Is summer really here? If Monday evening’s excursion to Windsor Races was anything to go by, it certainly is! Thank you, Shernaz, for organising a wonderful event and all the more so for going via river boat.

Summer Banquet – Book Now!

No. 112 has been relatively quiet this June. My focus is on making our Summer Banquet one to remember. And it certainly will be with Letters Patent, Admissions and Clothings, not to mention a fabulous reception and banquet in Mansion House. Please sign up now and don’t forget to register for Letters Patent, it’s free to members but there is limited space.

As you know, we are keen to get as many people there as possible and I am attaching an invite with a link which you can send to anyone you know, especially business owners, who will like to come. The great thing is that guests can register and bring a ‘plus one’ at their own expense! Here is the link so that you can pop it into an email https://www.entrepreneurscompany.org/optevent/evt-000142-437

The next Master’s Quarterly Zoom is on 7^th July. This is a good opportunity to find out what is going on and how you can get involved. There is much going on as we organise next year particularly on the Outreach and the Education front, so do come along and find out more as I hope we will be able to make some announcements here. It is also a very good place to ask questions so register here for the link. It will be my first public appearance after my abseiling!

On that point, if you have not already heard, I am abseiling down the Cheesegrater on 4^th July for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal and here is your opportunity to donate😊

 

TO ALL AND SINGULAR…

Work on our Letters Patent is going very well indeed, with heraldic calligrapher Tim Noad MBE now busily sketching the decorative aspects of the document - these include lithesome dragons, starbursts, and cheeky nods to St Ethelburga, and that auspicious number 112…

The Clerk, along with the Hon. Historian James Mellor, will be visiting Tim to see the work in progress later this month.

The London Archives has arranged to have the finished document scanned in high resolution - plans are already afoot for life-sized (well, maybe half-sized) souvenir editions!

Now May was a hugely busy month - with two big events! The first was The Confidence Code Conference for the Livery Committee and was organised by Our DEI team (with help from the WCIT). Here is a link to the Livery Committee’s writeup of the event. Well done all and especially Veronica Heaven, Amy Hopper, Debbie Hatchwell, Richard Savage, Amy Hopper, Kate Jolly and Talan Skeels-Piggins. I am sure there were others. It was also great that they got along the Lady Mayoress, Florence King, and next year’s Lady Mayor, Dame Sue Langley (subject to election, of course!).

The second event was the EASI Final, which also featured the Needlemakers’ Award in Advanced Needle Technology (ANT). This is a first and well-done Judy Hadden and John Burton for bringing all this together with the rest of the EASI team. Here is a link to Debbie Hatchwell’s article for more about a very success evening.

Talking of ‘Subject to Election’ Midsummer Common Hall is on Tuesday 24^th with a lunch following. Please contact the Clerk if you want a seat at lunch, which is sold out (on paper). There are two Common Halls a year, the Midsummer one (24^th June) where the Sheriffs are elected, and Michaelmas Day (29 September) when it is the turn of the Lord Mayor. To be eligible to vote, you have to have been made a Liveryman before the May a year earlier. This means that for those of us Clothed in March, the earliest we can vote is next June, 2026.

Shernaz has been busy. Not only has she organised the Windsor Racing but also a female freemen lunch and outing to the Vogue: Inventing the Runway. Much fun was had by all. Well done, Shernaz! These are not only great fun but also very good opportunities to build relationship and network. This is always a good reason to come to the Second Wednesday Drinks, the next one is on 9^th July.

There is a lot going on behind the scenes. This covers things like Livery Croquet, the 100 Plus Club (a bit like the Great 12 but for Liveries with numbers 100 or more!) and the Drapers’ Company celebrating our promotion. A big thank you to Rita, Hani and the others on the Summer Banquet Sponsorship team. There are still opportunities for the evening including Sprigs (our equivalent of tables), wine and Aldermen.

I look forward to seeing you and your guests at the Summer Banquet.

Dare  Create  Succeed

James