BANCROFT'S SCHOOL VISITATION DAY: 1 JULY

Each year around the beginning of July the Master and Wardens make their annual Visitation to Bancroft's School.  As with all other Company visitations the purpose is now entirely ceremonial.  There is no longer any examination of staff or pupil competence as there was a hundred years ago.  In fact the level and diversity of academic achievement at the school would rule me out as an examiner much above Prep school.  Instead there are many opportunities throughout the day to meet everyone associated with the school including governors, Bancroftians - both at the school and leavers- and staff .

The day started with an excellent musical performance at the Preparatory School that is traditionally intertwined with prizegiving.  We then set off for lunch in the Head's garden.

However I had been asked by Past Master Stephen Foakes, Chairman of Governors, whether I would be prepared to unveil a plaque commemorating the completion of some very handsome art rooms and a study room for the sixth form.  I was, of course, was most honoured.  But as I drew back the black crepe curtain and was about to announce the building open I suddenly realised it was not called the Art and Sixth Form Block but had been re-named the Lyons' Building.  It was a total 'gotcha' moment.  Everyone else was in on the secret and photos will be posted in due course.

It was explained that the reason was that my surname is a lot shorter than using the term Arts and Sixth Form Block. Whatever the reason I am deeply honoured.  I was a governor at the school from 2002 to 2008 and Chairman for most of that period.  It was a time when we embarked on a huge modernisation programme that still continues.  It is a very odd experience to be recognised in this way and I am deeply touched that the governors and staff felt this was an appropriate thing to do.

After lunch it was prizegiving and speeches.  I presented the first Drapers' Company Medal to a school (see another post this month) and also got to have a go on a piece of sports equipment.  (Details follow)

Then it was off to visit exhibits and a final cup of tea and slice of cake.

As is now normal the sun shone throughout the day.  The traditional cricket match ebbed and flowed throughout the morning and afternoon and I had been both deeply surprised and honoured in equal measure.

GUILDHALL EDUCATION LUNCH: 23 JUNE

Michael Gove MP, 'a whirlwind of ideas all delivered with perfect lucidity.'

To give this lunch its full title it was 'To Mark the Continuing Importance of Education to the City and the Nation.'  It was hosted by the Lord Mayor and included a very wide cross-section of guests: CEOs of the big City-based companies, Livery Companies with a major involvement in education, heads of major schools with a City or Livery link, representatives from a wide variety of educational charities as well as representatives from the civic City.  Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, was the principal guest and speaker.   David Levin, headmaster City of London School and currently Chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference - the first time a head of the City of London School has held this appointment - also spoke.

Michael Gove continues to be a whirlwind of ideas all delivered with perfect lucidity. His particular theme at the lunch was that the independent sector must do more to help raise standards in the less well performing maintained schools.  In fact the Livery Companies do a lot already and the Mercers and Haberdashers were singled out in the Economist's Bagehot column on 25 June as being leaders in this field.  The Drapers do not run education on the scale of either of these fellow members of the Great XII.  Nevertheless even though our Drapers' Academy is not quite a year old we are already beginning to see links develop with Bancroft's School as well as with other Drapers' schools and universities further away.  

Those who have read this blog from its start last summer will recall that Michael Gove, in his first few weeks in office, certainly caused us considerable disquiet when it appeared that he might cancel the Drapers' Academy new buildings.  At that time he was not particularly popular - a measured understatement - with the Academy project team.  But this is now all behind us.  I do not agree with everything he says but his robust and consistent championing of good education for everyone and the action he is taking to achieve it has been of considerable help in our work at the Academy over the past year.

DR PETER SCOTT JOINS LIVERY SCHOOLS LINK

Dr Peter Scott

Livery Schools Link is a voluntary organisation that aims to promote support for schools in the Greater London area by Livery Companies of the City of London, helping to prepare young people for the world of work.  For more details go to www.liveryschoolslink.co.uk/

I am pleased that Liveryman Dr Peter Scott has agreed to be the Drapers' representative with this organisation.  Peter was the very successful Headmaster of Bancroft's School between 1996 and 2006, covering much of the time when I was Chairman of Governors at the school. He has a huge wealth of experience and since retiring from Bancrofts he has been involved in a number of educational initiatives.  I am certain that he will be able to make a substantial contribution to the work of the Livery Schools Link.

BANCROFT'S SCHOOL CONCERT AT THE HALL 7 FEBRUARY

Every year in February Bancroft's School stages a concert at the Hall.  It takes place in the Livery Hall, now known to millions as the room used in The King's Speech where Colin Firth, in the guise of George VI, makes his accession speech under the stern gaze of portraits of previous British kings and queens.  In fact the Bancroft's performers are on a stage just in front of a rather severe portrait of Queen Victoria flanked by William IV, looking somewhat uncomfortable in a court dress comprising a decidedly odd padded hose and ermine cloak, and Edward VII, in complete contrast, looking totally confident.

As always the Music Department at the School, Roger Bluff, Enid Weaver and Debbie Mittell, put together a programme that lets a wide variety of individuals and ensembles every opportunity to give of their best.  The result was some very professional performances across a wide range of musical genres. 

These ranged from the Bancroft Swingers getting the evening off to a good start with a really crisp performance of The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.  This was followed by the Middle School Choir with some charming modern and traditional arrangements, Ben Yelverton giving an impressive piano solo of a Dohnanyi piece, not my favourite composer but a real challenge to play, and then elements of the Bancroft's Swingers reappeared as a saxophone quartet.  The evening continued with the Bancroft's Singers and a vocal solo by Rebecca Slattery.  Finally everyone seemed to come back on a very crowded stage as the First Orchestra to give an excellent and lively interpretation of Franz von Suppe's Overture to his Light Cavalry. 

It was all very professional.  But what was equally important was that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly.  Performing in front of such a large audience, including one's parents and probably some hyper-critical sibling, is quite a test.  If there were nerves or anxiety they did not show.

An uplifting start to the week.

ST JOHN AMBULANCE: A NEW DRAPER AFFILIATION

Nicholas Anstee, the last Lord Mayor, suggested that livery companies might wish to adopt St John Ambulance Cadet Units, see www.sja.org.uk/ for further information.  Because of our increasing involvement with the Harold Hill community it has been agreed that the Company's name be linked to to the Harold Hill Division. Also the division will be more closely associated with Drapers' Academy.

Freeman Jeremy Bromfield MBE, who is exceptionally well known to generations of Bancroftians as he was at the school from 1978 until recently - and still hasn't really left - will act a Company liaison.

Incidentally, he is also working on a new version of the history of Bancroft's School.  This follows on from the late liveryman Kevin Wing's book of some thirty years ago.  He is aiming to publish in time for the school's 275th anniversary in 2012.   Quite a challenge but I am sure Jeremy will rise to it.

Past Master Stephen Foakes, who among many other voluntary commitments, is St John Ambulance Area President for North East London, has been keeping a close watch on the project.

To complete the picture his son, liveryman Tom Foakes, is curator of the recently opened Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell.  It has started well.  Go and see www.museumstjohn.org.uk/ where you may wish to note the very positive review by the Evening Standard of earlier this month.

GLOVERS' COMPANY INSTALLATION LUNCH FOR MASTER 2 NOVEMBER

Early November is the time when the Master Glover is installed and by tradition the lunch for Glovers, their partners and guests, following a service at St Margaret's, Lothbury is held at Drapers' Hall.  I was very kindly invited to attend. It is always a pleasant experience for me to be entertained in my own Hall.  The first reason for this is that I am not in charge, the second is to observe yet again John Freestone, the Beadle, and his team's excellent management of such events and lastly to receive compliments about the Hall and the way we, as a Company, look after our heritage.

Roderick Morris had just been elected Master of the Glovers' Company. For more details of the Company go to http://www.thegloverscompany.org/   It is a Company representing a great British craft tradition but sadly today it is yet another aspect of our manufacturing heritage that is facing stiff competition from overseas.  However as part of the ceremonies I was very generously presented with a superb pair of black leather lined gloves by Chester Jeffries (http://www.chesterjeffries.co.uk/ ) that fit me perfectly and will be just the thing when I am waiting for a delayed First Great Western train service to London at Pewsey station this winter.  I can recommend them to anyone who wants a pair of warm, stylish and comfortable gloves.

While waiting to be introduced to the Master I met Richard Morris a liveryman of the Company who is also an Old Bancroftian- see earlier posts.  He is another survivor of the very rigorous boarding regime at the school before the boarding house was closed in the late seventies.  He reminded me, as all Old Bancroftian boarders do without the slightest prompting, as to the extraordinarily Spartan regime of the time.  Most of the boarders seemed to have lived in a huge open dormitory in the attic of the main building that was baking hot in summer and icily cold in winter.   It seems on retelling like something out Mervyn Peake's fertile imagination and if he had but known about it I am sure it would have been included in the plot of Gormengast.  I have to say that Richard seemed to have survived the experience remarkably well.

Richard told me he had, in his capacity as Secretary of the Loughton and District Historical Society, become a very active local historian.  Earlier this year Pen and Sword had published his book The Man who Ran London about Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd who was the ebullient and forceful General Officer Commanding London Disterict during the First World War.  His north-east London connection was that he lived in Chigwell.  He was an extraordinarly good public speaker and was a great crowd puller at patriotic rallies.  Richard told me he spoke at such events held at Drapers' Hall between 1914 and 1918. 

Around 3.00pm the lunch began to draw to a close.  It had been a most interesting and enjoyable event and I had been looked after very well and received many compliments about the the Company, our Hall and our staff.  The warm glow ensuing was not entirely due the port.

OLD BANCROFTIANS' 104th DINNER 15 OCTOBER

On Friday evening I was at the Great Hall of Bancroft's School at Woodford for the annual dinner of the Old Bancroftians, an event now well set into its second century.   Details of the Old Bancroftians are at http://www.bancroftians.net/

I have not been to every Old Bancroftians' Dinner since I became associated with the school some ten years ago but I think that the turn out was as large, if not larger, than ever and what was also good to see was that there was a large contingent of recent school leavers.  In fact I came across one guest who was still at the school.

Jim Williams is this year's President.  He was one of the last boarders at the school. From its foundation Bancroft's had been a boys school with boarders.  However it had to go through a major change in the mid-seventies when the then Labour government arbitrarily removed direct-grant status from the school.  Because of this the governors, with the full support of the Drapers' Company, made the decision that Bancroft's should become a fully independent co-educational day school.  He gave an amusing speech that included reminiscences of boarding at Bancroft's in its last years.

Jeremy Bromfield, who started teaching at the school in 1973, and is still working part time as well as trying to sort out the archives  and write a further update of the school's history - Jeremy never slows down - also spoke.  He was associated with the boarding house from his earliest time at Bancroft's so could, to an extent, corroborate Jim's stories.

Every speaker mentioned the close links between the Drapers' Company and the the school as being one of the essential reasons for its success.  This, of course, is always gratifying for a Master Draper to hear.   But, having been Chairman of Governors, I am more than aware that a succession of very able Heads, dedicated teachers, as well as the work of the Drapers and non-Drapers governors, have also been essential to the great success of the school over the years.

It was good to see the Old Bancroftians, of all generations, in good heart. With the words of Floreat Bancroftia sung the evening drew to a close.  Yet another event organised and enjoyed by a flourishing and forward looking Association.

DEPARTURE OF MAGICAL TAXI TOUR 24 SEPTEMBER



Richard Channer, Recovering from an operation, myself and Ronnie Henderson, Head of East house at Canary Wharf with one of the two sponsored taxis proudly bearing the Bancroft's badge.

On Friday morning Liveryman Richard Channer, who is Housemaster of East House, Bancroft's School, invited me down to see off the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers annual children's Magical Taxi Tour to Eurodisney, Paris.
The Hackney Carriage Drivers is exclusively comprised of London taxi drivers . Further details are at http://www.hackneycarriagedriverscompany.com/  Their annual trip to Eurodisney is an opportunity for children with life threatening illnesses and their families to have a few days of relaxation and fun. The Company raises a huge sum of money for the 100 taxi convoy that drives from London to Paris. The taxi drivers involved give freely of their time not only to drive to Paris but also to set up and manage the hugely complex logistics required to look after the children during the outing.

This year East House, Bancroft's School raised £2500 to sponsor two taxis. Mr Phil Davis, the organising force behind the Magical taxi tour, was coincidentally a Bancroftian parent, whose children had been in East House. Ronnie Henderson, the Head of East House, represented the pupils in seeing the convoy off.

The start was preceded by a breakfast at Canary Wharf. The Lord Mayor attended and gave a send off speech; he managed to avoid saying, but others did not, 'You can never get a taxi to take you south of the Channel and then two hundred turn up.’ At 8.00am the convoy, packed with children, parents and toys, set off for its long journey to France.

The Bancroft's School badge, which is also the Drapers' coat of arms, was recognised by many of the taxi drivers who clearly knew the bit of the Woodford High Road where Bancroft's is sited.

A great achievement and a most impressive effort by our sister livery of Hackney Carriage Drivers and, more particularly, East House, Bancroft's School.'