The Worshipful Company of Plumbers

Newsletter Number 57

OCTOBER 2007

COURT NEWS(By the Clerk)

The Court unanimously approvedthat Past Master John Mayfieldshould be awarded the St. MichaelMedallion for his services to theIndustry and to the Company. TheMaster presented the Award at theJuly Court Luncheon.

The Court has approved theaffiliation of the Richmond SeaCadet Unit to the Company.Assistant Robert Shanks has beenappointed as the Company LiaisonOfficer.

Now that the refurbishment of WaxChandlers’ Hall is nearly complete,it is hoped to hold a Function inmid-2008, when all the Company’sTreasures will be displayed.

Liveryman Andrew Hunter Blairhas been appointed to the new postof Curator of Treasures.

Past Master Peter Brunner hastaken over as Company Historianfrom Past Master Tony Young.

Liveryman the Reverend PhilipWarner, the Priest of St. Magnusthe Martyr Church, has beenappointed as the HonoraryCompany Chaplain on theretirement of the VenerableKenneth Gibbons. The Master andthe Court express the gratefulthanks of the Livery to Kenneth forhis contribution to the Companyover many years as the Company’sHonorary Chaplain.

Liveryman Roger Chapman hasbeen appointed to take charge ofSponsorship.

The Company Plaque in the easternentrance of Cannon Street Stationwill shortly be removed and placedfor safekeeping in the Company storeduring the refurbishment of theStation. It is planned to reposition itwhen the work is complete.

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Liveryman Paul Gaughan is currentlysetting up a Company PhotographicLibrary. Any liveryman withphotographs depicting Companyevents should contact Paul direct andarrange either to donate or to lendtheir photographs.

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At the Installation Court on the 18th

October 2007, the following wereinstalled:

Liveryman David Alexander - Master

Professor Rodney Cartwright- UpperWarden

Liveryman David Hamilton - RenterWarden

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Committee Chairmen for the year2007/8 are:

Freedom and LiveryImmediate Past Master MikeSwallow

FinanceRenter Warden David Hamilton

Technical AssistantChris Sneath

The incoming Master, David Alexander, with the Upper Warden, Professor Rodney Cartwright,on the left, and the Renter Warden, David Hamilton, on the right,

taken at the Installation Court on the 18th October 2007.

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SocialUpper Warden Professor RodneyCartwright

InvestmentPast Master John Mayfield

Charitable and Educational TrustPast Master John Mayfield

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The Court decided that there wouldbe no introduction of CountryMembership.

The Court reaffirmed the rules forliverymen seeking Veteran Status.The criteria remain unchanged i.e.seventy years of age or over and aliveryman for twenty years or more.

Applications for Veteran Statusshould be made in writing to theFreedom and Livery Committeethrough the Clerk.

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The following Freemen of theCompany were admitted to theLivery at the January Court:

John Palmer – Retired DeputyChairman, The RowlandsonOrganisation.

Benjamin Dykes – DiplomaticProtection Group, the MetropolitanPolice.

Ivan Whitting – Retired Director ofCorporate Affairs, British Gas.

Kenneth Newnham – Head of Water& Waste, UK Trade & Investment.

Dr. Anthony Lockett –Pharmaceutical Physician.

Jeffery Bishop – Operations Director,Three Valleys Water.

Dennis Southern – Director of GratteBrothers.

James Watson – Managing DirectorForest Environmental Ltd..

Paul Gardner – Chairman ofTrustees, Westminster AmalgamatedCharity.

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It is with great regret that we

announce the death of the followingLiverymen since the last Newsletter:

Past Master George WilliamBambrough (obituary page 12)

Liveryman Thomas O’Farrell

Liveryman Herbert Brown ______

Following advice, the Company willhave to continue to charge VAT onquarterage for the time being.

******COMMUNICATIONS

A Golden Evening 27th June(By the Upper Warden, DavidAlexander)

As part of the responsibilitiesassociated with having our HonoraryCourt Assistant, Alderman JohnStuttard, elected as the Lord Mayorof London, was the expectation that

the Worshipful Company ofPlumbers would organise an event toraise funds for the Lord Mayor’sCharitable Appeal. This was anopportunity to show that thePlumbers could play their full partin the City’s activities.Detailed planning commenced ninemonths in advance of the event andvery soon the nature of the occasion(a Gala Dinner), the location(Goldsmiths’ Hall) and the date (27th

June 2007), were all determined. Thechoice of location was influenced byits excellent suitability and also

because the Goldsmiths’ Companyvery generously donated its usewithout charge. The choice of datewas governed by the Lord Mayor’savailability.

Guests were treated to a champagnereception in the dazzlingsurroundings of the Gold Exhibitionwhilst being entertained with musicfrom the De Rudder String Quartet.After the rest of the guests, includingSheriff Richard Regan and his wife,had moved through to the dining hall,the Master, Mike Swallow, and hiswife, Adrienne, escorted the LordMayor and Lady Mayoress into theHall, to the sound of a trumpetfanfare.

After Grace and a welcome from theMaster, one hundred and seventydiners sat down to a sumptuous four-course meal. However, before anyfood was served, the fund-raisingcommenced with an eliminationgame of ‘heads or tails’ orchestrated

by the Beadle.

Between eachc o u r s e ,e n t e r t a i n m e n twas provided byperformers fromthe GuildhallSchool of Musicand Drama withan excellent andv a r i e dprogramme ofrecitals rangingfrom Shakespeareand Verdi toLimericks and theBeatles.

After the LoyalToasts, more

fund-raising followed in the form ofan auction and a raffle. There were awide variety of prizes on offer, fromgolf days to a private viewing of anart collection, from mobile phonesto a Jeroboam of champagne. All theprizes had been donated and the briskbidding, under the Beadle’s expertcajoling, produced a handsomereturn on the organisers’ time inpersuading donors to contribute tothis event and its worthwhile cause.

The evening concluded with the LordMayor thanking the Company and all

The Lord Mayor, Honorary Liveryman John Stuttard, receiving the cheque for the monies raised during the Golden Evening from the

Master, Mike Swallow

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the sponsors, donors and contributorsfor a hugely successful and enjoyableevening.

The final amount raised by theGolden Evening was £46,787.91.Clearly the Worshipful Company ofPlumbers had fulfilled its obligationin style and had shown that it canmanage this type of event as well as,if not better than, any City of LondonLivery Company.

The Master, Mike Swallow,accompanied by Senior AssistantDavid Hamilton and the Clerk,Antony Paterson-Fox, attended theMansion House on Wednesday 26thSeptember at 11.30am. where theMaster presented a cheque to theLord Mayor in the sum of£46,787.91 being the proceeds fromthe Golden Evening of Music andDrama, which had been raised in aidof The Lord Mayor’s Appeal.

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City of London Briefings

These Briefings are particularlyaimed at new Freemen andLiverymen, but wives, husbands andpartners are also very welcome andthe Master is particularly keen thatall Liverymen (new or otherwise)should try to attend one of theseBriefings. The Briefings provide ashort introduction to the work of theCorporation, especially therelationship between the LiveryCompanies.There is an opportunity to askquestions of the Speakers and theBriefing is followed by a light fingerbuffet providing the chance to mixwith other Freemen and Liverymen.The proceedings start at 5pm withregistration, during which tea orcoffee are available, and end at 8pm.

Applications for places should bemade through the Company Office.

Dates and Venues are:

Tuesday the 19th February, 2008The Innholders’ Hall.

Thursday the 22nd May, 2008The Innholders’ Hall.

Wednesday the 15th October, 2008The Innholders’ Hall.

Wednesday the 12th November, 2008The Innholders’ Hall.

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Sale Items

The following items may be obtainedfrom the Clerk’s Office. Some of thesmaller items will be on sale as usualat the Ladle Dinner:

Company Ties (Silk Striped) -£15.00Company Self-Tie Bow Ties- £18.00Miniature Silver Ladles - £36.00Livery Badges- £10.00Ladies’ Livery Pendants- £5.00Cuff Links- £16.00Ladies’ Brooches - £16.00Umbrellas- £16.00Coasters (set of six in a box)- £20.00Company Plaques (wooden)- £25.00‘Discovering London Guilds &Liveries’- £3.50

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The Fire and The Lion(By Honorary Liveryman SylviaMoys)

These are two sermons, which aregiven annually at two of our CityChurches. Both date back to almostthe same year; the Fire Sermon wasfounded in 1640, and the LionSermon was founded in 1643. Anaccount of these historic sermonsfollows;

The FireThe Fire Sermon is delivered in mid-February at our Church of St.Magnus the Martyr. Fires were aregular occurrence in 17th CenturyLondon. Some thirty years before theGreat Fire of 1666, the Church hadescaped destruction from another firethat swept along London Bridge. TheBenefactors’ Board in the Churchreads “Mrs. Susanna Chambers byher last will and testament bearingthe date 28th December 1640 gave thesum of twenty-two shillings andsixpence yearly for a sermon to bepreached on the 12th day of Februaryin every year within the Church ofSt. Magnus, in commemoration ofGod’s merciful preservation of thesaid Church of St. Magnus from ruinby the late and terrible fire on LondonBridge”.

For some years, the practice had

lapsed, but has been taken up againby Fr. Philip Warner, now Priest-in-Charge, and liveryman of ourCompany. Fire obviously features inthe Sermon. This year, the preacher,the Reverend Canon Dr. NicholasSagovsky, Canon Theologian ofWestminster Abbey, gave theSermon, the title of which was‘Pascal and the Night of Fire’.

Following the Service, a receptionwas held at Fishmongers’ Hall. Acouple of Past Masters and anotherliveryman were found deep inconversation about the various pointsraised, comparing views formedduring their student days on therelative philosophies of Pascal andDescartes.

This was a stimulating occasion andother liverymen may wish to attendnext February.

The Lion

The Lion Sermon is delivered in mid-October at the Guild Church of St.Katharine Cree in Leadenhall Street,a little further east in our City. Thisyear, on 16th October, will be the365th Anniversary.

Sir John Gayer, born in Plymouthtowards the end of the reign of QueenElizabeth, became a merchant ofsome standing in the City of London,where he resided in the parish of St.Katharine Cree. He was admitted tothe Worshipful Company ofFishmongers and in 1635, became aSheriff. A year later, he became anAlderman.

In 1643, as a member of the LavantCompany, he journeyed to Arabia ona trading mission. There, on 16th

October, he found himself separatedfrom his companions and, as duskfell, became aware that a lion wascircling round him. Imbued withfaith, Sir John knelt down in prayer.The lion circled him but did notattack. In the morning, hiscompanions found him sleepingpeacefully with the lion’s footprintsall round him.

On his return to London, Sir John,in gratitude for his providentialdeliverance, made generous gifts tovarious good causes and by his will,

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established the annualcommemorative Sermon – the ‘LionSermon’ - to be preached on 16th

October each year at St. KatharineCree. The bequest provided for theexpenses of the Sermon, which wasto contain a lion theme, and also anamount to be distributed “amongstthe poor of the parish on the sameday”.

In 1647, Sir John became LordMayor but as a supporter of CharlesI and being resistant to the pressuresof the Parliamentarians, who were bythen powerful in London, he wascommitted to the Tower, togetherwith four other Aldermen. During histime in the Tower, he maintained hisstand against the Cromwellianencroachments on the City ofLondon’s liberties and eventually, bypopular acclaim, he was released in1648.

Sir John died on 20th July 1649, andis buried in a vault beneath theChurch.

This is a colourful occasion normallyheld at 1pm, when the Alderman andCommon Councilmen for the Ward(Aldgate), in their scarlet and bluegowns, attend the Service.

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Lord Mayor’s Election Day(By Liveryman Peter Rumney)

The bells of St Lawrence Jewry,Guildhall Hall Yard, rang for the firsttime in living memory on the 1stOctober 2007, coinciding with TheLord Mayor’s Election Day. As aresult of recent research, I discoveredthat the traditional ringing of the bellshad ceased as a result of the loss ofbell ringers during the First WorldWar. The tradition is confirmed byreference to the Remembrancer’sCeremonial Book.

Through the agency of the LordMayor, Honorary Liveryman JohnStuttard, it is now the responsibilityeach year for the Plumbers’ Companyto request the Incumbent of St.Lawrence Jewry that the bells shouldbe rung on the occasion of theElection of the Lord Mayor. The bellswere rung by members of TheAncient Society of College Youths(founded in 1637 from earlier

medieval foundations), of which I ama member. The Society is the premierringing society in Britain and is Citybased. The Society provides bellringers for the City’s State and Civicoccasions.

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St. Magnus the Martyr(By Liveryman Peter Rumney, St.Magnus Bells Appeal, and LiveryLiaison Officer.)

The order for the ring of twelve bellsfor St. Magnus the Martyr has beenplaced with the Whitechapel BellFoundry. Dates have yet to bearranged for the casting visits and theBlessing of The Bells in 2008. Thisis the Service when all the bells areplaced down the centre of the churchfrom the Treble (the Company Bell)to the Tenor, and makes for awonderful sight.

It is hoped that our Patron, theBishop of London, will conduct theService, and this will be a grand andi m p o r t a n tC i v i coccasion.

The Appealhas been aspec tacularsuccess withonly the final£35,000 to beraised of the£250,000 orso required.For therecord, theA s s i s t a n tTown Clerk inhis Address toCommon Hallon LordM a y o r ’ sElection Day,spoke of theAppeal andthe Plumbers’ Company’sinvolvement.

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Moving Experiences Abroad –with the Renter Warden(By Steward John Carnaby)

On Tuesday 11th September, theAGM of The Royal Institute ofPublic Health was held at their

Headquarters in Portland Place. Oneitem of great importance at theMeeting was a long discussionregarding the possible merger of theThe Royal Institute of Public Healthwith the The Royal Society ofHealth. The Royal Institute of PublicHealth has a long history ofinvolvement with water issues and isactively involved in liaising andworking with the WorshipfulCompany of Plumbers and otherwater-related organisations.

After the AGM, members andcolleagues were invited to theMembers’ Annual Summer Lecture,which this year was given by ourRenter Warden, Professor RodneyCartwright.

Rodney’s theme for the Lecture was“Moving Experiences Abroad – APublic Health Approach”.

His Lecture revolved around illnessescontracted whilst holidaying abroad.He began by referring to the mid-

nineteenth century and the earlyhistory of the water-borne diseasecholera, and how John Snoweventually overcame it, through totoday’s gastroenteritis andlegionnaires diseases. Rodney’sentertaining and often amusingLecture covered changes in thepatterns of illness in popular holidaydestinations over the past twenty-fiveyears. This was highlighted with

Left to Right Renter Warden, Professor Rodney Cartwright, Dr Carol Joseph, Health Protection Agency,

Steward John Carnaby.

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slides showing various graphs ofillnesses contracted in holidaydestinations and how, through publichealth advice given to hotel chains,reoccurrences can be drasticallyreduced.

The Lecture was attended bynumerous dignitaries in the world ofpublic health, including theirPresident, Lord Soulsby, who isinvolved in the area of infectiousdiseases relating to animals andhumans and Chairman Dr AlanDavis, who has been a prime moverin the field of health promotionmedicine and public health for overthirty years.

The evening concluded with canapésalong with the obligatory glass ofwine.

It was rather ironic that on my wayhome, I was reading an eveningpaper, which reported, “A Britishtourist has died after contractinglegionnaires disease on a trip to Italy.A further three people may also havebecome infected while on a coachtour of the country. A contaminatedshower is thought to be to blame!”

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CHARITABLE ANDEDUCATIONAL TRUST

The Trustees have approved Grantsto the following:

Stubbers Adventure Centre

Stoke Newington School

Girls Guild for Good Life

St. Giles Trust

Guildhall School of Music andDrama

St Paul’s Cathedral School

Columbia School

No Bursaries for students on NVQ 3Plumbing Courses will be awardedthis year, due to a revision of thecriteria.

The Trustees have agreed that therules for donating to charitable

causes should be published on theweb site.

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COMPANY AWARDS

Company Armed Services Awards

At the Court Meeting on the 24th

April 2007, the Master presented the2004/5 Award to the Royal Navy toPetty Officer EngineeringTechnician, Anthony Etheridge. Thepresentation of the Award was

delayed by Petty Officer Anthony’sservice with the Royal Navy abroad.

The Master also presented the 2006Award to the Army to Sapper GaryHughes.

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Master Plumbers’ CertificatePresentation to Fred Hillier(By Steward John Carnaby)

A meeting was held on Friday 20th

July, at the City and Guilds ofLondon Institute. The meeting

was convened to updatethose in attendance withthe present successfulMaster Plumbers’Scheme and to hearGeoffrey Marsh bring toour attention details of adraft proposal on theMastery of VocationalSkills. Among thosewho at tended wererepresentatives from theCity and Guilds,National Heri tage,IPHE, the WorshipfulCompany of Plumbers,the Lead Contractors’Associat ion, SPAB,

24th COMPANY LECTURE

Wednesday 30th January 2008 at 5.00pm

Royal College of Physicians11 St. Andrew’s Place

Regent’s ParkLondon

NW1 4LE

THE SPEAKER

PHILIP FLETCHER CBEChairman of the Water Services Regulation Authority

Philip Fletcher was appointed for a five-year term as non-executive Chairman of the WaterServices Regulation Authority with effect from 1 April 2006.

The title of his Lecture is

“Wither Water”

He will give a personal perspective on the challengesfacing the water sector in the next 25 years

For tickets, apply to:

The Worshipful Company of PlumbersWax Chandlers’ Hall, 6 Gresham Street

London, EC2V 7ADTelephone/Fax 020 7796 2468

The Master presenting the 2004/5 Award to the RoyalNavy to Petty Officer Engineering Technician,

Anthony Etheridge.

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Building Crafts College, Mid KentCollege and the CITB.

At the close of the meeting, PastMaster Geoffrey Marsh presenteda Master Plumbers’ Certificate toFred Hiller, who attended with hisson, Jeff.

Fred commenced his plumbingtraining in the City of London withM. Mace in Basinghall Street andafter his National Service movedto another City Company, JCSpooner, rising to Charge HandPlumber. In the 1960-70’s, heworked for Dent and Hellyer as aForeman and in the 1980’s, heworked as a Site Supervisor withMatthew Hall.

Fred’s final move was to theLondon Borough of TowerHamlets where he retired as anEngineer responsible for TowerHamlets’s electrical, mechanical,plumbing, heating and lifts and allmajor plant. Fred said he washonoured to have his certificatepresented at City and Guilds andalso to receive it from GeoffreyMarsh.

PLUMBING MUSEUM ANDWORKSHOP TRUST

Master’s Day(By Past Master Edward Hopkinson)

The biennial Master’s Day visit tothe Company’s Plumbing Museumand Workshop at the Weald andDownland Open Air Museum,Singleton, was held on Sunday the22nd July. This date was selectedby the Master, Mike Swallow, tocoincide again with the RareBreeds Show, when over fivehundred rare and traditional breedsof farm animals, together withcraft and trade stands, provided adelightful agricultural andcountryside experience andensured an interesting day out foreveryone.

The Regional Chairman, LiverymanPhil Mead, warmly welcomed oversixty liverymen and guests and gave

a brief outline of the pastyear’s events at thePlumbing Museum beforeintroducing the Master who,as a Director and Trustee ofthe Plumbing Museum,commented on theimportance of the Museumto the Livery Company andthe Plumbing Industry andwent on to thank all thosewho had worked so hardduring the past year to makecertain that the essentialworks needed to ensure thatthe Museum continued to

comply with best practice, had beensuccessfully completed.

The Master then presented a MasterPlumber Certificate to Mr. PaulParadine who had attained the highstandards of plumbing skillsnecessary for this prestigious Award,which is also supported by theInstitute of Plumbing and HeatingEngineers and the City and Guildsof London.

The Master went on to present theLeonard Hearsey Award to Past MasterEdward Hopkinson. Whilst presentingthe Award, the Master thanked Edwardfor all his efforts over the past eighteenmonths in overseeing the essentialworks, dealing with Health and Safetyand the preparation of the necessaryRisk Assessment and Rules and

R e g i s t r a t i o nDocumentation,together with thechange to aC h a r i t a b l eCompany Limitedby Guarantee.

In thanking theMaster, PastM a s t e rH o p k i n s o ncommented thatduring any year,in excess of150,000 visitorscome to theP l u m b i n gMuseum and ouractivities providea uniqueopportunity to

inform the public about our LiveryCompany and about our Craft. A largenumber of these visitors are childrenon specially arranged school visitsreflecting one of the principal aimsof the Museum, which is education.

Leonard Hearsey, in whose memorythis Award was established, was agreat supporter of education andbelieved in passing on Craftknowledge and skill to futuregenerations. For many years, he gaveup considerable amounts of his timeto teach his extensive skills as acraftsman to plumbing apprentices.Edward was sure that Leonard wouldhave been a great supporter of theMuseum and therefore felt

The Master presenting the 2006 Award to the Army to Sapper Gary Hughes.

From Left to rightSteward John Carnaby, Past Master Geoffrey Marsh,

Fred Hillier and Jeff Hillier

From Left to rightMr. Paul Paradine, Liveryman Phil Mead, the Master, Mike Swallow

Presentation of a Master Plumber Certificate

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particularly honoured to have beengiven the Leonard Hearsey Award.

Relaunch of Craft SkillDemonstrations(By Past Master Edward Hopkinson)

While work was being undertaken inthe Plumbing Museum, theDemonstrations of Craft Skills heldin the Court Barn had had to betemporarily suspended for a periodof some eighteen months. On the 18th

August, a Steam Festival was heldat the Weald and Downland Open AirMuseum and it was felt that thisprovided an ideal opportunity toinvite those interested indemonstrating craft skills, for aspecial day out and to explain all thechanges that had taken place in thePlumbing Museum and the reasonsfor them. Hopefully, this get-togetherwould also encourage volunteers toundertake the resumption of the all-important Craft Skill Demonstrationsin the Court Barn.

The invitation included spouses andsome fifty people came along.

It was a most enjoyable day withplenty to see and do for everyone. TheWDOAM kindly provided a buffetlunch following which, the WDOAMDirector, Richard Harris, took thespouses on a short tour of the OpenAir Museum, leaving EdwardHopkinson, Phil Mead and HannahMiller, Head of Interpretation at theWDOAM, to explain the alterationsto the work area in the Court Barnand the various changes in theadministration, registration and

Health and Safety Rules to thoseinterested in demonstrating their craft

skills.

The day finishedwith LiverymanTerry Fillaryproviding ane x c e l l e n tDemonstrationof his uniquelead work skillsin the CourtBarn.

E i g h t e e nvolunteers haveregistered forDemonstrationsand a further fivehave indicated aninterest.

SOCIAL CALENDAR

Ladies’ Festival Dinner 2007(By Karen Williams, Partner ofSteward Richard Harvey)

This year’s Ladies’ Festival Dinnertook place on Tuesday 15th May inthe modern surroundings of theHaberdashers’ Hall in WestSmithfield.

Honoured guests included Dr.Yvonne Burne, Headmistress of theCity of London School for Girls,and Dr. Tony Burne, the MasterHaberdasher, Nigel Branson JP andMrs Nancy Branson JP., LadyMaster Karen Richardson, Master ofthe City of London Solicitors,accompanied by Tony Stockwell,and Andrew Adams, the Master

Builders’ Merchant, and Mrs HelenAdams.

Over one hundred and forty guestsenjoyed a feast of Tequila CuredSalmon, Roast Guinea Fowl andMilk Chocolate Mousse.

Following Dinner, the Ceremony ofthe Loving Cup and Toasts to theQueen, the Royal Family and theLord Mayor, singers from theGuildhall School of Music andDrama entertained the Livery andtheir guests. The singers were LisaWilson (soprano) who is thecompany sponsored student for2006-7, Melanie Lang, Tom Herfordand Philip Spendley, accompanied byCharlotte Forrest on piano.

Following the musical interlude, theRenter Warden,Professor RodneyC a r t w r i g h t ,formally welcomedthe honouredguests. He went onto say that whilstplumbers may wellbe known as men ingrimy overallsscrambling underthe sink, he hopedthat tonight haddemonstrated thatwe are capable ofenjoying finerthings like wine andfood. He continuedby praising the

magnificent surroundings of theHaberdashers’ Hall. It has acolourful history, with the originalbuilding being burnt down duringthe Great Fire of London and theSecond Hall succumbing to the1940 Blitz, – a timely reminder forguests not to smoke! ProfessorCartwright concluded by thankingthe staff of the Company Office -Antony, Sharon, Roz and Colin -who had continued with theirmagnificent work despite thedistraction of several layers ofbuilder’s dust!

After the Ladies’ Toast, GenevieveSwallow provided the response.Unfortunately, Adrienne Swallowcould not be present, owing to asudden illness, but she was warmlyapplauded in her absence.

Past Master Edward Hopkinson receiving theLeonard Hearsey Award from the Master, MikeSwallow

Liveryman Terry Fillary and Volunteer David CookDemonstrating Craft Skills at the Relaunch

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Dr. Yvonne Burne, Headmistress ofthe City of London School for Girls,gave a fascinating speech about theaims of the School and itseducational activities anddevelopment programmes which aredesigned to encourage all-roundexcellence. After the Toast to theCompany, the Master responded byrecording his thanks and went on tosay what a privilege it is to serve theCompany. He thanked everyone fortheir fellowship and support.

The evening concluded with theStirrup Cup.

Hurleypalmerflatt generouslyprovided sponsorship for the Ladies’Festival Dinner.

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The Worshipful Company ofPlumbers joins the Bridge WardClub on their visit to Lincolnshire(By Steward John Carnaby)

On Friday 8th June, new Liverymanand Chairman of Bridge Ward Club,Ivan Whitting, arranged a weekendvisit to Grantham, Lincolnshire andalong with twenty members,booked into the historic Angel andRoyal Hotel. The hotel is possiblythe oldest inn in the country, datingback to 1200, and no fewer thanseven Kings of England have stayedthere.

After a hearty dinner at the hotel, agood night’s sleep was veryimportant for us all, as theprogramme for Saturday was full.

We left the hotel by coach at 8.30amon Saturday and headed forSouthwell Minster, the Cathedral ofNottinghamshire, for an interestingguided tour, then back on the coachfor a private and extensive Plumber’svisit to Papplewick Pumping Station.The Station has been completelyrenovated back to its Victoriansplendour, with an ornate enginehouse, ornamental cooling pond anda boiler house complete with sixLancashire boilers.

This wonderful visit was kindlyorganised by another Bridge Wardcolleague, Geoffrey Bond, who isalso Chairman of the PapplewickPumping Station’s Trustees.

We then travelled on for a tour ofNewstead Abbey, which is bestknown as the former home of the poetLord Byron, and was originally anAugustinian Priory founded byHenry II in about 1170. In 1540,Henry VIII granted Newstead to thepoet’s ancestor, Sir John Byron, whoconverted the Priory into a house forhis family. It now belongs to theNottingham Corporation.

We then returned to SouthwellMinster on a beautiful summer’safternoon to be met by GeorgeCassidy, the Bishop of SouthwellMinster and were entertained in theprivate grounds with a winereception. In 1987, Bishop Georgewas appointed Archdeacon ofLondon and Residentiary Canon atSt . Paul’s Cathedral , withresponsibility for the fabric andfinances of St. Paul’s Cathedral.He is the tenth Bishop ofSouthwell.

Also present, was Dr. John MosesKCVO, who retired as Dean of St.Paul’s in August last year. He said “Iam a London boy who had alwayshoped to work in London as a priestand who still cannot quite believe hisluck in having being asked to do oneof the most marvellous jobs in theChurch of England”. We understandfrom John, he now lives locally.

As if that was not enough excitementfor one day, there was more to come.We all strolled back in the evening

sun through the quaint high street ofSouthwell to Burgage Manor, thehome of Geoffrey Bond and his wife,Dianora. The house was the homeof Lord Byron, who lived there withhis mother between 1804 and 1806,and was where he wrote many of hispoems. Geoffrey, an avid Byron fanand authority on his life and works,led us through the rooms filled withByron memorabilia and of coursenumerous items appertaining to hisCity of London life as Alderman andSheriff and Past Master of theGlaziers’ Company.

We then retired to their beautifulgarden where we were invited to stayfor supper before returning to thehotel at 10.15pm.

The following morning, toconclude the weekend inLincolnshire, we visited Belvoir(pronounced Beaver) Castle, thefamily home of the Duke andDuchess of Rutland. The hilltopsetting commands stunning viewsover the Vale of Belvoir. Inside theCastle, there are many notablecollections – from militarytreasures in the guardroom to thewonderful exotic Staterooms. Ourguided tour also took us “belowstairs” to see life as it was in 1825in the Old Kitchen and Bakery. Onleaving Lincolnshire, thecontingent from the Plumbers’Company, who are also BridgeWard Club members, thanked Ivanfor an excellent weekend break.

From Left to right;Liverymen Michael Cooper, Ivan Whitting and Geoffrey Bond, Bishop George

Cassidy, Dr John Moses. Liverymen John Carnaby and David Aggett

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New and Prospective Members’Luncheon(By Steward John Carnaby)

Another very friendly and informalluncheon was held at Pewterers’ Hallon Tuesday 12th June. Seventeenprospective members and recentlyinstalled liverymen were invited,making a grand total of forty-four.As a change from previous luncheonprogrammes, the Master decided thatthis time he would explain detailsabout the Company and its activitiesbefore the meal rather than wait untilthe close of the luncheon.

The Master outlined the beginnings ofthe Company, taking us throughinteresting events that have taken placeover some 600 years. He went on tosay that today, one third of theCompany membership are involved inplumbing, a further third are allied tothe Plumbing Trade and the last third,the Master said, with a smile on hisface and amid much laughter, hadnothing whatsoever to do withplumbing. He clarified this byexplaining that a number of liverymen,who are not associated with plumbing,may want to follow in their Father’s orGrandfather’s footsteps or would liketo become a member because they area close friend of a liveryman.

The Master went on to highlight theAnnual Lecture, the Mansion HouseBanquet and the Ladle Dinner andalso spoke of the technical andnumerous social activities run by theCompany. The afternoon ended, asit started, in a very pleasantatmosphere.

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Visit to the Tower of London(By Steward Tom Thackeray)

On the 13th June, thirty-fiveliverymen and guests joined theMaster, Mike Swallow, and theMaster’s Lady, Adrienne. Theevening was overcast with a promiseof light showers. Our Beadle,Yeoman Warden Colin Smith MBE,BEM, was unable to conduct the tourfor us due to ill health. We werelucky that Yeoman Warden AlanFiddes agreed to conduct our tour atthe last minute. We were briefed onthe history of the Tower down thecenturies.

Famous people held at the Towerwere Sir Thomas Moore, ThomasCromwell, Anne Boleyn, CatherineHoward and Princess Elizabeth (thefuture Queen Elizabeth 1). Manypast Kings and Queens are laid to restin the Chapel of St. Peter ADVincula. Anne Boleyn, after beingbeheaded near the White Tower, wasburied there. There are no dungeonsin the Tower. Many prisoners weretortured and sentenced to death.They were executed at Tyburn, beinghanged, drawn and quartered – not anice way to go! Between 1483-1601,only seven people were executed onTower Green. There are eight Ravenskeeping a watchful eye at the Tower.Legend has it that if the Ravensshould ever leave, the Monarchy willfall.

We were then escorted to theYeoman’s Wardens’ Club, where weenjoyed a very generous buffetwashed down with a drink from thebar. Time was called to witness theCeremony of the Keys, which tookplace just before 10pm. The ChiefYeoman Warden meets up with themilitary escort, together they securethe gates of the Tower and upon theirreturn down Water Lane, are haltedby the sentry and challenged toidentify themselves, which they doin the name of the Queen, and areallowed to pass.

We then returned to the Wardens’Club for another drink, and for araffle, which made for some livelycomments.

The Master, Mike Swallow, thankedYeoman Warden Alan Fiddes for hishelp and for conducting aninteresting tour. Liverymen andguests showed their appreciation inthe usual way. A very good eveningwas had by all.

Interesting Facts – Some of the leastknown Events at the Tower ofLondon.

In World War I and II, German spieswere shot in the Tower. The lastexecution was of German spy JosefJakobs, in World War II. From the17th to the 21st May 1941, RudolphHess was held in Queen’s House. TheKray twins were imprisoned for afew days in 1952, for failing to report

for National Service - not a lot ofpeople know that!

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Master’s Weekend in CambridgeJuly 13th-15th

(By Mike and Adrienne Swallow)

Friday 13th did not seem the wisestdate to be starting the Master’sWeekend. However, with Cambridgeas the location, an earlier date wasimpossible, because of demand foraccommodation during theUniversity term and degreeceremonies. In the event, it provedan excellent choice, as despite asummer notorious for rain, we sawplenty of sunshine, a scattering ofrain on the Friday afternoon notlasting even long enough to put upan umbrella!

Cambridge is a beautiful locationwith lots to see, so a brief weekendcan hardly do it justice. However,we had done our best to choose aprogramme which would giveeveryone a taste of life there, and wewere certainly assisted by themagnificent location of the GardenHouse Hotel, looking directly out onthe river which is so important a partof the City and conveniently centralfor a walking tour around theColleges. That did not come tillSaturday, however.

Our forty-four guests arrived duringFriday afternoon and, afterassembling in the lounge for a cupof tea, we set off by coach for TheUniversity Botanic Gardens. Therewas plenty to see in the Gardens andwe were escorted round in severalgroups, each led by an informativeguide who identified particular plantsand told us about the Gardens’history. The tour had the additionalmerit of ensuring our appetite for thedinner taken in the hotel that night!

The following morning, we were metin the hotel lobby by four of the Cityguides who led us on a tour of theColleges, where information aboutthe University its origins andbuildings included the impressivenumber of Nobel prizes for Sciencewon by members of the University.We also visited the magnificentKing’s College Chapel, with thebonus of hearing part of the rehearsal

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for a concert taking place there thatevening! The afternoon was lessformal, with about half the grouptaking advantage of the opportunityto visit the Fitzwilliam Museum,while the remainder, in trueCambridge fashion, chose to “dotheir own thing”.

Between these two visits, lunch hadbeen arranged in the cafeteria at theUniversity Centre, a social centre runby the University for the benefit ofstudents, graduates and staff. For acontrasting view of the studentexperience in Cambridge, our originalparty, plus six additional guests fromthe Company, in the evening dined insome splendour in the Hall of CorpusChristi College, one of the oldestColleges, founded in 1352, and theonly College at Oxford or Cambridgeestablished by its citizens, themembers of a local Guild. As if thisdoes not give it enough of a claim onthe support of a Livery Company, itturned out to have a special claim onthe Plumbers’ Company because thepresent Father of the Company, PastMaster David Thomson, is the son ofa former Master of the College: hisportrait looked down on us as wedined, and David’s photograph wastaken beneath it.

It was a short walk back to the hoteland its lounge where conversationcontinued for some time. One of theparticular strengths of the Master’sweekend is the opportunity to have alonger period in which to meet othermembers of the Livery and to get toknow them better.

Conversation was still lively the nextmorning. Not everyone is sociableover the breakfast cups but certainlythat morning, everyone seemedchatty and to have enjoyedthemselves. Some people had tomake an early departure; others wereable to make the most of another dayin the City. A number of peopleannounced their intention to returnfor another visit in the future –perhaps the best indication of asuccessful weekend.

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Visit to Audley End House, Essex.(Steward Terry Wells)

On Wednesday, 12 September, the

Master, Mike Swallow, and his wife,Adrienne, with sixteen liverymen,wives and friends, paid a visit to thisancient mansion situated in thelovely Essex countryside. The visitbegan in the nearby old market townof Saffron Walden with an excellentlunch at the Eight Bells Hotel. Someof the group arrived early and spentsome time exploring this fascinatingtown with its narrow streets, oldhouses and good examples of Essexpargeting work.

After lunch, the party travelled toAudley End House to be met byguides, Paula and John, whoconducted them on an hour’s tour ofthe house. Some of the moretechnically minded were taken ontoone of the upper floors, not normallyopen to the public, to see the plansof the plumbing and drainagesystems from the early 20th century.They were also able to inspect a largebrick-built, coal fired copper,complete with Croydon pattern ballvalve, where all of the hotwater for the bedrooms wasgenerated; this being drawnoff through a large brass tapto be carried by staff in jugsto the bedrooms, as required.

The House was originallyWalden Abbey but on theDissolution of theMonasteries, was given to SirThomas Audley by HenryVIII. His daughter marriedThomas Howard, 1st Earl ofSuffolk, who built theoriginal House between 1603and 1614. During the 18th

century it was drasticallyreduced in size to what we

see today. The house remained livedin by various branches of the familyuntil 1941, with the death of HenryNeville, 7th Baron Braybrooke. TheHouse was then requisitioned by theGovernment and used as a base forthe Polish Special OperationsExecutive (SOE). In 1948, the Housewas purchased for the Nation andhanded into the care of EnglishHeritage.

Following the guided tour, membersof the group set off independently tostroll through the formal and kitchengardens and the vast acreage ofparkland, before departing for home.

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Reception for the Company’scurrent and future Sponsors(By John Carnaby)

A reception was held in the PrivateMembers’ Dining Room, at theGuildhall on the evening of 27th

September 2007.

The Master, liverymen and guests during the visit to Audley End House

Liveryman John Smith of Yorkshire /Peglar,Liveryman Roger Chapman of Chapman and Bathurst,

Mr Ian Gratte and Angela Hills, of Gratte Brothers,Senior Assistant David Hamilton of EPS,

The Master, The Upper Warden,Liveryman Barry Guest of John Guest.

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Senior Assistant David Hamilton andLiveryman Roger Chapman, ofChapman and Bathurst, arranged theevening for some thirty Sponsors andprospective Sponsors who enjoyed abuffet in the ornate dining room.

During the evening, the Master, MikeSwallow, spoke of the Sponsors’generosity and how invaluable theirhelp is in keeping down the cost foreducational, technical and socialevents.

The Upper Warden emphasised howimportant it was that the standard ofcontrol over the installation ofplumbing services in domestic andcommercial premises, should be thesame as that which is exercised byall the Water Companies in supplyingdrinking water to the point of entryto premises.

The next Annual Lecture, which willbe held at the Royal College ofPhysicians on Wednesday 30thJanuary 2008, will address some ofthese issues. (see page 5)

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Installation Court 2007(By Renter Warden David Hamilton)

October the 18th was a bright sunnyday as liverymen made their waythrough the City to Vintners’ Hall forthe Installation of Liveryman DavidAlexander as Master of theWorshipful Company of Plumbersfor the ensuing year. LiverymanProfessor Rodney Cartwright wasinstalled as Upper Warden andLiveryman David Hamilton asRenter Warden.

Following the Meeting, the Court,marshalled by our ever-skilful Clerk,and aided by a police escort and theBeadle, processed to the LiveryChurch of St. Magnus the Martyr.

The Reverend Philip Warner, Priest-in-Charge, conducted the InstallationDay Service and gave the address onbehalf of the Venerable KennethGibbons who, sadly, had recentlybeen taken ill.

Father Philip gave an excellent andthought-provoking Sermon, givingthe Congregation plenty to ponder onduring their journey to Vintners’ Hall.

There, the Master, David Alexander,and his Lady, Alison, together withthe Wardens and their Ladies,welcomed the Livery and guests.

The outgoing Mistress Plumber,Adrienne Swallow, presented theMaster’s Lady’s Broach to Alisonand gave a few supportive words ofadvice. In return, the new MistressPlumber thanked Adrienne for all thehelp and support she had given theImmediate Past Master and theCompany.

An excellent lunch was served,complemented by fine wines andenjoyed by all. The Master thenthanked everybody for the help andsupport that he had received on theDay, with warm thanks to the Clerkand the Clerk’s Assistant. The Mastermade special mention of his concernsabout the Regulation andRegistration of the PlumbingIndustry, which he proposes toaddress during his year. The Masteroutlined forthcoming events in theLivery Calendar, particularly withreference to the Master’s Weekend,to be held on the South Coast andthe Isle of Wight.

Lunch was concluded and the Master,Wardens, Livery and guests left,having enjoyed the occasion andlooking forward to the coming year.

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WELFARE REPORT(By Honorary Liveryman EileenLilley)

Congratulations

Liveryman Harry Holmes, a long-serving member of the Guild ofStewards at Lichfield Cathedral, hasreluctantly retired from active dutyafter thirty-six years. During thattime, he led one of the SundayEvensong teams with aplomb, andturned out for all kinds of events inall sorts of weather. Harry quoted apoem, which also could apply tomany of us older ‘plumbers’; “Aman’s not old when his hair turnsgrey. A man’s not old when his teethdecay”.

Congratulations to Harry for hisachievement and good wishes to

him and Rita for many happy yearsahead.

Liveryman Richard Wyatt and hiswife, Eileen, notched up sixty-sixyears of marriage in August. The bestanniversary gift they received was a

great-granddaughter, SophieBeatrice, born 24th August andweighing in at 7lbs. 8oz.

Congratulations to Liveryman Dr.F.A. Bolton on his being presentedwith a Lifetime Achievement Awardby the Institute of Water Officers. Hewas presented with a Clock set inWaterford Crystal during thePresident’s Dinner following thesixty-second Annual GeneralMeeting and Conference, held inNottingham.

Congratulations also to Judy Moir,wife of Past Master Alec Moir, whotook her replacement hips on asponsored Walk over a distance ofeighty-four miles along the ‘DalesWay’ in Yorkshire! Judy undertookthe Walk to raise money for a newpeople carrier for a Home and raisedin excess of £5,000.00. Well done,Judy.

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Some Liverymen may recall myexcitement in July 1986, when Iannounced, in ‘Eileen’s Column’ ofour old black and white photocopiedNewsletter, the arrival of mygrandson, Edward Paul. Over theyears, I have bored you all with thelatest activities of my sixgrandchildren.

Richard holding Sophie Beatrice

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I hope that you will understand myspecial pride this year. Mygranddaughter, Samantha, obtained afirst-class honours degree from BristolUniversity, whilst my grandson,Edward, is photographed below at hisPassing In / Passing Out Parade at theRoyal Naval College, Dartmouth. SubLieutenant Edward Lilley is nowserving in HMS Illustrious andenjoying every moment. As we sang‘For Those in Peril on the Sea’ at theInstallation Service in St. Magnus theMartyr on 18th October, my prayerswere all for my beloved sailor that heshould be safe at sea. I am sick whilstsailing on the Serpentine, but luckilyEdward does not suffer that way!

Wedding

On the 23rd June 2007, LiverymanJohn Pite and his wife Ann’s son,David, married Lucy Sandys at St.Paul’s Parish Church Hammersmith.The wedding was followed by areception in the recently refurbishedFulham Palace, which overlooks theThames and used to be the home ofthe Bishops of London.

A novelty of the event was that allthe guests, some 250, travelled to thereception by antique Routemasterdouble decker buses, bedecked withribbons and coloured balloons.Everything went very well despiteMother Nature trying to dampen ourspirits.

The happy couple, pictured withJohn and Ann, departed at midnightfor their honeymoon on Petit St.Vincent in the Caribbean.

An Honour for LiverymanCaroline Walsh(By Clerk’s Assistant, SharonSibthorpe)

On 20th June, Caroline Walsh, Directorand Founder of the AMCAI, washonoured at Ten Downing Street, bySCOPE, for her “invaluable support”.

Caroline was privileged to meetSCOPE Education Patron,. CherieBooth QC, the Prime Minister’s wife,at what was to be her second lastCharity event at Number Ten. In herspeech, Cherie Booth said how pleasedshe was to be able to share one of herlast events at Number Ten with one ofher own Charities, honouring thosewho offer their invaluable supportwithin and to the Charity.

Caroline continues to work withSCOPE and other partnerorganisations, offering advice on

inclusive volunteer management,policy and practice. Their objectiveis quality for all within volunteeringand lifestyle opportunities, includingconservation.

George Bambrough, MBE(By Past Master Geoffrey Marsh)

George Bambrough passed away on

the 29th August 2007,

When George decidedto settle in Lanzarote,we lost his cheerfulpresence here in theUK where he was wellknown throughout thePlumbing Industry.

In addition to hist e c h n i c a lcontribution, Georgehad held centre stage

as President of IPHE and Master ofthe Worshipful Company ofPlumbers. As well as these attributesand achievements, his outgoingpersonality enabled him to be aneffective fundraiser in support ofPlumbing and Charitable causes.

George displayed continuingcheerfulness and courage as he dealtwith his final illness and many willsorely miss his presence.

I will always remember him as agood friend and companion in manyprojects where we served together.

The Funeral took place on Monday3rd September at the Cathedral in theAnglican Parish of St. Laurence inTeguise, Lanzarote. As was expected,due to George’s enormouspopularity, the Church was full.

Clare Bambrough, George’sgranddaughter, gave a reading,“Footprints”, and was accompaniedby Helen and Daniel Bambrough.The Service ended with a song,“You’ve got a friend”, recordedspecially by George’s son, Adrian,who in dedicating this to his Father,made the tribute “To my Father andDear Friend”.

Alf Nettleton, a close personal friendof George for over forty years, gavethe Eulogy, reminding theCongregation of the vast amount ofCharity Work that George carriedout, with humility and humour, overthe years.

As well as being a Past Master ofthe Worshipful Company ofPlumbers, George was a keenFreemason. He was also an activemember of the Amateur DramaticSociety in Lanzarote.