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.
Following two postponements because of the extended Covid-19 lockdown we met again at Salters’ Hall on 8 September for our ‘Welcome Back Dinner’. The Master, Dr Peter Rumley and Bridget Rumley, Upper Warden Nick Jones and Karla Jones, Renter Warden Paul Nash and Sue Nash greeted guests in Salters’ Hall garden next to the old London Wall before we all proceeded upstairs to the livery hall. Even a locked door on the stairway couldn’t hold us back!
After the Master, Wardens and top table processed into dinner, the Master
‘opened’ proceedings by presenting Past Master Chris Sneath with the St Michael Medallion, our most prestigious award, in recognition of his lifetime of service to and achievement in the Plumbing Industry. Many congratulations Chris on this thoroughly deserved award.
As is traditional, the Renter Warden formally welcomed all the guests after dinner, which included no less than six visiting Masters/Prime Warden and their consorts, and Sheriff Chris Hayward and his wife Alex. He then introduced the guest speaker, Tim Knox, the Director of the Royal Collection, who gave us a fascination insight into its history. Our musical entertainment on the piano was brilliantly provided by Will Barry, the 2017 ‘Young Jazz Musician of the Year’.
Our thanks to Clerk Adrian, Assistant Clerk Sharon for all their hard work before and during the evening and of course to Beadle Peter Thompson and the Stewards on the evening for helping the event to run smoothly. What would we do without them? And it was lovely to have our photographer, Freeman Michael O’Sullivan, back again to record proceedings for posterity. Arrangements are in hand to make all the photographs available for everyone to see.