The Fruiterers’ Company NEWSLETTER Number 82 April 2015 www.fruiterers.org.uk What a ‘Scrumptious’ Banquet t was a very cheerful evening at the Mansion House on 16 February. A happy contingent of Liverymen and their many Iguests enjoyed a very successful Banquet. It was, we can be sure, a special pleasure for the Master to present the Matthew Mack award to John Thatcher, cider apple grower and cider maker of Thatchers Cider, (see page 2). Thatchers Cider are a Somerset Company and not from the Master’s favoured Dorset; but he was clearly delighted to present the award to somebody of such importance in the cider world. The Master chose the Company’s guest list for our Banquet with an eye to our forthcoming trip to Gallipoli to commemorate the centenary of that tragic battle. Prominent among our guests Master with Musketeers and their guests were the Honourable Alexander Downer, the High Commissioner of Australia; the Rt. Hon. Sir Lockwood Smith, the High Commiss- and their guests: General Sir Nicholas Carter, the Chief of the ioner of New Zealand, and Mr Aytuğ Göksu, the Commercial General Staff; Air Marshall Sir Barry North, Deputy Commander Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy, representing the Ambassador Capability and Rear Admiral John Clink, Flag Officer Scotland, of Turkey. They were joined by the Rt. Hon. the Lord Goodlad, who Northern England and Northern Ireland. served as our High Commissioner to Australia some ten years The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Ryder represented the Judiciary and ago. the Rt. Reverend Stephen Conway, the Bishop of Ely, represented As can happen, from time to time, the Lord Mayor was unable the Church. It was also good to see Sir Anthony Joliffe, a former to join us this year; he was on a foreign visit representing the City. However, it was a very great pleasure to welcome as our principal DATES FOR YOUR DIARY guest, Alderman Nicholas Anstee (Lord Mayor 2009), both as Lord Mayor Locum Tenens and as Master of the Butchers’ Company. Thurs 14 May Audit Court Dinner Trinity House He was accompanied by his wife, Claire, and the Shrieval team of Wed 27 May Battlefield Tour Sedgemoor, Alderman and Sheriff Andrew Parmley, and Sheriff Fiona Adler Somerset with their consorts. The armed forces were represented by our three musketeers Thurs 28 May Royal Bath & West Show Shepton Mallet Mon 8 – Fruit & Gallipoli Visits Turkey Sat 13 Jun Wed 24 Jun Election of Sheriffs Guildhall Wed 1 July Christies Auction House St James’s, London Fri 10 – Cherry & Soft Fruit Show Detling Sun 12 Jul Thurs 16 Jul Summer Court Dinner Haberdashers’ Hall Early Tree Planting Renishaw Hall, Sept tba Garden of the Year Derbyshire Tues 29 Sep Election of Lord Mayor Guildhall Mon 5 Oct 12.30 p.m. Carvery Ironmongers’ Hall Master & Wardens Luncheon Nicholas Anstee & the Master share a Loving Cup Sir Lockwood Smith was the principle speaker Army. The losses on both sides were behalf of the Lord Mayor, a gift to both the Our Master acknowledges the guests tragic. This battle, as we all know, has Master and the Clerk, the latter to mark Lord Mayor, and Angus Campbell, HM great resonance in Australia and New his twenty years in office as our Clerk, his Lord Lieutenant of Dorset; both are Zealand, not just for the sacrifice of the great contribution to our company and Dorset men – and representatives of the ANZAC troops; but also because it the City and, very sadly for all of us, his Master’s County roots, perhaps! It was became a defining event in the foundation forthcoming retirement. also a joy to welcome the Masters of the of those two, then nascent, countries. It is On leaving Mansion House, we were all Barbers’ and the Gardeners’ Companies; also of great significance to the victors, presented a generous gift from the the Prime Warden of the Basketmakers’ the Ottomans. Their forces were led by Master, an apple sapling. The variety is Company and Commodore David Smith, Mustafa Kemal Pasha who, after the First Scrumptious, which promises well! Will the Director of the London City Markets. World War, led the campaign for Turkish we now see a competition to establish The principal speaker was Sir independence and the ending of the which Liveryman can grow his apple tree Lockwood Smith and what a splendid Ottoman Empire. He then made Turkey a the best and be the first to produce speech he gave. He spoke movingly about republic and a secular state and led its mature fruit? Will it be an apple grower Gallipoli, the battle and the courage of the entry into the modern world. He is better who wins, an eminent horticulturist or soldiers, sailors and airman of all those known to us today by the title Kemal even a humble City man? My money is on nations which were fighting to gain a Attatürk. a certain Past Master, who is known to be foothold and open a front in Turkey It gave the whole company great a bit of a grafter! against the Ottoman Empire, and equally pleasure that, on ending his speech, the Piece provided by Past Master about the valiant defence by the Ottoman Lord Mayor Locum Tenens presented, on Steve Bodger The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ Matthew Mack Award Presented to John Thatcher r John Thatcher received the from the, then, smaller cider making Worshipful Company of Fruiter- companies and has been an influential M ers’ triennial Matthew Mack member of its Pomology Committee. Award for “Distinguished Achievements When the Long Ashton Research for Education, Training and Innovation Station in Bristol closed down its cider within the Fruit Industry” at the Comp - facility in 1986, John took on the any’s Annual Banquet held at London’s management of its research bank of cider Mansion House on 16 February 2015, apple trees, now part of the company’s with the Lord Mayor Locum Tenens exhibition orchard. He is taking a John Thatcher receives the Alderman Nicholas Anstee in attendance. particular interest in the station’s final Matthew Mack Award Presenting the Award the Company’s product of early fruiting varieties having new Master, Rupert Best, said “John an orchard containing them all and is Enthusiastic for education both formal Thatcher’s passion for research and currently influential in a trials programme and informal he is a great supporter of innovation, particularly in the areas of of evaluation. John has been prominent the apprentice scheme; so much so, that orchard stewardship and orchard in encouraging the industry to support his ‘brand new’, innovative, 120 acre sustainability, has led him to be East Malling. Using the resources of his orchard has been made the responsibility recognised within the sector as one of the company, he is pioneering new ways of of one such young apprentice. country’s most respected cider makers growing cider apples, with an emphasis The Master concluded by saying “I and an ambassador for the industry on protection of the environment and have known, admired and have learned throughout Europe”. quality in the fruit. This work includes from John over twenty years; he is a John Thatcher is the third generation substantial investment in the design and leader, a teacher and an innovator. Chairman of the family owned Thatcher’s manu facture of entirely new orchard Nothing gives me more pleasure than to Cider Company, based at Myrtle Farm in management and harvesting machinery. present the 2015 Matthew Mack Award to North Somerset, which, under his He is not just a successful farmer and John Thatcher; he is a most worthy leadership, has grown out of all businessman, but possesses a generosity recipient and the first ever from the Cider recognition in the past few years. He was of spirit. This is shown in the way he Sector”. the first Chairman of the National shares his knowledge freely with others Piece provided by Honorary Association of Cider Makers to come and keenly offers advice when requested. Liveryman Dr Mike Solomon 2 The Magnificent Dining Hall HONORARY ARCHIVIST Source: Sussex Agricultural Express - Saturday 12th September 1891 VISIT OF THE FRUITERERS’ COMPANY TO THE CRAWLEY NURSERIES. Returning to the homestead the room was inspected where The Fruiterers’ Company, under their energetic Master, there fruit is stored, and from which Messrs Cheal have Alderman Sir James Whitehead, have for the past two or three exhibited such remarkably fine fruit at late periods in the season, years taken such an active part in promoting fruit culture, and and which was specially constructed for the purpose. who organised the great Fruit Show at the Guildhall last autumn, The glass was next visited, and a cool orchard house devoted are from time to time visiting some of the leading fruit growing to pears trained as cordons up the roof was a beautiful sight, and and nursery establishments, with the object of acquainting themselves fully with what is being done in various parts of the we were told that there were 800 fruits hanging from the roof, country in connection with this industry. Recently a visit was the size of the house being 50ft. by 20ft. and with no artificial paid to Messrs. Cheal and Sons’ establishment. The Party to the heat, and many of the varieties were remarkably fine. The number of eighteen, including several ladies, arrived at Three ferneries and plant houses were glanced at, and also the houses bridges Station and were conveyed in brakes to the Nurseries. devoted to the raising of vines and fig trees etc., and great They at once commenced a tour of the grounds, in the first astonishment was expressed at a number of peach and nectarine trees in pots which were carrying heavy crops of fruit out of place inspecting the various ways of training fruit upon the doors, and which had not been under glass or protected in any cordon system.