THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BOWYERS · 2 The Worshipful Company of Bowyers Annual Report 2011. ......

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BOWYERS

ANNUAL REPORT

To be presented at

Common Hall,

at

Guildhall on 14th July 2011

Contents:

1. The Master’s Report. Mr AH Mundy

2. The Treasurer’s Report. Mr ID Spring Page 4

3. The Charity Report. Rev JA Hayton TD Page 6

4. The Central Foundation Girls School. E Holland (Head) Page 8

5. Almoner’s Report. Mr S Leach Page 9

6. Membership Committee. Mr AR Kench Page 10

7. Archery Committee. Mr AR Kench Page 11

8. The Muniments Committee. Dr S Rogers Page12

9. Bowyers’ Academic History Prizes. Dr S Rogers Page 14

10. Shooting Report. Mr D Samuel Page 14

11. Catering Committee Report. Mr TJ West Page 15

12. HMS Northumberland. Lt. Commander S. Caddick RN Page 17

13. Communication Committee Report. Mr TJ West Page 19

14. The Charity Accounts for 2010. Page 21ff

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The Worshipful Company of Bowyers Annual Report 2011.

1. Master’s Report.

Gentlemen,

If the Bowyers‟ Company followed the norms of other livery companies I would be

preparing to stand down as Master; however due to our unique tradition of two year

tenures of office as Master, I have another year to go and am looking forward to it

immensely, not least because subject to election at Common Hall on 3rd October, we are

hoping that one of our Liverymen will become the next Lord Mayor of London. I am sure

you will join me in wishing David Wootton the best of luck in pursuit of this honour. It is

therefore opportune for me to make the request to all Liverymen to support David‟s

candidacy and attend Common Hall on 3rd October to support him.

The public face of the Livery is always its events, and I have been privileged to preside over

some wonderful occasions during my first year in office: my installation as Master at St.

Botolph Bishopsgate followed by lunch at Innholders‟ Hall; the Master‟s dinner at Tallow

Chandlers‟ Hall; Agincourt at the Armourers‟ Hall, a first visit for the Company and a

fascinating principal guest, Colonel Sir Brian Barttelot, Harbinger of the Queen‟s Bodyguard;

and St. George‟s Day again at Tallow Chandlers‟ Hall with Lt. General Sir James Dutton,

former Commandant General of the Royal Marines as the principal guest.

However, beyond the spotlight of the principal events of the Company‟s calendar, some of

the lower profile functions have an attraction which is hard to better. The Company suppers

at which Assistant and Liveryman Tony „Hoplite‟ Kench gave his perspective of some of the

military historical aspects of the wars of ancient Greece; Tobias Capwell, curator of arms and

armour at the Courtauld Institute spoke of archery against armour; and Dennis Silk, former

Warden of Radley and long term friend of Siegfried Sassoon spoke movingly of the late

poet, an icon of the Great War.

The Bowyers‟ Company‟s charitable activities continue to be a core element of our reason for

being, with contributions increasing through the rising numbers of freemen and liverymen,

and the success of specific fund raising events. Our focus has been determined by the Court;

namely to concentrate on charities which are small and value our contributions more highly

than might be the case with better funded charities: an example being Gardening Leave, a

charity set up to provide small gardening projects for ex servicemen suffering from a range

of disorders which are ameliorated by this activity and the companionship of fellows.

Our affiliates are an equally important element of our existence. For obvious reasons, HMS

Northumberland is distant from the City when on deployment as has recently been the case

when on anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, but when she returns to home ports,

the welcome is warm and the connection reaffirmed, the more so by the admission as

freemen to our company of to date three former commanding officers, with a fourth‟s

application in progress.

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The Mercian Regiment with a permanent staff in the United Kingdom is an easier prospect

for remaining in contact despite three of its four battalions being constantly on operations.

The connection between the Bowyers‟ Company and the regiment has never been closer,

and was considerably enhanced by the event held earlier this month at the Honourable

Artillery Company where a beating of retreat was performed prior to an exceptional dinner

in aid of the Bowyers‟ Charitable Trust, The Mercian Regiment Benevolent Charity and the

Soldiers‟ Charity. Tickets for the dinner were sold out with a substantial waiting list and

raised in excess of £ 20,000. HRH The Prince of Wales sent a letter of support and

encouragement which is reproduced following this report.

Behind the public face of the company, much is evolving, not least following the retirement

of Richard Wilkinson as Clerk to the Company, and the appointment of Richard Sawyer, a

former Master and Clerk of the Bakers‟ Company, who brings with him a wealth of

knowledge of the City and Corporation which is of invaluable assistance to the Bowyers‟

Company. The Company is also making steady progress towards a fully electronic system of

communication based on email and use of the website for reasons of efficiency and cost. A

new website is in the process of construction which will allow greater functionality than is at

present available, including fast links for payments.

Efficiency of administration with attendant cost savings is also under active consideration in

many areas with, for example, a move to in-house printing of all hard copy requirements of

the company, from seating plans to place cards. The cost of dinners and other functions to

ensure the best value for money is continually under review always having regard to

maintenance of a standard of entertaining which is hard to match in the square mile.

The success of the company in all its aspects is of course ultimately reflected in the support

the Company receives represented by its membership numbers and attendance at events. I

am happy to report that admissions to the company and applications have increased

substantially as is shown in more detail in the membership section of this report; and

attendance at events has similarly risen with a material increase in the number of guests

being invited, to the extent that most of the major dinners have been at near capacity if not

sold out with a waiting list.

We must not, however, be complacent and are a long way short of a completely satisfactory

performance. Nonetheless, the Company appears to be in good heart and playing its part in

support of the City and Livery as it has done for 800 years or more. May it continue to

flourish, root and branch.

Howard Mundy

Master.

14 July 2011.

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2 Treasurer’s Report

2.1 In the year to 30th November 2010 the income from quarterage decreased slightly but

the investment income showed a small improvement; overall income is almost the

same as in the previous year. However, the total income was £2,183 below budget.

Expenditure was kept within budget even after including an unbudgeted donation of

£2,000 to the Fusiliers‟ Museum. However, the saving on the expenditure budget was

not sufficient to cover the shortfall on the income budget and a deficit of £400 was

made compared with a surplus of £1,568 previously.

2.2 The Company is liable to corporation tax on some of its investment income and the

amount due for the year was £1,128 (2009 £1,112).

2.3 I summarise below the income and expenditure accounts for the year and the

previous one:

2010 2009

Income £ £

Quarterage 31,089 31,352

Investment income 12,752 12,476

Other income 26 25

43,867 43,853

Expenditure 44,267 42,285

Deficit (2009 Surplus) for the

year (400) 1,568

2.4 Fines of £3,370 (2009 £1,765) have been taken directly to the capital account.

2.5 The Company made a donation of £775 (2009 £1,000) to the capital fund of our charity.

2.6 The book value of the Company‟s assets increased to £337,746, and the market

value of our investments had improved during the year, exceeding their cost by

£47,356 (2009 £43970). There was a net gain on the disposal of various

investments of £1,920 which was added to the Corporate Fund.

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2.7 Corporation tax is payable on capital gains made and fines received and the amount

due for the year was £708 (2009 £403).

2.8 I set out below our balance sheets at 30th November 2010 and 2009:

2010 2009

Fixed Assets £ £

Investments at cost 258,506 261,893

Silver at valuation 42,562 42,562

Computer equipment at net book value 138 413

301,206 304,868

Current assets

Cash at bank 43,896 39,473

Other 5,047 5,534

48,943 45,007

350,149 349,875

Less: Creditors 12,403 16,312

337,746 333,563

Financed by:

Corporate fund 296,163 291,980

Silver

fund 41,583 41,583

337,746 333,563

ID Spring

Court Assistant

Treasurer

July 14th 2011

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3. Charity Report.

3.1 The Charity committee comprises the chairman, the Revd. John Hayton, Assistant Ian

Spring, who is responsible for the accounts, Assistant John Ellery, Liverymen Mark

Elliott and Ray Scott. The Trustees at any given time are the Master and Wardens.

3.2 Extracts from the accounts for the year to 31 December 2010 are shown in the attached appendices, which show a general fund at £23,977 (last year £26,210) and the capital fund at £68,116 (last year £62,005). The Company is making strenuous efforts to increase these funds.

3.3 The objective of the general fund is to make donations to support charities in areas prioritised by the Trustees. The general charitable objects are:

a. To meet a real need and make a material difference: this gives us a bias towards smaller charities:

b. To provide funds for charities with a connection to the City of London, or with a special interest in bowyery or archery:

c. To support particular affiliations with the armed forces and elsewhere.

3.4 The Company has no endowment and so must raise money for charitable purposes

principally from the membership by way of gifts, donations, legacies and special

events.

3.5 A capital fund was established in 1999. Its purpose is to accumulate funds so that income there from may be used for a single charitable purpose closely identified with the history, trade and associations of the Company. The Company is anxious to increase the capital value of this fund by the means alluded to above.

3.6 During 2011 the Company has made donations to the following charities:

a. The Lord Mayor’s 2011 Appeal. £1500. This was a 75/25 split between the

Coram Foundation and Red R UK – disaster relief specialists.

b. ABF The Soldiers’ Charity “Big Curry.” £1500. This is the City‟s main fund

raising effort for the Soldiers‟ Charity under the patronage of the Lord Mayor.

c. Gardening Leave. £1000. This is the Master‟s 2011 charity. They provide

horticultural therapeutic opportunities for PTSD – affected former members of the

Armed Forces.

d. Richard House Children’s Hospice. £1000. Situated behind the Royal Albert

Docks, this is the oldest specialist children‟s hospice in London.

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e. British Blind Sport. £1000. The Company is a longstanding supporter of this

charity, and especially of its Outdoor Championship meeting at Lilleshall,

Shropshire.

f. The British Wheelchair Archery Association. £1000. This charity is a further

example of the Company supporting grassroots archery in the disabled sector. The

funds will be used to replace worn out targets for training weekends this winter.

g. The Central Foundation Girls’ School. Two awards, each being of £500. One is

for academic excellence; the other is a contribution to a “Hardship Fund” which the

Company establishedsome years ago. This enables pupils from impoverished

households, for example, to go on educational outings that would otherwise be

denied them due to lack of funds. Disbursement is at the discretion of the Head

Teacher.

h. Treloar Trust. £500. We have a history of support going back to the foundation of

the school by Alderman Treloar in 1906. It is a non- maintained special school for

children aged 7 – 16 with physical disabilities. Around 90% of pupils are non-

ambulant; 40% have little or no natural speech; many have life-limiting or

degenerative conditions. The school is graded “Outstanding” by OFSTED. The

Company especially supports archery activities at school and has funded the

provision of specialist bows and other ancillary equipment.

3.7 In June the Company mounted a charitable fundraising dinner and Beating Retreat

at the Honourable Artillery Company. Beneficiaries to be ABF The Soldiers’

Charity, the Mercian Regiment Benevolent Fund, and the Bowyers‟ Company

Charitable Capital Fund. The total amount raised was

£ 20,000.

3.8 The Charity committee seeks to be proactive, rather than solely responding to

requests. It is in this spirit that the Company has supported Richard House and the

British Wheelchair Archery Association. The Company is planning more substantial

charitable expenditure during the anticipated forthcoming mayoralty of Alderman

and Bowyer David Wootton.

The Reverend John Hayton TD

Renter Warden

Chairman, Charity Committee

July 1st 2011

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4. Central Foundation Girls’ School (CFGS).

The Bowyers Livery Company has continued its generous support to Central Foundation Girls‟

School during 2010 – 2011. The school has benefited from a donation of £500 for rewards. This has

been used to specifically celebrate the academic achievement of students in all years. In addition,

£500 has also been given to our hardship fund. This money has a direct and positive impact on some

of our most vulnerable and needy students - enabling us to address real hardship needs in a

compassionate and confidential manner.

During the year the school has been ably supported by both Clive Arding and Peter Seaton as

Trustees, but in particular by Clive Arding in his role as Governor. Clive Arding has worked

extensively on the schools BSF (Building Schools for the Future) programme, giving a great deal of

time to leading on contractual complexities related to the programme, and in ensuring that all the

legal matters have been fully addressed. This work has also been commended by the local Authority.

Developments at Central Foundation Girls‟ School this year include:

The appointment of a new Headteacher. Ms. Esther Holland took up post as Headteacher in January 2011.

Significant success at GCSE 2010/ 2011 with 77% achieving 5 A*- C and 52% achieving 5 A* - C including English and Maths, this represents an increase on the previous year of 9% and 5% respectively.

Our „A‟ Level results have continued to increase, with students achieving higher grades each year. Our results place the 6th Form in the „outstanding‟ category for achievement.

Since last summer full planning permission has been granted for our BSF programme with builders starting on site in July, 2011.

Our enrichment activities continue to offer students additional opportunities outside the classroom. Activities this year include, horse riding, and ice skating, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Rock School, Olympic Stadium champions and many more.

A snapshot of some key successes outside of the classroom include –

- Finalists in the National Young Persons Film Award - Winners of the „Apps for Good‟ competition. To be featured on the BBC‟s Blue

Peter. - Bronze, Silver and Gold awards and the World Maths Day Challenge. - International visits from Bangladesh, Denmark, and Korea. - Meeting with Rukshana Ali regarding climate change. - Youth Philanthropy Project. Winners were awarded £3000 for their chosen

charity.

Central Foundation values the input of all our partners and supporters. Our partners help to make

our school an amazing place for our girls to develop life skills, achieve success in their studies and to

experience a host of outstanding opportunities.

Esther Holland

Head Teacher

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5. Almoner’s Report.

1. The office of Almoner was created in December 2006 and has now been active for

four and half years. The aim is to offer support to members of the Company and its

affiliated organisations and their families during difficult or worrying times.

2. Over the last 12 months, a total of 27 letters or cards have been sent by the Almoner.

These can be summarised as:

8 “get well” cards or letters; 2 letters of condolence; 5 Christmas cards to widows; 10 letters of condolence to families who lost sons or husbands serving with the

Company‟s affiliated regiment, The Mercian Regiment. 2 letters of condolence to the 1st Bn The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) in the field

of operations.

3. Particular mention must be made of those soldiers from The Mercian Regiment who

were lost whilst serving in Afghanistan.

Corporal Terry Webster (aged 24)

Lance Corporal Alan Cochran (aged 23)

Private Jonathan Monk (aged 25)

Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze (aged 31)

Colour Sergeant Martyn Horton (aged 34)

Private Douglas Halliday (aged 20)

Private Alex Isaac (aged 20)

Private Thomas Sephton (aged 20)

Lt John Sanderson (aged 29)

Rifleman Remund Kulung (aged 27)

4. The Almoner is always pleased to receive details of anyone who it is felt would

appreciate a letter, a get-well card or a Christmas card from the Company.

Simon Leach

Liveryman and Almoner

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6. Membership Committee.

The main remit of the Membership Committee is to advise the Court on all membership

matters, and to interview candidates for admission to the Company and advise the Court of

their suitability. The Company welcomes new members, but is concerned to ensure that they

will support the Company‟s ethos, traditions, charities and activities, and will fit in with the

Company‟s convivial social fabric.

The Company‟s active membership stands today at 123, of whom 89 are Liverymen and 34 are

Freemen. Included in the 89 Liverymen are the Master and Wardens, and the 13 Court

Assistants. During the past year, we have lost one Liveryman and one Freeman from the

Company‟s active membership, and one Liveryman has reverted to being a Freeman.

Admission to the Company is initially to the Freedom, and can be via Apprenticeship (not

much used these days), via Patrimony (when a candidate‟s father was a Freeman of the

Company) or via Redemption (the usual route, signifying the payment of a Fine).

The past year has been busy: eleven new Freemen have been admitted to the Company. They

include the one remaining Apprentice, Jak Wilkinson; one admission by Patrimony, Ian

Williams (whose father was a Liveryman and whose grandfather was Master), and nine by

Redemption: Commander Martin Simpson, Reverend Peter Bernhard, Brigadier Tweedie

Brown, and Messrs Bill Cunningham, Damian Honey, Lionel Green, Robert Pooley, David

Laxton and John Clark. Four further candidates have been approved by the Court for

admission in October: Dr Stephen Dowbiggin and Messrs John Hine, Simon McGrath and

Trevor Strutt.

After settling in to the Company and taking part in some of its activities, new Freemen are

encouraged to progress to the full dining status of the Livery; recommendations for election to

the Livery are made to the Court by the Membership Committee. Four Freemen have been

elected Liverymen in the past year: Messrs Richard Chalkley, Christian Major, Mick Manns and

Bernard Waples.

The Membership Committee maintains the relevant pages on the Company‟s website including

the Proposal Form and associated guidelines for proposers and for applicants. Membership

applications require a proposer and a seconder, one of whom must be a member of the Court,

but any Liveryman is welcome to initiate a membership proposal.

Tony Kench

Chairman, Membership Committee

14th July 2011

Committee members: The Master Howard Mundy, Upper Warden Michael Wren, Renter

Warden John Hayton, Past Master Peter Harrow and Court Assistants Tony Kench, Sinclair

Rogers and Duncan Samuel.

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7. Archery Committee

The remit of the Archery Committee is to manage the Company‟s involvement with archery

activities and to foster good relationships with other bodies interested in archery and

bowyery. Those relationships most notably include:

The Royal Toxophilite Society, based at Archers‟ Lodge, Burnham, for whom the Company provides prizes at its annual Bowyers‟ Prize Day and Bowyers‟ Longbow Day in July, which are awarded by our Master.

The Craft Guild of Traditional Bowyers and Fletchers, which operates on our behalf the Bowyers‟ Certification Scheme, whereby Bowyers‟ Awards for craftsmanship in bow-making are made from time to time on the Craft Guild‟s recommendation.

The London Archers, on whose services we rely for logistical support at the Company‟s annual Joint Shoot with the Fletchers‟ Company at the Tower of London, which is followed by dinner in the Fusiliers‟ Mess.

The archery element of the Joint Shoot was alas this year rained out, leaving the contest for

the Anne Boleyn Trophy to be decided by the best of three rounds between the Masters of

stone/paper/scissors, won by the Fletchers.

The Archery Committee also initiates and organises archery-themed social activities for the

Company, which currently include:

The annual Poitiers Supper, held each November at a City wine bar venue, preceded by a short talk on an archery theme; the 2010 talk was by the Chairman, on „Archery in Ancient Greece‟. Previous years‟ talks had covered the Finsbury Marks (1550-1700), Sir William Wood and the Society of Finsbury Archers (1650-1700), and Mark Stretton‟s dramatic practical researches into the characteristics of mediaeval war bows and the design of mediaeval arrowheads.

A biennial Field Shoot at the Fleet Ibex ground on the Hampshire/ Surrey border, next due in 2012, giving Company members an informal opportunity to try their hand at the ancient sport of field archery.

A new venture in May 2011 allowing members to try some practice at target archery in town, at an indoor venue in Pimlico organized for us by the London Archers, followed by adjourning for a good curry.

Tony Kench

Chairman, Archery Committee

July 2011

Committee Members: The Master Howard Mundy, Upper Warden Michael Wren, Court

Assistants Andrew Barnsdale and Tony Kench, and Liverymen Ben Glazier, Richard Head

and Mick Manns. Thanks too to Past Master Richard Model for his service on this

committee before stepping down as Chairman.

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8. The Muniments Committee

The committee has had another period of great activity with members contributing a

number of important developments. We are grateful for the support given by individual

members who take delight in the exploration of some of the darker corners of our history.

The committee is grateful for the support for its work from the company.

The Company’s Minutes

The draft minutes covering the 7 years of the lacuna from 1928 to 1935 are currently being

transcribed. We shall soon have the Company‟s minutes from 1676 until 1935. It is also

intended to scan and keep digital records of company minutes from the 1960s onwards.

The committee is strongly of the view that the minutes and accounts of the Company should

be published, but that they need to be accompanied by historical notes that put them into a

context that help a contemporary audience. It was agreed that Barbara Megson was the best

person to undertake this work and the Court has now approved this appointment. An index

was also a requirement. Barbara Megson has begun to annotate the minutes.

Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Application and Survey of Documents in Guildhall.

In order to catalogue and conserve the unsorted bundles at Guildhall, particularly the

scrapbook, conservation staff at the London Guildhall surveyed all the Bowyers‟ muniments

there. The then clerk and the chairman met the staff in February 2010 to talk over the

findings of the survey. We are keen for there to be a digital record of our muniments

wherever possible. This will form part of the application to HLF. The staff would be happy

to involve volunteers in the conservation work and in the photography. The Muniments

Committee is about to make a formal application for funding this work.

The order of precedence of livery companies

It appears to that the order of precedence was fixed by order of the Court of Alderman in

1515. But this seems not to be the complete answer as in Stow‟s Survey of London the

Bowyers are listed as number 35 and the Fletchers number 36.

References to the Bowyers in Stowe’s Survey of London and in Strypes’ Survey of

London.

Stow published his monumental work on London in 1593, with a second edition in 1603.

Strype took Stow‟s work and in effect padded it out.

Simon Leach reported that Stow is very clear about the locations of Bowyers‟ Row and the

Company‟s hall. Bowyers‟ Row ran from the west steps of St Paul‟s to about where the City

Thameslink station now is. The hall was clearly marked in Hart Street as it looks a sizeable

building. Questions remain: why was Bowyers‟ Row so far from the hall? Why did James

Wood specifically leave so much to the Company in order to buy a hall?

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Personal memories and biographies of members of the livery

Norman Gooding is currently working on a number of biographies of past masters

including John Filgate and the Mashiters. In addition he hopes to track the careers of

members of the livery during the first and second world wars.

The 497 apprentices of the Bowyers Company

These were documented by Cliff Webb in 1996 (London Livery Company Apprenticeship

Registers Volume 3). The Committee has arranged to publish the list on the website. Cliff

Webb extracted them from our records so we believe that there is no copyright issue. Simon

Leach has undertaken detailed analyses of the list and has written an article about our

apprentices as well as a spreadsheet with all the details set out very clearly. The committee

is most grateful to Simon for this work.

Decline of the use of the longbow in the 16th century

Sinclair Rogers has been researching this aspect of the decline of our trade and has prepared

a first draft; more needs to be done to examine to what extent the decline was due to lack of

experience in directing the activities of bowmen actually on the field of battle.

Mills versus the Bowyers

Christian Major has brought his expertise as a property lawyer to bear on this disastrous

court case in the middle of the 19th century that almost completely bankrupted the company.

Past Master Alderman Finnis had to bail out the company with an emergency loan. More

work will be done on this case and on another concerning Christ‟s Hospital School about 100

years before.

Regrant of the Bowyers’ charter in 1666

Simon Leach has researched the regrant of our charter and put the results on the company‟s

website. Other items that he has placed on the company‟s website include the Harleian

Society note dated 1651 with members of the company listed, a 19th century description of

the company‟s charters and a copy of the company‟s red book.

Removal of members of the livery by James II in 1688

Sinclair Rogers has been looking into this strange affair when the king removed members of

the court from the livery and then returned them just as he was about to be deposed by

William and Mary in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Membership names and addresses

Sinclair Rogers has sought the names and addresses of members of the livery in 1880, 1900,

1910, and 1923. Members from other years will be listed in due course.

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The Bowyers’ Lecture 15 September 2011

This year‟s lecture will be given by Professor David Carpenter of King‟s College, London.

His title is “The origins of the 100 Years‟ War.”

Agincourt 600

Sinclair Rogers represents the company on the national organizing committee planning the

600th anniversary celebrations in 2015. He has drafted the aims and objectives of the

celebrations and liaised with the French ambassador to seek support from the French

Government.

Sinclair Rogers

Court Assistant and Chairman Muniments Committee

26 June 2011

9. Bowyers’ Academic History Prizes.

The reception for the Bowyers‟ prize giving on 14 December 2011 was very well attended at King‟s College, London. We reconvened at the Cheshire Cheese where we heard the two prize winners talk about their research. Each spoke well and knew their subject in depth. The winner of the MA prize was Harriet Lowson, “All Semblance Gone? Landscape, memory and the Great War”, which was about soldiers‟ memory of the places where they fought, among other things.

Sinclair Rogers

Court Assistant

10. Shooting - The Annual Report.

The shooting team, Duncan Samuel, Simon Archibald, Myles Archibald and the Master

attended the 18th Inter Livery Annual Clay Pigeon Shoot, on 18th May 2011, at the grounds

of Holland and Holland, Northwood Middlesex.

A most enjoyable day was had by all, with a variety of birds over many stands in a very relaxed and unpressured environment, followed by an excellent Hog Roast lunch. It is fortunate that the competition is very much a friendly, as the Bowyers team did not produce its best performance on record - finishing 51st out of a field of 116 teams, with individual scores as follows: Duncan Samuel =27th on 50/80, Simon Archibald =29th on 48/80, Howard Mundy =39th on 38/80 and Myles Archibald =46th on 31/80. The total field was 465. We will endeavour to do better next year!

Duncan Samuel

Court Assistant

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11. Catering Committee Report

To clarify the purpose and scope of the Catering Committee

General Continuing Remit:

1. In conjunction with the Clerk and with the final approval of the Master, negotiate the

venue and catering arrangements for Company dinners, and suggest the food and wine to

be provided.

2. Research and inspect potential new venues for Company dinners.

3. Maintain good working relationships with catering companies, at director level as well as

marketing level, with a view to ensuring the availability of potential alternative suppliers.

Specific Objectives for 2010-12:

(a) Seek revised and renegotiated multi-event arrangements with catering firms to obtain

lower prices per head for the Company‟s programme of dinners.

(b) Help raise the standard and enjoyment of Company dinners by maintaining a high

quality of food and improving the standard of wine.

(c) Specifically find potential new venues for larger dinners (over 80) and Court dinners

(under 30).

Committee Membership 2010-12: Tim West (Chairman) Howard Mundy – the Master

Activities: Over the past 15 months

On 23rd April 2010 the Company really enjoyed the Ladies‟ Banquet at the Vintners‟ Hall,

though with the ticket price at £130 we were perhaps pushing the boundaries of price

acceptability.

On 14th July 2010 the Company met and lunched at the Inn holders‟ Hall in College Street to

celebrate the Master‟s Installation - the event was well executed and appreciated by all

attending.

On the evening of 22nd July 2010, following a Court meeting, members of the Company met

for the Master‟s Installation dinner at Tallow Chandlers‟ Hall for a very convivial evening.

In early September the Committee met and visited several of the halls where Life‟s Kitchen

provides the catering service with a view to future events and venues. In August the same

firm took over catering for the Tallow Chandlers‟ Hall where many of our events are held, so

our time was well invested. This schedule included the Armourers‟ Hall, the Brewers‟, the

Stationers‟ and Painters‟.

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The Master requested that for future events, and certainly during his term of office, three

course menus become the norm. Serving a savoury takes 20 minutes during the meal – and

the view is that this creates pressure elsewhere with timings in the event.

On October 27th 2010 the Agincourt Dinner was held at the Armourers‟ Hall. The ticket price

was held at £100 and this coupled with proactive „marketing‟ have led to a full house for the

event. The actual price for the event was in excess of this but bolstering attendance and

Membership was the priority. Many present suggested this was the best Bowyers‟ dinner they

had ever attended.

On 7th April the Company enjoyed the catering arrangements for the St George‟s Day Dinner held at the Tallow Chandlers‟ Hall. Life‟s Kitchen looked after us very well and keeping the ticket price at £100 ensured a full hall. On 9th June there was a strong Bowyers presence with their guests at the Beating the Retreat

event held at the Honourable Artillery Company. Committee input had been purely

advisory.

On 30th June the Company hosted the biennial Joint Dinner with the Fletchers at the Watermen‟s Hall with a good menu and wines to accompany it. The ticket cost for this event was not subsidized and Bowyers significantly outnumbered Fletchers, who benefit significantly from a cost perspective, in having a share in their own hall. On 14th July the James Wood memorial service with Common Hall will be followed by supper at Balls Brothers in Carey Lane. There have been other events with suppers beyond the formal programme which have been held at the Cheshire Cheese, Davy‟s wine bars and Balls Brothers. Forthcoming events in the Bowyers‟ calendar include Agincourt Dinner to be held at the Armourer‟s Hall on 25th October 2011 and the Ladies‟ (St George‟s Day) Banquet to be held on 26th April 2012. We have provisional bookings at two halls and visits planned to finalise our selection. Recent increases in the membership of the Company and popularity of events suggests that early booking will be required. The accounts for the Company show that most events have run at a small loss. Given the recent 2.5% VAT increase and the additional NIC for wages it is likely that the £100 target price we have set ourselves will need to increase for future dinners. We have maintained the champagne reception whilst many Livery companies opt for sparkling wine at the reception, and allow for a very generous quantity of wine for each diner and strive to retain quality despite pressure on prices. This strategy seems to be working in terms of attendance at events, coupled with efforts of the Communications Committee in rallying support. Indeed we now have waiting lists for those not booking early enough. Tim West Court Assistant and Chairman Catering Committee 6th July 2011

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12. HMS NORTHUMBERLAND ANNUAL REPORT

Since our last report in July 2010 the challenge to remain successful in all our endeavours

continues, but as ever I‟m pleased to report that NORTHUMBERLAND continues to excel in

all her undertakings.

Our mid-deployment maintenance period, for both equipment and personnel, went without

a hitch in the summer heat and humidity that is Dubai in August. At the end of the longest

single period alongside for the whole deployment it was back to business as usual sailing

having welcomed aboard the Engineering Assurance Team from our home port

DEVONPORT FLOTILLA organisation to conduct some high level management checks of

the ships engineering departments over a 3 day period, just one of the mid-deployment

checks that are undertaken on a deployed ship to ensure that we still retain the highest level

of operational capability possible throughout the extended period away from the UK.

At this stage in theatre the South Westerly monsoons had fully abated, with the seas now

calm enough for the pirates to put to sea in their skiffs we expected to busy and fully

involved in anti-piracy ops for the remaining months of our tasking. With our patrol cycles

falling back into roughly 3 weeks on task and 2-3 days alongside for fuel stores and

recreation, we were all too quickly back into the groove of being the deterred presence

preventing Pirate Action Groups from getting out from their camps to reek havoc on the

high seas.

Fortunately, as alluded to previously, we managed a couple of days alongside in the

Seychelles again taking on the locals and expats at various sporting events and also a

welcomed break alongside in Fujairah where the Ship‟s Company were treated to a music

and comedy show courtesy of the Combined Services Entertainment team, who under the

deployed services welfare policy, are tasked to provide an entertainment package for our

deployed forces around the globe.

Early November saw us finally turn north and start the month long journey back to the UK

with our final stop in theatre before handing over planned to be Aqaba in Jordan. Whilst

alongside, the majority of the Ship‟s Company took the opportunity of a day trip to visit

Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and well worth the 4 hour coach ride through

the Jordanian desert.

On sailing from Jordan we met up with and officially handed over our patrol duties to the

Type 22 Frigate HMS CORNWALL and proceeded towards Suez. Now the focus switched

from operational to preparation for our planned refit starting post Xmas leave. Part of the

preparations involves various trials of all of the Marine and Weapon Engineering

departments‟ equipment to assess and record the performance baseline ready for the post

Upkeep sea trials to ensure the performance remains constant and to achieve the trials we

embarked a trials team from the UK during our last visit in the Mediterranean at Valetta

Malta. The trials were conducted between Malta and Gibraltar, the teams were dropped off

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and we took the last on load of fuel before arriving back in the UK on the 10th December.

The deployment was 9 days short of 8 months away and the ship was certainly ready for her

planned refit however one more important visit had to be undertaken before finally being

handed over to the dockyard for maintenance.

NORTHUMBERLAND hadn‟t been up on the Tyne since the beginning of 2008 so the

Commanding Officer arranged a short visit to Newcastle at the beginning of February 11 to

re-affirm our affiliations to the area and catch up with many of those people that support the

ship. As is usual for Newcastle at that time of year the weather for the weekend alongside

wasn‟t at its best however a large number of local people turned out for the Ship Open to

Visitors event and the CO conducted numerous interviews for local TV and Radio and our

affiliates were invited to the Capability Demonstration held on the first evening alongside.

The weekend was a great success and on sailing we had a number of invited guests onboard,

including The Master Mr Howard Mundy, for the 3 day transit back to Plymouth.

We entered our Upkeep period on Valentines Day and shortly after Commander Paddy

Allen handed over Captaincy of NORTHUMBERLAND to Commander Paddy Dowsett just

before we completed emptying the ship of all fuel, stores and personnel, a mammoth task

undertaken over the 3 weeks prior to the ship entering her dry dock within the Frigate Refit

Complex. From that day she has at times resembled more of a building site than a warship

but I‟m happy to say she‟s now starting to look more like a warship again as we head

towards our undocking date. Of course all of the work that has gone on, essential

maintenance and upgrades to equipment, means that NORTHUMBERLAND will return to

active service in the Fleet as a much more capable and versatile unit than when she went in –

ready to fight and win!

S A Caddick

Lt Cdr Royal Navy

Weapon Engineer Officer

HMS Northumberland

July 2011

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13. Communication Committee Report

General Continuing Remit:

1. Take responsibility, in conjunction with the Clerk, for managing the content and flow of

communications to Company members, including newsletters, annual reports,

membership directories, booking forms, dinner tickets, menu cards etc.

2. Take responsibility, in conjunction with the Clerk and the Webmaster, for ensuring the

Company has an attractive, informative, up-to-date website for the use of Company

members and the outside world.

3. Manage, in conjunction with the Clerk and the Webmaster, the Company‟s whole IT and

print production framework whereby the above communications are enacted.

Specific Objectives for 2010-12:

(a) Review the membership list and attendance records, allocate contact names, and through

personal contact catalyse greater levels of attendance by Company members at Company

events, both to raise the general participation level of Company members, and also to help

spread the fixed cost of events across greater numbers.

(b) Encourage members of the Livery to bring more guests to Company events, both to help

further spread the fixed cost of events, and particularly to bring guests who may be

interested in becoming potential future members of the Company.

(c) Identify „interest and affinity groups‟ from which to seek new members who will feel „at

home‟ in the Company; encourage „contact leaders‟ within the Company to take a positive

and active personal role in reaching out to those interest and affinity groups, including

(but not limited to):

The Mercian Regiment The charities we support

HMS Northumberland The Clergy

Kings College London Defence industries

Royal Toxophilite Society. City professions, and the Business world

Craft Guild of Traditional London Archers

Bowyers & Fletchers

(d) Accomplish a determined shift in the balance of internal Company communications from

paper to email, both to save print costs, and to improve the flexibility and timeliness of event-

related communications to members, breaking away from rigid quarterly schedules.

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(e) Revamp the website and sustain a regular flow of new articles, reports and news.

(f) Produce a high-quality annual glossy document representing the Bowyers‟ Company

both to its members and to wider audiences.

(g) Improve the ease by which members may make payments by direct debit and bank

transfer.

Committee Membership 2010-12:

The Master, John Hayton, Tony Kench, Sinclair Rogers, Duncan Samuel,

Tim West (Chairman)

Most recent activity of note:

Annual hard copy newsletter and mailing

Discussion surrounded whether the need continues for this to be printed and posted if it was available on the revised web site. The Committee concluded that those who value a hard copy will be able to print one off locally, and those without access to this technology can still be sent a hard copy.

Proposals for new website

The Master had separately reviewed progress with Duncan Samuel and this had been very positive, and each committee member has been tasked with testing the new site and reporting back on the experience .We will continue to work with the current web site, until such time as the new web site is launched – and the target date for this is 25th October 2011. In the future it is going to be possible to book and pay for events directly on line, with PayPal the preferred payment mechanism, though electronic bank transfers will remain and even cheques will continue to be accepted until they are more widely abandoned. It is proposed that once the site is ready - all committee chairmen, Court members, who

organise an event, should write and submit an article – with photographs if appropriate – to

the Clerk‟s office for uploading onto the website within a fortnight of an event taking place.

Or as a default, the Clerk should undertake. This way, the website is always kept current.

Web links to other appropriate sites should be available as relevant.

Tim West

Court Assistant and Chairman of Communications Committee

July 2011

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THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BOWYERS · 2 The Worshipful Company of Bowyers Annual Report 2011. ......

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Transcript of THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BOWYERS · 2 The Worshipful Company of Bowyers Annual Report 2011. ......