Page 3 - January 2020

FROM THE MASTER
Frances Blois
Master.
Worshipful Company of Firefighters
From the Master
Frances Blois
I hope you have all had a relaxing break over Christmas – it is now exactly 6 months since Common Hall. I thought I knew the City well having worked in Moorgate for 10 years in the 1980’s, but interesting and diverse events which I have attended on behalf of the Company have increased my knowledge enormously.
July was very busy with two events one ended with a dinner under the dome at the Old Bailey and started in Court No 1, which was set up for the London Bridge Inquest. I also visited the cells with a warning not to shut the door as we would be there overnight!
The Frame Work Knitters arranged a tour of the House of Lords followed by lunch. Subsequently there was the December election and two State Openings of Parliament in October and again on December 19th followed by the Christmas break.
August was predictably quiet, except for a visit to the Children’s Burns Camp at Grafham Water. Despite the torrential rain the enjoyment of the children was amazing.
The July Constructors Annual Church walk during which we visited several City Churches and had lunch at St Lawrence Jewry outside the Guildhall was enjoyable and very warm. The Environmental Cleaners Annual Livery Halls Walk in September wearing robes and comfortable shoes, started early at HQS Wellington and finished at
Southwark Cathedral, with lunch at the Armourers and Braziers Hall. It covered at least 10 miles amid breaks and generous hospitality along the way. We had photos outside most Halls although it would have been an impossible task to visit all of them in a day! The St Florian’s Installation Banquet in October three months after Common Hall was held at the Saddlers’ Hall, John Barradell the Town Clerk of London and Chief Executive of the Corporation of London spoke. He was also Deputy Chief Executive of Westminster City Council when I was a Councillor.
The Lord Mayor’s Show in November with the Modern Livery Companies and a horse drawn fire appliance was again fun, excellently organised by the Worshipful Company of Firefighters, we were no 30 out of over 140 floats. This year the rain held off until the last carriages were returning to the Mansion House.
I have attended several Services at St Paul’s including the Remembrance Day and LFB Carol Services. There was magnificent music at Westminster Abbey in November for the St Cecilia service for musicians, most Livery Company Master’s, Wardens and Clerks were robed, the changing room was the Bath Chapel with all the ceremonial banners of the current Knights of the Order of the Bath and the stall plates from the deceased knights.
On November 29th , the tragic incident on London Bridge emanated from a conference at Fishmonger’s Hall. The City of London Police briefing just before Christmas was attended by a number of Livery Companies. We are all urged to be vigilant at all times and to have the appropriate Risk Assessments in place in addition to a Business Continuity Plan. Livery Companies with Halls have an ongoing day-to-day responsibility, although the Companies who are itinerant are equally responsible
for the attendance at their events. In the early ‘90’s the disaster recovery plans for mainframe computers included rehearsing cloned mainframes at alternative locations!!
December was a month of Carol services including the Company’s at St Mary Le Bow on December 13th.
On 20th December I attended the 2433 (Ramsgate & Manston) ATC Annual Christmas Dinner, the Charitable Trust gave them a grant for a simulator some years ago. It was useful to re-establish contact, particularly as Manston will be closing.
Over the last 6 months there have been a number of lectures, many of which were related to the particular Livery Company similar to the Fire Lecture, some were more technical than others. The Fuellers had a previous CEO of BP on the Future of Energy with a lively discussion on Electric Cars, followed by a reception. There were also several musical evenings and dinners. The next 6 months will be busy with Easter and the pancake race in Guildhall yard, as well as the annual Spring and Summer events, The Massey Shaw Banquet is at the Cutlers’ Hall on Friday March 20th 2020 and I look forward to a good attendance. The Red Cross fundraising event Jailed and Bailed is in June as well as the Ironbridge Weekend; some consider it to be the highlight of their year. Each group of Past Masters have a name - we are the 1920’s!
I do not have a Consort, although there is a very active programme for them. I am also a member of the Lady Masters’ Association, there are currently 20 Lady Masters this year and in total there have been 150 Lady Masters. Some Companies have yet to have a Lady Master, others have had more than one.
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