Dear All,

What a month!

Freemen immediately before their Clothing - with thanks to Marcus Jamieson-Pond Photographer

This is exactly how I started my last newsletter and it is even more true for March! There were at least 12 events ranging from the Second Wednesday drinks, via Make an Impact to Tony Matharu’s hugely generous Celebration at Tower Suites which raised some £4,000 to the Clothing, a hugely proud moment for me, to the Spring Lunch, the largest we have ever had.

There truly was something for everyone. I do hope that you were at least tempted to come to one of our events. Not only were they fun but they were great opportunities to build relationships. And, as we know, out of relationships comes business!

So don’t miss out in April – some have already been booked out:

7^th April Quarterly Zoom Call with the Master. This is an opportunity to ask anything especially about Livery.  I was going to write about it here but I will not have room.  You may have other questions or want to find out how to organise a trip or have a project that wants support.  Outreach is getting up and running again. 

9^th Second Wednesday Drinks Always a success. Bring along friends or simply send them there, we are always very welcoming!

10^th Big Curry Lunch Always a hit and difficult to get tickets!

10^th April Court For Court members only. Please let the Clerk know if you are interested in getting more involved with the running of the Worshipful Company. There are plenty of opportunities!

Signing the Armed Service Covenant This will be between Court and the Supper and will be in the presence of our Military Affiliations and the Lady Mayoress.

10^th April Appreciation Court Supper This is for all members and is a more relaxed event where we explain some of the mysteries of the Company #112 and Livery more generally.

Other events you need to book include:

16^th to 18^th May Weekend Away in Bristol A fun weekend to bring your partners and spouses where you can meet other members. It includes a dinner, a wine-tasting and a visit to the Business school as well as visiting some of the sights of Bristol. Here is the itinerary and some central hotels All in all, a very good value weekend.

21^st May New Freeman Breakfast The Master and Wardens are looking forward to welcoming all Freemen to a special breakfast event on Wednesday 21st May, at 8am for 8.30am.

For the more sporting of you we have a number of events coming up.

11^th June Second Wednesday Drinks – interested in the Livery Skiing? Come along for the Drinks and here the plans, hot off the press, for January 2026.

We are also off to the races for the Windsor evening meet on 16^th June. It really is a delightful evening; remarkably good value and you get to go there by boat!

Contact Amy Hopper if you are interested in joining the Bisley Shooting day. Tribe is having its Annual Golf Day on 11^th September and on 19/20^th September there is The City Livery Sailing Challenge at Seaview on the Isle of Wight.

So, what did we do in March?

On the 3^rd we held Make an Impact at SBREC by the Guildhall. It was a very good evening despite two late speaker cancellations. We had presentations by LBS and Paddy Willis on his business simulations for schools as well as Ben Martin and myself talking about what Education and Outreach is up to.

4th March was Shrove Tuesday and the Annual Livery Pancake Race. Held in Guildhall Yard it was quite a spectical with alsorts of teams including ones for the Ladies and Fancy Dress, see the Framework Knitter! Us Masters were all there in our robes wearing chef’s hats and aprons. The pans are very heavy! I am thinking this is one for next year. Anyone want to organise a team?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master Framework Knitter at the Pancake Race

Colin Spiller did a very well attended Master Class on funding startups at London Business School.

Friday 7^th of that very busy first week saw the Clerk and I up at Judge Business School in time for an 8:30  presentation by Chris Judge of how his father and mother set up the school in the nineties. It was a packed   auditorium and Lady Judge added much colour.

 

 

 

 

The Master and Clerk with Chris and Lady Judge and the Dean

We then rushed back to the City to join Paddy Willis at Haberdashers Hall for the afternoon session of the Livery Entrepreneurs Challenge. There were schools from 6 livery companies and they were very engaged.  The morning had started with a couple of presentations from Freeman Rakhitha Dias and Past Master Rick Lowe on their experiences starting and running businesses. This was then followed by quite a number of rounds on business simulation software, each of which measured different aspects of running a company. The buzz in the room was palpable with a highly competitive element. It was a close call but the Haberdashers won which pleased their Master and our host! Well done, Paddy! Thank you also to all those who supported.

 

Rakhitha Dias at the Livery Entrepreneur Challenge  

The middle of the month was quieter with the Second Wednesday drinks as usual. There was a good crowd along with lots of guests. Please do come along if you are able.

Stephen Wheatley and I did some judging at London Business School for a course to develop ideas that met the UN sustainable development goals. Very early-stage presentations where we were asked to give feedback on the presentations and the issues they will come up against.

The 24^th March Celebration of Livery & Charity event sponsored by Tony Matharu was a great success. As is   always the case, he looked after us very well! Thank you, Tony! Lots of delicious eats and good company. He also talked to us about Integrity International Trust and some of the work they are doing. He opened with a powerful video on the Indian Ocean Tsunami and what they did to help. He also brought along a hamper which we raffled. Charlie Hunt was the lucky winner!

  

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Hunt won the hamper kindly donated by Tony Matharu

The next day was the Clothing of the first 41 Livery men and women of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs, number 112 in order of precedence. It was a very good event at Drapers Hall. Everyone was in their best ‘bib and tucker’, gowns were donned and photographs taken. See the photo at the head of this newsletter. I was intending to put in a bit about Livery here but we do not have enough space so come along to the 7^th April Quarterly Zoom call (6pm).  We were joined by the Lord Mayor who gave a short speech. The Mercers had very generously sent us some Pol Roger with which to celebrate, it did slip down rather nicely!

Spring Lunch at The Reform Club

This was followed by the Spring Lunch at the Reform Club. We were joined by City Consorts and the Silversmiths who made the Patron’s Goblets. All in all, we were some 80 people and enjoyed a fine meal with two speeches, the first from the Lady Mayoress and then one by Liverywoman Belinda Back on her journey as a FFE (Foreign Female Entrepreneur).  This was followed by a tour of the Club.

The week was ended with the United Guilds Service at St Paul’s with a very good sermon by the Dean of Southward Cathedral which contrasted self-esteem with self-awareness. Very apt for the international scene at the moment. This was followed by what has now become a bit of a tradition with a curry at Carpenters Hall. Unusually this was not as well attended as it has been in past years by the Entrepreneurs.

There were a number of unofficial, but very welcome, gatherings including a Ladies Lunch at Ham Yard Hotel
very well organised by Tee Dobinson. Other posses were also found at The Gender Index 2025 launch and at Anthropy 25 at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

 

 

 

 

The survivors of the Ham Yard Hotel lunch.  Kate Jolly and Sandra R-D were also there.

Some successes during March:

Tony Matharu’s Blue Orchid Hotels won some awards. No surprise there after we were looked after so well for the Celebration event! Sandra Roycroft-Davis  launched her book "The Weight's Over" which went straight in the Sunday Times Bestseller list! Amy Hopper got a place at Oxford to study for a Masters in the Science in Sociology. Even a Britain’s Got Talent performer for proud Dad Patrick Smith of Tribe!

Ruby Sayed was re-elected as a Common Councillor for Ward of Farringdon Without. Middle Warden Jat Wasu is a Patron’s Award Finalist. Nate Burke with Diginius was awarded Microsoft Advertising’s global channel partner of the year award. Charlie Hunt, as mentioned above won the hamper at the Celebration event.

I am sure that I have missed a number more and apologies where I have done. Do let me know in future.

Do let me know if there is an event that you want to organise. Always feel free to bring along guests.

I am off to Brisbane and will be away from 11^th April to 1^st May. The Immediate Past Master, Mark Huxley, and the Wardens, Jat Wasu and Rita W Bologna, will be more than happy to help with any questions or thoughts you have. If you don’t already have their details, email the Clerk and he will forward it on.

All the very best for Easter

Yours
James Talbot
Master