Tour of the Roman Amphitheatre under Guildhall and the Art Gallery
2024-10-18 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/London) | Guildhall, Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HH, United Kingdom
Very few people know that underneath Guildhall is a large Roman amphitheatre, which occupied most of what is now the site of Guildhall Yard and the Great Hall. This was one of the centre-pieces of Roman Londinium, and the venue for countless gladiatorial contests, pageants and other displays. Some 2,000 years after they were built, few such amphitheatres survive in the UK and this is the only one which is so intact. It is also the only one to which the public can gain access – albeit by dint of much begging!
We have been granted that privilege, but only for a maximum of 15 people, because the fabric of the arena has to be preserved from the tread of countless feet.
Our guide is also going to give us a private tour of the Art Gallery, which we sometimes pass through on our way to big City Civic events – the cloakroom and loos are in the basement! It has a HUGE and ever-growing collection, including one of the original Magna Cartas.
So hurry and book the very limited number of places (Capacity means Members can bring just one guest each.) for a ninety-minute visit, meeting our guide at Guildhall’s West Wing entrance at 6pm. We will start with a tour of the Gallery and then descend underground and walk out onto the sand of the arena, slipping back in history over two millennia, to stand where countless battles were fought and some of our City’s historic foundations were cast.
After the tour, you are free to head home, or you can join the Master for supper at The Trading House, a few yards away in Gresham Street, where everyone can choose what they wish to eat and then squabble over the bill!

Trip to The Pirates of Penzance at the London Coliseum
2025-02-19 19:00 - 21:30 | London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES
The Coliseum is one of this country’s most famous theatres, with a huge internal space, and amazing architecture, very much in the grand style. What could be a better venue for one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most over-the-top and outrageous operettas!?
So batten down the hatches and strike the colours! The pirates are back. The English National Opera’s smash-hit production of this world-famous swashbuckling farce is packing them out. With its splendidly silly storyline, wild wordplay and well-loved songs, this Mike Leigh production of The Pirates is irresistibly feel-good. And we’re going to be there!
For those unfamiliar with the story, a rather too honourable apprentice pirate (with a very unusual birthday) woos the lovely daughter of a rather dozy Major General, while his bungling buccaneer-shipmates try to frustrate the match, which involves trying to outwit an equally inept party of policemen. With friends like these, what could possibly go wrong?
So come along to enjoy this amazing show at 7pm.
We have also booked a pre-theatre supper at nearby Clermont Hotel at 5.15pm, for those who’d like a meal first.

Tickets: £111
Ticket including pre-theatre supper: £170
Pre-theatre: 5.15pm
Show: 7pm
Please book below where possible.
If unable to, then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org

"Trial & Error" at Old Bailey
2025-03-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Old Bailey, Old Bailey, City of London, EC4M 7EH
About ten years ago, a group of judges and barristers were chatting idly about how to raise some limited funds for a prison charity, and some bright spark had the idea of putting on an evening of amateur dramatics in the world-famous No 1 Court at Old Bailey. Devised by then Judge, His Honour Peter Rook KC, who was based there, the first year was pretty modest in scale, but since then the whole mad enterprise has taken on a life of its own. These days, leading City figures fight to be allowed to humiliate themselves in front of an appreciative (and pretty well-oiled, thanks to the drinks beforehand) audience of City Civic and legal folk.

All profits from the evening go to the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund (helping prison leavers), the Elizabeth Fry Charity (giving women a second chance) and the Schools Consent Project (lawyers teaching the legal definition of consent in secondary schools, to reduce offending rates).
This year the Master is leading a party of up to ten to the Wednesday, 19th March performance (Doors open at 6pm, drinks reception from 6.15pm, curtain up at 7pm, and an end around 8.30pm.), and then on to a light supper afterwards in a nearby restaurant. This is British eccentricity at its most entertaining and you are warmly encouraged to join him – guest are very welcome. (Due to the architectural oddities of Old Bailey and the layout of No 1 Court, this event is probably not suitable for those with mobility issues.)
Tickets to the show cost £70 each, and then those who wish to stay on for the supper will share their restaurant bill.

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.

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

Pride and Prejudice (Sort of!)
2025-05-24 12:30 - 16:30 | Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford, WD17 1JZ
Our Livery has a history of organising visits to leading theatrical events, many of which have won national awards. This show is one of those.
Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, and the similar Evening Standard Award, amongst other prizes, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones are fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation, where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance.
The critics universally hailed it and typical reviews included:: “This smart, laugh out loud funny show” (Daily Telegraph), “Riotously funny … gloriously entertaining … frankly sensational” (Variety), “Faithful to the book, it’s also a raucously irreverent romp” (Daily Mail), “It’s a blast: Austen turbocharged with utter theatrical audacity” (The i), “Profoundly joyous” (Glasgow Herald) and “Layer upon layer of brilliance” (The Scotsman).
The show also features a string of classic songs, suitably woven into the storyline, and what is amazing is that the entire tale is told by five energetic young women, supported by an very suitable set and an array of props, including a pantomime horse, a floor mop and some marigold rubber gloves!
We have booked some of the best seats in the house for the Saturday matinee performance on 24th May at 2.30pm, and will gather beforehand at 12.30pm at the highly-regarded Il Pelligrino restaurant, which is about 100 yards from the theatre, for a nice lunch.
There are only eight tickets available, and guests are welcome, so early booking is advisable.

The Grange Opera 2025 - Summertime Swing
2025-06-12 17:00 - 22:00
This year Grange Festival welcomes one of Europe’s top big bands, the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. Together with Dutch jazz superstar Fay Claassen they will perform hits from the Great American Songbook.
This golden age of music (1920–1950) was shaped by composers like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern and their impressive collection of classics which have truly stood the test of time. Guaranteed to get your toes tapping and your hearts singing.
Artists:

Fay Claassen

The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw

We have been offered 20 seats for this performance so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Please RSVP to Clive Parritt on clive@parritt.com or Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org if you wish to attend.

Master's Weekend in Poole, visiting the RNLI and the Royal Marines
2025-06-27 16:00 - 2025-06-29 14:30 | RNLI HQ Poole
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is one of those great Victorian foundations, the merits of which are as starkly obvious today as they when it was founded. Now a massive national charity, the RNLI today protects seafarers and beach users of all the beaches and waters around the UK, and also those of the Republic of Ireland. It does this through 238 lifeboat stations and 242 lifeguard units. The former deploy a fleet of 432 rescue craft, which they launch about 10,000 times each year, while the latter goes to the aid of some 20,000 people on and around the beaches annually. These services are provided by nearly 10,000 lifeboat volunteers and about 2,500 paid staff, including lifeguards.
The RNLI HQ is down in Poole Harbour, where it also recently built a unique and rather smart training college (with extremely comfortable, boat-themed, ensuite bedrooms), which has some rather unusual training facilities. Next door it has constructed an equally specialist factory, in which it builds its iconic and extremely capable lifeboats. For obvious reasons, the public have access to scarcely any of the site, which is entirely focussed on the RNLI volunteers and employees, who go there for its myriad of specialist training courses. However, the Master has persuaded the Principal to allow a party from our Company to stay at the College during the last weekend in June, to see what they do there, how a busy lifeboat station operates, and how the lifeboats are built and maintained.
The Royal Marines are one of our nation’s two premier light infantry units, and with their amphibious focus, they have bases in various coastal locations around the UK. By chance, one such base is in Poole, located just across the harbour from the RNLI College. We have long affiliated to the key unit on that Camp and as we will be in town, the CO has kindly invited us over for a private supper, briefing and kit demonstration, when we arrive on the Friday evening.
Full details of the weekend will be issued nearer the time, but the broad timetable is as follows:
Friday
4 – 6.30pm Check in at RNLI College and settle into our rooms (A deliberately wide arrival window, to allow for Friday evening traffic etc!)
6.30pm Private taxis to RM Poole Camp for evening of briefings, demos and buffet supper; then coach back to RNLI after
9.30pm Quiz for any brave night owls in the RNLI bar
Saturday
8 – 9.30am Breakfast in the College Dining Hall
10am – 12pm Half the party is given a private tour of the College (Tips: Don’t get swept into the pool, and try not to crash the lifeboat.) and the lifeboat factory next door
The other half visits Poole Harbour, the Lifeboat Museum and the Lifeboat Station, for a briefing and walk thru the in-shore lifeboats
1 – 2pm Lunch in the College Dining Hall
2.30 – 4.30pm Both groups swap round
6pm Black tie drinks reception, up in the Panoramic Banqueting Suite on the top floor of the College
6.30 – 10pm Four-course Dinner with guest speaker from the RNLI about the organisations, future plans etc. Q&A follows
Sunday
8 – 9.30am Breakfast in the College Dining Hall
10am – 12pm Secret event
12.30 – 2pm Optional lunch in the College Dining Hall, for those who wish to eat before leaving
There are deliberately gaps built into the schedule, so Members and their guests will have time to relax and perhaps explore Poole. (BTW: there is rather a nice souvenir shop in the College, which is worth a visit. They sell some truly amazing wellies!)
Apart from the black tie dinner on the Saturday evening, and the visit to RM Poole, (where we will show respect for our hosts by wearing jacket and tie etc), dress for the weekend is entirely casual, with jeans and training shoes being fine. The College, its lifeboat station and its factory are all working sites, with a tinge of the industrial about them, and so personal comfort and sure-footed safety are paramount.
The whole weekend costs £560 for a person booking an ensuite bedroom to themselves at the College, and £880 for a couple sharing a room (ie £440 each).
These sums cover everything except the lunch on the Saturday and the optional one on the Sunday (ie RM Poole visit and supper, two nights’ bed & breakfast in College, College tour, lifeboat station and museum visits, and Saturday’s black tie Dinner). We will pay for our lunches ourselves, because the menu in the College Dining Room is simply too varied and Members will doubtless wish to make their own choices. (The food prices are reasonable.)
Poole Railway Station is about 700 yards’ walk from the College, and for those who wish to drive, free parking has been arranged on site.
The College can accommodate up to 50 Members and guests that particular weekend, so bookings will have to be allocated on a “First-Come-First-Served” basis.

Gilbert and Sullivan's "Iolanthe"
2025-07-12 17:30 - 21:00 | Buckingham Parish Church, Castle Street, Buckingham, MK18 1BS, United Kingdom
Iolanthe is very much one of “The Big Four”, as regards Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous light operettas. It combines great tunes with an intricate storyline, half a fairy, lots of full fairies, a blushing Ward of Court, a susceptible Lord Chancellor and seemingly most of the House of Lords – plus a rather chivalrous guardsman. Inevitably, they all get their respective lives into a frightful tangle!
Iolanthe’s words and music are so strong that they are often performed “in concert” and that is what a party of us is going to see this July, performed by the highly-regarded Buckingham Choral Society, in Buckingham Parish Church.
A leading light of the Society is our own Court Assistant Miles Hedges, who a number of us saw in an outstanding performance of The Mikado in the same location, a few years ago.
The concert starts at 7.30pm, so we are going to meet for a “theatre supper” beforehand at 5.45pm, at the well-regarded Prego (a good, family-run Italian restaurant), which is just a short walk from the church.
Tickets cost £70, to include the meal, (reasonable!) drinks, and tickets to the concert.
There are only ten places, so early booking is advisable.

Trip to the Proms, Lunch and Tour of the Royal Albert Hall - Sold Out
2025-08-02 11:00 - 16:00 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AP, United Kingdom
This singular social event on Saturday, 2nd August, has been some nine months in the planning and the Master had all but given up on it, when he received a confirmatory phone call this morning. (Tuesday, the 22nd – somewhat short notice!)
The world-famous annual round of concerts known as “The Proms” is a great British summer institution, and made all the more so by the fascinating building in which they are held. Built by private subscription from 1867 to 1871, The Royal Albert Hall is an amazing, circular, covered amphitheatre, overlooking Kensington Gardens, just along from Knightsbridge. Today, the Proms apart, it hosts many of the most amazing public shows, circuses, concerts and spectacles (Tennis, anyone?) in London’s annual calendar.
The Master has managed to bag three things which make a visit there truly memorable, namely:
1 11am tickets to a top concerts in this year’s Proms programme – called Viennese Whirl;
2. A 1.15pm table for lunch in “Verdi”, the Albert Hall’s famous Italian restaurant on the first floor; and
3. A 3pm tour of the Hall itself.
Sadly, there are only eight places on this amazing day out, and two of them have already gone, so the remaining six are available on a first-come-first-served basis. In the interests of fairness, you can only bring one guest.
The concert will showcase the world’s most famous Viennese Waltzes, the lunch should be delicious (We’ll do some bistro mathematics for the bill!), and the backstage tour is fascinating.
So come and enjoy a real ‘bucket list” outing on Saturday, 2nd August. Dress is smart casual.

A Day's Cricket at Lord's in a private box, as guests of Middlesex CCC
2025-09-10 10:30 - 18:30 | Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John's Wood Road, London, NW8 8QN
Over the years, our Livery has formed a strong relationship with Middlesex County Cricket Club, taking private boxes at various County, 50-Over and T20 games, and making donations to the Club’s excellent charity; Middlesex in the Community.
This September, we have a private box in the iconic Tavern Stand for the third day of Middlesex County Championship match against Derbyshire.
As well as being able to watch the match in some style, our party will also be able to enjoy the freedom of the ground, visit the world-famous Lord’s Museum, and lunch in the iconic Pavilion.
Middlesex is kindly funding box and our match-day tickets, enabling us to donate the entire £90 ticket-cost of our places to their excellent charity.
So do come along for a relaxing day at the home of cricket, and support an excellent cause.
Dress is jacket and tie for men and the equivalent for ladies (BTW: trousers are fine), tickets cost £90 each, and guests are extremely welcome.

Book of Mormon Theatre Trip and Supper - Sold Out
2025-09-17 19:30 - 22:00 | Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, London, W1D 6AS
Every so often a show arrives on Broadway or in the West End, which sweeps up all the awards and electrifies the theatre-going public. Obvious examples include, Les Miserables, Phantom, and Hamilton. Recently, it was the outrageous and outstanding (in equal measure) Book of Mormon. This blockbuster musical follows two mis-matched young Mormons, when they are sent to Africa to embark on their missionary work, and the chaos that follows in their wake.
When it first appeared on Broadway, Mormon won all the Tony Awards, and tickets changed hands for up to three times their face value! Inevitably the show came to London soon after and here too it swept the boards, winning all the Oliviers, plus numerous other prizes. At one point, the waiting list for tickets was nearly eight months – and that was with two matinees a week!
Roll forward to today, three years later, and Mormon is still “packing them in”, so we are going to go along and see what all the fuss is about.
Because of demand, the theatre has limited our party to just 12 tickets, but they have been kind to us over the price (The Master has friends in low places!) and once the party is booked up, those attending will be circulated about an optional, pre-theatre supper.
So come along and enjoy an amazing piece of musical theatre with your livery friends and guests.
Tickets cost £49, the show starts at 7.30pm and dress is smart casual.
