Dear All,

Happy New Year!

May your Christmas have been a time of joy and a chance to rest with your families. For me, it has been mainly carols and mince pies which has brought on the Christmas Spirit a bit earlier than I am used to! Thank you must also go to Chris Simmance who organised a very informal lunch for those of us who work alone.

We have a busy year planned and I am hoping you have found the Almanac useful in organising your diaries. Our first event is new and is online, Quarterly Zoom Update, 13th January at 6pm. It is very much the place to find out what is happening, celebrate successes and to ask questions. So, if you want to know how Court works or anything else about the Livery, this is the place to be. As it is online, I hope more of you will be able to join us. Let me know if there are is a particular topic you are interested.

As New Year’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year, the Monthly Drinks will be on the 15th January. I hope to see you there. They are a very good opportunity to meet other freemen and some of us occasionally go for a curry afterwards. As we have a number of members from industry sectors, it is also a good place to meet. If you are in insurance, the military or hospitality for instance, post on WhatsApp and get together. Don’t be bashful! There are two events I want to highlight. First is the Spring Lunch (25th March) where we have the Lady Mayoress joining us. Second is the Weekend Away in Bristol (16th -18th May) which is always a good opportunity to make friends with other Freemen. I will be circulating more details in January. For many of us, a large part of being in the Livery Movement is helping others. Our EASI Award launched in December so do get any social innovators you know to apply. Register for the EASI Showcase on 5th February here. Another popular event is Make An Impact (3rd March) where the Outreach and Education Committees celebrate some of their projects. Let me know if you want to get involved with any of them.

Before I finish, I want to remind you of our motto, “Dare, Create, Succeed”. In essence, it captures the journey that we have all been through to become a Freedman of the company. Also, it is the basis of our fellowship where we can talk about the realities business. If you know anyone who has dared, created and succeeded, do introduce them to the Company!

Wherever you are in your entrepreneurial journey, I wish you well for 2025 and look forward to seeing you soon

James Talbot Master