MASTER DRAPER: Drapers' Ram

Showing posts with label Drapers' Ram. Show all posts

Sunday, 3 April 2011

A DRAPERS WALKING STICK

The ram's head

Past Master Stephen Foakes is a talented woodworker and craftsman generally. Recently, to commemorate my tenure as Master, he gave me a very handsome walking stick. It is a most imaginative gift and is just the right size.

Thank you Stephen.

WELCOME TO MASTER DRAPER BLOG

When I began Master Draper blog I thought it was the first time that any master of a London Livery Company has ever tried to blog his/her year.

However I later discovered, as is so often the case with the livery movement, that others had got there before me. Venetia Howes last year's Master Marketor had her own blog. Shortly afterwards I found out that Julian Keevil, last year's Master Tobacco Pipe Maker and Tobacco Blender, had a most successful blog that was started by a previous master. Both their successors, Jim Surguy of the Marketors and Fiona Adler of The Tobacco Piper Makers have continued what now seems to be a tradition. I have also found out about a number of others but they are restricted to members of the Company with access to the relevant website so are not really part of the blogosphere.

The Drapers' Company is one of the older livery companies and because of the importance of the finished wool cloth trade to London, and the wider English economy, five hundred years ago we are ranked as the third company in seniority.

Today there are over a hundred livery companies in London focussed on an extrordinarily wide range of trade related and charitable activities.

Our website http://www.thedrapers.co.uk/ gives a good overview of who we are and what we do across a wide range of activities.

My intention is to produce a blog that will describe a Company year where ancient ceremonial, promoting a wide range of charitable activity and maintaining a great organisation to continue its proud traditions into the future will blend together to create an interesting insight into one of London's great institutions.

Background Stuff

Sunday, 3 April 2011

A DRAPERS WALKING STICK