Sheriffs Peter J Cook and Alderman David Wootton were in office
2009 / 2010.
See their speeches and events for 2009.
Hackney Carriage drivers magical taxi tour
For 17 years the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers
has been organizing a three-day trip to EuroDisney for
children who are receiving treatment for serious illnesses.
Just imagine the organization associated with 100 taxis each
with an excited young person, a carer and a friend or
brother/sister plus a travelling team of back up medical staff,
break down services and police and gendarme escorts. This is a
undertaken each year by the Hackney Carriages Company, with many
other Liveries “sponsoring a cab”.
It is a fantastic team effort under the masterful direction of
Phill Davis, with so many people providing time, taxi cabs, and
many other facilities free of charge.
The sight of so many children, who have major challenges in
their lives, full of excitement and anticipation, happiness and joy
is a wonder to behold as the picture shows.
If your Company would like to find out more contact the Clerk,
Mary Whitworth telephone number – 0149476592
First City of London (Lord Mayor’s Own) Scout group
Way back in 1911, a scout group whose membership, at that time
was drawn from the choir boys of All Hallows Church Tower Hill, was
granted the title “The Lord Mayor’s Own” together with the right to
wear the Lord Mayor’s Badge in perpetuity.
Today the First City of London (Lord Mayor’s Own) is the only
scout group in the City and its members are drawn principally from
the City,Tower Hamlets,Islington & Hackney
This scout group is considered to be one of the most active
groups in Central London, leading the way in the provision of an
attractive programme of activity for the young people of today. All
sections are open to both boys and girls.
The Lord Mayor and Sheriff Peter Cook visited the Group and saw
the Beaver Scout Colony, the Cub Scout Pack, the Scout Troop and
Explorer Scout Section all working very hard at their meeting place
at Sir John Cass School.
Presently the group have a need to find a new facility to store
their equipment, if any reader might be able to help contact John
Cronin on 07774 426966
Worshipful Company of Turners present door gavels to the Old
Bailey
Following the presentation of the Turners’ competition prizes at
the beginning of June, Sheriff Peter Cook enquired whether or not
the Turners would be prepared to make special gavels for the Old
Bailey to allow the corridor attendants who knock the Judges into
Court each day. The Master readily agreed to this and these
were presented to the four corridor attendants in the Sheriff’s
apartment.
Each gavel was perfectly formed and made of a different wood and
each of the corridor attendants chose two of these gavels for their
work in the Old Bailey. This donation of an assortment of
different woods was much appreciated by the attendants and will be
a valuable feature within the Old Bailey for many years to
come.
Award of Master Craft Certificates
The Construction Liveries Group and the Liveries Skills Council
have been working on the re-establishment of Master Craftsmen
Certificates in the building trades.
In many respects this is returning to the very roots on which
the ancient Guilds of the Middle Ages were founded.
At the beginning of June Sheriff Peter Cook, himself a veteran
of the construction industry, presented Awards to Plumbers,
Carpenters and Lightmongers at a prestigious ceremony held in
Carpenters’ Hall. These Awards included not only Master Craftsmen
but also Journeymen and Apprentices.
Those receiving Awards were:
Master Carpenter – Lewis McKenzie; James
McLaughlin & Brian Uttley
Master Lightmonger – Robert Harris
Master Plumber – John Verrall; Mark Joseph; David
Lambert
Journeyman Lightmonger – Richard Sagar &
Chris Young
Journeyman Plumber – Bradley Ellis; Michael
Hitches & Daniel Harris
Apprentice Lightmonger – Matthew Williams
Apprentice Plumber – Luke Stockwell; Lee Crips
& Jamie Cade
City of London Festival
The aims of the City of London Festival are to revitalize the
cultural life of the City for at least two weeks, and normally
more, in early summer.
With funding from the City of London Corporation and support
from many City companies, institutions and individuals the Festival
is an inspiration for the renewal of the Square Mile’s cultural
life. Concerts are held in Livery Halls, Churches, The Mansion
House, the Guildhall and many other venues.
This year the Festival opened on 21 June with a concert to mark
the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Frédéric Chopin. After the
concert people made their way into the Guildhall Yard to see and
listen to 21 pianos performing the 21 Nocturne.
During the period of the Festival which this year ran from 21
June to 6 August, 21 street pianos were placed throughout the
‘Square Mile’ and beyond, located in public gardens, streets and
squares for any member of the public to play and engage with.
Election of Sheriffs for 2010-2011
One of the duties of the Sheriffs is to act as returning
officers, along with the Common Serjeant, in the election of the
two Sheriffs for the ensuing year.
The election of the Sheriffs always takes place on Mid Summer
Day and is held in the Guildhall. This year there were but two
candidates in nomination and they were:
- Catherine Fiona Woolf CBE – Alderman and Solicitor
- Thomas Richard Sermon MBE – Citizen and Wheelwright
As a result both Fiona Woolf and Richard Sermon were duly
elected to serve the office of Sheriff for the year 2010-2011.
They will take up their posts on 28 September 2010 at a ceremony
to be held in the Guildhall at 12 noon.
Lord Mayor’s Visit to Birmingham
The Lord Mayor spends between 80 and 90 days each year on
overseas travel promoting the financial and professional services
of the City of London.
He also spends time visiting many of the other great cities in
the United Kingdom listening and learning about their strengths and
challenges. He also outlines the work he is doing on behalf of the
total UK financial services industry.
This year one of those cities was Birmingham and who better to
accompany him on this visit than local Birmingham boy Sheriff Peter
Cook.
To give some idea of the many topics covered on a Lord Mayor’s
visit the day in Birmingham included meetings and discussions
covering
- “Gaining Business in Islamic Markets”,
- “Touring the Matthew Boulton College’s Financial Services
Academy”,
- “Understanding how the West Midlands promotes collaborative
working between professional firms”,
- “Observing how inward investment by Indian business had created
nearly 1000 new jobs”.
These are just a few examples of a very busy schedule that the
Lord Mayor undertakes whenever he visits an area in the UK or
abroad and there are always interviews with the press.
Morden College
Situated in Blackheath, South East London, Morden College is a
long standing charity which has been providing residential care for
over 300 years.
Sir John Morden, who was Sheriff of the City of London and
Master Grocer, founded Morden College in 1695 for “poor
Merchants….. and such as have lost their Estates by accidents,
dangers and perils of the seas or by any other accidents, ways and
means in their honest endeavours to get their livings by means of
Merchandising”.
Originally all its residents had to be members of the Church of
England and they were required to attend Chapel twice a day. At
that time there were seven trustees who were chosen from the East
India Company, then on its demise trustees were chosen from the
Aldermen of the City of London.
Today the original buildings still stand and are in use, having
been totally modernized, but many more have been erected with other
homes being located in Blackheath and Beckenham forming part of the
College.
If you are ever in Blackheath, Morden College is well worth a
visit.
London Taxi Drivers’ Fund for Underprivileged Children
In 1928 a taxi driver named Nick Cohen, who had grown up in the
Norwood Orphanage, recruited twelve drivers to organize an outing
and raise money for the Home. The Norwood orphans, their teachers
and the drivers travelled by coach on a tour around London before
arriving at London Zoo, where they were treated to tea.
The London Tax Drivers’ Fund for Underprivileged Children was
born.
This year saw some 82 taxis decorated with balloons and many
others depicting an assortment of different items, including a mock
police car, assembled in Victoria Park, Hackney. All the “cabbies”
gave of their own time and money to arrange this day and some 250
children with carers were off on their annual outing to
Southend.
After the Lady Mayoress, accompanied by Sheriff & Mrs Cook,
had spoken with nearly all the children and the team of wonderful
volunteers who had organized this great treat, the time arrived for
everyone to be on their way. The Lady Mayoress gave the signal for
the BIG ADVENTURE to commence and this great fleet of taxis set off
with police escorts on their journey of fun and enjoyment.
Sheriffs’ Charity Dinner in Aid of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal
The location is Plaisterers’ Hall where nearly three hundred
people came to enjoy an evening with guest speakers and support the
Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
The speakers were Christopher Martin-Jenkins, for 40 years a
commentator for the BBC on Test Match Special, and Justin Webb, one
of the BBC Radio 4 presenters of the Today programme and previously
the Washington correspondent for BBC TV. Their stories of
cricketers old and new, memorable experiences in all parts of the
cricketing world coupled with an insight into the workings of an
American presidential campaign and other interesting lesser known
aspects of American life held the large audience spellbound.
Thanks to these very interesting and informative expositions by
two excellent raconteurs people were moved to be generous in the
ensuing Silent Auction.
The end result, a very happy and contented audience who had
enjoyed a wonderful evening, and at the same time, had helped to
contribute over £50,000 towards the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
City of London Salute to the Battle Britain and RAF World War 2
Veterans
The 70th Anniversary year of the Battle of Britain was
remembered with a Commemoration Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on 7
September. It was a fitting tribute to all those military and
civilian personnel who played a part, both large and small, in the
success of the Battle of Britain during 1940.
The Service, attended by HRH The Duke of Kent KG, the Lord Mayor
and Sheriffs and most importantly some 2000 Royal Air Force
Association members, including some RAF World War II veterans. It
was a very moving experience for all who filled the great
Cathedral. During the Service the immortal words of Sir Winston
Churchill “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by
so many to so few” were read out followed by an air raid siren
sounding to start a minute’s silence.
After the Service a fly past of a Dakota, Lancaster Bomber and
Spitfire rekindled memories of those dark days 70 years ago which
signaled the first days of the Blitz. And then a grand march past
by the RAF of today and yester year, highlighted by the veterans,
many still proudly marching past the Duke of Kent and Lord Mayor,
who took the salute.
Firefighters’ Memorial Service, Parade and Wreath-laying
Ceremony
The church of St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield was
packed to the rafters with members of the fire service, family and
friends from all over the country. Sheriff Peter Cook and Mrs Cook
represent the Lord Mayor who was in China.
This service, parade and wreath laying ceremony commemorated the
lives of those who have given their own lives in the service of
others. At the service the colours of all the different fire
brigade divisions throughout the country were on parade and formed
a spectacular backcloth behind the altar.
After the service, lead by the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
Service Band, the congregation paraded from St Bartholomew the
Great to the United Kingdom Firefighters National Memorial, which
faces the south door of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Here there was a very moving act of remembrance to those whose
names are inscribed on the memorial and have died in the service of
their country by fire flood and accident. In 2010, those present
particularly paid tribute to two Firefighters from the Hampshire
Fire and Rescue service who had died during the year:
- Alan Bannon and James Shears
Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Firefighters Memorial Trust,
HRH The Princess Royal; The Lord Mayor of the City of London; the
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for the Fire
Service; the Chairman of the GLA Fire Authority along with
representatives of all the Fire Services in the country and many
friends and relatives of those firefighters who given their lives
in the course of duty.
The National Firefighters Memorial was a mass of colour and a
fitting tribute to all those very brave men and women who had paid
the ultimate in the service of others.
The Lord Mayor’s 800th Anniversary Awards Trust
Logo from 800th Awards brochure
In 1989, to celebrate 800 years of the Mayoralty of London, the
then Lord Mayor, Sir Christopher Collett, established the Lord
Mayor’s 800th Anniversary Awards as his charity appeal.
The Awards, which are allocated twice a year, are designed to
provide opportunity for young people (between the ages of 15 &
25) to broaden their experience and develop their confidence and
ability for the future.
Grants are made for a variety of projects including;
- Travel overseas for educational purposes, or to participate in
community or environmental schemes
- Special training to learn new skills, to gain experience and
qualifications to improve a young person’s ability to find
employment
- Adventure training, to enable young people to take up places on
recognized schemes
Examples of where grants have been made in recent years are:
- Raleigh International expedition
- Assisting in Romanian orphanages
- Undertaking medical electives in hospitals overseas
- Acting as student teachers all over the world
- Carrying out environmental research in South America
Nearly 100 grants are made each, with sums ranging from £100 to
£1,000 depending on the type of project involved.
Through the award scheme, it is hoped to stimulate young
people’s interest in the history, current role and future of the
Mayoralty and Corporation of the City of London.
Interested as contributor or recipient? Please contact
The Advisor
The Lord Mayor’s 800th Anniversary Awards Trust
Email
lm800aat@hotmail.com
Bubbly and ballet at the Bailey
This was an evening organized by the Sheriffs’ ladies in order
to raise funds for the Sheriffs’ & Recorders’ Fund, a charity
which helps prisoners go straight when they are released from
prison.
An idea was born which involved combining the setting of the Old
Bailey’s Grand Hall and a ballet performance to provide an
entertaining evening.
This concept was realised by the final year students of the
Central Ballet School presenting three short ballet performances at
the Old Bailey which caught the imagination of many
people.
The result was that over 250 people attended the
performances given in early July.
Not only was the audience entertained to a ballet display of the
very highest standard by some of the emerging stars of the future,
but also to top quality refreshment.
Thanks to all the guests and numerous donations a sum of £15,000
was raised for the Sheriffs’ & Recorders’ Fund.
The Sheriffs and their ladies thank all those who took part as
performers, helpers, donors and audience for their support.
City of London Guides
Every year literally hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the
City Of London and they all want to learn about the history and
traditions associated with the City.
Each year an intensive and detailed course is run in order to
train new guides to conduct parties around the City and advise them
of historic and present day activities within the Square Mile.
This is a very prestigious course, which involves a whole year
of lectures and assignments and leads to the award of the Red Badge
to the successful candidates. It is a course that is always
over-subscribed and just 36 carefully selected candidates make it
to the starting line each year.
Run by the City of London Corporation, it culminates in an
awards and graduation ceremony and this year the Lady Mayoress and
Sheriff Peter Cook presented all the successful candidates with
their Certificate and Badges of office.
It was a very proud day for all those newly qualified guides as
they received acknowledgement for all their efforts in front of
family, friends, tutors and mentors.
We wish them all well as they promote our great City of London
to all those who visit us from all over the world.
Jailed and bailed
Just imagine you have the authority to send your wife to be
imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Well that happened to one of your Sheriffs this year.
In fairness, this was part of a Charity event to raise funds for
the Red Cross.
At a semi-serious trial of some 19 Masters and one Sheriff’s
wife accused of a vast array of trumped up charges, all were found
guilty. Under the guidelines issued by the Minister for Injustice,
the Sheriff was obliged to sentence all the “guilty” parties to be
locked up in the Tower.
The comforting factor for all concerned was, that on the raising
of at least £1,000 bail money, all of which went to the Red Cross,
each of the guilty parties was immediately bailed and released.
For the Sheriff this was critical, otherwise without his escort
he would be totally lost and unlikely to attend future functions on
time and correctly dressed.
For the Red Cross this was a successful event, in that it raised
approximately £25,000 for their outstanding work.
Visit to West Ham Park
West Ham Park provides leisure facilities for everyone in the
area of London E7. These vary from the beautiful gardens to the
children's playground, from cricket and football pitches
to children's entertainment, indeed something for everyone no
matter what their taste.
Why would the Lady Mayoress, the Sheriff and Sheriffs’ ladies be
visiting this remarkable establishment?
The reason is simple – The City of London Corporation own and
run it. Not only do they provide a wide variety of leisure
activities for the local residents, but they grow the bedding
plants for the Corporation’s other parks and the numerous green
spaces within the City. They produce over a quarter of a million
plants for bedding out within the Square Mile.
On the occasion of the Mayoral visit the Lady Mayoress opened a
new “poly tunnel”. This is like a very sophisticated greenhouse,
but constructed of polythene, which allows plants to be propagated
under carefully controlled conditions thus ensuring plants are
produced as and when they are required within the City or in other
Corporation Parks.
The City of London's Markets
Each year the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs, with their ladies,
visit the City of London Markets early in the morning to understand
how they operate, who operates within them and what their current
challenges are.
Originally the three Markets of Billingsgate for fish,
Smithfield for meat and poultry and Spitalfields for fruit and
vegetables were all located within the Square Mile.
Today Billingsgate is located in Docklands, Spitalfields in
Leyton and only Smithfield is still within the City boundary.
They are, however, all very vibrant and active, hives of
activity with a great combination of traditional and modern day
skills. They are full of wonderful characters who have seen their
markets develop and change over countless years of trading.
Billingsgate with most of its fish imported from abroad,
supplies the majority of restaurants and small retailers in the
London area and the general public, particularly at weekends.
Spitalfields has by far and away the largest volume of turnover
of the three Markets, again with produce being flown in from all
over the world.
Smithfields, although it remains on its site in the heart of the
City has been modernised with much mechanical and automatic
handling of meat carcasses. The number of stall holders in the
Market is fewer than the other two, with some stall holders being
third generation occupants of their family location.
The Lord Mayor's Appeal and the Cricket Diversity Dinner
Throughout the year there are many different activities in
support of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal – this year's being Pitch
Perfect.
The Cricket Diversity Dinner is an illustration of one of these
events and involves over 450 people who came to dinner in Guildhall
in order to support the Lord Mayor’s chosen charity.
The main speaker for the evening was the Rt Hon Sir John Major,
himself a well known cricket lover.
As well as Sir John Major the Guildhall had many past and
present test cricketers in attendance, giving their time to support
Pitch Perfect.
Ricky Ponting brought most of the current Australian touring
team, The current England team were represented by Ryan Sidebottom,
Graham Swann and Matt Prior. A host of well known test match stars
from previous teams such as Merv Hughes, Rodney Hogg, Mike Gatting,
Michael Vaughan, Barry Richards and Devon Malcolm to mention but a
few, were also there lending their support.
Mark Nicholas hosted a debate on various aspects of the present
day cricket scene with an international team of cricket’s greats,
made up of Barry Richards, Ricky Ponting, Graham Swann and Mohammed
Iqbal.
At the end of the evening, thanks to the activities of all those
present and a live and silent auction, a sum of over £80,000 was
raised for Pitch Perfect.
Schools outside the City which have a special relationship with
the City of London Corporation
The Sheriffs visit three schools all of which have a special
relationship with the City of London. All of them have been at one
time located either in the City or Greater London and moved out to
the countryside.
Today Aldermen and Common Councilmen from the City of London
Corporation sit on the Board of Governors of these three schools
and each year the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs visit them on their
Speech Days.
They are:
Christ’s Hospital at Horsham, which moved from the City at the
end of the 19th Century and now has many fine purpose built
buildings.
The City of London Freemen’s School at Ashtead, Surrey which was
established in1880 as an orphanage for the children of Freemen who
had passed away. Originally located in Brixton it moved to its
present location at Ashtead Park in1930. Having bought an Estate
and a Park the grounds of the school are very extensive.
King Edwards School, Witley which is part of the King Edward VII
Foundation established by the boy King in 1553. Founded originally
as Bridewell Hospital it became a school and moved firstly to
Southwark before moving to Witley, where the City already owned the
land on which it is presently located.
All three schools illustrate the investment over more than 100
years that the City has made in educating young and often
disadvantaged children. They are all great examples of what can be
achieved from people and all parts of society working together with
a common goal.
If you have a chance, arrange to visit them and see for yourself
the great job they are doing.
Visit to Greece
The economic climate in Greece in June 2010 is, as most people
will be well aware, a difficult and challenging one.
The Lord Mayor’s visit in June had two major objectives:
- To understand the true position of the Greek Government in
order to seek ways whereby the City of London could assist in
progressing solutions.
- To reinforce the City of London’s activities in supporting the
Greek Shipping Industry.
In terms of supporting the Greek Shipping Industry the Lord
Mayor visited numerous functions associated with the bi-annual
Posedonia Shipping Conference, where he delivered a series of
keynote speeches. These speeches included reference to the strong
links established between the City of London and the Greek Shipping
Industry over many many years, the breadth of expertise and
experience based in London such as Lloyds of London, Lloyds
Register, the London Maritime Arbitration Service, and the Baltic
Exchange.
In order to understand the policies and plans of the Greek
Government in tackling its own debt problems, meetings were held
with Prime Minister Papendrou, Finance Minister Mr George
Papakonstantinou and Economy & Shipping Minister Mrs Louka
Katseli, as well as leading banking and financial service
officials. In all these discussions offers to host inward visits to
London by Ministers and Senior Officials in the Financial Services
Sector were extended by the Lord Mayor.
Dinner to the Bankers and Merchants of London
This is the occasion when the Chancellor of the Exchequer makes
his “Annual Mansion House Speech” about the state of the
economy.
This year it was eagerly awaited as it was George Osborne’s
maiden Mansion House speech.
We had, therefore, a packed Egyptian Hall who were not
disappointed in what they heard.
The key impressions left with the non-Aldermanic Sheriff were
threefold:
- The strength and benefit of an agreed approach between the
Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England was felt
throughout the Hall.
- The optimism, that the Coalition Government could work and may
well be a good thing, was very noticeable.
- The relief that the pound is not in the Eurozone was very
obvious even to the extent of expressing gratefulness to Gordon
Brown for keeping the UK out.
An evening with which the Lord Mayor, who set the scene for the
Chancellor and Governor to respond to, will have been well
pleased.
Harold Wincott Press & Broadcasting Awards
Harold Wincott was a very distinguished financial journalist who
died in 1969. In honour of an outstanding man an Award Scheme was
established in 1970 and has been made for the past 40 years. These
awards, both senior and junior, have in their time been won by many
of the journalists who are today City Editors.
At the Award Ceremony, besides the presentations made to the
winners listed below a keynote address is given by an eminent
person in the world of finance. This year it was Paul Volcker,
Chairman of President Obama’s Economic Advisory Board.
The winners of the 2009 Harold Wincott Awards were:
| Senior Financial Journalist |
John Authers (The Financial Times) |
| Personal Financial Journalist |
Jeff Prestridge (Financial Mail) |
| Young Financial Journalist |
Christopher Cook (The Financial Times) |
| On Line Media Award |
Stephanie Flanders (BBC) |
Television Programme
|
The Bank that Bust the World (BBC London Factual for
BBC2) |
| Business News/Current Affairs |
Crash! How long will it last (Quicksilver Media for C4
Dispatches) |
| Radio Broadcast |
The Day that Lehman Dies (Goldhawk Essential production/BBC
World Service News and Current Affairs) |
| Joint Winners |
The Economy on the Edge (BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC
World Service and Radio Four) |
|
100th Anniversary of Girl Guiding UK
Who said the Sheriffs’ life isn’t an interesting and varied
one?
Well, we can assure you that it is very varied and very
interesting. Take just one of our activities on Wednesday, 21
April, when we made a flying visit to the Guildhall to briefly join
in the celebrations to mark the 100th Anniversary of Girl Guiding
UK.
There were around 500 guests present varying from the Chief
Guide to new Brownies, from the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, who
was a guide herself, to members of the Mansion House staff who were
present day guide leaders.
The Lady Mayoress made the speech, because she had been a very
active girl guide, not so long ago and this followed the speech of
welcome by the Chief Guide. In it we learned how it all began 100
years ago when a handful of girls at a Boy Scout Rally in 1909
decided to start their own equivalent organisation. In those 100
years many millions of girls have benefited from its guidance and
teaching that have added to and changed their lives. They have
explored new interests, developed their potential and have had a
lot of fun in a safe and supportive environment.
The Sheriffs and their wives had a wonderful time talking to as
many Guides and Brownies as possible, learning about badges,
hearing about camping and expeditionary exploits and having their
photographs taken with lots of people.
For more information log onto
www.girlguiding.org.uk.
Lord Mayor’s Visit to Romania as seen through a Sheriff’s
Eyes
Question - So what does a Sheriff do on a Lord Mayor’s
visit?
Answer - Accompanies him on all his
appointments and takes every opportunity to communicate to hosts
the benefits of coming to the City of London for Financial &
Professional Business services. Sets an example of the depth of
expertise available and illustrates the friendly welcome that can
be expected by using London as the host nation’s centre of
excellence.
What did the visit to Romania achieve and how was it
organised?
Four of the numerous objectives of the visit were:
- Explaining how UK Financial Services expertise could help
accelerate the pace of Romania’s development.
- Translating Romania’s interest in PPP into concrete projects
with British expertise.
- Promoting standardisation of qualifications through
professional bodies and organisations.
- Assisting to raise the profile of the wider British presence in
Romania.
The organisation of these overseas visits is a combined team
effort with many players, the key involvement being from the
Embassy, The Mansion House, UKTI and members of the Trade
Delegation accompanying the Lord Mayor.
For this Romanian visit, which took place from 26-28 April, an
incredibly busy schedule had been arranged. It included official
calls on President Baserai, Prime Minister Boc, Finance Minister
Vladesai, Justice Minister Predoiu, Opposition Leader Porta and
Governor Isarisai, Head of the National Bank of Romania.
On these calls the Lord Mayor holds conversation with his host
during which views are exchanged on subjects of mutual interest,
taking the opportunity to include in the strictly controlled 50
minute appointment all the items contained within the team’s
objectives. These sessions require an immense level of
concentration, particularly on the part of the Lord Mayor who has
to accommodate different personalities, with differing approaches
and often only a short time between them.
The Lord Mayor was very good indeed in very quickly establishing
a working rapport with everyone he met which was of great benefit
and assistance in building relations between the UK and
Romania.
The Ambassador’s excellent work in arranging appointments with
the very top officials within Romania was fully capitalized by the
Lord Mayor. The door that had been opened by the Ambassador had
definitely been opened much wider when the Lord Mayor left.
However, meeting with Government officials was only part of
the itinerary of the Lord Mayor’s visit. It also included a seminar
presentation on PPP for Romanian officials and businessmen, a
seminar presentation by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
England & Wales “Building a Sustainable Economic Future” where
the Lord Mayor made keynote addresses on both occasions, speaking
at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony between the
National Association of Romanian Bars and the Law Society of
England & Wales.
In between there were further meetings - with Mansion House
Scholars, meeting with and presenting Awards to charity projects in
Romania as well as meeting with Romanian businessmen organized by
the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce, the Ambassador and Allen
& Overy.
Yes, it was hectic but it was exciting and it was rewarding.
There are positive signs that already steps are being implemented
to progress PPP, and we are expecting the Finance Minister and
Governor of the bank to attend the Bankers’ Dinner in Mansion House
in June.
The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals – Sheriffs’
Award 2010
May saw the launch of the 2010 Sheriffs’ Awards for Bravery and
Community Service. Attended by the Master, Wardens, Court Members
and representatives from the Company’s affiliation with the Army,
Navy and Air Force along with Alderman & Sheriff David Wootton,
Sheriff Peter Cook and the Chief of the City of London Police
Force, Commander Mike Bowren, the Master outlined the objectives of
the Awards’ Scheme (see previous article here, October 2009
outlining the presentation of the 2009 Awards).
Alderman & Sheriff David Wootton spoke about the two
Sheriffs’ wholehearted support for the scheme, highlighting the
fact that this was exactly the method for modern Livery Companies
to promote their activities and vividly illustrate the relevance of
Livery Companies in the 21st Century.
Both Sheriffs wished the Company every success with the 2010
Awards and for their future development.
Anyone requiring further information on the Bravery &
Community Award Scheme should contact
Clerk@wcosp.org
2009 Dragon Award Winner – Cambridge House
The Lord Mayor’s Dragon Awards recognise and reward businesses and
organisations with exemplary corporate community involvement
projects.
Cambridge House is a charitable organisation in Southwark
offering a number of services to alleviate the local effects of
poverty and to support social change. This charity was established
at the end of the 19th Century by young Cambridge graduates taking
a ‘gap year’ and working with the poor and needy.
Broadgate Estates and Knightsbridge Guarding entered into a
joint community involvement programme with Cambridge House which
led to them winning the Social Responsibility Dragon Award in
2009.
The objective of their support is to build the management and
administrative capacity of Cambridge House and help it to become
more commercial and efficient.
The charity has benefitted from 28 days of pro-bono specialist
consultancy on buildings and facilities development and allows it
to focus on what it does best – helping young people.
The visit gave an in-depth view of how the Dragon Awards Schemes
both encourage companies to increase their Corporate Social
Responsibility and motivate their staff to assist those less
fortunate, whilst at the same time seeing how the recipients
benefit from the financial and human assistance provided by the
company’s involvement.
St Bartholomews’ Hospital View Day
View Day began at Barts as an inspection of the hospital
instituted by its Governors in 1551. At that time it offered the
opportunity to review the state of the hospital during the past
year and to receive suggestions for improvements. Today, View Day
provides an opportunity for guests to find out more about the work
of the Trust and the Charity and its plans for the future.
On 12 May the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, along with the
Sheriffs and their ladies, had an enthralling visit to Barts which
included seeing the brand new oncology facilities, attending the
View Day Service in the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great
and participating in the reception in the Great Hall.
With so much exciting development going on at Barts as it
becomes a centre of excellence and one of the world’s leading
cancer and cardiac hospitals it is a fascinating place to visit and
visit again. Donations large and small come from a multiplicity of
sources and are essential to the work of the Trust and Charity.
Many Livery Companies are regular contributors and are great
supporters.
If you would like to find out more about Barts development and
how to get involved in View Days in the future log on to
www.bartsandthelondoncharity.org.uk
356th Festival of the Sons of the Clergy
The origins of this charity date back to 1655 when a group of sons
of clergymen gathered for a Service in St Paul’s Cathedral and a
collection was taken for destitute clergymen and their families.
This Festival Service, as it is now known, has continued each year
since then.
The Festival Service provides an occasion for bringing together
representatives from Church, City, Commerce, Public Life and other
supporters.
The Service on 11 May 2010 was attended by the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, Aldermen and
representatives from many of the City’s Livery Companies.
The Preacher was the Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Reverend
Alan Harper. The music which was quite outstanding and moving was
provided by the combined choirs of St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster
Abbey and Lincoln Cathedral.
Should you wish to learn more of this remarkable organization
log on to www.clergycharities.org.uk.
Welcoming the President of South Africa
Just imagine the scene – Horse Guards Parade, the troops of the
grenadier guards with their military band all resplendent in their
bearskins and winter uniforms. In come the Household Cavalry,
horses groomed to perfection, their breastplates glistening on a
sunny but cold spring morning.
On the reception dais the Lord Lieutenant of London, the Prime
Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Lord Mayor
and the two Sheriffs of the City of London. Not even mentioning all
the heads of the armed forces, the police and the Lord Mayor of
Westminster – waiting for ceremonies to commence and chatting to
each other.
Then, exactly at the allotted moment, the Queen’s car enters the
parade ground, and stops at the dais. The Queen and the Duke are
welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant who then introduces them to all the
members of the formal welcoming party assembled on the dais.
The hands of the clock above the entrance gate from Whitehall
reach 11.25 the allotted time for the President’s entourage to
arrive and, as if by magic, the cavalcade glides to a halt in front
of Her Majesty and she welcomes the President and Mrs Zuma to the
United Kingdom. Then the Queen introduces the President to all the
members of the welcoming party with the Duke of Edinburgh
introducing Mrs Zuma.
The guard of honour is inspected by the President and the band
plays the National Anthems of both South Africa and the United
Kingdom with all the pomp and circumstance for which our country is
so rightly proud.
It is a cold March morning and the sun has shone, but is time
for the Royal Party and their guests to depart in horse drawn
carriages down the Mall to Buckingham Palace. The whole procession
of eight carriages resplendent with coachmen and grooms in
full ceremonial livery and escorted by the household cavalry.
A ceremony, an occasion that this Sheriff will never forget.
Charity events
The Sheriffs in their year in office are involved in many
charity functions supporting numerous different very worthwhile
causes.
They also organise two charity events themselves to which they
invite as many people as possible to attend.
This year these two very different events are
-
Bubbly ‘n’ Ballet at the Bailey on 2 July 2010
This will involve an exciting performance of classical and
modern dance by “Ballet Central”, an inspiring troupe of young
dancers, in the Grand Hall of the Central Criminal Court.
It is in aid of the Sheriffs’ and Recorders’ Fund that aims to
give ex-offenders the chance of finding the means to get and keep a
job, a family and a home – the 'three Rs' of going straight.
and
-
An Evening with Christopher Martin-Jenkins and Justin Webb on
22 July 2010 at Plaisterers’ Hall
An opportunity to enjoy a fascinating and entertaining evening
with Christopher Martin-Jenkins of Test Match Special fame and
Justin Webb presenter of BBC 4’s Today Programme.
Two great raconteurs reminiscing about their experiences from
all over the world.”
The evening includes a reception and three course dinner with
wines. For further information on either or both of these events
please contact
peter.cook@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Andrew Strauss receives the Freedom of the City of London
The date is 1 April 2010, the location the Mansion House, the
occasion the Freedom Ceremony for the England Cricket Captain
Andrew Strauss.
As a temporary measure the Clerk to the Chamberlain’s Court,
Murray Craig, moves his office from Guildhall to Mansion House to
carry out the Freedom Ceremony for Andrew Strauss. Performed with
all the eloquence and charm, seriousness and wit for which Murray
is so renowned another great England cricketer is admitted to the
Freedom of the City, following in the footsteps of Michael Vaughan
and Darren Gough.
The ceremony was held in the North Drawing Room of the Mansion
House, with Andrew’s wife Ruth and his sisters present. The Right
Honourable The Lord Mayor, Alderman Nick Anstee, proposed and
Sheriff Peter Cook seconded that Andrew Strauss be admitted as a
Freeman of the City of London.
Visiting Treloars
What is Treloars ?
The Treloar Trust provides education, care, therapy, medical
support and independence training to young people with physical
disabilities from all over the UK and overseas. The aim is to
prepare these young people for adult life, giving them the
confidence and skills to achieve their full potential.
This remarkable enterprise received a civic visit in February
which included the Lord Mayor, the Aldermanic Sheriff, 30 Livery
Company Masters and their wives.
Treloar has more than 200 students, most of them in a
“wheelchair”, and each one needing a personalized programme suited
to their own particular disability – the teacher/student ratio is
almost 2 to 1.
Teaching and technical staff display an immense degree of
imagination and inventiveness. For example, for one young girl who
was only able to move her head, a wheelchair had been adapted so
that she was able to drive it by moving her head from left to right
on pads like ear muffs.
Students with the most severe disabilities are taught to read
and count, are encouraged to develop their artistic and creative
attributes, to make music by whatever limited movement they might
have.
Modern technology is immensely helpful but the cheerful
perseverance by all, to optimize much restricted lives is the
overwhelming characterization of Treloars.
This cheerful determined positiveness, displayed by every
student and every member of staff leaves a lasting impression on
all who visit.
To learn more visit www.treloar.org.uk
Admiral Arthur Phillip
The name of Admiral Arthur Phillip is as well known in Australia
as that of Admiral Horatio Nelson is in Britain. But, whereas, many
Australians have heard of Nelson, relatively few British people
have heard of Phillip.
This article can go some way to correcting this imbalance,
thanks to the fact that Sheriff Peter Cook deputised for the Lord
Mayor at the Britain – Australia Bicentennial Trust Commemoration
Service held on 21 January 2010. Following this service Sheriff
Cook laid a wreath at the Arthur Phillip Memorial off New Change in
honour of the Founder and First Governor of Australia.
In 1786 Arthur Phillip was appointed Captain General of the
First Fleet and Governor-designate of the colony of New South
Wales. He set sail from Portsmouth in May 1787 with 11 ships and
more than 2,500 souls, many of them being transported as punishment
for a wide variety of major and minor crimes. He arrived at Botany
Bay in January 1788 but realising that this was unsuitable to
establish a settlement, he explored northwards and found “the
finest Harbour in the world”, which today we know as Sydney.
Over the next five years he established a viable colony facing
many difficulties, food shortages, supply problems, establishing
law and order, to name but a few. Thanks to his determination and
tenacity he built the foundations for an eventually successful
colony and country that gave convicts a new chance in life.
Admiral Arthur Phillip was a Scholar, Seaman and Gentleman, the
man who founded the great City of Sydney and the Island Continent
of Australia.
Tercentenary of Sir John Cass Foundation School
On 2 February 2010 the Sir John Cass Foundation School
celebrated their tercentenary. This was marked by a Service at St
Botolph’s Church, Aldgate and a lunch at Mansion House in the
presence of His Royal highness The Duke of Gloucester KG, GCVO. The
Sheriffs and their ladies also attended these functions.
Sir John Cass’s Foundation School was opened in 1710 and takes
its name from its Founder, Sir John Cass. He was born in 1661 in
Rosemary Lane, which is now Royal Mint Street near HM Tower of
London and became an Alderman, Sheriff and MP for the City of
London.
The original school was an all age school and provided an
education for fifty boys and forty girls and was based in the
buildings in the churchyard of St Botolph-without-Aldgate. The
school flourished between 1710 and 1718, as Sir John Cass
generously provided for his independent school and all its
needs.
However, on his deathbed in 1718, Sir John had initialled only
three pages of his Will when he had a haemorrhage and died. The
contested Will was finally upheld by the Court of Chancery thirty
years after his death. Each year Cass school children still wear
red quills at the Founders’ Day Service to mark the unfortunate
manner of the Founder’s demise.
In 1965, Sir John Cass’s Foundation, along with the Department
of Education and the London County Council contributed towards the
establishment of Sir John Cass’s Foundation and Redcoat Secondary
School in Stepney In the same year, the existing school in Aldgate
became Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School and is now the
only primary school in the City of London.
Sir John Cass’s Foundation provides ongoing support to both
schools, has representatives on the Board of each school and owns
the freeholds of both school sites.
The Feltmakers’ Company - The Master’s Plough Monday
Dinner
Plough Monday is the first Monday after Epiphany, or the first
Monday after Twelfth Day, and is of ancient origin.
In early feudal times it marked the end of the Christmas
holidays when men returned to their plough or daily work. It later
became a general holiday in the fifteenth century.
The well known saying “God speed the plough” is an expression of
good wishes for success and prosperity, and comes from an old song
sung by the ploughmen.
The Sheriffs, on Plough Monday, also follow a tradition where
they also sing for their supper. The Lord Mayor in 1936 was Sir
George Broadbridge and on Plough Monday of that year he had
arranged a very important private dinner. So as a result, the
services of the two Sheriffs were not required.
The Master Feltmaker, on learning that the two Sheriffs were at
a loose end that evening promptly invited them for dinner on the
understanding that they would both make a speech. And so it has
been for the last 74 years that the two Sheriffs have spoken at the
Master’s Plough Monday Dinner. They speak on any subject of their
choosing and for a period of approximately five minutes each.
Download the 2010 speeches of Alderman and Sheriff David Wootton
and Sheriff Peter Cook here
Alderman and Sheriff David Wootton’s
speech (18kb)
Sheriff Peter Cook’s
speech (18.3kb)
The City Debate 2010
The Futures & Options Association (FOA) is a European
Industry Trade Association for firms and institutions carrying on
business in futures, options and other derivatives.
Each year for the past 15 years the FOA has organized a topical
and challenging debate with the proceeds raised going mainly to the
Lord Mayor’s Charity, Pitch Perfect.
This year’s debate held on 8 April at The Mansion House, fully
lived up to the high standards set in previous years. The theme for
the evening was “The Role of Financial Services in Managing Climate
Change”. The motion that was to be debated “This House believes
that financial markets are doing nothing to solve climate change”.
The speakers in favour of the motion were Eric Bettelheim, a Carbon
Consultant and John Vidal, Environment Editor for the Guardian.
Those speaking against the motion were James Cameron, Vice
Chairman, Climate Change Capital and Lord Teverson, Liberal
Democrats’ spokesman for energy and climate change. Keeping order
in the debate was the moderator Gillian Tett an author and award
winning journalist and, Assistant Editor of the Financial
Times.
The debate attended by the Lord Mayor Locum Tenans, Sir Michael
Savory and the two Sheriffs was lively and inspirational. All
speakers eloquently promoting their points of view and at the end
of the presentations questions and comments were garnered from the
floor. Finally the two main speakers summed up the major reasons
for supporting their point of view.
The end result was that the motion was narrowly defeated and
hence the House did not believe that financial markets were doing
nothing to solve climate change. All those present enjoyed a very
riveting, interesting and fascinating debate and at the end of the
evening money was raised for the Lord Mayor’s charity.
Presentation of City of London Sustainable City Awards
Sheriff Peter Cook, along with Lord Mayor Locum Tenens Alderman
Sir Michael Savory, attended the presentation of the City of London
Sustainability Awards.
Introduced in 2001 by the City of London Corporation, this Award
Scheme aims to recognise and reward best practice in environmental
management and sustainable development. The Awards are in ten
different categories, Sustainable Buildings, Sustainable
Procurement, Sustainable Food, Sustainable Finance, Resource
Conservation, Responsible Waste Management, Traffic Reduction &
Transport Management, Adapting to and Mitigating Climate Change,
Environmental Management of SMEs and Access to Goods & Services
for Disadvantaged Communities.
This year saw some 200 entries from various enterprises from
around the world, ranging from household names to community groups.
The Award winners were presented with their prizes by David
Kennedy, the Chief Executive of the UK’s Committee on Climate
Change. The awards ceremony took place at the Mansion House on 18
February, before an audience of over 250 people. This Awards Scheme
is undertaken by the City Corporation in conjunction with and in
partnership with various Livery Companies and a number of well
known organisations, including the Building Research Establishment,
The City Bridge Trust and Gresham College.
All the participants are totally committed to best practice in
environmental management and their enthusiasm is extremely
infectious. They practice what they preach whether they be small
projects or large.
The overall winner of the Sustainable City Award Trophy was
Green Tomatoes, the first private hire company in the UK to
exclusively use low emission vehicles in its fleet.
View the winners of the individual categories here.
Shrove Tuesday – Pancake Race
Organised by the Poulters' company in conjunction with The Cook
& The Butler
Shrove Tuesday 2010 was a grey and wet February day, but this in
no way dampened the spirits of the 24 teams taking part in the 6th
Annual Pancake Race in the Guildhall Yard. This was a display of
serious fun as each of the competitors raced around a wet
challenging course tossing their pancakes in the prescribed areas,
endeavouring to keep their hats on and beat all their opponents
across the finishing line.
But all this did not happen until the Starter/Judge had fully
explained the rules and the Chaplain of The Worshipful Company of
Poulters had given the Shrove Tuesday Blessing.
Then it was twelve midday and Sheriff Peter Cook started the
first race by firing the starting cannon kindly provided by The
Gunmakers’ Company.
Despite the inclement weather a great time was had by
competitors and spectators alike and all surplus funds were donated
to the Lord Mayor’s Charity – Pitch Perfect.
To find the results of the different races go to the
Worshipful
Company of Poulters website.