Master’s Christmas Message 2021

The Master wishes us all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in his personal message.

Plumbers’ Carol Service 2021

The festive season for 2021 got off to a great start with our Christmas Carol Service at St Magnus-the- Martyr.  Led by our company chaplain, Father Philip Warner, we enjoyed an evening of celebration, mulled wine and a buffet.

Plumbers’ Golf Society Programme – 2022

The Plumbers’ Golf Society is delighted to announce its programme for 2022, with nine great golf days, including a splendid 2-day break in the glorious Derbyshire Dales. The full programme can be found here.

 

 

Liveryman William (Billy) Bones

It is with great sadness we have learnt of the untimely death of Liveryman William (Billy) Bones, who joined the company in 2004. He passed away on 17 November at the age of 56 after a 3-year battle with cancer. We send our sincere condolences to his family, which includes his brother-in-law, Liveryman David McDonald.

Liveryman Albert Chinn

It is with much sadness we have to announce the death of Liveryman Albert Chinn at the age of 89 years. He had been a member of the livery for 30 years, but had been unable to attend functions in recent years due to this wife’s illness.  A very keen and active golfer, Albert’s last attendance at a company event was the Plumbers’ Golf Day at New Zealand Golf Club in 2016. His funeral, a private family occasion, will be at 11.00am on 17th December and the family has asked that anyone who knew him to raise a glass of red wine to him on that day. Our thoughts and condolences go to all his family.

Foundling Museum Visit

The Master has started his year’s social programme with a wonderful and at times humbling visit to the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, formerly a hospital and home to thousands of children forced to be given up by their mothers.

LCA & FTMRC Awards 2021

The Lead Contractors Association, “LCA”, and the Federation of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractors, “FTMRC”, joined forces this year for a combined Technical Seminar and Awards event at Lingfield Park Racecourse. With a record turn-out and hosted by Liveryman Allan Anderson, Chairman of the LCA and Liveryman Christopher Salmon, Chairman of the FTMRC, click on the link to see the prestigious entries and awards.

Ladle Dinner 2021

After two years in office we celebrated and thanked Dr Peter Rumley for his Mastership of our Company at our splendid and traditional Ladle Dinner, a very special event in our calendar. It also marks the hand-over of our Senior Steward.

United Nation’s – World Toilet Day – 19 November 2021

Globally, at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.  Every day, over 700 children under five years old die from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water, sanitation and poor hygiene.  For every $1 invested in basic sanitation up to $5 is returned in saved medical costs and increased productivity, and jobs are created along the entire service chain.

Read more about the United Nation’s campaign here and on its Fact Sheet. The Worshipful Company of Plumbers is already doing its bit to help improve sanitation in the Third World through its charitable donations to Village-by-Village.

St Paul’s Cathedral in the 1960’s – The dome lead work being replaced.

Past Steward John Carnaby has sent another fascinating article on St Paul’s Cathedral, this time on the repairs in the 1960’s, once again showing the close links of the Plumbers’ company to its original construction and refurbishment.  It includes a film news article from the London Metropolitan Archives, now on ‘YouTube’.  There are some wonderful old images of the City in this video and the narrative is ‘classic’ 1960s!

New Liverymen’s Admission

At our First Installation Court meeting for 2 years, we admitted 5 new liverymen to the Plumbers on 20 October 2021, in addition to completing the ceremony for those who joined us during the lockdown.

Space and fresh air: A new COVID challenge for tourism

Past Master Professor Rodney Cartwright and International Member Dr Esteban Delgado have written a joint article in the on-line ‘Travel Weekly’ publication. They say air hygiene must be a focus for the travel ecosystem. You can read their article through the link here.

New Liverymen Clothed

During the pandemic lockdown we had to hold all our admissions of new liveryman virtually on-line. This meant we could not complete their ceremonial clothing and meet them in person. We were at last able to do so at our Installation Court on 20 October 2021.

Past Steward Tom Thackeray RP

It is with much sadness we have to announce the death of Past Steward Tom Thackeray, who passed away in hospital on 26 October 2021 at the age of 87 years after a year of failing health. Tom was a member of the Livery for 30 years and was appointed as a Steward in 2003. Both he and his wife Pat, who passed away last year, were great supporters of the company.

The New Immediate Past Masters’ Badge

Following a time honoured tradition the outgoing Master Dr Peter Rumley presented a gift to the company, and this year it was a new Immediate Past Masters’ Badge, to be worn for the year in office and passed on to each successor in turn.  With a gold mount, the centre piece is the company’s coat of arms beautifully woven in gold and silver thread.

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!

Raise the Roof – A Special Charity Evening with Jools Holland

Jools Holland accompanied by Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall gave us a very special exclusive performance at Fishmongers’ Hall to raise money to refurbish the roof at St Magnus the Martyr, our company church, which we share with the Fishmongers Company. And the excellent St Magnus choir sang too!  We raised over £106,000!

 

The Plumbers’ 36th Annual Lecture – 4th October 2021

Our very own Master, Dr Peter Rumley, presented this year’s lecture on the fascinating topic “The Royal Plumbers and Early Water Engineering”. He eloquently described how “We are who we are because water runs downhill!”. You can listen to it (again if you were there) by clicking here.

Held at the splendid Royal College of Physicians alongside Regents Park, it is one of the highlights of our calendar of events, with refreshments beforehand, and a drinks reception and dinner afterwards. Our thanks to the College who hosted us so well and all our corporate members who help sponsor the event. A gallery of pictures from the evening can be seen by clicking on the main image.

Inter-Livery Yacht Race 2021

The Plumbers were back at Cowes on Saturday 25 September to defend their title, but sadly the wind wasn’t and the race had to be abandoned for the becalmed boats! Next year’s race will be back in May, its normal date, and we will be there to defend our title again! But you can see novice sailor Ian Palmer unsuccessfully ‘learning the ropes!’ Hopefully he will have got it right by then! There are some more pictures too.

Past Master Chris Sneath Awarded the St Michael Medallion

Past Master Chris Sneath has received the St Michael Medallion, the Worshipful Company of Plumbers’ highest award in recognition of his outstanding service to the plumbing and heating industry.

Summer Festival 2021 – Our ‘Welcome Back Dinner’

After 18 months we were at last able to enjoy each others’ company again on a balmy late summers’ evening at Salters’ Hall.

Brigantes Summer Golf Meeting – August 2021

The Brigantes, our ‘Liverymen in the North’, met at Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire, for a great summer meeting on 3rd and 4th August  …..and a visit to Sledmere House for those who did not play. Ganton is one of the world’s top 100 golf courses, and one of only three in Britain with the distinction of hosting the Ryder Cup, the Curtis Cup and the Walker Cup.  For more information on their full 2021 programme of events and how to join, click here. You don’t have to travel ‘down south’ to London to enjoy Livery fellowship!

Plumbers’ Golf Society Autumn Meet

 

The Plumbers’ Golf Society (PGS) got together again for its Autumn meet at the beautiful woodland Wildernesse Golf Club in Kent on 2 September 2021.

Plumbers’ Golf Society – Return to Walton Heath

Our Plumbers’ Golf Society team had a grand day out on Friday 20 August at the superb Walton Heath Golf Club. The occasion was the welcome return of the premier Inter-Livery Golf event of the season – The Prince Arthur Cup.

Past Assistant Clerk, Honorary Liveryman Eileen Lilley MBE

Past Master and Past Clerk, Lt Col Antony Paterson-Fox has kindly provided this tribute to our Past Assistant Clerk Eileen Lilley, who passed away in July.

Plumbers’ Golf Society Day – 29 July 2021

The Plumbers’ Golf Society (PGS) and their guests enjoyed a fabulous golf day in glorious weather at New Zealand Golf Course, Surrey.

Honorary Liveryman Eileen Lilley MBE

It is with enormous sadness and regret we have to announce the death of our Past Assistant Clerk and Honorary Liveryman Eileen Lilley MBE. It is no understatement to say she was the heart and soul of our company for years and she will be remembered with huge affection and fondness. There will be a private funeral for family members only and a full tribute will be published in due course. Our condolences and thoughts go to son Paul and all her family.

Your next Master and Wardens have been elected

It’s been a long wait, two years to be exact, but the Court met virtually on 6 July 2021 to elect a new Master and Wardens for 2021/2022.

The Inter-Livery ‘Ryder Cup’ Golf Day

Each year the Worshipful Company of Marketors hosts the ‘Ryder Cup’ Livery Fellowship Golf Day at Verulam Golf Club, Sam Ryder’s home course.

The Horners’ Inter-Livery Golf Trophy

The Worshipful Company of Horners hosted the annual Horners’ Trophy, one of the highlights of the Livery Golf season, at Ashridge Golf Club in Buckinghamshire.  The Plumbers’ Golf Society entered two teams.