. He was President of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in 2002 and 2003.

The response on behalf of the guests was given by Professor Julia King Vice Chancellor Aston University who made a spirited case for more energy efficient technology as one would expect from the leader of the 2008 eponymous King Review to examine the vehicle and fuel technologies that, over the next 25 years, could help to reduce carbon emissions from road transport.  She has only this month been appointed by the Prime Minister as the UK's Low Carbon Business Ambassador.

As I have mentioned in earlier blogs it is both fascinating and impressive to observe the huge range of City Livery Company interests and the way the movement is involved in so many vital issues that face us both globally and nationally.  The Armourers and Brasiers are right in the forefront in this regard.

VISIT TO GOLDSMITHS' FAIR 6 OCTOBER

The Goldsmiths' Fair takes over Goldsmiths' Hall for two weeks at this time of the year. Over a hundred and fifty makers from around the country, set up stalls in the Hall to present their latest collections.

Rosemary and I, along with Alastair Ross and his wife Judy, were invited by Michael Galsworthy, the Goldsmith's Prime Warden, on Wednesday to a reception and a chance to view the Fair.  The Fair is open to the public and for the fortnight the jewelry and other objects in gold, silver, platinum and precious and semi-precious stones quite eclipse the grandeur of the Hall.

The Goldsmiths' Company plays a major role in the trade today.  For further details, including the fascinating story of our national hallmarking system - still a major responsibility of the Company, see http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/   It is also impressive to see the way the Company encourages really imaginative design and superlative craftsmanship.   Also the support of the Goldsmiths' company allows, in relative terms of course, prices to be sustained at a reasonable level.

The publicity for the Fair says what is on offer is irresistible, for once the publicity is quite right.  Make a note to go next year. Oh, and if you are wondering, we did buy something.

DRAPERS' ACADEMY: YEAR 7 VISIT TO THE HALL 1 OCTOBER

Friday saw the first visit of a Drapers' Academy year group to the Hall.  This takes up a custom that most of the Drapers' schools, particularly those closer to London, arrange an annual visit for their entry year class to see the Hall and learn something about the Company's history, traditions and current work.

As many will recall Friday was a particularly wet day and the Drapers' Academy visitors got a little disorientated in the maze of alleys that surround the Hall.  Eventally a bedtraggled, but still remarkably cheerful bunch of eleven year olds, led by Mr Cormac Fanning, Assistant Vice Principal in charge of Year 7s (11 to 12 year olds who are just starting off in the Academy), entered the Hall having toured Copthall Avenue, Throgmorton Avenue - a near miss- Austin Friars and Old Broad Street.

I am the only one not waving and not sure why!  Lunch in the Court Dining Room.
Photgraph by Penny Fussell

They were met by me in full regalia and quickly ushered upstairs to the Court Dining Room for a fish and chip lunch.  Alastair Ross, the Clerk and Penny Fussell, the Archivist, also acted as hosts.

As I have mentioned before, see my post on London Open House of 23 September, it is all too easy for those of us involved with the Hall on a day to day basis and aware of the maintenance tasks and so on, to lose sight of the fact that it is a magnificent building.  The Year 7's were a great bunch of enthusiatic eleven year olds and there was a torrent of questions. 

'Did I have to pay to keep the Hall going?' - fortunately not.

'How much did the chandeliers - Pavlenko's portrait of HM the Queen - and many other things in the room - cost?'  - I havev to admit to have made up a few sums based on the formula 'a lot.'

Was the portrait of Sir Ernest Pooley me?'  - He may be distinguished but I hope I do not look quite as old.

The fish and chips provided by Jon Perkins, and his team went down extremely well and the prospect of tables getting extra portions of chips in turn was very popular.

The meal ended and Penny Fussell showed the children round the Hall then it was back on the coaches waiting at London Wall and back to Harold Hill.  It was a great day and during the rest of the term Years 8 to 11 will also pay a visit.  It was the start of a great tradition.

Drapers' Academy year 7s heading off up Throgmorton Avenue and through the Drapers' gates to meet the coach at London Wall.  It is raining and the new Drapers' Gardens block looks most attractive with its pallette of greys that works very well in London.
Photograph by Penny Fussell

LUNCH WITH THE WELSH GUARDS 11 AUGUST

With Alastair and Rosemary I went to St James's Palace for lunch with the Welsh Guards, our affiliated regular Army unit.  Based in Aldershot the battalion was on guard duties in London and using the facilities provided for the Queen's Guard at St James's Palace.

Colonel Tom Bonas, the Regimental Adjutant and our principal contact with the regiment, met us and guided us through the labyrinth of the palace.

At lunch we were very well looked after by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Antelme DSO, his fellow officers and his charming wife Margaret.  Charles and Margaret are only recently married and back from a honeymoon in Sri Lanka.

It has been a time of a lot of travel as a detachment from the battalion added a distinctive dash of British military colour at the sixty fifth anniversary parade in Moscow to commemorate the end of what the Russians call the Great Patriotic War.  By all accounts the Welsh Guards had been most enthusiatically received.

A particular link beteween the Company and the Regiment is the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal.  Jessica Gable-Smith from the appeal was also present.  Earlier this year in April we provided the Hall for an event to launch this excellent charity which is designed to support, as quickly and unbureaucratically as possible, those Welsh Guardsmen who have been casualties in Afghanistan.  This, of course, includes their families as well.  For more details go to  http://www.welshguardsappeal.com/

In recent years a number of non-Guards units have taken their turn on duty.  I was intrigued to see that 23 Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps had left their mark.  I was honorary colonel of their TA sister regiment, 168 Pioneer Regiment,  and know that the Pioneers, the Army's equivalent of Ground Force, can turn their hand to anything involving carpentry, bricklaying etc.  Outside in a previously little used patio area they had put up a superb piece of decking well above the Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh standard. 

Links with the Welsh Guards are very much two way and they have invited a number of the Company to fly out to join them on an exercise in Kenya later this year.  A very popular and generous offer that was well oversubscribed.

As a Company we are very proud of our links with the regiment and are honoured to be of some support at a time when there is so much that needs to be done.

VISIT TO ALMSHOUSES 5 AUGUST

With Alastair Ross, the Clerk, I visited all three of our almhouses on Thursday.

This was principally to tell the residents about the decision of the Court of Assistants to carry out a review and to reassure everyone that their interests would protected. In particular completely unfounded stories that the Company was about to sell off bits of the estate or use Queen Elizabeth College at Greenwich for Olympic accommodation were completely untrue!

I also enjoy visiting the almshouses. All of them are beautiful sites. There is some rivalry between the three so I shall not reveal my favourite. But even more importantly there are some great characters amongst thr residents and a real sense of community.

We were well received and in the Q&A sessions a lot of useful feedback and ideas came out.

A useful and enjoyable day.