Every Wednesday, on Zoom, you are invited to join fellow members for a virtual Coffee Morning. This is a great opportunity to get to know fellow members in a small, friendly, relaxed group. No need to book, just turn up. All members are welcome. If you are interested in attending, please email John Spencer or Clare Ferrar for the zoom link and password. John Spencer: john@connorspencer.com Clare Ferrar: clareferrar@accountantslivery.org
The London Library has stood on the corner of St James’s Square since 1845 and is one of the oldest lending libraries in the world, with over 1,000,000 books available to members. Incredibly most of these books are held on site in the original purpose-built metal ‘stacks’. Our Court Assistant Steven Whitaker is a trustee of the library and has arranged a private tour on 4 December 2025. We will begin at 6pm with a glass or two of champagne in the famous Issue Hall before embarking at 6.30pm on a tour that covers all the major parts of the library, including the beautiful Reading Room, well-known to many literary greats over the years including Dickens, Thackeray, Forster and TS Eliot (who became President of the library in 1952). Today’s President is Helena Bonham-Carter. All areas of the tour are accessible by lift, but there will also be a chance to ‘climb’ the stacks, for those wanting to explore the hidden depths of the library. We will end with the chance to see a few of the most notable books in the library, hand-picked by the Head of Collections. The tour is scheduled to finish at 7.30pm allowing you time to head off to dinner – or to Christmas parties! Time: 6pm: Champagne 6.30pm: Tour 7.30pm: Finish Date: Thursday 4 December Tickets: £50 (max. 4 per person)
The market will be open on the evening of Monday 8 December 2025, with a gala drinks reception, and providing early access to all of the commercial and Livery stalls. The stalls will continue trading all day on Tuesday 9 December 2025. Founded in 1961, the Guildhall Christmas Market is one of the largest fundraising event for the British Red Cross and one of London’s most successful Christmas Markets. It is a biennial event. The gothic splendour of the Guildhall provides a truly atmospheric and memorable venue for this special event. The 2023 market raised over £135,000 for the work of the British Red Cross supporting people in crisis. The Chartered Accountants' Livery have been asked to provide a team to collect and count the cash taken by Livery stalls. If you are interested in volunteering some time during the market, then please let Vicky Andrew millcove1912@gmail.com and John Spencer john@connorspencer.com know your availability. Early bird tickets are now live until September 2025 for the exclusive opening night and dining options on market day, with £5 off general sale prices. General sale tickets for the market day are £7 each and will go on sale in September 2025.
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
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...
