Page 7 - Yearbook issue try out

What a following seven months it turned out to be, events – and to all of you who sent messages of
though! Our first virtual event, for Young Freemen support.
from across the City, took place on 16 April, and
we knew we were on to something. We recognised My last two responsibilities as Master were to
the need to communicate regularly and well, and oversee the installation of 15 new Liverymen in our
I hope my introductions to our regular newsletters first Virtual Clothing Ceremony on 6 October, and
hit the spot. “Virtual Thursdays” started on 30 then to install Mark Holford as my successor at our
April and soon became a regular highlight. Court Hall the day after. Both events were a reminder
met online for the first time in April, and again in of the continuity of our great Company, and I am
July when we signed our agreement with HMS looking forward to seeing the contributions our
Collingwood, the Royal Navy’s centre for technical next generation of members will make and the way
and warfare training. in which our activities will develop further in the
years to come.
And then we held our breath and announced our
Summer Banquet would go ahead as planned on
9 July, but via Zoom rather than at Mansion House.
We were the first Livery Company ever to attempt
such an event on this scale and it was a huge
success, with the Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress
and the whole of the City of London Civic Team
in attendance. What a treat it was to be able to
dress up for the evening and enjoy the company
of so many good friends – not to mention the
performance of the unforgettable soprano, Cheryl
Enever. And there was still time for another
first before the end of the year: the inaugural
Barney Gibbens Memorial Lecture in September.
Unexpectedly perhaps, and certainly against the
odds, they were all high spots.

F COURSE there were low points too. We
were deeply saddened by the loss of Paul
OFullagar in March, just weeks after he had
written to me saying his health was improving and
he hoped to attend one of our events before the A spoonful of sugar: the Pancake Team outside the
Guildhall
end of the year. Paul had been due to succeed me
as Master and he would have been great in the In handing over to Mark, who will be a terrific
role. We miss him very much. Master for us, I hope his and Sarah’s year can turn
into a much more conventional one as soon as
In all of this, it was a privilege to serve alongside possible. But that doesn’t mean Yvette and I didn’t
such wonderful Court colleagues, including our enjoy ours – we certainly did!
Deputy Master for the year, Lady Parmley, Wendy,
who was a constant source of good advice, and the We are both enormously grateful for the support
Chair of our Charity, Past Master Stefan Fafinski, we received and very proud of the way in which
who has continued its marvellous work. I had the we all looked after one another this year. The
help of surely the best Hall team in the City: Susan pandemic has been a terrible tragedy. That we
Hoefling, who has become such an outstanding rose to its challenge as a Company, carried on
Clerk for us, Sam Ball, Rachel Gayle, Eleanor our business and continued our good fellowship
MacGregor, Raluca Moraru, Mellissa Maher and, throughout it all is by far our happiest memory of
of course, Alan O’Connor, the Beadle all other my time as Master.
Beadles aspire to be. A big thank you too to all
of our volunteers who kept our committees and
panels going this year and organised our many