Celebration Church Service before the Annual Banquet
St Stephen Walbrook 39 Walbrook, LondonAs a Company, we always used to hold our annual service on Installation Day, but because that was already so crowded, the service had to start impractically early - typically, 3pm. Oddly, the evening of the Annual Banquet evening is only annual occasion, when we meet together in numbers, when there is not already something else to be done before we all dine. This year, therefore, the service, at which we remember those Livery friends no longer with us, give thanks for our Livery Company and the good we can still do, and look ahead to the future, will be held just before the Banquet at the much more manageable time of 5.30pm. Clearly, proximity to Mansion House is a consideration when selecting the church, and happily, the Master has been able to persuade the delightful Rector of St Stephen Wallbrook, the lovely Wren Church located right next to Mansion house, to let us be the first Livery to worship there after its multi-million pound restoration. St Stephen is an amazing space architecturally, and one of those very rare churches built "in the round". Its centre piece is a huge, circular altar carved by the word-famous sculptor, Jacob Epstein, and it holds other treasures too. The service will last 30 minutes, and is naturally free. So come along in all your finery (The Rector is joining us at Mansion House, so he may be wearing his evening dress too!) and then we will all walk the few yards across the greet the Lord Mayor and any of our livery friends and guests who have not been able to make the service.
