On 3rd April the Company convened at Stationers' Hall for the annual Awards Dinner. Each year prize winners from the Royal School of Needlework are invited to attend and bring some of their work to display and Chief Executive Dr Susan Kay Williams, herself a liveryman, updated the Company on some of the work the school was currently undertaking. We are proud to have an affiliation with 3rd Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment and present the Needlemakers Sword to the best young officer and the Salerno Trophy to the best non commissioned officer. Commanding Officer Lt Colonel Brennan Dwyer also gave the Company an insight into their work .

Each year, the Company invites prize winners from the Royal School of Needlework to attend a dinner in July to be recognised for their achievements. However, members of the Company also attend events at the School in Hampton Court and on 1st July, the Master Anthony de Lacey met with bursary winner Jung Eun Byun at their Degree Awards events and heard how she had used her award to assist her with her studies and in particular for items used in her graduation project.

The Master Elect, Andrew Whitton was fortunate to attend the Christs Hospital School’s St Matthew’s Day Parade Service, this year held in the City at the church of the Holy Sepulchre-without-Newgate. The excellent and inspiring sermon was given by The Rev. Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop Designate of Dover, but currently the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

The service was held in the presence of the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, Alderman Sir David Wootton, the Lady Mayoress, Sheriffs and a number of Aldermen, including the Sheriff-Elect, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli.

The congregation followed the School Parade back to Guildhall, where the Civic party had assembled to welcome them and then to join them at a Reception.

The Needlemakers' Company sponsors a pupil at the school.

By the Master Elect Andrew Whitton

I was privileged to be at the admission in Guildhall at 11am and then to join with many others in celebrating their Admission at Breakfast. Breakfast because in olden times such a celebration took place after a period of fasting.

Our Honorary liveryman, the Recorder of London praised the retiring Sheriffs & Professor Jo Delahunty QC welcomed Alderman & Sheriff Professor Michael Mainelli & Sheriff Christopher Hayward.

Each of the Sheriffs then spoke in response.

The Shrieval theme for their year is, "Primacy of the Rule of Law" somewhat apt in the light of the Supreme Court's decision.

Breakfast finished at 15:45!

I am hoping to arrange for a tour of the Old Bailey during the coming year.

On 2nd October The Installation Dinner was held at Skinners' Hall where the Master Anthony de Lacey installed Andrew Whitton as the new Master and he then installed Philip Law as Senior Warden and John Mill as Junior Warden.

The Company enjoyed duck for dinner whilst being entertained with some jazz from Guildhall School of Music students. The Company has an association with the school sponsoring an annual woodwind competition.

The Dinner was preceded by a Court Meeting at which liverymen Angie Lewis, Sue Sumner and Tony Pattison were welcomed to the Court taking their place as Assistants. Carolyn Ezekiel was admitted to the livery. Already a very popular member, Carolyn has been involved for many years with her husband a Past Master.

The Annual Service preceded the dinner and was as usual held at St James Garlickhythe led by the Honorary Chaplain The Right Reverend Christopher Chessun Bishop of Southwark. Alderman Dr Sir Andrew Parmley played the organ.

My first official engagement as Master was to attend Guildhall on Thursday for the Lord Mayor’s Prize Day for the City of London School for Boys. The Head spoke movingly about abseiling for the School’s charity and the Lord Mayor spoke about doing one’s best and to keep on trying to achieve.

Monday, 7^th October was my first Dinner invitation, from our good friends the Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers at Vintners Hall. Always a good venue, but the highlight was most definitely their former sponsored student at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Filipe Manu, a tenor now with the Royal Opera House. He was superb. During the evening 7 new liverymen (including an ex-apprentice) and 2 freemen were introduced.

Today, Tuesday I went along to an “Open Day” for the London Fire Brigade at Dowgate Fire Station. This is the City’s Station but also houses the Brigades Forensic Investigation Unit, which not only explained how they performed, but the critical safety records they produce, which can culminate in safety measure being incorporate in consumer electrical equipment to make them safer. The case in point was the tumble dryers that burst into flames, have now been modified by the manufacturer to prevent the same thing happening again. It must be said that human behaviour is a large contributor to the cause of fires.

I had not been aware that London Fire Brigade also has a Cadet force of its own, who were the ones who spoke enthusiastically to our group about the items a fire engine contains and the large amount of kit they have to do their level best to keep the fire officers safe. A most enjoyable and informative morning.

Andrew Whitton

Master

Friday, 18^th October 2019

I attended the Admissions Day for King Edward’s School Witley, where we sponsor a young man in conjunction with Royal National Springboard (who provide pastoral care for him). He was one of those admitted at the end of the Chapel Service, with a promise from him to obey school rules etc., and a promise from the Governors and staff to look after him..

The current Lord Mayor, Alderman Peter Estlin, was himself a pupil and referred in his sermon to the time he first spoke as a pupil from the same spot; apparently not a major success. I recall that when he received his Shrieval Chain he put his success down to the education he received at this school and the work ethic instilled in him during those years.

I hope that this will provide inspiration to our young man, who by coincidence was celebrating his birthday the same day.

For more information about the school and its history, please see this link http://www.kesw.org/Our-History

Andrew S Whitton

Master

November commenced with the Annual Planting of Crosses in the Garden of Remembrance at St Pauls on Monday 4^th, accompanied by our gallant and learned Clerk. A very simple, but moving ceremony.

In the evening I attended a Service of Celebration of the Lord Mayor’s year at St Stephen Walbrook, rebuilt after the Great Fire in 1672, by a parishioner, Sir Christopher Wren. This is the Lord Mayor’s Parish Church.

The Mistress and I were fortunate to be at the Installation on Wednesday, of the new President of the City Livery Club, Adele Thorpe, which took place at the newly refurbished Butchers' Hall. This Hall is very well known to many of us and has undergone major works, but retained the essence of the Hall and it’s trade.

On Thursday evening, the Mistress and I attended the 22nd Annual Ralph Anderson Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the Horners at the Royal Society of Medicine. This year Professor Dame Julie Higgins DBE FRS FREng spoke about, "Seeing is believing: why polymers bounce, stretch and stick". Although to a non-polymer academic, it was somewhat daunting, she explained how the progress that science made for our benefit, has resulted in re-cycling problems, which science is working hard and successfully to resolve. In other words all plastics are not all bad.

The final event of Lord Mayor Alderman Peter Estlin’s year in office was the Silent Ceremony on Friday, at Guildhall, when his successor, Lord Mayor Elect Alderman William Russell was sworn in, with the 20 minute ceremony conducted in complete silence apart from him pledging himself to the role of Lord Mayor. Any Liveryman can witness this historic ceremony by application via the City of London web site, usually in August.

The Company has a recent affiliation with 27F (Chingford) Air Cadets. During a visit on a parade night in November Assistant Chris Frankland, the Company’s link to the squadron, was presented with a squadron plaque by departing OC, Flt Lt Terry McCarty. The elephant depicted on the badge is borrowed from 27 Sqn RAF and is a reminder that the first aeroplane type flown by that squadron in the First War was the Martinsyde ‘Elephant’.

On Friday 28th February Needlemakers, family and friends gathered at The Mansion House for the Annual Banquet. We were delighted that the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, Sheriffs and their wives were able to join us and as usual, the Post Horn Gallop led by Steve Fletcher of the London Banqueting Ensemble was a highlight. We were also fortunate to be joined by His Honour Lord Justice Nigel Davis PC who entertained us with stories from his career.