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Court In Motion
Our new Master, Prof. David Bland, whilst delighted to be accepting the honour and privilege
of being elected Master of the WCoFF is conscious that it is also by default.
2010 was to have been the year of Mastership of our beloved late Chaplain, The Rev David
Rhodes whose tragic and shockingly rapid death by liver cancer, devastated our Company
last year. Court decided to fill the vacancy with a Past-Master and David was selected.
After an academic career at the University of Sheffield, David was head-hunted to run the
Chartered Insurance Institute in 1999. He was introduced to our Company as a guest at our inaugural Carol Service
and learnt of the impending demolition of our original office in Aldersgate Street. Through his invaluable help and
support we were able to establish our new office at Insurance Hall where David was CEO.
Thereafter, David joined our early Guild and became an active member of Court and was elected to become our
Millennium Master. He has also served as a member of the Firefighters Memorial Trust.
David is currently Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, London and SE England and Chair of a couple of small
companies. He is also a very active member of City Livery and has been Master of the Worshipful Company of
Insurers and is currently the Master of Cripplegate Ward Club.
Outside of work, David, who lives in Wapping, has a retreat in central Slovakia, is a Blackburn Rovers supporter
and is a Churchwarden of St. Michael’s-in-Cornhill. We wish him a very successful and happy year of office.
Introducing our new Master — Professor David Bland OBE
On Reflection - IPM Geoff Morgan reviews his year
This has been the 21
st
year since the Firefighters were first formed as a Guild and I have been privileged to
be the 21
st
Master. I have enjoyed it enormously. During the year I have represented the Company or at-
tended meetings on 110 occasions. So what have been the highlights?
The Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace; hosting the St Florian’s Banquet and Massey Shaw Charity
Dinner; the most successful Fire Industry Charity Ball; weekend visit to the Ironbridge Gorge Museums with
80 other Masters and partners; the trip to Portsmouth to “HMS Phoenix” the Navy’s fire training school, then
dinner on board “HMS Victory”; presenting our donation to the Firefighters Memorial Trust to The Princess
Royal on “HMS Belfast”; attending white–tie Lord Mayor dinners at the Mansion House; installing 23 new
Freemen and Liverymen. It has been wonderful to visit so many Livery Halls and to take part in the proces-
sions at the Guildhall and St Paul’s, proudly dressed in the Master’s gown and chain.
So what have we achieved on reaching the age of majority? The Management Board has been introduced and has been effec-
tive. Our formal and informal events have been splendid. Our membership has risen to 161, including 100 liverymen and 61
freemen. We have registered for VAT, arranged for payments by Direct Debit and our finances are improving. We are poised
to support suitable education programmes in fire and firefighting. A largely new Board of Trustees has taken over from its
diligent predecessors. A new initiative was launched with the successful PR and Marketing Working Group formed
(responsible for this excellent newsletter).
At the beginning of the year I wanted to see celebration, enjoyment and fellowship. I want to thank the Wardens, Clerk,
Chairs of Committees, Officers, members of the inaugural Management Board and the Court for all their contributions and
for making it so enjoyable. The mood has been positive and constructive and I detect a renewed sense of purpose and direc-
tion. Thank you to all members and I wish the new Master and the Wardens every success for the future.
Geoff Morgan
Immediate Past Master