Page 89 - MERCIAN Eagle 2019

The Worshipful Company of Bowyers
As many readers will know the
Worshipful Company of Bowyers is extremely proud of its affiliation with the Mercian Regiment and continues to
support the excellent work of the Mercian Regiment Benevolent Fund through its
own Bowyers Charitable Trust. Guided by
a small committee and overseen by the Master and Warden and Trustees, the Trust selects, visits and maintains links with a wide range of worthwhile causes where it can make a real difference. The link with
the Mercian Regiment
continues to be fostered
through attendance at
regimental events and
reciprocal invitations
to members of the
Regiment to enjoy the
Bowyers’ hospitality
in London. Last year
the Master, Ian Spring,
was very honoured
to be able to visit the
2nd Battalion in Cyprus in late September as it celebrated the 75th anniversary of
its Arnhem battle honour. Later in the
year a group of some 20 Bowyers were similarly honoured to be able to spend an evening with the 1st Battalion in Bulford as its boxers contested the Inter Company Boxing Finals. The Master provided and presented the trophy for the boxer with the ‘biggest heart’. It is hoped that this cup, which visually shows the link between the Mercians and the Bowyers, will continue
to be presented at future boxing events for many years to come. As always, the Master was also in attendance at the Regimental Memorial Service at Crich: a most important date in the Bowyers diary.
The Bowyers also celebrate the battle anniversaries which
are interwoven into
the Company’s long
gave a series of fascinating insights into
the development of warfare across the spectrum in Europe at the time of the battle of Agincourt. Learning the skills of their forebears, seventeen Bowyers have now made their own longbow in the workshops of one of our Liverymen, Mr Richard Head, who is a professional bowyer. The process takes two full days of careful workmanship and concludes with an opportunity to test shoot the bow before taking it home.
The Bowyers’ Company organises a full programme of social
The victorious Bowyers shooting team
and other events for its members. As well as
a number of dinners
at which we host a wide variety of guests, highlights last year included the annual archery competition against the Fletchers’ Company held in the moat of the Tower
of London and followed by dinner in the Fusiliers Mess as well as an opportunity to watch the Ceremony of the Keys before departing. Also in the programme was the shooting and archery competition against the Gunmakers’ Company at the West London Shooting School. Last year we were lucky to be able to watch a warbow demonstration by Freeman Mr Mark Stretton as part of the proceedings. The Bowyers shooting team was once again in action holding its own in the Inter Livery Shooting Competition (and winning the flush with a score of 79/80) and the Inter Livery Rifle Competition at Bisley. Bowyers also took to the water and made a very enjoyable cross channel trip from Gosport to Cherbourg under the watchful eye of
Colonel Andy Hadfield. Unlike all other Livery Companies, the Master
Bowyer holds office for a tenure of two years. This year, on July 8, Mr Ian Spring will hand over the reins of the Company
to Mr David Laxton who was elected by
the Court on 29 January. We would like to thank Ian for his leadership and guidance over the past two years and wish David all the best for his tenure in office. We also look forward to maintaining our strong links with the Regiment and wish all Mercians and their families the very best for 2020 wherever they may be serving. We Bowyers are proud of our affiliation with The Mercian Regiment and hope to continue to build on the relationship over the coming year.
You can find out more about the Bowyers by visiting www.bowyers.com.
the Bowyers’ motto recalls the hard-fought victories at which British archers played such a crucial role: ‘Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt’
From left to right: The Revd David Armstrong (Chaplain), Mr Nigel Heilpern (Renter Warden), Mr David Laxton (Upper Warden) and Mr Ian Spring (Master)
The Bowyers cross channel crossing crew
We Bowyers are proud of our affiliation with The Mercian
history. Today the
Bowyers’ motto recalls
the hard-fought victories
at which British archers
played such a crucial
role: ‘Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt’. In October we welcomed the Commanding Officers of both 1 and 2 MERCIAN, Lt Cols Ned Kelly and Mark Davis to our Agincourt Banquet which was held in the auspicious and appropriate surroundings of Armourers’ Hall. The Company’s interest in its military past extends further still. The Bowyers sponsor several MA students at Kings College London including one from the highly regarded War Studies programme. In November we welcomed Dr Jan Willem Honig from Kings College as our guest speaker at the Poitiers Supper at which he
Freeman Mark Stretton demonstrates a warbow
THE MERCIAN EAGLE
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