MANSION HOUSE SCHOLARS 2010 RECEPTION: 13 JUNE

The Mansion House Scholarship scheme was established in 1997 to provide promising individuals the opportunity to study or gain work experience in the UK, typically at postgraduate level, with a view developing their careers in the financial sector.   Past Master Sir Michael Craig Cooper, Master Draper in 1997, played a major part in setting the scheme up and the Company still supports it with a cash grant every year.  For more details go to http://www.mansionhousescholars.org.uk/

A reception was held on Monday evening at the offices of SEB in Cannon Street.  A most interesting and impressive group of young men and women from across the world who were either past or current scholars were present. 

Clearly it is a project with a lot of energy behind it, including the fullest support from the Lord Mayor, and plays a part in sustaining the high reputation of the City as a global financial centre. 

DRAPERS' CITY FOYER, WEAVERS' FIELDS BETHNAL GREEN: VISIT 17 FEBRUARY

Drapers' City Foyer is a converted former London School Board building.  It is typical of a large number of distinctive schools built across Inner London in the late nineteenth century under the guidance of Edward Robson, the Boards's chief architect.

On Wednesday 17 February Sir Nicholas Jackson, Sir Michael Craig-Cooper, Anthony Walker and myself paid a visit to Drapers' City Foyer.

In the late nineties the Company teamed up with Providence Row a major housing and homelessness charity in East London, especially in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, to refurbish a former London School Board building to create a foyer of forty-one units.  Because of the Company's contribution to the initial construction costs it is called Drapers' City Foyer.  Today the foyer is run by East Potential, an economic and social regeneration charity, on behalf of Providence Row.  For more details go to http://www.prha.net and http://www.east-potential.org.uk/ and go to Drapers' City Foyer

Drapers' City Foyer is designed to provide temporary accommodation for young people who are homeless and in need of support.  The pressing need is to provide shelter and food but equally importantly a foyer can access a whole range of support and advice to give an individual the opportunity to improve their life chances and help them overcome personal problems.

The Foyer is doing well. Last year it successfully supported twenty-eight individuals find new opportunities and who have now left the Foyer.  East Potential want to do more.  They have some interesting ideas such as making more use of the ground floor spaces to provide training opportunities for non-residents.  Also Providence Row has agreed that Flavour Gateway, an innovative catering training and commercial operation, can establish a training cafe, the Cafe Relax, in the building.

Cafe Relax is in a really unusual space, the decor is stunning - I shall try and get some photographs - and there's a great menu that is really good value.  It will be opening shortly, go along for a meal.  For more details go to: http://www.flavourgateway.com/

LORD LIEUTENANT OF GREATER LONDON'S DINNER 31 JANUARY

Sir Michael Craig-Cooper,  in his capacity as Vice Lord Lieutenant presenting a log service award to Ian Cooper of the London Fire Brigade in November 2009.

Monday marked the end of an era when Sir Michael Craig-Cooper, a Past Master of the Company, was dined out by his fellow lieutenants as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Greater London.  He was Deputy Lieutenant of Kensington and Chelsea between 1987 and 2006 and has held the important post of Vice Lord Lieutenant of Greater London since 2005.

For those who come across this blog, and might be a little vague on the subject, the Lord Lieutenant is the monarch's local representative.  These days the duties are essentially ceremonial and representative. It is an honorary appointment and in broad terms there is a lord lieutenant for each county.  To help him or her the lord lieutenant appoints deputies. The arrangements in Greater London are slightly different from other areas in that in addition to the vice lord lieutenant there are deputy lieutenants assigned to each of the 32 London boroughs as well as some sixty supernumary ones.

The jobs are busy ones with the deputy lieutenants having a full timetable of representational activities.  The Vice Lord Lieutenant sits in the middle of this web of activity with an important role in ensuring everything goes smoothly.

A number of other Drapers also involved in this side of Michael's activities were also present. These included Past Master Stephen Foakes and Lords Biliamoria and Boyce who are liverymen.

It was evident from the dinner that Michael is held in very high esteem for his unerring ability to make things work, with the hallmarks of great charm and courtesy, so that the London lieutenancy runs smoothly.  Sir David Brewer, a former Lord Mayor, is the current Lord Lieutenant.  In his speech he paid a warm tribute to Michael's great civic contribution that clearly not only elicited a strong response with his fellow deputy lieutenants but also from representatives of the wide range of other organisations, such as Royal Hospital Chelsea, where he plays, or has played, an essential role in their success.

It was entirely appropriate that Michael's departure from the lieutenancy could take place in 'his' Hall.  And it was just right that his departure warmly celebrated his great contribution to the life of London.

REHANGING OF PORTRAIT OF SIR ROBERT CLAYTON 22 SEPTEMBER

The portrait of Sir Robert Clayton before cleaning.  He is now looks much cleaner and slightly less bilious.  The details of the sword and curiously shaped white fur hat on the table are also now much clearer.  The white fur hat was the precusor to a natty mink item worn by the Swordbearer to the Lord Mayor. 

The Heritage Advisory Committee met on 22 September, the first time in the Company Year.  The Committee's Chairman is this year's Second Master Warden, Lady Victoria Leatham, supported by Past Master Sir Michael Craig-Cooper and Liverymen Mark Cazalet, an artist, and Loiuse Banks, an interior designer.  Jonathan Miles is the works of art advisor and Paul Vonberg the consultant architect.  Penny Fussell, our archivist, is the committee's secretary.

The committee has oversight of both the Hall and its treasures to ensure that our very considerable heritage, of which we are trustees, is maintained and developed.

Before the meeting began we examined the portrait of Sir Robert Clayton that had been subject to extensive cleaning and restoration under the supervision of Jonathan Miles. The picture above shows it in its pre-cleaned state.  It also does not show its frame.  It is a large picture, about two thirds life size, and now looks considerably better with much of the detail considerably clearer.  The frame has also been restored and some injudicious alteration of the canvas carried out possibly fifty years ago put right.  I hope to have an image of the picture in its restored condition in due course.

Sir Robert Clayton (1629–1707) was a major City personality of the late seventeeth century.  A very successful merchant banker he was a member of both the Scriveners' and Drapers' Company, an Alderman of Cheap Ward in the City of London (1670–1683), a Sheriff in 1671, Lord Mayor of London (1679–1680), a Member of Parliament for the City of London (1678–1681), President of the Honourable Artillery Company (1690–1703), Commissioner of the Customs (1689–1697), an Assistant to the Royal African Company (1672–1681) a director of the Bank of England (1702–1707) and much else besides.