This enjoyable and fairly relaxed evening is to be held in Guildhall this year. It gives new Members, who come for free, as guests of the Company, the opportunity to meet and chat to the Master, Wardens, Almoner and other senior officers, and thereby gauge how best to engage with the Livery and make the most of their membership. Dress is smart business attire.
By kind permission of the Master Cutler, Mr James Tear, we will enjoy the splendour of Cutlers’ Hall for a black-tie dinner on the evening of Thursday, 9 June, followed by an optional tour of Sheffield Forgemaster’s the following morning. As you may know, the 2022 UK Livery Masters' Weekend is being held in Sheffield that weekend, hosted by the Lord Mayor, so this is a sneak preview. The evening will start with a guided tour of Cutlers' Hall, with its extraordinary grandeur and many fascinating artifacts (Knives feature heavily!), followed by a drinks reception and a three-course dinner with wines in the lovely Drawing Room. Book here, or email or ring me.
This year the Master is delighted to be holding this always-enjoyable event in the lovely Members’ Private Dining Room, up on the third floor of Guildhall. This panelled room boasts a splendid silver collection, some fascinating documents on the walls and fine views across Guildhall Yard to the Art Gallery opposite. As you know, the Dinner is traditionally held straight after our June Court Meeting, begins with a drinks reception, and is an opportunity for our Livery’s key leadership group to dine together, discuss the issues of the day and enjoy each other’s company. Dress is Livery Uniform/Black Tie and the equivalent for ladies. By custom, badges of office are not worn. Pour Mémoire cards will also not be sent out this year, as part of the Company’s support for decarbonisation. Tickets are £95 each and will be invoiced after booking. Please book in by noon on Friday 10th June. Equally, it would be helpful if you would let me know if you cannot come. (Access on the night will be via the West Wing entrance, which is on the corner of Gresham Street and Aldermanbury, where the staff will show you up to the Reception.)
Have you ever wondered how the Renaissance was paid for? Florence was one of Italy’s richest city-states but also one whose rulers were acutely conscious of both the shortfalls of the tax base on which it rested and the problems the tax system was causing (such as depopulation). The talk will cover what was taxed and how as well as other features of Florentine finance that tackled tax evasion. The speaker Andrew Loader is a former history scholar of Christ’s College, Cambridge and Past Consort of the Worshipful Company of Tax Advisers. This event will be on zoom, is free to attend and no prior booking is necessary.
Twice a year, the City of London Corporation’s Common Hall is transformed from a standard local authority meeting on civic issues, into a day of great ceremony. Each autumn Liverymen elect the next year’s Lord Mayor and every summer, it’s the turn of the two Sheriffs. The Shrieval election ceremony starts at noon (There is no admission after 11.45am.) and ends around 12.30-12.45pm. Dress is lounge suit for men and smart day wear for ladies. After Common Hall, most Liveries go home, but our Master always hosts a private Reception and Lunch. We go up to Guildhall’s roof terrace on the fourth floor for the Reception and then into the Aldermen’s Dining Room for lunch. The day is very much one for partners and guests too. This year, as an extra, it has been possible to secure some places at the annual Armed Forces Flag Raising in Guildhall Yard. For those who would like to stay on to see it, this takes place at 3.15pm, lasts about 30 minutes, and is rather a nice sign of respect for our military from the City. Common Hall and the Flag Raising are free, and this year the Lunch costs £75. The Dining Room only holds 28 guests, so places will have to be allocated on as first-come-first-served basis.
Richard Thomas will be talking to us about his work with the YMCA Exeter and what they have been doing since receiving our Covid grant including an exciting housing development for young people. Flyer with joining details to follow.
The Grange Festival is one of those extraordinary events that is really hard to describe. You have to see it to believe it – especially as it is about so much more than the performances themselves. Sparkling wine from The Grange vineyard; delicious, sesonal and unpretentious food, made from beautiful locally sourced ingredients and venue like no other in opera. As you sink into one of the comfortable seats in our elegant indoor theatre, expect to be wowed by performances curated by artistic director Michael Chance CBE, who is dedicated to bringing the very best opera and dance to this unusual setting near Winchester. Verdi wrote Macbeth in 1847 for the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. The theatre at The Grange is of similar proportions. For Verdi, Shakespeare’s Macbeth was ‘one of mankind’s greatest creations’. His version of the play is full of threat and ferocity, an intense exploration of ruthless ambition in a world governed by superstition and violence. Lady Macbeth dominates and the chorus, who are both observers and protagonists, is given some of Verdi’s most thrilling choral writing. We are delighted to have been offered an exclusive package for up to 20 people, for £230 each. This includes a top-price ticket to the performance; a three-course Dinner in the House made with delicious locally sourced ingredients and an invitation to the Artistic Director’s post-performance drinks reception with Michael Chance.