From the Master - Dame Elizabeth Fradd DBE DL

It was an enormous privilege and pleasure to host our annual banquet in the splendid setting of the Mansion House. We were delighted the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress were able to attend together with both Sheriffs and their wives.  276 Liverymen and their guests filled the Egyptian Hall and were entertained throughout the four course dinner by the London Banqueting Ensemble.

Dinner began with the Bishop saying a special grace, focused on the work of our outgoing Clerk – Philip Grant. The evening was memorable for its atmosphere which was convivial and fun, enhanced by many traditions including the usual toasts, circulation of the rosewater bowls, sung grace and the loving cup.

Our Guest speaker was Mr Justice Blair – Judge in charge of the commercial court in the City. Sir William a graduate of Oxford University practised at the English Bar where he specialised in the law of banking and finance, appearing and advising in many domestic and international disputes.  He became Queens Counsel in 1994 and was Chairman of the Commercial Bar Association between 2003 and 2005.

Sir William was appointed a High Court Judge in England and Wales in 2008, and is one of the nominated judges who sit in the Commercial Court. He chairs the Monetary Law Committee of the International Law Association, which brings together leading people in the financial law field. He is a visiting Professor of the London School of Economics and chair of the Law and Ethics in Finance Project, and informal group concerned with standards in the financial sector of which I am a member.

It is the planning and pulling together of all the various strands that make an evening such as this a success. The most important element is however the people who attend. Thank you. 

Simon and I joined the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress's visit to Treloar's School on 8^th March with a large number of other Masters and consorts.  It was an uplifting and moving experience. The day was exceptionally well organised by the school, we were divided into groups depending on whether we had visited previously. Our group was led by the Head Boy and the Head of School and College, Jo McSherrie, a nurse by background who re-trained as a teacher. She is also the Regional Link for “Together for Short lives” the charity that the Livery supported with a donation earlier this year.

Our tour included observing a small class finishing their lesson about the skeleton. We also visited the library which also housed some highly technical equipment to assist the children access learning via a range of resources, one in particular enabling them to see and hear some extraordinary sights such as being on the edge of a volcano or in space. We also visited their accommodation including bedrooms, bathrooms and relaxation areas. Simon and I were also taken to the engineering department where the milling machine that our Livery recently bought for the school is housed. The two technicians who frequently use the machine told us how they are now able to adapt pieces of equipment specifically for individual children, for example buttons so that children who have extremely limited movement can drive their own electric wheel chair with one finger, thereby providing them with much needed and important independence.

Following a school lunch – not a lot to say about that to be honest, we attended a concert performed by a group of children. Their enthusiasm and determination was extraordinary. Their teachers displayed unbelievable patience and creativity, and the school as a whole incredibly resourceful so that even the most disabled child could participate. For example the girl in the picture is only able to wave her arm in the air in a disjointed way, however she has learnt to do this across a laser beam which triggers a note of music. She played with the help of the teacher on the piano and an assistant beside her to create some jazz, much to her own joy.

The school will be sending me a report about the Community outreach work that they are doing, which the Livery have part funded. I will share this when it reaches me. I have no doubt our annual contribution is well utilised by the school, which achieves remarkable things with children and young people with significant life limiting conditions.

Dame Elizabeth Fradd - Master          

49 Liverymen and their guests visited the Bank of England on Tuesday 7^th March. It was lovely to have such a good mix of attendees, including some fairly new Liverymen, as well as some who are considering joining us.   

I originally planned our visit to the Bank with a University of Nottingham Council colleague who was at that time Director of IT at the Bank. Our planning discussions took place prior to the dreadful bombings in Paris, which resulted in the Bank reducing access to areas by anyone other than those on the Bank's business.  So instead of a tour of rooms, not usually accessed by the public, we started our visit with a lecture entitled “The Bank of England Past and Present”. It was an interesting presentation complimented with informative slides and was followed by questions. As always, Liverymen asked lots of questions from a range of perspectives. 

Before retiring to a restaurant nearby for lunch we had time to explore the museum, which due to the additional exhibitions ensured there was something for everyone.  Some Liverymen rather more actively engaged in the interactive elements, pressing all available buttons!  Others were pleased to be able to lift the gold bar, although regretted they weren’t able to take it away!  Each of us however did leave with a gift. Another colleague who is the Director of HR in the Bank kindly gave us each a pack of playing cards. The cards have pictures on them of the rooms we were unable to see as he was aware of my disappointment not to be able to access these rooms. I thought his gift extraordinarily thoughtful. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to join us for lunch because he was summoned to a Governors strategy meeting. It was budget week!  

Lunch at Brasserie Blanc was enjoyed by all. In spite of the size of our group and the fact that we arrived at a very busy time, the service was excellent and cheerfully given. Contented, we finally left the restaurant at about 3.30 pm!  

Dame Elizabeth Fradd - Master          

We had a marvellous evening at the Guildhall School of Music enjoying listening to the four extraordinarily gifted finalists of our Woodwind Prize Competition. Two played the flute, one a clarinet and one played recorders. The event was well attended by Liverymen and friends and family of those involved. The programme was varied and interesting ranging from well-known pieces such as the Prokofiev Sonata No 2 in D Major, Op. 94 and the Bach Hamburger Sonata in G Major for Flute and Piano, to entirely new pieces (for most of us) such as the Maki Ishii - Black Intention and Ian Clarke – Hatching Alien.

The winner, Sophie Creaner, played 5 types of recorder, at one point playing two at the same time was remarkably versatile. Each of her three pieces was very different as was her accompaniment. For the first she was accompanied by a viola da gamba and harp, the second a Japanese piece included a gong and for the third she was accompanied by the piano. She was a worthy winner.

I was however grateful I didn’t have to make the decision as to who won the competition; this was expertly undertaken by the Adjudicator: Kate Romano who used to teach at the School. She too agreed it wasn’t easy to choose between the four finalists and commended them all. This year we gave each of the runners up a copy of our history book which seemed to please them and created discussion over supper. Liverymen hosted the finalists, their chosen guest and the Adjudicator over supper during which we were able to talk to them in some depth about their careers and aspirations.

As always it was an immense pleasure and privilege to be involved with such gifted young people , the evening was enjoyed by all including the students who said the audience was the best they had played to and that our individual interest in them was supportive .

By The Master 

Following the retirement of Philip Grant, Fiona Sedgwick has taken over as Clerk of the Needlemakers from March 2017. 

Originally from Newcastle, Fiona went to university in Aberdeen where she studied Physiology and then Personnel Management.  She joined the Royal Air Force in the operations support branch (Fighter Control) and completed a short service commission followed by a ski season in Meribel before moving to London in 2006 to work for Williams Lea. In the autumn of 2009, Fiona began work at the Naval and Military Club, initially as Membership Secretary (Membership, Marketing and Events) before taking on broader responsibilities. Fiona was also Secretary for The Canning Club, both very social jobs and a lot of fun. She then moved to Goodenough Club as Manager (maternity cover) and on completion of the contract was offered the newly created role of Head of Events and Venue Hire at Goodenough College, responsible for the commercial event business.

Fiona's hobbies are mostly sporting and she is a regular participant in triathlon and cycling events and amongst other things, will take part in the Etape du Tour and Ironman Barcelona this year. She is currently training to be a Pilates instructor and hopes to qualify in the summer.

Fiona also enjoy trips to the theatre, particularly opera and ballet and the Proms season. 

The Cook & The Butler in association with the Watermen’s Company have announced the return of the River Thames Luncheon Club for monthly lunches at the Watermen’s Hall on Fridays for all liverymen (of any company) and their guests. 

For dates and booking details, please go to Watermenscompany.com. The inaugural lunch is to be on Friday 12th May.

The all inclusive package will offer a five course taster lunch menu with interesting matching wines at £55.00 inclusive of all costs which is very good value.

The May menu can be downloaded from the following link:

May Menu

Download - 27.55 KB

February

The highlight of every Master year is the Banquet at Mansion House held this year on Valentine’s Day February 14^th. We were honoured the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress and the two Sheriffs together with their wives were all able to attend. Their presence helped make it a memorable occasion.

Our guest speaker was The Honourable Mr Justice Blair QC.  Sir William is the chair of a group of which I am a lay member. The focus of the group is “Law and Ethics in Finance”. Both our speeches touched on the values and behaviour of individuals that help create a successful organisation in which there is a culture of mutual respect. Our most recent Colloquium held in the Bank of England not long after the Banquet on March 7^th had the Governor of the Bank Mark Carney, the Chair of the Banking Standards Commission, the Chair of the Federal Bank of New York and the Lord Chief Justice for England all as key speakers.

The second period of my year has continued to feature delicious dinners, interesting lectures and concerts, powerful church services and a few of our own events. Sadly I was unable to attend the World Traders annual Tacitus Lecture in the Guildhall because Doris intervened. The weather was so bad no trains were running from Nottingham to London so Simon attended this on his own. I understand it was an excellent event.

I missed the annual Pancake Race due to a University Finance Committee scheduled on the same day. I know where I would rather have been, but I suspect it may have been a good thing I didn’t attend because tossing pancakes has never been something I have learnt to manage with any degree of certainty. In particular I’ve never been entirely confident of the likely arrival of the pancake back in the pan.

I did however attend the Glass Sellers Livery Company’s Ravenscroft Lecture, held on the 30^th floor of Barclays Bank headquarters Canary Wharf. The venue was superb with wonderful views over Canary Wharf and beyond across London.  It was a fascinating evening. The keynote speaker was Steven Roberts, the Innovation Director at  Barclays, who shared with us how working with communities  is enabling them to benefit from the Bank’s transformation programme which includes their Digital Eagles programme and apprenticeships for both young and old. 

March 

Our first event in March (the 7^th) was our visit to the Bank of England. We had the maximum number permitted (50) attending firstly a lecture about the role of the Bank past and present, followed by a viewing of the Museum and finally lunch in a nearby restaurant. Please do look at the separate fuller piece with photographs about this event in the website news section.

The following day Simon and I joined the Lord Mayor’s visit to Treloars School. A great programme was arranged for us, we learnt a lot and it left a very considerable impression afterwards. Again, please see the fuller piece with photographs in the website news section.

I was joined by the Clerk, Senior Warden and Pamela Goldberg – Chair of the charity Committee at the Royal College of Surgeons on March 9th. We met and had lunch with this year’s Bursary award winners. As always we had fascinating time learning about their various specialities and the education programmes they will be attending as a consequence of our funding. It is because of lunches such as this, which only a few are able to attend, that stimulated me to invite some of our recipients to talk to Common Hall in April. It is reassuring to know our funds are being so well spent and to such good effect.  

On March 14th I attended the Gala Concert in St Pauls with Colin Tiffin - Senior Warden and his wife Tiz together with Pamela and John Goldberg. It was a remarkable concert with the London Symphony orchestra (LSO) in aid of the Lord Mayor’s appeal.  City Historians are pretty sure that in the 827 years of the existence of the Lord Mayor, an educationalist and musician has never been appointed as Lord Mayor, and certainly none has ever taken the stage for such a momentous musical performance. The Lord Mayor has been the organist at St James Garlickhythe for some 35 years and we have had the privilege of having him play for many of our services during that time. But to see him march in surrounded by the pikemen and musketeers and then hear him play the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony with the LSO in such magnificent surroundings was very special. The experience measured up to all my expectations, I just wish we could have heard more of his playing. I look forward however to a repeat performance sometime soon at St James, although I suspect we won’t get the Pikemen too!   

I spent a considerable amount of time one weekend reading the 30 applications for our shared Royal College of Nursing Foundation bursaries. Short listing took place on 16^th March. As a member of the selection panel I was pleased we were able to award 10 bursaries to a variety of nurses undertaking interesting further education programmes to improve their skills.

Some of the Livery Companies I have come into contact with have had remarkably long histories; the Carmen Company are no exception. The Clerk and I were invited to their Celebration of 500 years, firstly attending a delightful evensong in St Pauls and then a wonderful reception at Stationers Hall. The following day was one of our Committee meeting days, followed by the Woodwind Competition at the Guildhall School of Music. See the separate news item with photos.

There are many privileges to being Master but one I think particularly special is being invited by the Sheriffs to have lunch with the Old Bailey Judges. I have to admit to having been once before, on that occasion the other two guests were Stephen Fry and Justine Webb. This time the guests included the Bishop of Ely who amongst other things is Chair of the Council of the National Society Council supporting schools and higher education, the Ambassador for Austria and Dame Esther Rantzen. The invitees all have an interest in the mental health of young people, which is a particular area of interest for our host, Alderman and Sheriff William Russell. Afterwards I sat in court listening to evidence relating to a murder case. I left feeling chastened.

One of the spectacular events of the Lord Mayor’s year is the Dinner at Mansion House for all the Masters, Prime Wardens and Upper Bailiffs of the Livery Companies of the City of London. An amazing event not least for its grandeur, and lovely champagne! It was particularly lovely that Bishop Christopher and his sister were also guests. I had a fascinating evening sat next to the Chair of the Corporation of the City of London Policy and Resource Committee on one side and the consort of the Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors on the other. 

The following day it was the United Guilds service in St Pauls. This was a very special occasion for our Livery, as not only was it our turn as a Livery to join the procession, which is something that happens very infrequently, but also our Honorary Chaplain Bishop Christopher gave the Sermon. He was brilliant and I strongly recommend you read it if you were not able to attend - it too is on our website.

April

We have a close association with the Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers, so it was a particular pleasure to be invited with our new Clerk to attend their Master’s Installation Dinner at Skinners Hall. As you can probably tell I am gradually working my way around all the Halls, they are all beautiful and quite unique. Paul Constantinidi, the new Master, is a bit of a wine expert. The dessert wine and port served during dinner came from his own cellar. I don’t expect we will have any difficulty choosing wines for the supper after the carol service! They too had a service at St James Garlickhythe prior to dinner.

I was delighted to be invited back to the Gardeners for their Spring Court dinner with our Clerk. Once again the floral arrangements were fantastic. The dinner was at the Grocers Hall, as we entered the dining room the scent from spring flowers was immense. The arrangements were all along the tables in small containers in recognition of the role of grocers. They had for example used attractive tin cans, jam jars, milk bottles, and cups and saucers. At the end of the evening we were invited to take a decoration home with us if we paid a minimum of £5. Another good idea to consider?

One of our closest Livery Company is the Framework Knitters. Their Installation dinner was at Vintners Hall on April 7^th. It was a delightful event particularly because I have now reached a halfway point of my year and the Masters and Consorts I see at events will in the main be in my Past Masters year group.

Just occasionally I do a little work on behalf of the Livery and don’t just sit and eat! On Sunday 9^th April I joined Henry and Susan Milward at Utoxeter Race Course for the Quilt and Stitch event. We provide the prize for the public choice of best quilt. It was lovely to be able to present the engraved plate and cheque to someone who was absolutely delighted that she has won the prize and whose work was quite charming. There is a picture on the website courtesy of Henry.

Common Hall and the lunch afterwards took place on April 12^th at the beautiful modern Haberdashers Hall. The purpose of opening up the Court Meeting for Liverymen to observe and to then hold Common Hall was to further inform the Livery on the range of issues the Court covers, how decisions are made and who makes them.  We formally installed Fiona Sedgwick as our new Clerk and admitted four new Liverymen including our immediate past Clerk and the Recorder of the City of London.  

During Common Hall we had 4 speakers all of whom are beneficiaries of awards we have given. Each spoke for 5 minutes about the impact of the award on their working lives. Each of them gave a moving and inspiring account which stimulated a lot of questions.

Pamela Goldberg put together an excellent display relating to our charitable work, which resulted in a number of Liverymen volunteering to act as the named person to liaise with the organisations we support, which is great. I am hoping that the combination of the presentations, observing Court and the display will have helped ensure we have all learnt a little more about what goes on behind the scenes.

During Lunch Dr James Munroe, a GP by background, spoke about his role as the Chief Executive of Patient Opinion - an award winning not for profit social enterprise. Patient Opinion is an independent feedback platform for health and care which has been viewed 85 million times. He impressed us all with the way he spoke about how Patient Opinion offers the opportunity for patients and their carers to give feedback about their experiences in many instances resulting in restored relationships,  complaints avoided and services improved at low cost . See also the news item on the website about the Court meeting and Common hall.

It was lovely to attend at the invitation of Lynette Stone firstly the church service and then the Parish Clerks Easter dinner at Leathersellers Hall. It was a fabulous evening, very different to any other Dinner I have attended – let’s just say they have their own unique way of doing things! Lyn was the perfect host and I know will make a great Master in two years’ time. The dinner coincided with the Launch event for the Institute of Apprenticeships at the Guildhall which the Junior Warden – Anthony de Lacey kindly attended on my behalf.

I was introduced by Pamela Goldberg to the Lady Masters Association whilst Senior Warden and attended my first AGM at the Guildhall on 24^th April. The meeting was short mainly consisting of receiving the reports of the various committees and the election of the various officers including the next chair. This was followed by an excellent supper.

At the invitation of Vic Flintham I attended the Air Pilots Club lunch on April 26^th at the RAF Club on Piccadilly. Male attendees significantly outnumbered the women, but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the occasion! It was both enjoyable and interesting although the after lunch speaker did have to compete with the pneumatic drills outside.      

The final Needlemakers Livery event for this quarter was the Reception in the River Room – House of Lords followed by the tours of both Houses.  I am extremely grateful to Bishop Christopher who sponsored the event and his Parliamentary Aid Peter Haddock who supported me in making the arrangements. The maximum (50) number allowed for the event attended, which was marvellous, enabling us to admire Pugin’s fantastic decor. We were lucky the event was able to go ahead given that Whitehall and the surrounding area was closed down for a while during the afternoon, due to the arrest of a suspected terrorist. Bishop Christopher joined us at 6 pm following the prorogation of Parliament. This meant that we were able to view both houses. The real treat for me however was to be able to see a little of the magnificent quarters utilised by the Speaker of the House of Lords, especially the River Room where the reception was held. One of our guides, who had worked in a number of roles within the parliamentary estate for 25 years, had never been into the speakers’ quarters before.  

My next instalment will be at the end of July – I expect you can’t wait.  

By The Master                                                             

The Master, Wardens, Liverymen and guests enjoyed a champagne reception, lunch and afternoon tea at the Lord Mayor's Charity Race day at Ascot Racecourse. The Needlemakers shared a table but there were other Needlemakers supporting the event too, at tables taken by their Past Masters Association, the Magna Masters.

The event was a great success, with raffles and secret auction raising money for the Lord Mayor's Appeal.

Hopefully nobody placing their bets lost their shirt and it was reported that some, including the Master, did rather well!

May

What an exciting and interesting period this has proved to be. It all started on May 3^rd when a group of 10 Needlemakers attended the Lord Mayor's Ascot Race Day. The event was in aid of the Lord Mayor's appeal to educate, support and inspire young people. It was a first for me, I’ve never been to a race meeting before let alone Ascot and I have never placed a bet before let alone won not once but twice!  The following day I attended together with the Clerk and 700 others the 25^th Anniversary Banquet of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists at the Guildhall. The Lady Mayoress is their current Junior Warden.  It was an amazing experience as you can tell from the photograph outside the Guildhall. 

On Friday 5^th May I attended along with a number of other Liverymen the service of thanksgiving for the life of Margaret Floyd. The large number of people in the church and afterwards demonstrated the high regard and affection in which Margaret and her family are held.

The 363^rd Festival of Sons and friends of the Clergy took place on May 9^th. The sermon was given by the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr John Sentamu – Archbishop of York. As always the music was wonderful. Supper afterwards was at Taberna Etrusca in Bow Churchyard together with the Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. It was a successful and enjoyable evening although a little cramped in the small dining room downstairs.

Our first Livery Holiday took place in Nottingham 18^th May – 22^nd May – see separate account (and photos) written by a number of Liverymen who attended the weekend.

June

The month began with a visit to Buckingham Palace on June 1^st. It was a boiling hot day but a wonderful experience, made all the more enjoyable for me because Simon accompanied me. Whilst wandering around the extensive grounds we bumped into Bishop Christopher and his sister, who were able to tell us where we could get a cooling ice cream. Unfortunately we didn’t see John and Ros Mill who were, unbeknown to us also there. At the end of the afternoon we managed to place ourselves in an excellent spot under the shade of trees which gave us a first rate view of Her Majesty the Queen as she left the garden while she stopped to talk to guests in wheel chairs.  The Nomination Committee quickly brought me down to earth the next day!

A day of Committees on June 7^th was followed the next day with a visit to St James Palace for the City and Guild Awards Ceremony together with the Clerk and Liveryman Michael Lee. I am grateful to Liveryman Michael Lee who is our link to City and Guilds for the work he does on our behalf, he has excellent relationships with key individuals in the organisation and I was grateful for his introductions. It was an honour to be on the stage when the Princess Royal presented the Needlemakers prize to Victor Walsh, a lecturer in Fabrication and Welding Technology at Coleg Cambria, and to be with him afterwards when the Princess met guests during the reception. 

On Friday 9^th June was the Iron Bridge weekend. Iron Bridge are celebrating 50 years this year and the City of London and the Livery Companies at Iron Bridge were celebrating  34 years of this very special weekend taking place . Most of the Masters of other Liveries were there, together with the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs. It is this weekend when the Past Masters group and Consorts groups are named and the organising committee members agreed.  I look forward to spending time with the Masters and their consorts I have met during the year, hopefully for many years to come.

It was a lovely to be able to attend the Glass Sellers dinner on June 15^th not least because the Master Peter Rawlinson is the husband of one of our own Liverymen Gwyn Rhys, who kindly looked after me on arrival. It took place in the lovely Painters Hall and was a most enjoyable occasion. Once again I was struck by the similarity of Livery events but also the small differences which make each Livery unique.

On a boiling hot day of over 30 degrees, 30 Liverymen joined the Livery City Walk – “What the Zeppelins missed”.  Vic Flitham and his Colleague Peter Warren ably guided us through narrow passages and busy streets stopping at small churches, shady gardens and St Johns Museum.  We had a relaxing lunch at a pub near Smithfield market, after which the group were noticeably less enthusiastic to walk and gradually the numbers dwindled until at the last stopping place we were just 8 in number. We were running a little late as the afternoon progressed, the excessive heat meant no one felt like rushing and some of the party got lost, others needed to catch booked trains. In spite of the heat the walk was enjoyed and many who missed the last bit intend to return on a cooler day to complete the trail.

June 26^th was Common Hall at the Guildhall for the election of Sheriffs and other Offices.  As always it was a colourful, entertaining and not altogether democratic occasion! Great speeches were delivered by the two new Sheriffs in particular Timothy Hailes JP who covered very similar ground to the speech I delivered at our February Mansion House Banquet.  Later that day I attended the Merchant Taylors Billesden Dinner at Merchant Taylors Hall. This was for me one of the most interesting events I have attended. I sat next to an international mediator on one side and on the other an ex HR Director of PWC, opposite the wine adviser for the Company. I had a great evening preceded by lovely champagne, which always helps.

July

One of the most unusual events I have attended this year was the City Pickwick Club dinner as a guest of Andrew Whitton our Junior Warden elect. It took place on July 4^th at the Barber –Surgeons Hall. Andrew: Mr Augustus Snodgrass MPC is the Hon Secretary and had the important role of carrying the Pickwick Papers from his place at the end of a sprig to the President: Mr Samuel Pickwick GC MPC at the top table at the beginning of the dinner and back again at the end. He also proposed the toast to the guests. One of the unusual elements of this event was the singing of Auld Lang Syne at the end of the evening. 

Our Court meeting on July 5^th followed by the annual Awards dinner at Stationers hall was held on another boiling hot day, but this was not the only problem to contend with. The key to the Vault had been lost (not an item that is in our keeping) so we were unable to access our gowns or our gift boxes for the new Liverymen being admitted or our treasure for the tables. To be honest it was a relief not to have to wear a gown on such a hot day but it was disappointing for our new Liverymen not to be correctly clothed or for our guests to enjoy our lovely treasure which our archivist is working so hard to catalogue. Without the use of dynamite the vault was eventually opened just before 10 pm so we were able to present the new Liverymen with their gift box at the end of dinner. It was great to have both Andy Betts - Commanding Officer 3 PWRR and Dr Susan Kay Williams CEO the Royal School of Needlework to read the citations for the award winners. 

The following Monday – July 10 I attended together with, Pamela Goldberg - Chair of the Charity Committee, Angie Lewis our link to the Royal School of Needlework the private view of  "Embroidered at the Palace”, an exhibition by the Royal School of Needlework in honour of their 30 years at Hampton Court. As we know the RSN students work is exquisite, we see samples of it each year at our Awards dinner, but to have such a comprehensive display of so many different techniques was both fascinating and frankly awe inspiring.

Sheriff William Russell invited me at the beginning of the year to visit one of the Academies that has the charity “Place2be” well established. I was unfortunately unable to attend on the first two occasions he invited me, but was able to join him on July 13^th when he visited the new North London Academy. William is deputy chair of “Place2be” a charity which provides safe places for children to talk and act out their concerns and fears through play and the use of volunteer counsellors. It was a truly inspirational visit. I shall be following up the work of the charity in Nottingham after I finish my year as Master.

I am grateful to Liveryman Gill Loftus and Pamela Goldberg for arranging such an interesting and enjoyable Lady Liverymen event on 18^th July. We went to the recently reopened Design Centre in Kensington High Street. It was originally on the South Bank. I loved the “Cartier in motion exhibition” which traced Cartier’s interest in; aircraft, cars and boats inspired by many of his classic designs. The exhibition marked the birth of the men’s wrist watch as we know it today. I loved the fact that the last DVD in the exhibition finished with a description of Cartier’s approach to his  work as being   “concerned with motion and simple elegance reflecting craftsmanship passed on from the Middle Ages through the Guilds”. Overall the exhibition reflected the craft tradition of “skill, passion, judgement and patience “.

The following day I joined a number of other Masters on the annual City of London Church Walk organised by the Worshipful Companies of Plumbers and Constructors. It was another fascinating day. We visited 11 churches starting at 9.30 for breakfast at St Paul's , lunch at St Lawrence Jewry during which we were entertained by a piano recital and finishing with tea at All Hallows by the Tower. The tour was brilliantly conducted by two specialist guides from the Friends of the City Churches. My last task in July was to chair the Nomination Committee which makes recommendations to the Court regarding the appointment of Liverymen into key positions in the Livery. It is a task we all take very seriously because it is in these individuals that the future of the Company rests. I’m ready for a break and look forward to resuming my duties after catching breath during August.                                       

Forty Needlemakers joined the Master for a City Walk with a difference. The focus was on new buildings in City, which is the Master's business interest. Over the weekend we visited seven new buildings which total 4 million square feet and 40,000 jobs. We 'climbed' 140 floors!

Our tour leader was Peter Rees, former City Chief Planning Officer, who greatly added to the interest with his commentary and interesting walks between each visit.

Highlights were going up to the top of the Cheesegrater in 40 seconds, the new Bloomberg HQ and Sky Garden at the Walkie Talkie. We also enjoyed the Lloyds Building, the shops and restaurants at One New Change and a visit to the new UBS HQ at Broadgate. Dinner at Tom's Kitchen and lunch at Coq d'Argent rounded the weekend off nicely!

The Master has much appreciated the generous letters he has received afterwards and wishes to record his thanks to Assistant Andrew Whitton for his support in organising the weekend.

August

Everyone told me “nothing happens in August” in London in the city it doesn’t. But in Nottingham it does as the Clerk knows to her cost. It has been a golden opportunity to finish a number of projects such as; completing the Terms of Reference for all our Committees, refining and sending out to the Court a consultation paper which proposes the refinement of the Nominations Committee selection process for key positions in the Livery, and a paper for the whole Livery inviting interested Liverymen to put themselves forward for one of the four new Steward roles.

The Nominations Committee that met on July 26^th spent a considerable amount of time discussing and agreeing membership of the seven Livery Committees, and a number of appointments such as new Court members. Following this meeting a considerable amount of time was spent following through our deliberations with individuals so that the Committee was able to present our recommendations to the court in September.     

Time was also spent preparing for the day of Livery meetings which took place on August 30^th. Each requires the chairs to draft an agenda with the Clerk, which in some instances requires discussion with the Master. Committee day is long for those who are members of them all and I am grateful for their support and that of the clerk who has to note decisions taken.

Importantly the lack of events in London also afforded me time to finalise plans for the Livery Holiday in Bath and the surrounding area. I thought Bath would be an easier holiday to organise because the programme isn’t as full as Nottingham, but it is surprising how long sorting out two three course meals takes when 48 people are ordering from a menu that has several choices. I   blame the gremlin in my computer for repeatedly putting names against the wrong dish or eliminating names altogether that I was sure I had added. I know for certain event management is not the kind of work I want to do in the future! 

Committee day on August 30 involved as always many members of the Livery. I am grateful to everyone who has contributed to the work of the Livery this year.  

September

September 3^rd – 7^th 48 of us stayed at the Francis Hotel in the centre of Bath. Our visits each day included Laycock Abbey, Highgrove, The Hauser and Wirth Art Gallery and the Fashion Museum. Between organised visits we had some meals together, free time to explore Bath and some free evenings to adventure out into Bath to experience different restaurants. See the diary Carolyn Ezekiel kept of our visit. 

Livery appointments in the city began again in earnest the week after our holiday. On September 12^th I attended evensong in St Pauls Cathedral followed by the private viewing of the vestments and plate which was awesome.

The following day September 13^th was our Court meeting (see separate summary) followed by the annual Court only dinner. This year it was held at Chandos House which is part of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) of which I am a member. Chandos is the most wonderful Adam House refurbished only a few years ago. The president of the RSM during the refurbishment was Dame Deidre Hind who was also at that time the Chairman of the organisation where I worked - the Commission for Health Improvement. She did a remarkable job of drawing out the Adam features in carpets, soft furnishings and plasterwork, which was enjoyed by members of the Court.

The following day the Clerk and I joined the Inter-Livery Halls walk together with 54 other Masters. We walked fully robed with hats and chains visiting 40 Halls, starting from HQS Wellington at 8 am, where we had breakfast, and a glass of port at the Information Technologists. We stopped at Salters Hall for coffee and the Armourers Hall for Lunch. The walk finished at Fishmongers at about 5 pm. It was a great opportunity for the Clerk to get to know more about some of the Halls, to meet other Masters and also some of their Clerks the event was extremely well organised by the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners and thoroughly enjoyable.   

Unfortunately I was unable to attend a number of events during September because I went to with the Vice Chancellor of Nottingham University to visit our campuses in China and Malaysia. However normal services were resumed on Friday 29^th September when I attended the Election of the next Lord Mayor, followed by lunch at Stationers Hall. A more relaxed occasion than the last time we were at Stationers when the Vault key couldn’t be found!

Earlier in the year Simon and I joined the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and other Masters at Treloars School. I returned on October 3^rd together with Vic Flintham who is our Link Liveryman with the School and Pamela Goldberg chair of the Charity Committee. The visit has once again left me with powerful feelings but this time we were able to discuss during our visit how a further generous anonymous donation might be used to greatest benefit. 

October

The year ended on October 5^th with a short Court meeting, to bring two new Liverymen into the Company, and two of the three new Court Assistants onto the Court prior to our annual church service. The three are Chris Frankland , Martin Miles and Mark Catchpole. This year the service was a little different, I wanted it to be both a service of thanksgiving for the year past, but also an opportunity for us to reflect on other more significant matters such as the terrorist events, some of which happened not far from where we meet and enjoy ourselves. We also remembered Liverymen no longer with us, and  those who are sick and not able to attend Livery events any longer. It was wonderful to be able to do this while beautiful music was played. We were privileged the Lord Mayor Andrew Parmley agreed, and was free to be able to play the organ for us. For the first time we also invited our St Pauls Chorister Isaac Dutson to sing for us. The reason I particularly wanted him to sing was because it follows a theme I have tried to create during the year, of opening the Livery up and helping all Liverymen to recognise the impact of our charitable giving.  

The final event for me was of course the Installation dinner, held once again at Fishmongers Hall. It was with a sense of pride and a little relief that I handed over to Colin Tiffin the safekeeping of our Livery. I know he will be brilliant supported by Tiz and the two Wardens, Anthony de Lacey and Andrew Whitton. The dinner is always a lovely occasion and this was no exception.  The entertainment was provided by Sophie Creaner CHECK who was the winner of our Guildhall School of Music Woodwind Competition. She played one of the pieces that wowed us all when she played her 5 recorders during the competition. 

To finish I want to say a very big thank you to all Needlemakers for your company and sense of fun at a range of different events, for your advice and support of me and the Livery,and you’re generous giving to the charity fund. But most important of all thank you being just as you all are – great people whom I am privileged to know and will always look forward to seeing again.  Thank you.

Dame Elizabeth Fradd – Immediate Past Master  October 8^th 2017                                   

The Installation Dinner was held in Fishmongers’ Hall and was preceded by our Annual Service at St James Garlickhythe led by Honorary Chaplain, The Right Reverend Christopher Chessun. The organ was played by Alderman Dr. Andrew Parmley, The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor and Isaac Dutson, Needlemakers Chorister at St Paul's Cathedral sang the Anthem.

During the evening, the Master, Dame Elizabeth Fradd, installed Colin Tiffin as the new Master who then installed Anthony de Lacey as Senior Warden and Andrew Whitton as Junior Warden.

At the Court meeting held earlier two new Liverymen were admitted and they were warmly welcomed at the dinner.

We were entertained during the dinner by the Sophie Creaner, winner of the Needlemakers’ Woodwind Competition 2017.

In 2012, The Honorary Chaplain, The Bishop of Southwark wished to mark the Queen's Jubilee and the Needlemakers supported by making a grant towards new Copes which were consecrated in 2015. Subsequently the Master and Liveryman Susan Kay Williams were invited to attend the  Blessing of the Jubilee Vestments (funded by the Broderers), held at Southwark Cathedral on Monday 13 November. Photos from Southwark Diocesan Communications can be viewed via the following link.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/...

I actually started my duties on 23^rd September last year when I attended the 25 Anniversary Reunion and Colours presentation of The Princess of Wales’s Regiment in Canterbury. CO Colonel Andy Betts paraded using the Needlemakers Sword which is presented each year at our July Dinner.

Later in the year at the Regiments Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral I witnessed the laying up of the Old Colours. Truly memorable to represent The Livery at these events.

Another special Occasion was the Choral Eucharist and Blessing of the Jubilee Vestments at Southwark Cathedral. You may recall that in 2015 There was  a service to bless the Copes. The Needlemakers Livery provided the funds for the material to make the Copes and The Broderer’s Company funded the material for the Vestments. The Master Borderer was scheduled to be part of the Blessing in the event Our Chaplain, Bishop Christopher decided the Master Needlemaker should also be part of the ceremony. A real Privilege.

Recently I attended  The Lord Mayors day at Treloars School together with the Masters of 50 Livery Companies. The School has 196 day and residential students aged 2 to 16 with varieties of disability, all use wheelchairs which are custom made. The event included a tour and we went into a Maths class and biscuit making class which was great fun. One bright young man asked if we knew the founder Sir William Treloars. The School was started by the then Lord Mayor Sir William Treloars in 1908!!  The Head Girl on greeting the Lord Mayor asked what car he drove. After the response she added , Why do you not have a helicopter?. You will, hopefully, be aware of our contribution to the school and the fact that an anonymous donation is enabling us to look at SEMH   (Social Emotional and Mental Health) Training for staff.

It was a privilege to welcome Emma Harrison the Development Manager of King Edwards School, Witley with two of their pupils at our January Lunch. Students Harry and Lucie have received music bursaries from our charitable fund enhanced by a donation from my discretionary charitable fund. The School was founded in 1553 as Bridewell Royal Hospital by Nicholas Ridley and King Edward V1 and has been supported by City Institutions since inception .

I have attended many functions representing The Needlemakers on your behalf but do not propose to list them here. Suffice it to say that it opens your eyes to ideas of best practice and also enables you to realise that there are many common challenges for the movement as a whole.

I trust that those of you attending the Banquet enjoyed the  event as much as Tiz and I. It was a privilege to have The Lord Mayor and our guest speaker General The Lord Dannatt with us for the evening and I know they both enjoyed themselves. I also hope that you will consider joining Tiz and I in East Anglia in May.

Colin Tiffin

Master

On 26th February just under 300 gathered at the Mansion House to enjoy a splendid evening of good food and good company. We were privileged to be joined by The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress and the Sheriffs and their ladies. In his address, The Lord Mayor asked Liverymen to support his Business of Trust campaign by completing a survey. We were fortunate that General The Lord Dannatt was able to accept our invitation to speak and was enjoyed by all. Musical entertainment was provided by the London Banqueting ensemble and the post horn gallop was popular as ever. Photographs from the event are available for download from the Flickr page. 

The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers have generously offered an educational bursary scheme through the Royal College of Surgeons since 2008, supporting trainees in the early stages of their surgical career. The Needlemakers’ bursaries are extremely valuable and proving to be very popular with surgical trainees, at a time when the cost of training is high, training budgets limited and access to quality surgical education is ever more important. This year we had 31 applications, answering the short essay question “How do you see simulation contributing to surgical and clinical skills acquisition in the future?”. Previous achievements and reasons for application were also taken into consideration when shortlisting. After much judgment and some very close scores, we had five successful bursary winners. We heard from these individuals at the Needlemakers lunch, attended by representatives from both institutions. It is clear they are incredibly grateful for the support that has enabled them to further their surgical education and enhance their career, teaching them new skills or helping them to educate their junior colleagues. Surgical training is a continuous learning experience and whilst there is much to do to continue to support trainees who choose surgery as a career, these bursaries offer talented individuals the opportunity to attend education courses they may not be able to otherwise. We at the Royal College of Surgeons extend our gratitude for the continued and longstanding support of the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers.

Needlemakers Bursary Winners 2017 Mr Bhavesh Patel Trainee grade: CT2 Course funded: Training the Trainers: Developing Teaching Skills Date of course: February 2018

Mr Daniel Scholfield Trainee grade: CT1 Course funded: Training the Trainers: Developing Teaching Skills Date of course: February 2018

Mr Abhiney Jain Trainee grade: CT1 Course funded: Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient (CCrISP) Date of course: TBC

Miss Maral Rouhani Trainee grade: CT1 Course funded: Training the Trainers: Developing Teaching Skills Date of course: February 2018

Miss Jade Zhao

Trainee grade: CT1 Bursary funded: Core Skills in Laparoscopic Surgery Date of course: February 2018

Course summaries Training the Trainers: Developing Teaching Skills This popular interactive course will deepen your skills as a trainer, improving your approach to planning, developing, delivering and evaluating surgical training. Covering the latest methods in surgical education across two days of practical sessions, plus two eLearning components, Training the Trainers will enhance your skills as a surgical educator and deepen your understanding of how adults learn. Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient CCrISP is an interactive course that explores the skills and knowledge needed to look after surgical patients including those who are deteriorating or at risk of doing so. This course teaches a simple, safe and systematic approach to assess and manage every patient and take effective steps to prevent deterioration. Prompt, simple actions save lives and prevent complications, with the methods and mechanisms taught used by even the most experienced clinicians. Core Skills in Laparoscopic Surgery This intensive course covers the core laparoscopic surgery skills and knowledge essential for every surgical discipline. You will use a range of high-quality laparoscopic equipment, working with specifically designed bench top models, as well as learning a variety of knotting and suturing techniques. You will cover a wide variety of topics, including instrument handling, diagnostic laparoscopy, appendectomy (appendix removal) and cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)

On 26th March, we returned to the Silk Street venue at Guildhall School of Music and Drama for the annual Woodwind Competition. This is the 27th year that the Needlemakers have supported this event. Having been whittled down to 4, Adjudicator Sarah Burnett had the difficult task to select the winner. Finalists Bernice Lee (oboe), Isha Crichlow (clarinet) and Roxana Seddon (oboe) all displayed a very high standard however the top honour was awarded to  Rees Webster (oboe), who played a very varied programme. Following the competition, Needlemakers and finalists adjourned to Osteria in the Barbican for a very enjoyable supper to celebrate.

The British Quilt and Stitch Village was successfully held on the weekend of 14th April at Uttoxeter Race Course.  The winner of 'Visitors Choice' prize which is sponsored by the Company was Frances Meredith with her quilt 'Nearly Insane Quilt' which took over three years to complete.

The Prize was presented by Past Master Henry Milward - the salver was engraved with our Company Crest.

Whilst we have given a prize for many years, we have recently agreed to present a pupil, beginning in September 2018 and the Junior Warden Andrew Whitton has agreed to be our representative with this organisation. His report of his first vist is below:

I attended this Annual event in glorious sunshine commencing with refreshments at 10:00 (as we were delayed in traffic, we did not get refreshed) followed by the Chapel Service at 10:45.

At 11:45 the Lord Mayor, led by the City Marshall, Sword and Mace Bearers and accompanied by Alderman & Sheriff Tim Hailes, the Lady Mayoress and Fiona Adler together with the Treasurer (Chairman of the Council of Christ’s Hospital) took the “salute” at the March Past, led by the school Band, who had accompanied the Lord Mayor in the Lord Mayor’s Show last November. Although the school is 50:50 male/female, the best group who marched in perfect time consisted entirely of ladies – any RSM would have been proud of them.

We then adjourned to Big School for the Prize Giving and heard speeches from the Headmaster and Lord Mayor and an excellent Oration from the Senior Grecian. The Lord Mayor then gave out the school prizes to the Grecians (those in their final year who have shown excellence in more than one academic subject are call Grecians) and then the various prizes donated by Livery companies and individuals. The Needlemakers Prize was won by Annabel Winship a Grecian, who also won the Grecian prize for History of Art.

Unfortunately we had to leave before the buffet lunch, but as my first visit it was a resounding success and a privilege to be there.

Also attending I saw Alderman Dr Sir Andrew Parmley, Delva Patman (PM Chartered Surveyors) and Paul Herbage, President City Livery Club (PM Cook).