COOK'S SUMMER COURT LUNCHEON: 29 JUNE

At lunchtime on Wednesday I was in Mercers' Hall for the Worshipful Company of Cook's Summer Court Luncheon.  The Cooks still play a part in their trade and support a wide range of cookery initiatives.  For more details of this Company go to http://www.cookslivery.org.uk/   The Company also has the distinction of having the smallest livery of any City company, numbering 75 individuals.  A typical livery, if there be such a thing, is around 250-300 in number.

I have known the Cooks for some time.  Before the formation of the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993 one of its predecessors was the Army Catering Corps and there was a natural affinity between the two organisations.  The Royal Logistic Corps fully supported keeping these linkages going and the Cooks, along with the Carmen, Gold and Sylver Wyre Drawers and Launderers were the original  four.  Since then the list has grown with an increasing number of unit affiliations, such as 151 Regiment RLC(V) with the Marketors.  When I was Head of the Royal Logistic Corps in the late nineties the then Master Cook, Don Hodgson, made me most welcome.

The Company has interesting court members and I found debate about catering and the livery companies particularly interesting.  The Drapers' Company runs its own in-house catering and banqueting organisation and we seek to maintain the highest standards in a competitive market place.  I understand the current Warden, Bev Puxley, is keen to highlight the catering aspects of the livery movement if elected Master next year.

MARKETORS: GRANT OF ROYAL CHARTER 19 OCTOBER

The Marketors held a splendid ceremony at the Guildhall on Tuesday evening to celebrate the granting of the first charter to the Company.   It is 32 years since the Marketors, who represent the marketing profession, became a livery company and they are clearly flourishing.  For more details go to www.marketors.org/ and also go to the Master Marketor's blog http://www.worshipfulcompanyofmarketors.blogspot.com/ for further information.

Although a royal charter is now no longer essential for the operation of a livery company it is nevertheless sought as a recognition of pre-eminence, stability and permanence.  It certainly marks an important step in the growth and development of a company.

I was delighted to be invited, as I can recall first hearing of the Company some twelve years ago when it was, slightly indignantly, brought to my attention that 151 (Greater London) Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps had created a link with the Marketors. At that time I was Head of the Corps and was reminded that our rule was that individual units were not allowed to establish links with livery companies and that these had to be on a corps-wide basis. At the time these included the Cooks, Carmen and Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers.
 
I was already a liveryman of both the Drapers and Carmen and felt that, despite our rules, a TA unit based on London should be allowed to establish this sort of affiliation.  In any event it transpired that the link between company and regiment went back to the earliest days of the Marketors.  It was just that we had not found out about it.

Over the years I am pleased to say the the relationship between ‘One Five One’ and Company has developed well.  It was good to see an old colleague Brigadier Richard Rook, in this capacity as honorary colonel of the regiment, and the current commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Lee, were both present on the top table.

The Master of the Company, Venetia Howes, led the complex ceremonies, involving amongst others HRH Duke of Edinburgh, most elegantly.  Overall it was a solemn yet friendly occasion marking yet another step in the development of the Marketors. 

It was a privilege to be present.

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.