The Chronicle
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The Carpenters’ Company Chronicle October 2019 3 Contents FOREWORD BY THE MASTER • 3 AFFILIATIONS • 36 Company Reception 4th Battalion The Rifles IV(R) Squadron RAF Champion Pilots 2018 & 2019 BUILDING CRAFTS COLLEGE • 6 The Extra-Curriculum PASTIMES • 40 Visitors to the College Royal Opera House Apprenticeship Scheme Inter-Livery Ski-ing Fenland Black Oak Project Golf Shooting Tennis CRAFT • 11 Bridge The Young Inter-Livery Quiz Competition Wood Awards 2018 The Case for Wood Carpenters’ Craft Competition GUEST OF HONOUR’S RESPONSE • 49 WorkshopEast AT LIVERY SPRING DINNER The Creative Dimension Trust City & Guilds of London Institute Royal School of Military Engineering 2019 Craft Lecture MEMBERS SHOWCASE • 51 The Georgian Group Craft Prize Awards Armenian Stone Cross Chthonic Spirit CHARITIES AND GRANTS • 22 The Carpenters’ Company Charitable Trust COMPANY BUSINESS • 53 Norton Folgate Trust Rustington Convalescent Home Admissions Carpenters Primary School Profiles Docklands Settlements Obituaries Christ’s Hospital Speech Day Gifts to the Company 2018–2019 Educational Bursaries Notices National Youth Rowing Reviews The Sheriffs’ Horse Ride Company Appointments Calendar COMPANY HISTORY •32 Celebrating Excellence: 125 Years of the Building Crafts College 4 The Carpenters’ Company Chronicle October 2019 Foreword by the Master 5 Foreword by the Master THE MASTER, HIS HON PETER BIRTS QC, WRITES: ast year, in a break with past practice, the Court decided L that the twice yearly Broadsheets informing members of the activities of the Company would be replaced by a single annual review. The Broadsheets also served as the Court’s annual report to the Livery required by Standing Orders, an important duty we discharged this year by our detailed letter to all liverymen ahead of the General Court in July. I was delighted to be asked Carpenters’ is held in especially in Stratford, help young to edit the first edition of high regard for its estimable people from a wide range the Carpenters’ Company Building Crafts College which, of backgrounds and give Chronicle – to be published despite its many public funding them confidence to succeed without reference to the Court, challenges, goes from strength in their chosen careers. marking another departure. to strength in educational Likewise, the vital social I agreed at once, pausing only achievement and reputation. support we help deliver to ponder if the Court had But the Company is also widely through our commitment to fully intended to divest itself respected for the broad reach the Docklands Settlements of editorial control. But courts of its charitable giving to both which, like the Building of ancient livery companies craft-related and non-craft Crafts College, celebrates its seldom make changes without causes year in year out, and 125th anniversary this year. thinking them through. So for its energetic and unceasing perhaps we should celebrate promotion of those causes All these activities and more the new-found independence through competitions such as are described in the following of our Company journal as the Wood Awards and other pages, as are our own social evidence of the continued self- prize-giving events. Our carefully and sporting activities. These confidence of our Company’s targeted educational grants and offer some reward for the governance as we approach bursaries, and our support of vast amount of hard work The Master, His Hon Peter Birts QC our 700th anniversary. the Carpenters Primary School and commitment put in by Continues on P4 6 The Carpenters’ Company Chronicle October 2019 Foreword by the Master 7 members who help run the an invitation to attend the Other impressive musical It was a huge pleasure to It has been a privilege to serve Company. Many of the articles welcome of the royal couple events in the year were Beating welcome members of the the Company as Master. Angi cover familiar ground but by HM The Queen at Horse Retreat at Brompton Barracks, Carpenters’ Company of and I thank all of you for your some, such as Rachel Bower’s Guards in London. It was a Chatham, home to our affiliates The City and County of support and encouragement admirable book review and beautiful autumn day and the Royal School of Military Philadelphia, with whom we during the year. It has made an abridged version of Lord a gentle breeze blew softly Engineering, performed by the have a close affiliation, to the a real difference to what can Judge’s notable speech at across the Parade as Honorary disciplined Band of the Royal Court Summer Dinner in June. be a demanding role at times. the Livery Spring Dinner, open Liveryman The Prince of Wales Logistics Corps. On a different Sir Tim Rice gave the response I must also thank Angi for up new topics. I particularly and King Willem-Alexander but no less inspiring level, we on behalf of the guests and her support, and the Clerk, commend the Company history inspected the Guard of Honour. were privileged to be present our former Guildhall Henry Tim Gregson, and every one article Celebrating Excellence: I had a front row seat and saw for the March Past and music Osborne scholar, Alexandra of the staff, who have been a 125 Years of the Building Crafts the large royal party at close played at Christ’s Hospital Speech Lowe, provided the musical pleasure to work with. Lastly, College by Julie Tancell, our quarters as they drove past in Day by the highly regarded school entertainment, with songs I am indebted to the small archivist, which provides a their horse drawn carriages. military band. including the deeply moving editorial team I have led in useful reminder of how hard ‘Another Suitcase in Another preparing this year’s Chronicle. our predecessors worked to Also in October, we heard It has been an honour to present Hall’ from Evita which Tim keep the School (as it was then an excellent recital by the awards to high achieving and had previously assured me is called) going through two Tooting Broads at the Livery courageous servicemen from one of his favourites. World Wars. and Freemen’s Reception our affiliates in the Army, Royal when two solo flautists treated Navy and Royal Air Force. I have greatly enjoyed my us to arrangements of well- In May Angi and I enjoyed a year as Master, as has Angi. known operatic themes by fascinating visit to RAF Valley Highlights have included Donizetti and Verdi, and pianist in Anglesey where O/C Wing the State Visit by the King Neil Wright put the Company Commander Rob Caine treated Sir Tim Rice during the Loving Cup ceremony Jane Gilbert, the Master, Cressida and Queen of the Netherlands Steinway through its paces with us to a personal presentation Godfrey, and Neil Wright in October, when the Company a blazing display of bravura in on the world-beating training was honoured to receive two of Rachmaninov’s Preludes. of fast jet fighter pilots carried out at the base. After dinner we listened to a remarkable speech by a ninety-eight year old WW2 pathfinder pilot who looked as if he could easily climb into Company Reception his old Mosquito aircraft to do another sortie if required. Other highlights were our visits to York as guests of the t the Livery and Freemen’s Reception “The Toot- Merchant Adventurers at their A ing Broads” (classically trained flutists Cressida historic 660 year old hall Removed for copyright reasons and to Sheffield to dine with Godfrey and Jane Gilbert) entertained the guests. Here the Cutlers of Hallamshire. they recount the experience: In addition to our many fine dining outings to great City Livery Halls, on the second day of the Company visit to It was a treat to be invited by The Master had a pretty and Hungary and featured Berlin some seventy of us had the Master to perform at the clear idea of what he would works for two flutes and a wonderful dinner at the Annual Livery and Freemen’s like to hear so we planned piano, two flutes on their own Kaefer Dachgarten rooftop Reception on 3rd October a programme around his (The Broads’ usual format) restaurant over the Reichstag 2018. The Clerk’s PA Caroline favourite composers. We asked and piano solos. Composers and were able to admire its Stevens looked after us very well our good friend the pianist and featured included Cimarosa, extraordinary Norman Foster throughout, as did the Beadle organist. Neil Wright to join us as Couperin, J. S. Bach, Verdi, steel and glass dome and enjoy Colin Wilson. Your glorious accompanist and soloist to put Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, unrivalled views over the city. Hall is not only beautiful, it your newly restored Steinway to Kohler, Shostakovich, Poulenc, has a friendly acoustic which work. Our programme spanned Piazzolla, Chopin and Doppler. King Willem-Alexander is the icing on the cake for composers from Italy, France, Thank you for having us! It was a inspects the Guard of Honour musical performance. Germany, Russia, Argentina wonderful, celebratory evening. 8 The Carpenters’ Company Chronicle October 2019 Building Crafts College 9 The lime panel made The Review calls for increased for the End of Year funding for further education Building Show was a testing but rewarding project and additional support for for the year one adults returning to training construction students and a positive response from Crafts College government is essential. The complexity of the learning provision available at the THE PRINCIPAL LEN CONWAY WRITES: College is shown by the range of students enrolled, both in terms of age and background and by the courses we offer. he Building Crafts College has completed its 125th year. Since Students include 14–16 year old T its inception in 1893 the College has made a major contribution school age youngsters, 16–18 year olds on full time courses, to craft training and, through its support, the Carpenters’ Company adult learners returning to The challenges facing a private decade, whilst the demands education (including full time has demonstrated how a livery company can play a major role in training provider like the of a complex qualification furniture makers and stone maintaining the quality of training in the crafts and occupations Building Crafts College continue system have increased.