Master Mervyn's meanderings - 4

In late October and November things got really busy. On Tuesday 23 I attended the Art Scholars’ Mithras lecture at the Dutch Reform Church in Austin Friars, given by Professor David Watkin on ‘The classical country house’. Watkin is nothing if not thorough and he presented the influence of Palladianism running as a consistent narrative thread from Inigo Jones and Colen Campbell, through to Edwin Lutyens and the ‘modern’ classicists including Raymond Erith, Quinlan Terry and Robert Adam. A pity he used scanned double pages from his recent book on the subject to illustrate his talk.

The following day, Wednesday 23 witnessed the unveiling of the prizewinning Stone Bench, from the student competition, which packs the experience of implementing a commission, visiting the quarry and working alongside the masons to achieve a notable addition to the public realm of the City, this year on a prominent corner of Foster Lane and Cheapside, overlooked by the Jean Nouvel development opposite, and more importantly by St Paul’s Cathedral. A sinuous curve of rising stone blocks created an admirable urban sculpture, if not the most responsive resting place for the tired anatomy (but proved a useful impromptu stand from which to view the Lord Mayor’s Show – see below). 

The theme of prizegiving was reiterated of Monday 29 October at Guildhall for The City of London School: the winner of the WCCA Prize was a personable young man who is already looking towards a career in architecture. Youth was literally at the helm on Tuesday 30 October, when Past Master Michael Wilkey and I attended a training day on HMT Iveson, at Tilbury Docks, where our ‘regiment’ the Orpington Sea Cadets were being put through their paces, many working on engines which would count towards a Technical apprenticeship. The Iveston was commissioned as a minesweeper in 1955, and saw service in the ‘cod war’ in Icelandic waters. Now permanently moored the ship provides leadership and life skills for the cadets under the watchful eye of CPO Mike Dickson. 

The Red Cross Charity Bluff Wine Tasting, at Glaziers’ Hall on the evening of 2 November was not the finest hour of the joint endeavour by the Architects and Tylers and Bricklayers Companies, but some of the wines were bizarre, including Indian and Turkish vintages. Better fun by far was the Ladies’ Luncheon at Mansion House, hosted by the Lady Mayoress, so my Consort Ann reported – highlight a tour of their apartment viewing the Lord Mayor’s bed, exercise machine, and goodness knows what else! 

Monday 5th saw the outdoor SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE at ST PAULS in the Garden of Remembrance, sombre yet splendid as we lined up to plant individual crosses, after the two minutes’ silence, when the massed standard bearers dipped their flags as The Last Post sounded. That evening I attended a most enjoyable Lecture and Reception at Glaziers’ Hall, given by Stephan Trumpter of the Swiss Stained Glass Research Centre: what was most fascinating was the link with many English glass artists of the 19th century who worked in Switzerland and added to the nation’s fine heritage of mediaeval glass. 

The Company visit to the Royal Courts of Justice on 6 November was a most successful sell-out, hosted by my cousin Mr Justice (Sir Gary) Hickinbottom, a man who relishes the quirky eccentricities of George Edmund Street’s icon of the Gothic Revival. The Great Hall is now used for badminton out of hours, while the basement incudes extra carving by Belgian masons who were practically imprisoned in the building as ‘blackleg’ labour during a vicious trade dispute, and had nothing else to do on their Sundays off! After a drink in Gary’s office, where I presented him with a framed reproduction of a painting of Temple Bar c.1798, demolished for the building of RCJ, and a cheque for the charity Personal Support Unit, it was across the road with Gary and his wife Caroline for a buffet and wine reception at El Vino; a convivial evening all round. 

The Silent Ceremony at GUILDHALL, on Friday 9 November was an oddball occasion, the passing of governance of the City from the incumbent Lord Mayor to his successor. The pageantry was present but muted: the only words spoken were the swearing in of the new man, Michael Roger Gifford, then lights were dimmed and presentation of the Sword, Mace and Shield occurred in dumb-show, virtually invisible – rumour has it that the power failed and microphones went dead during the 1973 Miners’ strike and we have been kept in the dark ever since. 

On Saturday 10 November, The LORD MAYOR’S SHOW was a highlight of the Civic Calendar. The Architects were somewhere near the tail with other modern companies. I was joined by Upper Warden Jaki Howes and Student Jenni White, and the procession was preceded by seemingly unending waiting on London Wall while the juggernaut was marshalled into place. Happily the forecast rain never materialised in full strength as we advanced towards Mansion House, where the Lord Mayor greeted us from the balcony, before going down to his coach to join the line. Not as many elaborate sponsored floats as before, but an impressive array of military hardware and uniforms. Somehow everything speeded up as we approached St Paul’s and we were practically running to keep up – at least it kept out the cold. We finished near the Royal Courts of Justice, where the Lord Mayor lunched – lesser mortals made do with cardboard sandwiches and crisps, washes down with champagne, aboard the Wellington, the Mariners Company floating livery hall. Then return via the embankment and Queen Victoria Street where the crowds were jubilant. Standing down at Guildhall yard, we headed towards Painter-Stainers Hall where the regalia is kept, to find that The Lord Mayors’ return had been delayed by a fault with his coach – beyond even the resources of the AA whose own hiatus in the procession was hardly the best advertisement for their breakdown service.

written by Master Mervyn Miller