A Royal Ballet School Masterclass

Held in the superb Mercers Hall this was a most enervating evening. Over 60 Masters, Prime Wardens and their Ladies were entertained by Gailene Stock, the Director of the Royal Ballet School and 12 of her extraordinarily talented pupils. Ranging in age from 11 to 19 they showed us just how dedicated and hard working you need to be to qualify from such a school – quite an education.
Having enjoyed a Champagne Reception before the dancing we were then treated to an excellent supper in the Large Court Room. The Mercers must really have a very large Court!

Court Meeting & February Lunch

Don’t let anyone tell you it is easy being Master of the Distillers! I got my first taste of running a Court Meeting which was anything but plain sailing. I don’t remember ever being that argumentative myself when sitting there as a mere court member!
So it was a very busy meeting with a full agenda culminating in the Court granted the freedom by redemption to Christian Rose, Alexander James, Gareth Lawrence, Sukhinder Singh and Stephen Wilson and by presentation to Ruth Ford, Nikolas Fordham, Carole Brimicombe, Thomas Troughton and Marta Orive Camprubi (the latter 4 receiving their Scholarships at the lunch following).
An excellent lunch where the health of the guests was most ably and amusingly proposed by Jonathan Orr-Ewing and was just as ably answered by my old friend and sparring partner Simon Dyson who made an amusing and extremely well informed speech by way of after lunch entertainment.
I do hope nobody is getting fed up with the Chateau Cissac as they will certainly have it at,at least one more function! An exhausting but most pleasurable day as far as I was concerned.
As indeed it had been for the Mistress who I met up with later that evening – as one does! Jenny had enjoyed an extremely pleasant Lunch at the Mansion House with her new friend Liz Wootton, the wife of the Lord Mayor and busiest man in the City, David Wootton. She and a few other Master’s wives had been very well looked after and had had the opportunity to wonder round the Mansion House including the Lord Mayor’s private quarters. Most interesting apparently.

WSET Awards and Graduation Ceremony

This was a splendidly organised event held at the Guildhall and preceded by a Tio Pepe reception which got the taste buds going.
I was delighted to present the Distillers Scholarship to Ruth Ford from Enotria. Sadly Carole Brimscombe the other Scholarship winner was unable to attend.
Met up with the Clerk and Assistant Clerk at the Drinks Party afterwards but fatigue got the better of me and I headed for home at a fairly stage. Congratulations to Ian Harris and his team for a splendid job.

London Guild of Gin Distillers

A meeting of the committee organising this – real progress being made and interest from most producers. Very exciting.
Unfortunately had to leave a bit early for a trial lunch with Ring and Brymer at Vintners Hall. The food was very good and goes well with the wines. Should be a good lunch.

Harold Porter’s 80th

Delighted to be invited to help Liveryman Harold Porter celebrate his 80th Birthday along with some old chums in the Taberna Etrusca in Bow Churchyard. Delighted to say Harold very fit and well. Well organised Chris!

Fletchers Court Dinner

What a pleasure to be invited to a Court Dinner at the cosy little Farmers & Fletcher’s Hall just off Smithfield Market by St Bart’s Hospital. I was guest of the Master John Owen-Ward at an intimate gathering of a mere 30 odd people, and was very well looked after by the lay Clerk, Georgina Butler.
I was seated next to the Master of the Bowyers Company. Apparently the two Companies didn’t speak for about 200 years but all seems well now!

Benevolent Annual Lunch

A very pleasant way to ease my way into my first outing of the year – indeed for a while. Back to the familiar and genteel surroundings of The Vintners Hall for a very good lunch. Round tables though do look strange in that room.
It was most gratifying to see so many fellow Distillers there. In fact just as well because I discovered I had left my wallet behind and was just about to touch the Renter Warden for the loan of a tenner for the obligatory gamble when a delightful young lady said she would accept my word that I would send a cheque. I suppose the Masters Visiting Card did it.

IBD 125th Presidential Dinner

It was a great privilege to be invited to the 125 Presidential Dinner of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. This was a very grand affair held at the Guildhall and attended by all the great and good of the Industry.
Sitting on the top table as a guest of the President Donald Nelson who had flown over from New Zealand specially, was a great experience. Hearing from guest speaker Matthew Paris all about his days as an aide to Margaret Thatcher was enthralling and having a different ale with each of 6 courses was very interesting.
A very entertaining evening although in the end I decided I’d better not sample all the many cask ales that were on offer after the dinner as I was still feeling a bit tired from my Installation Dinner the night before.

The Installation Day

Well – what a day! Our totally excellent, but now Past, Master ran his final Court Meeting with his usual efficiency and good timing and I was duly clothed as Master, the fur edged cloak hanging heavy on my shoulders! However I braced up in time to enjoy an excellent dinner and a very fine and well delivered speech from my old friend H H Charles Tilling. All in all a most enjoyable evening even though I say it myself.

Now for some reason I agreed to continue this blogging business which was started so rashly by IPM Sills last year. I noticed in a recent minute from David a typographical error where he referred to it as a ‘blob’ rather than a blog and I think that will probably sum my efforts up. In fact I am probably already typing this in the wrong box and it’s going missing or appearing in the wrong place.

Any case here’s to a good year and watch this space – wherever it appears!