Private tour of the Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys
2024-11-20 19:30 - 22:30 (Europe/London) | Tower of London, St Katherine's & Wapping, London, EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom
When Duke William of Normandy won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and marched north to London, he struck a deal with the Masters of the then Guilds to protect the City in return for their fealty. The first evidence of that protection was King William I’s construction and manning of what became known as the White Tower, to guard London from Viking raiding parties coming up the Thames. Today, that Tower stands in the middle of the much larger Royal fortress and palace; the Tower of London.
Every night, the Tower is locked up and made secure in what has become known as the Ceremony of the Keys. That ceremony is open to small parties to watch, by kind permission of the Governor of the Tower. We have been granted this privilege, and also a private tour of the Tower itself, led by a Yeoman Warder.
For security reasons, our party is limited to 50 people and we will all need to be at the main entrance to the Tower on its west side by 7.15pm, so the Warders and soldiers can check the attendance list prior to our admission.
Once inside, a Yeoman Warder will lead us on a private tour of the silent fortress for about an hour, answering our questions along the way, before taking us the “The Keys”, the Warders’ private pub. There, we can have a drink and join in a raffle for various Tower-related souvenirs. For historical reasons to do with transactions on military bases and inside Royal palaces (The Tower is both.), both the bar and the raffle operate on a cash-only basis, so remember to bring some notes with you.
Then, we will all be led back out into the dark to visit the famous ravens, and to watch the Ceremony of the Keys, involving Warders, members of the military garrison, and of course, the all-important keys!
After that is over, we are free to leave, which should be the right side of 10.30pm.
(There is no food allowed inside the Tower, but there should be time to have supper before we gather at the entrance gate at 7.15pm, and there are several eateries in the immediate area.)

Carol Service at the Chapel Royal inside the Tower of London and Supper at Watermen's Hall
2024-12-02 15:00 - 21:30 | Tower of London, St Katherine's & Wapping, London, EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom
As well as very kindly granting the Company a private tour of the Tower on 20th November, and ringside seats at that evening’s Ceremony of the Keys, the Governor has also given us permission to hold this year’s Carol Service in their Chapel Royal. The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula stands in the north-east corner of the fortress and dates from the reign of King Henry VIII, but it is merely the latest church on the site, which has been holy ground since the Dark Ages.

For those who wish to take a general tour beforehand and see the Crown Jewels, it has been agreed that we can buy tickets for entry between 3pm and 4pm, at a cost of £32 each. Then, once the Tower closes, rather than being asked to wait outside for the service, we are going to be allowed to have a drink in the Yeoman Warders’ private pub, The Keys, until 6pm. (Note: this is a cash-only bar.)
Members and their guests who do not wish to visit the Tower of London before the Carol Service need to come to the main entrance on the western side of the fortress at 6pm.

At 6pm, everyone will led up to the Chapel Royal and given a talk on its history and present day role. The service itself will begin at 6.30pm and should last about an hour. The cost of attending the service (which goes towards the choir etc) is £28.

After the service, Members and their guests can either leave for home, or walk to Watermen’s Hall, seven minutes away, for canapés and drinks, with a Christmas theme, the cost of which is £49 per person.

Tower of London, Crown Jewels, The Keys pub
3pm-6pm
£32 (plus cash-only bar in the pub)
Carol Service in the Chapel Royal in the Tower of London
6.30pm
£28
Drinks and Canapés at Watermen’s Hall
7.30pm
£49
This is an event at which guests (including children) are most welcome, and it is perhaps worth stressing that the Company in unlikely to be granted this honour again in the near future, so it is probably something most of us are unlikely to be able to do again in our Livery careers.
Dress: smart day wear, and given that the Tower is always chilly in December (All that stone!) coats, hats and gloves are advisable.

Two "Flights" on the London Eye
2025-04-16 18:00 - 21:00 | London Eye, Riverside Building
The London Eye is the iconic ferris wheel on the south bank of the Thames, just opposite the Palace of Westminster. From the top, those travelling in the enclosed gondolas can see all across London and, on a clear day, out beyond the M25.
Now in its 25th year of operation, those who take one of the “flights” as they are styled, report that the amazing view during daylight hours is starkly different from what it looks like, gazing down on our nation’s capital, all lit up at night.
To test this and enjoy that contrast, the Master is leading a party of ten Members and guests on a 6.15pm flight, to see London laid out before them in daylight. Then, our party will repair to a local restaurant for a restorative supper, before returning for the 8.15pm flight, which will begin as dusk falls, enabling everyone to enjoy the full night-time experience.
The price of £109 includes both flights, and a light supper with wine, and one of the official souvenir brochures.
Dress is casual, with an emphasis on wrapping up reasonably warm, for what may well be a slight evening chill.

Visit to Highgate Cemetery and Supper
2025-05-06 17:00 - 20:30 | Highgate Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6 6PJ, United Kingdom
The world-famous Highgate Cemetery, with its iconic tombs (Karl Marx etc) was originally opened in 1839, as part of a commercial venture to provide seven large, modern cemeteries, round the edge of central London. The inner-city cemeteries, mostly graveyards attached to churches, had long been unable to cope with the number of burials and “The Magnificent Seven” were intended to solve this problem, and to turn a profit at the same time.
Highgate occupies a spectacular south-facing hillside site on Highgate Hill. Like the other six, it soon became a fashionable place for burials and the Victorian attitude to death and its presentation led to the creation of a wealth of Gothic tombs, buildings and catacombs.
Sadly, the cemetery was not well run and fell into such dire financial straits in the Mid-20th Century that most of the staff, including the gardeners were laid off, and it was left unguarded and so was much vandalised. Over decades, the grounds became increasingly overgrown and today they are full of trees, shrubbery, and wildflowers, as well as being a haven for birds and small animals, such as foxes.
In 1975, Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust bought the freehold, and order is steadily being restored to what has, despite its troubled history, remained a working cemetery throughout. With its sinuous paths winding up a steep wooded hill and ivy-clad monuments, Highgate Cemetery is a secluded, funerary landscape at its most evocative.
We will have a hour’s private tour of the Western Cemetery (considered by those who have visited both, to be much the more interesting), after the gates have shut to the public for the day. We will be shown all the key sites there, before slipping across the road to visit Karl Marx’s tomb and a few other items on the Eastern side.
After our tour, we will repair to a restaurant in Highgate for an informal supper.
The Guide can only accommodate 20 of us, and tickets cost £59 per person, which will include the two-course supper.
The cemetery is on a hillside and our tour will include some walks up and down slopes and stone staircases, so this event is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues.

Tickets: £59
Time: 5pm followed by supper nearby

Livery Tour and Dinner on SS Great Britain - Sold Out
2025-05-16 18:00 - 23:59 | SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol, BS1 6TY
The SS Great Britain is the world’s first great ocean liner and when launched in 1843 she was called ‘the greatest experiment since the creation’. After 40 years as a passenger ship and then a cargo ship, she was severely damaged off Cape Horn and left to rot in the Falkland Islands until 1970, when she was re-floated and bought back to Bristol, where a charity refurbished her and cares for the ship and Brunel’s collections.
Brunel’s ship is now Bristol’s number one tourist attraction and has been lovingly restored to her original glory, exactly as she would have been ready for her maiden voyage. She sits in a dry dock on a glass ‘sea’ and dominates Bristol’s historic waterfront.
This is a very rare opportunity to dine on the this world-famous ship, as London’s Liveries, (led by the Engineers, naturally!), have her for our exclusive use that evening.
A welcome drink which will be served on the Weather Deck from 6pm, with spectacular views over Bristol harbour. If the weather is less kind, we will use the Promenade Deck, where the first-class passengers would take their afternoon stroll on rainy days. This is flooded with natural light and has a number of exhibits that we can explore.
At 7:30pm we will assemble for Dinner in the First Class Dining Saloon, which has been completely refurbished in the original style. With marbled pillars and rococo mirrors it makes a grand setting. A three-course meal will be served, with wine. There will be entertainment after the meal and further drinks will be available to purchase.
We have exclusive use of the Great Britain from 6pm to midnight and are invited to explore it, making the most of this unique venue.
The ship is easy to reach by car, public transport or on foot. There are also several hotels near the ship, for those who wish to stay over on the Friday night, and Clare can advise on these.

Tickets: £142
Dress: dinner suits for gentlemen and cocktail/summer dresses for ladies. Colour is to be encouraged, as is comfort.
Time: 6pm-midnight

Carol Service 2025
2025-12-22 18:00 - 21:30 | Tower of London, St Katherine's & Wapping, London, EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom
This year we have obtained special permission to hold our Carol Service once again at the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vinicula within the grounds of the Tower of London.
Those who attended last year will recall the spectacular festive lighting of the Tower grounds and the stunning history of this small chapel, which contains the tombs of many notable figures, including three executed Queens of England: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey, as well as the remains of St Thomas More and St John Fisher.
The service will take place in the early evening and will be followed by drinks and canapés at the nearby Bakers Hall, the home of the second-oldest City Guild.
For this year’s Carol Service, the Chartered Accountants are joining with a fellow-member of the Financial Services Group of Liveries, the Insurers Company.
After the service, Members and their guests can either leave for home, or walk to Bakers’ Hall, just a few minutes away, for festive canapés and drinks

Carol Service in the Chapel Royal in the Tower of London
6.30pm
Drinks and Canapés at Bakers’ Hall
7.30pm
This is an event at which guests (including children) are most welcome.
Dress: smart day wear, and given that the Tower is always cold in December – coats, hats and gloves are advisable!
Tickets: £70
Please book online where possible; If unable to, then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org

Master's Evening with the English National Opera - HMS Pinafore, tour and drinks
2026-02-05 18:00 - 22:00 | London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES
This is an incredible opportunity to see the London Coliseum in a way you haven’t before!
The event will start at 6pm with an exclusive tour of the London Coliseum front of house spaces and auditorium, learning about the history of the building and seeing the beautiful architecture up-close. At 6:30pm guests will make our way to the Sky Bar Boardroom, where drinks and finger food will be served. Guests will be asked to take their seats in the Upper Circle at approximately 7:20pm, ready for a 7:30pm curtain up. During the 20 minute interval, guests will return to the Sky Bar Boardroom for further drinks, before settling in for the second act. The curtain will come down at approximately 9:45pm, after which guests can collect their belongings from the Sky Bar Boardroom and depart. The performance will last around 2 hours 15 minutes.

Love isn’t always smooth sailing

One of Gilbert & Sullivan‘s most beloved works, HMS Pinafore tells a classic tale of a forbidden love, and the troubles that must be overcome before our hero and heroine can be together.

All aboard HMS Pinafore for this hilarious revival of Gilbert & Sullivan’s nautical love triangle.
Join Captain Corcoran and his daughter Josephine as she faces a battle between duty and love on the high seas. While her father makes plans for her to tie the knot with the suitably ranked First Lord of the Admiralty, Josephine has romantic ideas of her own. And after falling for lowly deckhand Ralph, the loved-up pair make plans to elope. That is, until a surprise revelation rocks the boat.

More details of the ENO’s HMS Pinafore can be found HERE
Or read the ENO’s Introduction to HMS Pinafore HERE
If you like your operas to have a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour, you’ll love HMS Pinafore.

Tickets: £99 includes an excellent Upper Circle ticket, an exclusive tour, private room hire, half a bottle of wine per person, a selection of soft drinks, 4 double bite canapes per person, and all staffing and management of the event.
Please book by clicking the button below – this will take you to our dedicated page on the ENO website.
Buy Tickets HERE
