Installation Day 2021
Our new Master Nick Jones BA ACA, Upper Warden Air Cdre Paul Nash OBE and Renter Warden David Adams BA MBA CMCIPD were installed on 20th October 2021 after a year’s delay due to the pandemic. All the details and photographs of the day are here for you see!
LtoR: Upper Warden Paul Nash, Master Nick Jones, Renter Warden David Adams
Our much awaited Installation Day at Vintners’ Hall and St Magnus-the-Martyr, our company church, took place with over 100 Liverymen, their partners and guests. The day started with the Installation Court meeting, the last to be chaired by outgoing Master Dr Peter Rumley, who had been Master for two consecutive years during the pandemic. Over the past 18 months all our Court meetings had been held virtually over Zoom and this included the admission of new Liverymen. We were at last able to complete the ceremony with their clothing.
LtoR: Karl Chamberlain, William McHenry, Dr Victor McLachlan, Outgoing Master Dr Peter Rumley, Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate and Dr Adrian Burca
And we also admitted five new Liverymen as well:
LtoR: Benjamin Davis, Elaine Waggott, James Hendry, Dr Peter Rumley, Richard Edwards and David Cole
Following the meeting the Court, with Dr Peter Rumley at the helm for the last time, processed along Lower Thames Street from Vintners’ Hall to St Magnus for the Installation Ceremony and Service:
Met by our Company Chaplain, Father Philip Warner, the Master, Wardens and Senior Assistant processed to the altar rail for the Installation Ceremony conducted by our Clerk, Adrian Mumford:
The current Installation Ceremony was written and created over 400 years ago in 1611 shortly after the granting of our Royal Charter. Some 7 years ago Father Philip kindly gave permission for it to be conducted in church and witnessed by the Court of Assistants and all the Liverymen, their partners and guests in the congregation. The Clerk read out the oath to the new Master, who was then formally installed and received the Master’s robe and jewel from the outgoing Master. Our new, Master Nick Jones thanked the new Immediate Past Master (IPM), Dr Peter Rumley and presented him with the new IPM’s jewel, a gift to the Company from Peter:
The new Master then installed the new Wardens, Paul Nash as Upper Warden and David Adams as Renter Warden:
As is tradition, the Installation Ceremony was followed by the Installation Service, conducted by Father Philip:
We then all processed back to Vintners’ Hall for the reception, during which Bridget Rumley, Peter’s consort, presented Kala Jones, Nick’s consort, with the consorts’ badge.
LtoR: Kala Jones and Bridget Rumley
Nick and Kala each made a short speech before a splendid 3-course lunch to round off the days events, during which Nick gave his main Installation speech of the day.
Some more pictures from the day. As well as the pomp, ceremony and tradition it really is a family occasion and we all had a thoroughly enjoyable, grand day out:
The New Master and his family
The New Master, Wardens and their consorts. LtoR: Sue Nash, UW Paul Nash, Kala Jones, Master Nick Jones, Kathy Adams and RW David Adams
A chance for the outgoing Master to relax at last!
And Past Masters Burgon, Hodkinson and Gale!
As ever, a huge thank you to our Clerk Adrian Mumford, Clerk’s Assistant Sharon Sibthorpe, Company Chaplain Father Philip Warner and the staff and choir at St Magnus, and all the company Stewards, without whose hard work and preparation our Installation Day could not take place.
Finally, our thanks to Vintners’ Hall and all its staff who looked after us so well and to Michael O’Sullivan for the excellent photographs.
Our new Livery Year has got off to a cracking start!