Carol Service at the Chapel Royal inside the Tower of London and Supper at Watermen’s Hall

Tower of London St Katherine's & Wapping, London, 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...

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Christmas Quiz

On Zoom

Please note this is now an online event   This will be run with their usual style and skill by our current Institute President and Court Member, Malcolm Bacchus, and our Almoner, Beverley Turner, on Zoom. More details follow shortly, but put the date in your diary. It would be helpful for attendees to reserve their place below to give an idea of numbers

Visit to Gunmakers’ Hall and Testing Labs, plus Christmas Lunch back at CAH

Gunmakers' Hall 48-50 Commercial Road, London, United Kingdom

The general public has no idea that behind the quiet façade of Gunmakers' Hall, just north-east of the City, hies the nation’s secret testing labs for all illegal and counterfeit firearms, which are seized in the UK. Unsurprisingly, this fascinating facility is never open to them, but the Gunmakers' Company, which owns and manages it on behalf of the nation, is discretely allowing up to ten of us to tour it, on condition nothing is said thereafter, and no photos are taken. We will meet outside their Hall at 10.45am, ready to go through security, at 11am. The tour itself will include not only the labs and a briefing from one of the staff, but also, oddly, a visit to see their pet snail, which is the world's largest - goodness knows how it ended up living (and apparently thriving!) at Gunmakers! Once the tour is over, we will all jump into a couple of cabs and go to our Hall, where the staff have laid on a full Christmas Lunch for us, down in the Club, with all the trimmings. For security reasons, and because the labs are a working environment in which space is limited, our numbers for this event are restricted to just 10, so Members are asked not to bring more than one guest.

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United Guilds’ Service 2025

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Churchyard, London, United Kingdom

The United Guilds' Service (UGS) was first held in February 1943 as a coordinated response to the challenges faced by the City of London following the Blitz of 1940-41. It was also a reminder of the religious origins of the Guilds. The first service to be conducted was held on Lady Day – 25th March 1943 - the first day of the year by the old calendar. This annual service is held at St Pauls Cathedral is one of the few occasions in the Livery calendar at which all the Livery Companies and Guilds of the City can gather together as a whole – it is always a spectacular occasion, and one not to be missed if you haven’t attended before. More details and booking information to follow