The Worshipful
Company of Plumbers
Join the Master in Reims
Join the Master and his Lady for a fantastic weekend in Reims. Champagne galore! See details below.
The Annual Lecture
Plumbing is essential for world health. Professor Jamie Bartram , Director The Water Institute at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA willbe our guest lecturer. Do not miss what will be an informative and challenging evening. Details can be found below.
Kings and Plumbers
Liveryman Jon Castleman, Chairman of Norman & Underwood Ltd, has just completed the fabrication of the lead ossuary to take the remains of Richard III, and will be interred in Leicester Cathedral on 26th March this year.
World Plumbing Day 2015
An International Conference with the Royal Society for Public Health, CIPHE, SNIPEF and SoPHE, followed by the Company Annual Lecture. Book below.
Congratulations to our Court Assistant
Alderman Fiona Woolf CBE becomes a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Fiona was the Lord Mayor of the City last year and is on the Honours List for services to the legal profession and the City of London. She also serves on the Court of the Plumbers'Company as an Assistant. We all give her our hearty congratulations.
The Worshipful Company of Plumbers Shield
On 24 November 1588, The Principal Herald and King of Arms presented the Company with their Grant of Arms. This shield forms part of the Arms and depicts tools used by plumbers, who primarily worked on lead roofing, at that time. Further details under AboutUs:Our history
Working in Lead (Plumbing) at Blists Hill & Singleton
Plumbing can be experienced at Blists Hill, Telford, Shropshire in a Victorian Town where you can meet the Victorians in their shops, cottages and workplaces and at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum Singleton where you can discover the history and craft of the plumbing and lead working trade.
The Plumbers welcome the New Lord Mayor, Alderman Alan Yarrow
We will support our new Lord Mayor throughout his year of office and we thank the previous Lord Mayor Alderman Fiona Woolf, who is also a Plumbers' Company Court Assistant, for her unstinting leadership in her year.
International WASH Strategies
The Plumbers' support the international water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) strategy to improve the health of communities in all countries. Trained plumbers are essential in installing safe water and basic sanitation.
Plumbing or Working with Lead
For millennia lead has been used in the building trade, It has enabled great strides in public health but has also poisoned many users. The Romans, as shown in the pictures, excelled at plumbing using lead pipes now fortunately replaced by the non toxic plastic pipes.
Our Charity Supports Trainee Plumbers
Support the Craft
Proud to be part of the City
Forthcoming events
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World Plumbing Day Conference & the Annual Lecture
Wednesday, 11th March 2015
Royal Society for Public Health, 28 Portland Place 1000 - 1630
This conference, which falls on World Plumbing Day 2015, will bring together international experts in health, plumbing design and plumbing manufacturing to explore issues facing public health, and discuss initiatives and ways forward to ensure good plumbing for health. See advert on the right for details and booking. Reduced rates for Liverymen.
Our Annual Lecture given by Professor Jamie Bartram, an international leader in water, sanitation and health, follows in the evening.
Annual Lecture Wednesday, 11th March 2015 Royal College of Physicians 1700This year the lecture willbe given by Professor Jamie Bartram, the Director of the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina and is a leading international expert in the connections between water and health. This includes technologies for urban sanitation renewal; management systems for drinking-water safety and rural drinking-water supply, together with emerging issues, most notably water scarcity and climate change and their impacts on sustainability
Technical Committee Tuesday, 17th March 2015 Wax Chandlers Hall 0930 Education Committee Tuesday, 17th March 2015 Wax Chandlers Hall 1130 Charity Trustees Tuesday, 17th March 2015 Wax Chandlers Hall 1330 Freedom & Livery Committee Tuesday, 17th March 2015 Wax Chandlers Hall 1500 United Guilds Service Friday, 20th March 2015 St Paul's Cathedral & Plaisterers' HallThe Annual United Guilds’ Service will be held in St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 20th March 2015 at 11.15am and the Company has received its limited allocation of tickets for the Livery Company’s reserved seating area as usual. If Liverymen wish to attend and occupy a seat in the Company pew, please complete and return the attached document as soon as possible.
Visit to Crossness Pumping Station Tuesday, 24th March 2015 Crossness SE2 9AQAs part of the 650th celebrations the Plumbers’ Company has a Special Private View to visit this cathedral of Victorian engineering and to see one of the massive beam engines in steam and the restoration project.
Social Committee Tuesday, 14th April 2015 Wax Chandlers Hall 0900 Investment Committee Tuesday, 14th April 2015 Wax Chandlers Hall 1330Latest news
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Plumbing for Health
Posted on 1st March 2015
We are almost there!! Have you booked your place for this fantastic conference and the Annual Lecture. Expert speakers for the UK and the USA. Do not miss this opportunity to get CPD credits.
For details click conference or lecture.
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650th Anniversary Banquet – Monday 11th May 2015
Posted on 2nd March 2015
Our Banquet to celebrate our 650th Anniversary will take place at the Mansion House on Monday 11th May 2015. I am delighted to say that The Lord Mayor The Right Honourable Alderman Alan Yarrow will be attending accompanied by The Lady Mayoress, together with Sheriff Alderman Dr Andrew Palmerly and his consort and Sheriff Fiona Adler and her consort.
For details click here.
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Master’s Weekend - Visit the Champagne Country
Posted on 1st March 2015
The Master says "Continuing our 650th celebratory theme this year we will travel to Reims in the heart of Champagne, visit the key sites in this beautiful city and of course, visit champagne houses and enjoy some tastings. On the Saturday evening we will dine in a private villa on the estate of a famous champagne house in Reims."
Click here for coloured brochure and here for a booking form.
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United Guilds’ Service - St Paul’s Cathedral - Friday 20th March 2015
Posted on 10th February 2015
The Annual United Guilds’ Service will be held in St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 20th March 2015 at 11.15am and the Company has received its limited allocation of tickets for the Livery Company’s reserved seating area as usual. If Liverymen wish to attend and occupy a seat in the Company pew, please click here.
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Our Annual Lecture plus a Conference - Plumbing For Health
Posted on 10th February 2015
Plumbing for Health
The Plumbers' Annual Lecture given by Professor Jamie Bartram, an international leader in water, sanitation and health, on World Plumbing Day 11th March. For details and booking form click here. Information on our lecturer can be found here.
NOTE Please Pay by BACS (internet transfer) to sort code 16-00-15 account number 23161802 using reference “Lecture – Your Surname” and send e-mail to clerk@plumberscompany.org.uk to confirm payment. Alternatively you can pay by cheque made payable to “Worshipful Company of Plumbers, Charitable and Educational Trust”
This year we are also pleased to invite you to partake during the day in conjunction with the Royal Society for Public Health, CIPHE, SNIPEF and SoPHE, in opportunity to hear expert speakers from the UK and the USA on a range of topics concerning health, plumbing design and plumbing manufacturing. Reduced rates for Liverymen.
For details and booking click here. The days programme click here
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Visit to Crossness Pumping Station 24th March
Posted on 4th February 2015
As part of the 650th celebrations the Plumbers’ Company has a Special Private View to visit this cathedral of Victorian engineering and to see one of the massive beam engines in steam and the restoration project.
Recent events
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Behind the Scenes Visit to Tower Bridge
On Thursday 26th February 2015, liverymen and guests met at Tower Bridge to take the "Behind the Scenes Tour." Gunta our guide explained it would be a tour in three parts, first was the walkways and new glass floors. Glenn was our guide for the control room, the hydraulics and Bascule chambers,(see photo). Finally Gunta gave us a tour of the Engine rooms, which were followed by dinner. Past Master Alec Moir gave the vote of thanks.
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Do Plumbers get confused or was it the SatNav?
A bus stop near Guildford has recently acquired some new facilities. After a full investigation the parish council reported that they have no idea who put the items there, so therefore have nothing to go on!
News and pictures by kind permission of The Guildford Dragon News (http://www.guildford-dragon.com/) Click on header to see bigger picture.
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Out of the frying pan!! - Update
Livery Pancake Race Guildhall Yard
This is not a formal report but the Master was in the final race, so was his delightful daughter for the Ladies, but sadly whilst in the lead at first point of tossing the pancake I had a major calf strain on account of excessive acceleration from stationary and lunging, so can hardly walk. So I hobbled the rest of the way. A great day and sun was lovely....f
Court Assistant Peter Rumley
and from the Clerk
The Master and his daughter Molly each won their respective heats, but were beaten in a photo finish in each of their finals. Peter as you can read above unfortunately hobbled in last in his heat; but at least he didn't fall over this year despite his cheap shoes! Ian Puddick, who was our fancy dress entry, sadly had to pull out at the last minute due to work commitments, so we will never know what he was going to wear! Nevertheless, it was another fun event in glorious sunshine. Why not come along next year and support our team, it's held every Shrove Tuesday, which next year is 9th February 2016
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Kings and Plumbers
Liveryman Jon Castleman Makes Richard III’s Lead Coffin
Liveryman Jon Castleman, Chairman of Norman & Underwood Ltd, has just completed the fabrication of the lead ossuary to take the remains of Richard III, and will be interred in Leicester Cathedral on 26th March this year. The ossuary will have a softwood cradle constructed around the lead casket to keep the lead away from the coffin’s oak, as the tannin in the oak will corrode the lead over time. The maker of the oak coffin is Canadian born Michael Ibsen, a direct descendent of Richard III’s eldest sister Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter (1439-1476), who is a cabinet maker working in London. Michael was discovered through DNA sampling. The casket is 1.7m long, 350mm wide and 255mm deep.