And more from the Election Court Dinner

Having presented Livery and Freedom certificates at the meeting of the Court, the Master seemed to spend a considerable amount of the evening in the splendour of Carpenters' Hall (shown below) presenting things.

Firstly, he was pleased to present a donation to the Architects Benevolent Society which was received by the ABS Secretary Keith Robinson (below left)

Next up was a donation to the Tower RNLI Lifeboat Station - the proceeds from the lunchtime event held on the SB Ardwina in mid June which had been addressed by the Station Manager Janet Kelly who accepted the donation (see below)







Robert Gershoff's photographs were taken on behalf of the Architects Benevolent Society.

The Reverend Prebendary David Burgess - the Rector of St Lawrence Jewry - has been the Company's Honorary Chaplain for over 20 years. He has announced his retirement for his City post and looks forward to a quiet retirement. On behalf of all members of the Company the Master wished him well for the future and presented him with a copy of a most worthy architectural tome - 'Twentieth Century Architecture - a Visual History' edited by Company member Professor Dennis Sharp. Hopefully this will go some way to helping David feel more comfortable about contemporary buildings following his well-merited side swipe at the buildings which he has seen erected in Gresham Street since he took up his post at St Lawrence Jewry. He felt that the only survivors from 20 odd years ago were a couple of Livery Halls. David is photographed with the Master below.


The final presentation of the evening was of the Company's annual award for the outstanding contribution to the Architects Benevolent Society. This is judged by the officers of the ABS assisted by the Master from nominations received from architects and others. It takes the form of a ceramic platter decorated by a prominent architect - this year by Eric Parry RA. Two plates are decorated - one going to the winner, the other being held as part of a set by the ABS on behalf of the Company pending the time when they have somewhere to display what will be a valuable collection. The award is pictured below along with its recipient - Colin Morse receiving the award from the Master.
















The citation for the award reads as follows:

'For fifty years the Architects Benevolent Society ran a model complex of sheltered housing for elderly architects at Frenchlands Hatch in Surrey. When he retired from the Management Committee Colin Morse had been a member of it for 30 years, twenty five of them as Chairman. Colin lived locally and as well as running the estate for the ABS he became deeply involved with every aspect of Frenchlands and with the people who lived there.

As well as maintaining the buildings and ensuring that the residents were all well looked after by the paid staff, Colin also oversaw the building of a number of extensions to the estate to provide flats and staff accommodation as well as the bungalows and the residential care home.

In 1971 as a young member of the Guildford Chapter of the RIBA he had organised the Guildford ABS Ball. In 2008, nearly 40 years later, he is still a Trustee of the ABS and an active member of the Case Committee.'