The Master’s Blog 22
Walking, praying, plumbing and tennis – all in the Master’s week
THE MASTER’S BLOG 22
NYLONS AND NATTER: MONDAY 16 APRIL 2018
The Mistress Plumber goes to Painters’ Hall today for a large gathering of Livery Consorts hosted by the Mistress Horner and the Mistress Management Consultant. The day includes millinery, gilding and nylon making demonstrations, a guided tour of the Hall and lunch.
SOLEMN VESPERS AT ST MAGNUS THE MARTYR: MONDAY 16 APRIL 2018
The Plumbers’ Company church is St Magnus the Martyr in Lower Thames Street, today is the Feast of St Magnus and tonight we attend a service of music to celebrate the patron saint of the church. The music, which could be described as operatic in style, is by Salverio Mercadante and Charles Cassius Stearns and the words are all from psalms (and sung in Latin). It is good to have a chat with the Company Chaplain, Liveryman Father Philip Warner at the conclusion of the service and to hear that he continues to make good progress after his recent illness.
CITY CONSORTS’ SOCIETY LIVERY HALLS WALK: TUESDAY 17 APRIL 2018
It is a fine day for a walk around the Livery Halls in the City of London and the Mistress Plumber meets with a number of other consorts this morning for a four and a half mile walk which takes in Halls including those of the Apothecaries, Stationers, Cutlers, Wax Chandlers, Insurers and Armourers and Braziers. A light lunch is served at the headquarters of the Accountants in Moorgate Place (as other consorts gather for an afternoon walk round another set of Halls).
VISIT TO THE CIPHE: TUESDAY 17 APRIL 2018
A Tube journey along the District Line from Victoria to Hornchurch sees me (and the Clerk) visiting the headquarters of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. The Worshipful Company and the industry’s professional body have links going back over many years and the Institute took responsibility for the Register of Plumbers, previously operated by the Company, in 1970. We meet Liveryman Kevin Wellman, CEO of the CIPHE (and Chairman of the Company’s Education Committee) and have useful discussions on a wide range of relevant topics.
BEHIND THE SCENES AT WIMBLEDON: WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2018
A large number of Liverymen and guests meet in SW19 today for a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Although I have attended tennis matches here during previous Wimbledon fortnights, this is the first time I get to places such as the press centre (where every competitor must be interviewed (win or lose) within 30 minutes of their matches ending) and the BBC studios from where Sue Barker and colleagues present their coverage of the Championship. The weather is glorious and we all have a really enjoyable day with the tour followed by lunch and an opportunity to visit the museum of both tennis and croquet (the game which was played here before tennis really took off).