Page 21 - July 2019

MEMORABILIA
New Brooch For Lady Members
The Ladies brooch was designed and is available for all Lady Members of the Company by Jeanne Brinton
Thanks to Liveryman Jeanne Brinton we now have a Company badge exclusively for lady Freemen and Liverymen of the Company, comparable to the Company tie which has been available to the gentlemen. Providing something equivalent to the WCoFF members’ tie has been a topic for many years within the PR and Marketing committee. Although special brooches have been provided by a Master to the Mistress Firefighter on occasion, providing the equivalent of a tie for Lady Members, such as a scarf a pin or a unique brooch has defied the committee.
The committee was overjoyed when Jeanne Brinton took it upon herself to get involved with the design and the initial production of a brooch for Lady Members. This offer was approved by the Management Board and Jeanne presented details of the brooch
and circulated one of the first units produced to the PR and Marketing committee - they all agreed that it looked wonderful. Jeanne has worn her own WCoFF brooch on several occasions now and it has attracted good attention. The initial production was for 30 brooch and as there are currently 17 Lady Members, it is anticipated that the current stock would last quite a few years before any more were to be ordered.
It is worth refreshing members minds that standing rules require committee meetings to be attended by members wearing the Company tie (or a brooch) or would fall foul of the “Gillings procedure” to proffer a £5 fine to the Charity.
The badge is an oval, 38mm x 26mm, with both a pin and ring mounted on the rear, so that it can be worn either as a pendant or badge pinned to a fabric garment.
It has been produced by the well know company of Fattorini, with a hand painted design showing our Company coat of arms.
Of note, Fattorini was established in Yorkshire in 1827 and obtained a Royal Warrant in 2008. Its factory in Birmingham saw terrible times during the blitz, the worst occurring between the 19th and 22nd of November when there were apparently 700 fires out of control in the city with all the canals drained dry trying to cope. A William Ramsdale, employed as a night watchman by Thomas Fattorini saved the factory from fire through great effort and was presented with a watch commemorating his bravery.
The cost of the brooch is £32.50 plus P&P
Robert Farquhar Editor
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