top of page

About  /                          /  Post

Yuletide 2024

November opened with the City Livery Club Installation Dinner at Apothecaries’ Hall, where I had myself been installed back in May. This time it was the turn of Alderman Professor Emma Edhem to be enthroned in splendour as club President. The occasion was tinged with sadness inasmuch as it marked the end of an impressive year of office by our own Alan S. Cook, supported as ever by Deborah. Both Alan and Deborah are mainstays of so many things in the City of London.

In 1976 a guide to the battlefields of the Great War was published under the title Before Endeavours Fade, the presumption being that by now the sacrifice of the Great War will have been largely forgotten. On the contrary, battlefield tourism is now a considerable industry and Remembrance Sunday has grown into almost a season of activity.

The City of London commemorations began on Monday 4th November at St Paul’s where a Garden of Remembrance was planted. A short service in St Paul’s Churchyard was followed by the laying of a wreath by the Lord Mayor and the planting of about 150 crosses by livery companies and other organisations with a City presence. I had the honour of planting a cross on behalf of the Arts Scholars.

Later the same day St Mary le Bow Church was jam packed for a service of Thanksgiving for the outgoing Lord Mayor, Alderman Michael Mainelli. A shortage of service booklets allowed me to discover that the Master Educator, Catherine McGuiness, had a good memory of hymns as we were of necessity both able to deliver “Praise my soul, the King of heaven” from memory. Mercifully a further supply of booklets arrived before we faced the challenge of “Angel voices, ever singing”.

Alderman Mainelli’s last day in office was Friday 8th November. I was fortunate to attend the Silent Ceremony in Guildhall to witness the handover to Alderman Alastair King. The ceremony is not absolutely silent but no more than a dozen words are spoken by the incoming Lord Mayor. Otherwise, the change is marked by a series of symbolic acts. After twenty minutes all is done and

the new Lord Mayor processes out to a fanfare and the adulatory cheers of a large crowd in Guildhall Yard. It is strange who you bump into on these occasions. Sitting across from me was Christopher Biggins, currently being a pantomime dame in Woking, with whom I once went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Illness prevented my attending the Broad Street Ward Club luncheon on the 15th November. The Arts Scholars are honorary members of that club by dint of storing our treasures in the basement of Furniture Makers’ Hall. I look forward to next October when Liveryman Oliver Charles becomes Master of my own club, Aldersgate.

It was good to notice The Light of the World, newly re-hung in St Paul’s, on a couple of occasions in November, first at a service to celebrate St Cecila, Patron Saint of music, and then at an evensong to celebrate the Order of the British Empire.

By the time you read this you will have received the latest company Newsletter in which you can read about the success of our new “Treasure Chest Challenge”. Suffice to say here how much I enjoyed taking part in one at Essendine School in North Paddington. This really is a great initiative. Talking of the Newsletter, I really must commend its editorial and production team who put it all together. Another great read thanks to Mark Bridge, Simon Berti and Anne Somers. Thanks too to all those who contribute articles and reports.

My last duty in November was to attend the funeral of Past Master Nic Somers, whose obituary also appears in the Newsletter. I had last seen Nic just a couple of days before he died. Even as he was about to leave for another world he wished to celebrate in this one with a glass of Pol Roger.

And so into Advent and the lighting of the City of London Christmas Tree opposite St Paul’s on 3rd December when I was pleased to bump into Past Master Ian Luder. Ian must be our most accident-prone past-Master: he was just recovering from falling down the escalator at Moorgate Station but

he takes everything in his stride and although unable to fly to Spain was about to head north by train for a function in his capacity as Deacon of the Incorporation of Coopers of Glasgow.

The short service before the Lord Mayor switched on the lights included a hymn by Ethan Tregear-Glynn, the Musicians’ Company Chorister at St Paul’s. The musicianship at the cathedral goes well beyond being able to sing to the highest standard.

Our Banquet on 4th February will be at Fishmongers’ Hall and I am confident it will be a good one as I attended a “dry run” (well not very dry) on 6th December when the Parish Clerks marked the Feast of St Nicholas there.

In French, there is the expression “jamais deux sans trois” (literally: “never twice without a third [time]”). On 9th December I attended our joint carol service with the Clockmakers and Nurses Companies at St James Garlickhythe. This was our second collaboration, and I hope there will be a third and many more besides. Keeping an eye on me to ensure I did not stumble in my reading from St Luke was an impressive lion.

Further opportunities to hearken to herald angels came on 11th December in the Old Bailey at the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund Christmas Concert. That was my second engagement in the Central Criminal Court that day as I had earlier been a luncheon guest of Sheriff David Chalk alongside the judges; a fascinating experience and one which reassures one of the qualities of the criminal law system and its practitioners.

Finally, the esteemed Consort and I took part in a City Consorts of London excursion to Bicester Shopping Village where we met a rather distinguished family.

Happy Christmas!

Roy Sully

23rd December 2024.

8 views

Commenti


HeadOfMithras_100x160px.png

Master's Blog - post

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed by the author of this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars or its members.

bottom of page