Page 6 - A4 Journal 2022

The Master’s Year

The Mistress reflects on two unusual years

Wow, what a two years!

It came in with a whimper in the middle of the Covid pandemic. There was a very
subdued installation in St Lawrence Jewry for a select few in person and the rest of
the company via Zoom followed by dinner in Watermen and Lightermen’s Hall on
segregated tables of six but at least there WAS an installation dinner. I have to confess
that there were very few events in person during that first year although quite a few
Zoom events and we are now definitely Zoom aficionados. The “dinner experience”
was delivered ready to pop in the oven and we dressed in all our finery to eat dinner at home while listening
to Zoom speeches and moving to break-out rooms for conversation with fellow diners. Are we just a sad old
couple for getting excited at this glimpse of normality?
We didn’t actually attend any events in person until September 21, just a month before Arthur’s reinstallation.
This was a far grander affair and who would want to miss David Parrott conducting one of his last services in
St Lawrence Jewry in hard hat and hi-vis jacket.
I was finally starting to attend consort events, lunches and dinners escorted by Arthur.

High point of the last year? Some of the magnificent dinners at Mansion House and elsewhere sitting on the
top table next to stellar company, the Masters’ Weekend away in Sheffield and of course our own Sir
Christopher Wren banquet with all the family in attendance.
We had hoped to crown the year with our gala dinner in the magnificent library of the Reform Club but alas a
different crown prevented this from happening when our dear Queen died just two days before the event.
We may have come in with a whimper but we went out with a bang at the installation ceremony on 12th
October, bringing an eventful two years to a close.
Tina Seymour - Mistress Constructor

Terry Withers - Senior Warden

Terry is our Senior Warden and, as such, is our Company representative on the Pan-Livery Steering Group. He
writes as follows:
“Part of my role as Senior Warden is to be the Company representative on the Pan-Livery
Steering Group.
This panel is chaired by ex-Lord Mayor of London, Sir Charles Bowman, and it has recently
produced an Impact Report entitled “Shared Philanthropic Endeavour”. The point of this report
is to capture the status of Pan-Livery activity and presents the findings from the recent survey
of Philanthropic Giving whilst describing how the Livery has developed initiatives that
demonstrate the value and success of Pan-Livery collaboration. It should be noted that the
combined annual giving by livery companies is in excess of £75m.
If you would like to see a copy of this very interesting report please go to www.liverycommittee.org.”

Roger Lilley reflects on his time as Senior Steward
It is now some 10 years since I was asked to be Senior Steward by the then Master, Stephen Rigden,
and I have enjoyed that time immensely. I have been extremely proud to represent the Company at
many events, including the Annual Pancake Race in Guildhall Yard and many informal lunches at
Ironmongers’ Hall. I have also been pleased to assist the Clerk at many functions and to have been
invited to attend Court as an Honorary Court Assistant. Unfortunately, the advent of Covid-19 seriously
impacted our normal activities and not long after that I was hospitalised, thus restricting my ability to
perform the function of Senior Steward to such an extent that it was decided that I should relinquish
my duties at Common Hall 2022. Although it may well take me some time to get back to my normal
level of fitness I am determined so to do, but I am pleased that a new Senior Steward has been
appointed, and I wish him well with the role.

Page 6 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | Autumn 2022