April 2026
The Worshipful Company of Broderers Company Guest Dinner
Monday 20th
This was my first official external event representing the Framework Knitters as Master.
Mercer’s Hall is one of those hidden gems, just off Cheapside in Ironmonger Lane. The shop frontages on Cheapside are owned by Mercers and the Hall is behind and above these. As with many London Halls the Great Fire of 1666 completely gutted the Hall, and although work started virtually immediately the first Court meeting since the Great Fire was on 4th May 1676.
The Livery Dining Hall has mahogany-panelled walls, with a circular stained-glass window at one end, and a minstrel gallery at the other. The impressive plasterwork ceiling is an unusual variation of the classic barrel vault – more like an upturned bowl than a traditional keg (see photos).
At the receiving line was Master James Neil and Warden Cris Tarrant – both gentlemen I have known for a while through my Presumptive Masters Group. James has a little over 1 month left before Cris takes over. So, Cris and I will be virtually sharing the next year in office, together. The Renter Warden was ex-Lord Mayor Alaistair King, who I reminded that he awarded the Best Dressed competitor at the 2025 Pancake Race to a certain ‘Sir Knit-A-Lot’, aka the new Master Framework Knitter.
It was a lovely 4-course dinner. The main course of ’21-day aged beef fillet, ox tail croquet, Dauphinoise potato, French beans, baby vegetables, Port jus’ was delicious. A soprano and tenor from the Guildhall School of Music sang ‘songs from the musicals’, using the wonderful acoustics of the dining hall.
Then came the moment we were all looking forward to, or not for music lovers, The Master’s Song. It is tradition that the Master Broderer sings this song, solo. Poor Master James, who has a voice more suited to the shower, than the stage, which he freely admits, he took a large gulp of red wine, and started. Fortunately, each of the 4 verses is followed by the same chorus, which we all greatly enjoyed singing with gusto. So as James struggled through the verses, he would be saved at the end of each with all the diners joining in with the chorus like a Gilbert and Sullivan cast.
An excellent evening drew to a close with a stirrup cup. Understandably the Mercers’ Hall staff want us all to vacate the Hall in good time, so we were shown the wonderful exit via the Giant Staircase, passing a stained-glass image of King Richard II who awarded them a Royal Charter in 1394. Then we were out into Ironmonger Lane, which runs off Cheapside. Incidentally, this entrance was created to improve the shop frontages on Cheapside (one of the main market areas). In fact, the original 17th century frontispiece to the entrance on Cheapside was moved to Swanage, in Dorset. If you go to look at the entrance to Swanage Town Hall you will be looking at the original Cheapside entrance to the 17th century Mercers’ Hall.
CITY WALKING TOUR
Saturday 18th
19 of us congregated at Barber-Surgeons’ Hall at 10:30am the morning after the Installation Dinner, to meet our expert guide Susannah Cohen from Square Mile Secrets.
Susannah then took us through a tour of some of the lesser-known spots that we normally pass by, unnoticed. We started at the side of the original city walls next to Plaisterers’ Hall.
We proceeded by Pewters’ Hall and Wax Chandlers’ Hall, and learnt about Sir Thomas Gresham, who Gresham Street is named after. He was a prominent 16th-century Tudor merchant, financier, and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I.
He founded the Royal Exchange in 1565, crucial to London's development as a major global financial hub. Some say the watch brand Wilsdorf and Davis, founded in 1905 in London by Hans Wilsdorf with his future brother-in-law Alfred Davis, used the Royal Exchange as inspiration for a Global Brand Name that everyone could understand = ROLEX.
It was lovely to be able to speak with fellow Liverymen and guests as we wandered from point to point in the City.
Susannah had even researched Samuel Morley of Nottingham-based hosiery manufacturer I & R Morley, who opened a London-based Sales Office and Warehouse in the City in the 1840s. He was way ahead of his time. By the 1880s I & R Morley employed over 10,000 workers in the East Midlands and were one of the largest hosiery factories in the World at that time.
On the dot of 12 noon, Susannah concluded the tour at Temple Bar, telling us of its nomadic life, and how the severed heads of notorious villains were coated in tar and then impaled on spikes, that adorned the top of Temple Bar as a warning to those wishing to enter the City.
As is usual for Framework Knitters, we adjourned to Ye Olde London pub on Ludgate Hill for a spot of lunch, to conclude, convivially, a gentle morning’s stroll in lovely company.
INSTALLATION DINNER
Friday 17th
From being a support act in my years as Under and then Upper Warden, suddenly I’m in the main role.
Russ and Peter Thompson (Toastmaster) constantly check I’m dressed correctly, in the right spot, ready to do the next task etc. It’s a bit like being a dog at Crufts!
The dressing of the Master, so I am correctly wearing my chain of office is at least a 3-person job.
Then Phil our photographer leaps into action, Master, family, guests, Wardens, etc. it is a whirl of turn this way, now that way, no not under that light.
A glass of wine is kindly offered and drunk, then we are being called to the Receiving Line, and the evening is under way.
It was wonderful to greet so many Liverymen and guests who I know, and their warmth and congratulations was truly moving.
We processed into dinner – a wonderful Great Hall, dominated by the huge Holbein portrait of Henry VIII, commissioned by the King himself, to mark the joining together of the Barbers and the Surgeons in 1540.
Painted in 1542, it has always been in the Hall. Rapidly moved into the next door Anatomy Theatre to save it from the 1666 Great Fire. The Hall was burnt down. The only other time it was moved was during WWII, when it was moved to the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth for safe keeping; a wise move as the Hall was completely destroyed (again!) in December 1940.
Also, looking up on the ceiling are the menacing looking fleams (a surgical spring-loaded blade). They reflect the lights glinting off their blades, reminding us of the Barber-Surgeons’ tools.
You may have noticed that I was wearing a hat. Well for years now I have not liked our PhD inspired soft Tudor hat, especially as in seniority we always stand next to the Feltmakers (63) with their wonderful hats. We are 64 in order of precedence.
So, knowing both the Master Feltmaker Simon and his Upper Warden Peter, I asked for their help, ‘where could I get a tricorn hat from?’ Safe to say, the Feltmakers did me proud. Lock and Co., made the hat, and after my year, I will donate it to the Company so that future Masters now have a choice of which hat to wear.
We started with the Black Bomber savoury cheesecake, followed by the beef loin and the wonderful, sweet lemon baked cheesecake – 2 cheesecakes!
My guest (and customer) Simon McMaster gave a brilliant speech about ‘smart textiles’ being used in medical, sport and care applications.
Then it was me, ‘I’m on’. When I stood up the wave of warm exuberance was amazing. Thank you all so much. I sell the modern-day version of the Stocking Frame that the Rev. William Lee invented in Calverton, Nottinghamshire, in 1589. I live about 10 miles from Calverton too.
The rollercoaster ride continued with announcing the Stirrup Cup, and trying to speak with as many people as possible.
I floated back to my hotel – it had been a great day.
INSTALLATION of the NEW MASTER – ‘OPEN FORUM’
Friday 17th
In our desire to be more open and transparent as a Company, Russ felt that the time was right to show the ‘rites of passage’ of the Master-Elect being robbed and becoming the New Master, in an ‘Open Forum’ setting.
Several Livery Companies already do this, but usually as part of a church service.
The only condition from the Court was that we had to be polished and efficient, which is easier said than done to follow the script ‘in ancient form’, and removing 3 gowns and putting them on 3 new people.
Russ had Peter, myself, Paul and Janie in early, before lunch on the Friday.
We had a full dress rehearsal with Peter Thompson the Toastmaster, being totally new to the FWK, taking it all in his stride and making sure we moved between positions in a smooth, and unrushed way.
We needed to do this several times before we felt suitable comfortable.
The Open Forum was open to the Livery and we had around 30 Liverymen and guests take their seats prior to the ceremony, in the Hall’s Reception Room.
Various reports on the past year by the Charity Committee; the Education Committee and The Almshouses were presented to the audience, and then Peter gave his final speech, describing what had been accomplished in his year.
Thanks to Russ’s dress rehearsals, we then followed his direction, and went through the robing and signing in of the new Master, the new Upper Warden and the new Under Warden.
I gave a short speech to the audience stating what I was looking forward to doing in my year and what I hoped to do. One of the main issues is Member-get-Member, using our wonderful Liverymen to attract new Liverymen to maintain the membership of our great Company for the future. What better than our very own Liverymen, who know all about our Livery, to attract new members.
We did all this in about 30 minutes. A first for our Company but definitely not the last. Having been a member of the Court for 14 years, I’m in a privileged position to know the inner workings of the FWK. Using the Open Forum, we can share this with our Liverymen, letting everyone know what is happening, and what we are doing. Also, we hope to pique the interest of Liverymen, so that they want become an Assistant and come onto the Court.
With the formalities all done, it was a quick change and back to the Hall for the evening’s dinner.