COMPANY MEDAL PRESENTATIONS AT THE ALMSHOUSES: 14 JULY

At Edmanson's Close I explain the story of the medal before making presentations.  The room is the combined social club and chapel.  Photograph with thanks to Herry Lawford.

On Thursday I presented Drapers' Company Medals at the Company's three almshouses.  Alastair Ross, the Clerk, came with me.  We visited Queen Elizabeth College and Walter's Close in the morning and Edmanson's Close in the afternoon.  Readers of this blog will know that residents of the almshouses over 85 and who have lived in a Drapers' almshouse for five years are eligible to receive the medal.

At each site I explained about the decision to reinstitute the medal after a hundred years or so and the further decision to present it to residents.  I then presented the medals to those who were well enough to receive them.  I also made special visits to those who felt they could no leave their cottages or flats.

At each almshouse we were given excellent tea and cakes and it was good to catch up with the residents' stories.  Past Master Sir Nicholas Jackson was with us at Queen Elizabeth College and Liveryman Herry Lawford at Edmanson's Close.

I sensed the presentations were popular.  The medals are individually named and are thus a real link between the Company and the individual recipient.  They are also a token of the Company's ongoing commitment as trustees of the various almshouses.

Alastair and myself just about to leave Edmanson's Close.  Photograph with thanks to Herry Lawford.

ALMSHOUSE VISITATIONS: 28 APRIL

On Thursday the Wardens carried out their annual visit to Walter's Close, Southwark in the morning  and Edmanson's Close, Tottenham in the afternoon.  The other almshouse visitation to Queen Elizabeth College had take place a week earlier (See post of 9 April).

Traditionally the visitations were the formal inspection of the almshouses but these days the Wardens receive quarterly reports as to what is going on and there is also a regular communication between the current almshouse managers. Hanover Housing, and the Company.  As a consequence the visitations are now essentially social and ceremonial events.

The visit to Walter's Close is always the least informal of the three and takes the form of a a discussion with residents over coffee, tea and cakes around eleven o'clock.  We were accompanied by Herry Lawford, who actually leads the FODAH team at Edmanson's Close - and came along on the afternoon visit as well - and Liveryman Rupert Phelps who is one of the FODAH visitors at Walter's Close.

Fola Adedosu, who runs Walter's, made us welcome and it was good to meet up with a good cross section of residents, both of long standing and new arrivals.  Inevitably much of the conversation was about the Royal Wedding next day.

Just before the service at Edmanson's Close.  Left to right: John Freestone, Beadle, William Charnley, Junior Warden, Anthony Walker, Master Warden, self, Christian Williams, Renter Warden and Alastair Ross, Clerk.  Photograph with acknowledgements to Herry Lawford.

In the afternoon we went from the Hall to Bruce Grove.  Changing in to our robes we attended a service conducted by the newly arrived Father Tony Haynes.  I gave a short address describing how the three almshouse charities created by Edmanson, Pemel and Jolles had been united nearly 150 years ago and with a further endowment had moved on to the Bruce Grove site, largely because the expansion of the railway network in London led to a lot of compulsory purchasing of land in the inner city and a better site had become available in an area which at that time was right on the fringe of London.  The success of the Edmanson's Close had been the collective work of many but a most important part had been the contribution of residents past and present to create a unique and thriving community.

Afterwards Lesley Flynn who runs Edmanson's Close and her helpers, including Mvia Wedderburn, had laid on a delicious tea.  Again discussion turned to the Royal Wedding

Throughout the sun shone brightly and Lynda Lampshire at the Hall, who acts as the secretary to FODAH, organised the day very well.

EDMANSON'S CHRISTMAS DINNER: 10 DECEMBER

Out on the rush hour train from Liverpool Street to Bruce Grove for the Edmanson's Almshouse Christmas Dinner with Alastair Ross and his wife Judy - Rosemary could not make it as Grace was coming back from school that afternoon. 

As always thie evening was expertly run by Dot and her team with support from Lesley Flynn.  More than half the residents could make the party and we had a great three course menu.

This was followed by some great dancing to a versatile singer who knew many of the great songs of the fifties and sixties in all their tuneful banality.  This gave us all an opportunity for a quick dance or two and Alastair showed a really nifty pair of heels.

A modified white fiver, reused some sixty-one years after issue.  Amongst other improvements I have included my name as Chief Cashier.  Thanks to Jen Dennell for the artwork.

My Christmas greetings was in the form of a slightly amended white fiver.  This of course brought back many memories.  It was always a most romantic note.  It had black copperplate writing on one side only and a very complex wattermark.  It was printed on thin paper that made a distinctive metallic sound when handled.  However it was extensively forged, most effectively by the Germans in the Second World war, so was much distrusted by retailers.  My parents always used to take any they got straight to the bank. 

Eileen, wife of Eric Standen who was the beadle before John Freestone, remembered their wedding where three carefully folded white fivers kept by her father for any exceptional expenditure were inadvertently mistaken for waste paper and thrown away.

A great evening and it was good to see so many of the residents in good heart.