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2024-10-10 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | London

Tour of the Roman Amphitheatre under Guildhall and the Art Gallery
2024-10-18 18:00 - 19:30 | 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!

Bank of England Lunch 2024
2024-10-22 13:15 - 15:30 | Chartered Accountants’ Hall, One Moorgate Place, London, EC2R 6EA, United Kingdom
THE CURRENT ECONOMIC OUTLOOK – The view from the Bank of England
Speaker Rob Elder – Bank of England Agent
Bank of England Agents are shadowy figures who each “farms their patch”, talking constantly and discretely to businesses large and small, to see how the economy is doing from their perspective, what the pinch points are and also the threats and opportunities. The Agents then convert all this raw information into considered intelligence, which is fed back into the Bank’s assessment process, for a whole range of policy decisions.
Agents do not talk publicly about their work, but we have friends in low places, and so are delighted to welcome Rob Elder back to CAH once again, to speak to a small number of us, strictly under the Chatham House Rule, to give the Bank of England’s view on the economic year ahead.
We are in a period of turmoil and fluctuation, with elections in both the UK and USA, coupled with the ongoing crises in the Middle East and the Ukraine war, which are all resulting in major trends and changes across Europe.
There is thus much to hear about from the Bank of England, and shrewd questions to be asked of Bob. Especially if you haven’t been before, this is not an event not be missed, and very much one for “the bucket list”!
We meet in the Members Room at 1.15pm, and the meeting and meal will finishing at about 3.30pm.

Date: Tuesday 22 October
Time: 1.15pm – 3.30pm
Tickets: £68.50 to include a two-course lunch and a glass of wine

Career Development Workshop Series for Women in Technology
2024-11-05 18:00 - 20:30 | London
Organised by The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists for the Financial Services Group Liveries

Join other FSG Company members for a series of three inspiring and empowering practical workshops. Created specifically for ambitious women in technology.

The series focuses on the essential skills and strategies needed to effectively manage and advance your career.
Learn from industry leaders, and connect with like-minded professionals during break-out sessions and take control of your career path.
Event 1: Career Planning
Date: Tuesday 5 November 2024
Time: 18:00 – 20:30
Workshop Overview:
Our speaker, Kerri Mansfield JP, WCIT Master 23/24 will talk about how to be in control of your own career and share her experiences. Setting the scene for you to think about your career and how you want it to develop in the future.
Starting her career with a secretarial course Kerri found her way to working in IT. She has worked independent transformation consultant across projects as disparate as start-up companies and global banks. Her lockdown role was communications across 11 cloud based projects covering a staff of 140,000 across 36 countries. She is also a magistrate and is currently the Master of WCIT.
Following this we will have a guided interactive session where you will have time to think about your own path, and where it might be headed in the short, medium and long term. Working in small groups we’ll use the Do, Be, Have, Give model to help you structure your thinking. You’ll also have the opportunity share honest insights and experiences with peers addressing the realities of the challenges faced by women in advancing in their careers.
We’ll close the evening with a chance to network and build connections with fellow attendees.
The Next Events
In the remaining events we will look at Performance Enhancement and Leadership (Event 2: Tuesday 10 December 2024) and Mental Well-being, and Work-Life Balance (Event 3: Tuesday 14 January 2025).
These events will give you the opportunity to think about:
– Key skills for your career goals and filling any gaps
– Keeping track of your achievements
– Having clear goals so that you can focus on your career without compromising your well-being
– Values – paying attention what matters to you so that you can maintain boundaries.
Don’t miss this opportunity to take charge of your career and connect with other ambitious women in technology.
Book your place now and pave the way to a successful and fulfilling career!
Tickets: £20 (inc vat) per event. £50 (inc vat) if booking the whole series.
You can book single events, or the whole series. When booking a single event, please specify which one you wish to attend during checkout.

BOOK HERE: Career Development Workshop Series for Women in Technology Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Court and Trustees' Consorts Dinner
2024-11-05 18:30 - 22:30 | Army and Navy Club, 36 - 39 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5JN, United Kingdom
This annual event is open to Members and former Members of Court and to the Trustees of our Charity, plus their Consorts. The evening provides an opportunity for everyone to socialise together and most importantly, to discuss issues surrounding our Company’s and Charity’s governance, fundraising and grant making. The speaker is usually someone who can add to such discussions.
This year, the Dinner is being held at the Army and Navy Club at the western end of Pall Mall, and our guest speaker will be the CO of our newest military affiliate. After the meal, the Colonel will address us on the welfare challenges that he and his SLT face in relation to their soldiers, many of whom are quite young.
Dress for the evening is black tie or livery uniform, and invitations will go out shortly to those eligible to attend. Places are priced up and invoiced after the event, once all the costs are known.

Walk in the Lord Mayor's Show!
2024-11-09 09:00 - 15:00 | London
Walk in the Lord Mayor’s Show, with breakfast and lunch included
This is the world’s largest unrehearsed annual parade and quite a sight to see. Tick one thing off your bucket list and join the Master to march on the Show, seeing everything from inside this iconic annual event – you might even appear on TV! (Only 3 places left)

Tickets: £104 (the price may display as excl VAT, but this should be corrected at checkout)
Please book below where possible.
If you are unable to do so, then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org or 07828 554967

Help Musicians' Festival of St Cecilia 2024 and Lunch
2024-11-20 11:00 - 16:00 | St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD, United Kingdom
Help Musicians’ annual celebration of music

The Festival of St. Cecilia has been the flagship event in Help Musicians’ calendar since 1946. It is a key moment for us to come together to celebrate what music brings to all of us, and to mark the contribution that musicians make to our lives.
2024’s service will see the combined choirs of Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey unite to perform under the direction of Andrew Carwood MBE, Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral.
This year’s service will feature the premiere of a specially created anthem by Heloise Werner, who has been supported by Help Musicians, and we are thrilled to present a highly anticipated performance by pianist and Help Musicians Ambassadors, Isata Kanneh-Mason.

Date: Wednesday 20 November
Service: 11am – 12noon
Lunch: 12.30pm (Cote Brasserie)

Private tour of the Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys
2024-11-20 19:30 - 22:30 | 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.

Christmas Quiz
2024-12-11 18:00 - 20:30 | On Zoom
Anyone can just join in!
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89056373502?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 890 5637 3502
Passcode: [REDACTED]

As our members are scattered far and wide, the events committee have set up an online quiz for the festive season!
A lovely opportunity to come together with some fellow members for a bit of Christmas competition, so put your teams together, get the mulled wine on, and get your quiz brains ready!

This will be run with the usual style and skill by our Almoner, Beverley Turner.

Each household/zomm connection cost £5 (to go towards prizes!)
No need to book, just turn up using the link above.
If youhave any questions or problems, please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org or 07828 554967

Visit to Gunmakers' Hall and Testing Labs, plus Christmas Lunch back at CAH
2024-12-16 11:00 - 14:30 | Gunmakers’ Hall, 48-50 Commercial Road, London, E1 1LP, United Kingdom
The general public has no idea that behind the quiet façade of Gunmakers’ Hall, just north-east of the City, hides 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.

Visit to London Silver Vaults and Lunch
2025-01-07 11:00 - 15:00 | London Silver Vaults, 53-64 Chancery Ln, London, WC2A 1QS
Please note, this date has moved from 20 February to 7 January.

The London Silver Vaults is one of those hidden gems, which came about entirely by chance, but now serves a pivotal role in its area, and if it hadn’t existed, would probably have had to be invented!
Many years ago a property developer acquired a plot in Chancery Lane, and due to the unstable nature of that bit of ground, was told by the planners that he had to use foundations two floors deep. Noting “the site’s proximity to the offices of all those wealthy lawyers, who infest the area” he decided to make a virtue of necessity and rather than using normal foundations, actually build in two levels of basements, and fill the lower one with a series of bank-grade vaults, which he would rent out to said lawyers.
The scheme worked for a while, but slowly word spread and, little by little, leading London silver-smiths and jewellers began to rent vaults as a store for their stock. Their numbers grew, and inevitably, they began trading items, first between themselves, and then with the wider silver retail community. Today, the LSV are the nation’s leading silver wholesale market and quite a sight to see.
Happily, one of the Master’s friends is Simon Surtees, son of the famous racing driver of yesteryear, John. After retiring from the track, John went into the silver business and Simon now runs the family firm, based primarily in the LSV.
Simon has offered to give a dozen members and guests a private tour of the vaults, after which, our fine Clerk says that she knows a fantastic pub to which our party can repair for lunch.
The Vaults building can be found at 53-64 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS. (The entrance to the building is actually in Southampton Buildings.)

We will meet in the lobby at 10.45am for an 11am start, and should be away after lunch by about 2.30pm.

Tickets: £20
Limited to 12 places so please book early

Please book below where possible.
If unable to, then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org

Livery Food Initiative - Zoom Event
2025-01-22 18:30 - 20:00 | London
There is no need to book:
Log on at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84603288656?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 846 0328 8656
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Do come along for what we are sure will be a compelling evening
C O N T A C T : c l a r e f e r r a r @ a c c o u n t a n t s l i v e r y . o r g o r 0 7 8 2 8 5 5 4 9 6 7

Carpet Bowls Day
2025-01-25 10:30 - 16:00 | Plaisterers’ Hall, One London Wall, 1 London Wall, Barbican, London, EC2Y 5JU
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
This will now take place in September but a date hasn’t been set yet.

Over the years, a number of very successful Inter-Livery social events have emerged, such as Croquet and Pétanque, but to date there has been no Inter-Livery Carpet Bowls.
Our Company recently lost yet another much-loved Member to Prostate Cancer (He was our fourth in just three years.), and this dreadful condition is a similar scourge across the entire City Civic. As a result, the Master has decided that our Company will organise this event in aid of Prostate Cancer Research, and in memory of him and all the other Livery/Guild victims on Saturday, 25th January.
We are all greatly indebted to our friends at The Plaisterers, for so kindly agreeing to sponsor this fundraiser at their fabulous Hall.
The format of the day will be very simple: entries cost £49/person and guest players over 11yo are very welcome. Dress is casual (Jeans are fine, but string vests are discouraged!)
Our fellow Liveries and Guilds have all been invited to enter one or two teams of four. As organiser, we can field up to four.
There will be teas and coffees served throughout the day, plus a (reasonably priced!) cash bar over lunch, offering red and white wine by the glass, plus orange and apple juice.
Lunch will be a shared picnic and everyone must bring a contribution of cold food to be shared with others – ideally enough for several servings. (Quiche, pates, flans, salads, cold meats, sandwiches etc, and easy puddings). If you are truly useless at picnics, tell Clare privately and we will buy your contribution for you, for an extra £10 per entrant. (Your shameful secret will be safe with us!)
Full joining instructions will be issued in the New Year, but in essence, the doors to Plaisterers will open at 10am, with teas/coffees served. Then after a briefing at 10.30am on rules of the day, plus demos of how to play, and team rosters sorted, everyone will play a round-robin series of matches to establish broad skill levels. After lunch the top half of teams will compete for the Hardman Cup, whilst the rest will fight it out in a Plate Competition. There will be prizes and we should all be away by 4pm
So come and enjoy a great day of bowls, whilst also supporting an excellent cause.

Winter Dinner 2025 - House of Commons
2025-02-06 18:30 - 22:00 | House of Commons, Houses of Parliament, St Margaret St, London, SW1A 0AA
TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT FOR THIS EVENT
If you would like to be added to the waiting list, then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantsliveryorg

We have never dined in the House of Commons and owe this great opportunity to our friend and fellow Member, Howard Leigh, who currently serves in the House of Lords, as Lord Leigh of Hurley.
The Commons is a fascinating place to visit, never mind its rich history, amazing architecture and pivotal role in our nation’s governance. We are lucky enough to be holding our drinks reception in the Strangers Bar, before moving next door to the lovely Members Dining Room for our meal.
Next, in another first for the Company, there will be a public clothing ceremony for some new Liverymen – something which has hitherto always taken place in the privacy of a Court Meeting.
After we have dined, we will be entertained by three fabulous sopranos from the justly-famous “Ida Girls”, who will delight us with a medley of famous arias and West End show-stoppers.
Then we shall move on to the presentation of the new Sword of Honour to our own Special Forced Support Group, who will be represented by the CO and RSM.
I’m afraid that the identity of the principal guest and speaker for the evening must remain unsaid for the present. There are three lined up for the next three Dinners, but two of them come with security details, so I hope you will bear with me whilst they all haggle amongst themselves and with their opposite numbers at the three venues!
Last, as regards price, it has been possible to reduce the cost of places yet again. You will recall that at the Installation Dinner, by dint of much juggling (and no little pleading by the Master!) we cut £10 off what has emerged as the standard City price of £149, reducing it to £139. This time, it has proved possible to negotiate a further reduction of another £10 pounds, so tickets will cost “just” £129 (Inc Vat).
That all said, I’m afraid this is not the largest venue we have ever visited and there are only 155 places available. So please do book up promptly to avoid disappointment.

Drinks Reception: 6.30pm Please arrive early to allow time for security
Dinner: 7pm
Dress: Black Tie
Tickets: £129 (the price listed below may show excl VAT but should show the total at the checkout, if this doesn’t update then please tell Clare or Sue)

(NB: This Dinner is straight after our Common Hall to vote of the new Royal Charter, which is a separately bookable event. However, Members can be assured that that meeting will end in time for them to walk across Parliament Square to the Houses of Parliament.)

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

Inter-Livery Quiz
2025-02-20 18:00 - 21:00 | Guildhall, Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HH, United Kingdom
The annual Inter-Livery Quiz, organised by the Tax Advisers Livery, will be held on the evening of Thursday 20th February at the Guildhall.
WCCAEW has been invited to enter a team.
Please contact Vicky Andrew on millcove1912@gmail.com if you would like to join the team. This must be done before midnight on Wednesday 5 February.

The Quiz includes rounds on sport, entertainment, general knowledge, and so on, as well as on other subjects relevant to the City.
Timings are as follows:
6:00PM – Arrival at Guildhall (Club Room)
6:30PM – Start
7:30PM – Fork buffet
8:15PM – Re-start
9:00PM – Finish
The buffet consists of one meat dish, one fish dish, three salads and a choice of desserts. Wine is included, and vegetarian or other dietary requirements can be catered for.

Ticket price per person is £65. Payment will not be requested unless/until we have a full team.
All expressions of interest, together with any dietary requirements, should be sent to Vicky Andrew on millcove1912@gmail.com by midnight on Wednesday 5th February.

Wine-tasting with food matching - Corney & Barrow
2025-02-27 18:15 - 20:30 | London
In an event prepared especially for our company, City wine merchants Corney & Barrow have kindly agreed to host a small wine-tasting at their beautiful head office situated in the converted Customs House at St Katherine’s Dock.
A Corney & Barrow wine expert will introduce us to six classic wines while their in-house chef will match each wine with a specially chosen canape.

Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm Please meet at 6.15pm for a prompt start at 6.30pm
Location: Corney & Barrow, 1 Thomas More St, London, EW1 1YZ. Location
Date: Thursday 27 February 2025
Tickets: £100 per person (maximum of four tickets per member)

Dinner at the RAF Club in Piccadilly
2025-03-11 18:30 - 22:00 | RAF Club, 128 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7PY, United Kingdom
London boasts about twenty rather smart private members clubs, several of which have a military focus, and by general agreement the RAF Club, at the western end of Piccadilly, up by Hyde Park Corner, is one of the most attractive and intimate. (The wall art’s pretty amazing too!) We are lucky to have close links with the service, both through our relationship with 47 Squadron, and also because Court Assistant Neeraj Kapur used to fly Tornados for a living, and today still flies fast jets! (He never mentions any of this, unless pressed!)
As a result, Neeraj has kindly agreed to host 22 of us for a private Dinner at the Club, with a drinks reception and tour beforehand, and a senior speaker from the RAF to talk to us after the meal.
The RAF Club is always popular and heavily booked, but we have managed to secure the lovely Cowdrey Lounge for our drinks reception and then the equally splendid Hodges Room for the Dinner.

Tickets: £109 (the price below may show as excl VAT but should update at checkout)
Guest are welcome, but there are only 26 places available so booking early is advisable
Dress code: Lounge suits for men and the equivalent for ladies
Drinks: 6.30pm
Dinner: 7pm

"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.

2025 Sylvia Tutt Memorial Lecture - Achieving balance: good governance and growth
2025-03-25 19:00 - 21:00 | London
The Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (WCCSA) invites you, as members of the Financial Services Group of Liveries, to attend the Company’s annual Sylvia Tutt memorial lecture, this year the title of which is ‘Achieving balance: good governance and growth’. It will be presented by Head of Davis Polk’s Europe practice, Will Pearce, Tuesday 25th March 19:00 in the splendid surroundings of Stationer’s Hall, Ave Maria Lane, City of London, London EC4M 7DD, followed by drinks and canapés to which all are invited.
The lecture will also be preceded by the launch of the WCCSA’s joint research report with Leeds Beckett ‘The Importance of Values for Governance’ at 1700. In 2022 the WCCSA initiated a research project to find out how major organisations in different sectors were determining and living by their values and how this affected their governance. The research was undertaken by Leeds Beckett University and involved a number of organisations from different sectors. The research process has already provoked actions. The findings, which are relevant to governance professionals and leaders in a wide range of organisations, identify ways in which an awareness of values can improve governance and the performance of, and trust in, organisations. Details of the methodology will be shared with participants to use in their own organisations.

You are welcome to attend either or both parts of the evening. There is no charge for attendance but participants are asked to register at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/wccsa/1599067.

The event is in-person and will not be live-streamed.
The research report can be found at https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/-/media/files/research/sustainable-business-research-institute/values-for-governance/the-importance-of-values-for-good-governance.pdf
The diagnostic tool can be found at https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/sustainable-business-research-institute/Importance-of-values-for-governance/
More details about WCCSA can be found at https://wccsa.org.uk
I hope that you will be able to attend.
Sheila Lumsden OBE FCG
Chair of the Education Committee, Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (WCCSA) – The livery company for governance professionals
https://wccsa.org.uk/
Follow WCCSA on LinkedIn

United Guilds' Service 2025 and Lunch
2025-03-28 11:15 - 16:00 | St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD, 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 was held on Lady Day – 25th March 1943 – the first day of the year by the old calendar.
This annual service held at St Paul’s 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.

Lunch following the United Guilds’ Service – Stationers’ Hall
Drinks will be served from 12.30 pm in the Court Room, followed by lunch in the Hall and Stock Room at 1.00 pm. Lunch will consist of three courses with red and white wine; a glass of port will also be served.

10.45am – all ticket holders must be seated
11.15am – service starts
12.15pm – service finishes
12.30pm – drinks
1pm – lunch
Tickets: Access to the service is free of charge, but please reserve your place below as each Company is allocated a limited number of tickets.
Lunch at Stationers’ Hall is £80 inc VAT.
Please book below where possible.
If unable to book online then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org

Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch - Sold Out
2025-04-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Guildhall, Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7HH, United Kingdom
Originally described by some wags as “The City of London’s hottest annual event”, this now enormous annual charity fundraiser began back in 2008 on a very small scale. Hosted by the Lord Mayor, over the years it has grown and grown, until today it takes over the whole of Guildhall and raises going on half a million pounds annually.
At its core, the Lunch demonstrates the City’s support for members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and veterans, through the three National Service Charities: The Army Benevolent Fund, The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. It does this via a huge curry lunch, held in a packed Great Hall, plus a silent auction for some pretty splendid lots, held in the Old Library.
The Master is going to the 2pm sitting and invites up to nine members and their guests to join him. As well as being delicious, the whole occasion is very much “A sight to see” – certainly, you won’t be able to watch over 300 people, all guzzling curry in shifts, anywhere else!
Tickets cost £110 and were allocated on a “first-come-first-served basis”.

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.

St George's Day Banquet with the RSSG - Sold Out
2025-04-23 18:30 - 22:30 | Drapers’ Hall, Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DQ
The Royal Society of St George (aka The RSSG) is a global British patriotic society, and has one of its most active branches in the City of London. Routinely chaired by former Lord Mayors, Sheriffs and other senior figures from the Corporation, it effectively functions like a Livery Company.
The highlight of the RSSG’s annual social round is, perhaps inevitably, a massive Banquet on St George’s Day. The event has been described by many as “The last night of the Proms with a swanky Banquet thrown in”, and we periodically send a party along to join in – during PM John Cardnell’s year, over 40 members and their guests went along and had a great time.
This year it is being held at the magnificent Drapers’ Hall and the RSSG has again invited us to join them, and as the Spring Dinner is already sold out, it seemed a great idea to accept.
So the Master and Mistress will lead our party and it is hoped that you and any guests can come along too, enjoy the four-course, roast-beef-centred-dinner, with wines, coffee and chocs etc, and then wave your flags with the best of them during the sing song.
Tickets cost £179 each, dress is black tie, and rather encouragingly, the drinks reception, which starts at 6.30pm, lasts a whole hour!

Spring Dinner 2025 - Tower Bridge
2025-04-30 18:30 - 22:15 | Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2UP
This year’s Spring Dinner will take place on the walkways on the iconic Tower Bridge on Wednesday 30th April.
This amazing venue is seldom available, and when it is us usually eye-waveringly expensive, simply because there are no facilities on site and so everything, from food and drink, right down to the last teaspoon, has to be brought in. However, by dint of much begging and calling in of favours (Step forward Liveryman James Thomson, who is a senior Common Councillor in the City. We are all most grateful.), it was possible to secure both a date and a just-about-feasible set of numbers. (£199 per person, but hopefully you will feel this is at least partly offset by the price reductions that we managed for the first two Dinners of this Livery year, and that this is a rather special opportunity.)
As a result, we are holding this year’s Spring Dinner on the recently-glassed-in Upper Walkways of the Bridge.
The drinks reception will start at 6.30pm, when we will all take the lift of to the top of the Bridge and enjoy a drinks reception and the views down-river from inside the eastern Upper Walkway. Then at 7pm, we will walk through one of the twin towers, and into the up-river walkway, to dine looking out towards the Houses of Parliament.
The Bridge’s Director is going to come and tell us about the Bridge and the challenges of actually running this working piece of our nation’s history, and then we will dine. There will be entertainment and then after the meal we will hear from Colonel Max, who is responsible for the safety of the many thousands of UK diplomatic and consular staff and their families who represent our country and serve our interests overseas. His team’s role is vast and multi-facetted and much of what he will impart may surprise us.
As always, guests are most welcome, though our fine Clerk may have to have a quiet word with any Member proposing to bring their entire golf club membership!

This year the Common Hall (AGM for members) will take place at Chartered Accountants’ Hall on Monday 12 May.
Click here for more details: https://accountantslivery.org/event/common-hall-and-dinner/

Drinks: 6.30pm
Dinner: 7pm
Carriages: 10pm
Dress: Black Tie or Livery Uniform, with badges and decorations.
Tickets: £199

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Please book online if possible – this will give you the best chance of securing tickets.
If unable to book online, then please contact Clare Ferrar on clareferrar@accountantslivery.org

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

Common Hall and Dinner
2025-05-12 18:00 - 21:30 | Chartered Accountants’ Hall, One Moorgate Place, London, EC2R 6EA, United Kingdom
Dear Fellow Member,
I write to give you notice of our Livery’s Common Hall, which will take place on Monday 12th May 2025, in Room 1.5, Chartered Accountants Hall at 6.00pm (Tea and coffee will be available from 5.30pm).
Attached is the Agenda, showing there are two matters to be voted on (It should be stressed that Freemen are very warmly welcomed to our Common Hall, it is simply that participation in the two votes is confined to Liverymen.)
As in previous years, the bundle of papers for the meeting will be sent to you at a later date,so that you have up to date information.
Please book in for Common Hall here:
https://accountantslivery.wufoo.com/forms/zng5ei91lfaf5b/
If you are unable to attend, but still wish to vote, you can complete the online Proxy Form here: https://accountantslivery.wufoo.com/forms/z1po0q5719188c6/
The meeting will be followed by a Dinner for Members in the Small Reception Room at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, for which you will need to book in separately. Tickets for the dinner are available to book below. There are only 18 places, so, for fairness, bookings will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis.
With best wishes
Yours
Susan Field
Clerk, The Chartered Accountants’ Company

6pm: Common Hall (book here: https://accountantslivery.wufoo.com/forms/zng5ei91lfaf5b/)
7pm: Dinner – tickets £119 (book below)

Clergy Support Trust - Festival 2025
2025-05-13 17:00 - 18:30 | St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD, United Kingdom
The 370th Festival will be held on Tuesday 13 May 2025
The Festival is a unique and extraordinary event. It celebrates the work of the Trust and the clergy households we serve, with our generous supporters.
One of the oldest choral music events in the world, bringing together three exceptional cathedral choirs, the Festival Service at St Paul’s Cathedral is an afternoon of thanksgiving for the ministry of our clergy. The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani will preach.
Our Festival is our biggest fundraising event of the year. A cash collection will be taken, and Contactless Donation Points will be beside those of St Paul’s at the Cathedral doors.
We are delighted to introduce you to this year’s choirs, joining us for what promises to be a majestic act of worship.

Bradford Cathedral Choir
Bradford Cathedral Choir have been part of the city’s choral community since well before St Peter’s Church became Bradford Cathedral, over 100 years ago. There are two fully independent lines of boy and girl choristers, drawn from schools throughout the region, and a number of teenage Junior Choral Scholars.
The choir sings regularly for five services a week, including compline on Thursday evenings, undertakes regular tours, gives concerts, and occasionally makes recordings and broadcasts. Further collaborations are planned for 2025, including with BBC television. The choir is led by their Organist and Director of Music, Graham Thorpe.
Lichfield Cathedral Choir
Made up of four discrete sections which form many different combinations – the Boy Choristers, the Girl Choristers, and the VI form Choral Scholars (all of whom attend the Cathedral School), and the Lay Vicars Choral – Lichfield Cathedral Choir is led by their Director of Music, Ben Lamb and the Assistant Director of Music, Martyn Rawles.
During school term time, the Choir usually sings seven services each week: Choral Compline on Monday, Choral Evensong Tuesday to Friday, and the Eucharist and Evensong on Sunday. The Choir also gives occasional concerts and recitals, and has made frequent broadcasts, both on television and radio.
The founding of the choir can be traced back to the early days of the current cathedral in the 13th century, and we’re delighted that they’re making the 120-mile journey to perform for us at our historic 370th Festival Service this year.
St Paul’s Cathedral Choir
Bradford and Lichfield Cathedral Choirs will perform alongside St Paul’s Cathedral Choir – who have leant us their time and talent every year for over three centuries – led by their Director of Music, Andrew Carwood MBE. Speaking on last year’s Festival Service, Andrew said:
“It is a rare and wonderful joy to work with such incredible choirs each year, and even more so when you are part of an almost unbroken line of choirs singing together under the dome of St Paul’s stretching back over nearly 370 years.”
The choir have performed at some of the cathedral’s most important services – including their Grenfell Tower Memorial Service and their Service of Prayer and Reflection for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Join the Festival
The Festival Service is free to attend, and will take place at St Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 5pm.
We welcome over 1,000 guests to the Festival each year – so there’s plenty of room for everyone! However, while there may be tickets available on the day, we recommend that you book ahead in advance to avoid disappointment.

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
