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FROM THE
MASTER'S DESK
COMPANY
NEWS
Beryl Jeffery, Master
St. Florian’s Banquet
It has been a busy and eventful time for me since
Common Hall and I have enjoyed attending many
events on behalf of the Company ranging from
the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to the
Lord Mayor’s show. I was privileged to be
invited to form part of the Guard of Honour
welcoming the Lord Mayor on her return to the
Mansion House after the procession. There have
also been a number of livery dinners and
lectures, events at the Mansion House and
services at St. Paul’s Cathedral, including a very
moving service for the opening of the Garden of
Remembrance, where I planted a cross on behalf
of our Company.
I enjoyed the Installation Banquet held at Cutlers’
Hall and especially the opportunity to reward the
education work of Operation Florian for
firefighting services in developing countries
overseas. We also heard from our principal
guest, Sir Nicholas Young, about the work of the
Red Cross overseas and here at home,
particularly of first response teams working in
close co-operation with fire services and located
at fire stations. I was very touched when the PR
and Marketing Group kindly presented me with a
beautiful photobook, recording my installation as
the first woman Master of the Worshipful
Company of Firefighters. I do thank them and it
will become a family heirloom!
More recently we have held what is now the
annual City Dinner, sponsored by The Catlin
Group in their restaurant at the top of their City
offices. The event has raised a considerable sum
to go into our new restricted/designated
charitable fund for youth education and training.
As the Company grows its membership and its
activities, I thank all those volunteers involved in
the affairs of the Company, together with the
Charitable Trust, contributing to our success and
I wish all of you and your families a happy Festive
Season as it approaches.
Please don’t forget to come to our Carol Service
on Friday 13th December at St. Mary-Le-Bow. It
is always a very enjoyable occasion for company
members, friends and families and I look forward
to meeting you all then.
On 10th October, The WCoFF held the annual
St. Florian’s Installation banquet. The new Master
Beryl Jeffrey, accompanied by Upper Warden
Bryan Spearman, Renter Warden Ronald Murray
and Under Warden Bruce Hoad, welcomed
members and guests to an enjoyable evening held
at the magnificent Cutlers’ Hall in the City.
The Cutlers’ Hall is truly magnificent and is the
5th Hall to be built for the Company after
destruction of the original Hall in 1666 in the
Great Fire of London. On the landing can be
seen some fine examples of the sword art, most
of them made by Wilkinson Sword. The main
feature of the Livery Hall is its Victorian hammer
beam roof and mounted high on the end wall
above the canopy hangs a Barge Banner used for
the Lord Mayor’s procession in 1763.
After a lovely meal, the annual WCoFF
Firefighters’ award presentation (sponsored by
Vimpex) was then made to Mr Steve Owen-
Hughes and Mr Mick Doherty of the charity
Operation Florian which aims to train firemen in
countries without suitable training facilities and
funds. This operation had made a significant
impact particularly in training firefighters’ from
Macedonia. Some of that work had been
witnessed by the Master herself.
Bryan Spearman then welcomed the many guests
including the principal guest Sir Nicholas Young,
chief executive of the Red Cross, Sally
Muggeridge, Master of the Worshipful Company
of Marketers and Michael Wren, Master of the
Worshipful Company of Bowyers. Sir Nicholas
Young gave a comprehensive talk on the work of
the Red Cross, in particular its ongoing help in
the conflicts of Syria and in such actions as the
massacre in Kenya. He talked about the
closeness of the Red Cross in support of the fire
services with Red Cross vehicles now regularly
stationed in many fire stations in the country. He
also promoted a new Red Cross app to the
Master, one that provides on the spot emergency
aid information to anyone finding themselves
requiring to provide assistance.
The Master in her speech of thanks welcomed
the gift of the app and hoped that she would be
taught how to use it. She was grateful for the
support of family and from the company as a
whole for the year ahead. With the Company
involved with worthwhile charities such as
Operation Florian and the Red Cross (last year’s
Master, Michael Harper, had helped to raise over
£3000 for the Red Cross through being
incarcerated in the Tower) and being active in
promoting fire safety through lectures and
information within the City, it was definitely
proving its credentials as a Worshipful City
Company and an exciting year lay ahead for it.
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