The Vikings have arrived

Tom's picture now with notable Vikings

Meanwhile in the crowd

Past Master Mervyn Miller was able to catch the attention of the Master

The Master spotted his wife, Ann

and Jaki didn't quite manage to focus her camera

Tom Ball's Pictures from home

Sorry - no vikings or WCCA yet!

Geoffrey Purves is installed as Master

Photographs by Tom Ball

Ironbridge Weekend

The Ironbridge Weekend is an annual event. Profits go to the Ironbridge Gorge Trust. 'Masters' go to set up a 'Past Masters' Association' for the year passing.

Everyone goes for education, food and fun. It rained torrentially - some groups escaped. There were visits to most of the Museums in Coalbrookedale - fascinating!

There was a dinner - people were seated with people they were least likely to know - good networking with food and wine. There was a ball - as above - without much dancing. There was time in the bar... the Master played the piano. There was a meeting where it was decided that there would not be separate organisations for Masters and Consorts

and where Michael Harrison was elected

Chairman of 

'14 All'.

***

June

Chelsea Hospital in the rain

It rained on 3 June, throughout the Founders' Day parade at Chelsea Hospital. The pensioners had to stick it out. About two thirds of the spectators left - they were very very wet.

It continued to rain during the afternoon at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party. No photographs were allowed but you can imagine - soggy morning suits and droopy dresses.

It rained during the annual Livery weekend at Ironbridge. 

It rained on 28 June when the Queen (she looked stunning) reviewed reserve cadets at Chelsea. Most other spectators were very very wet and, of course, had to stick it (or rather umbrella it) out.

Krakow people

Peter Murray in the salt mines

Geoffrey Purves in the rain

Valerie King in the salt mines

Valerie King's Krakow 1

The group, minus Peter Murray and the Purves, met the extraordinary Polish architect, Marta Urbanska, in the cellar of Hotel Niebieski. She told tales of Polish history, including Bolislav the Bashful and St Kinga.....

Marta Urbanska and the Master

Tom's Polish Pictures

Wawel Castle, Krakow

Stephen Wagstaff and wet model of Wawel Castle 16 May 2014

Saltmines..... there will be more pictures from Poland

Krakow, Saturday 17 May, the Saltmines

Masters Master Polish

Master Flight

First Helicopter Lesson

...but not the last

Just for fun....

The Shard - looking down

The Shard - looking up

More Masterful April

9 April 2014

WCCA Banqet at Stationers' Hall. 130 guests. Music by the Pavao String Quartet. Alderman Sir David Wootton was the principal guest. He left the Irish State Banquet at the Guildhall to be with us, and was played in to Ilkley Moor Ba Tat. He, the Master and the Master Plumber all have strong Yorkshire connections.... so a toast "from the North" was added to the procedings.

view from the top table

a toast from the North

***

Masterful April

3 April 2014

Lord Mayor's Dinner at the Mansion House to the Masters, Prime Wardens and Upper Bailiff of the City of London. A huge occasion with 360 guests, much pomp and huge party-poppers.

4 April 2014

The United Guilds Sevice at St Pauls Cathedral with very impressive music.

.....followed by a very jolly lunch at the Stationers' Hall.

March highlight

The rest of March 2014 - one art exhibition private view, one lecture, one meeting and one lunch.

The Livery Schools Link

The highlight of the month was the day that the Clerk and I spent at Apothecaries' Hall for the Livery Schools Link. Twenty-seven Livery Companies had stalls, and many were giving practical demonstrations of their craft to some 400 visiting students from City of London schools. The WCCA stall was provided by Jerry Tate Architects. Several of Jerry's staff manned the stall, including his business partner, Rory Harmer. Quite a shock for Rory and the Master, as Jaki was his tutor at Leeds Metropolitan University before Rory went on to the Bartlett.

The Master being shown how to upholster by the Upholders, before the students arrived 

Cutting edges

The Clerk and Jerry Tate

The end with spiral addition, courtesy the Goldsmiths' Co.

***

More March

Evening of 13 March 2014. Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Greater London, Spring Meeting and Lord-Lieutenant's Awards Ceremony at Yeomanry House. Yeomanry House is a huge hanger-like drill hall with hard surfaces. There were hundreds of people - and drummers. A surreal experience because I couldn't hear because of the reverberation and couldn't see either.

***

En passant

theTemple Bar from Paternoster Square

On my way from the Cutlers' Hall to St Paul's Underground, I noticed this slightly different view of Temple Bar.

More Mrs Master's March Miscellany

On 12 March 2014:

 the day after the Middle Temple visit, was the Security Professionals' Lecture at the RAF Club. The speaker was Martin Howard CB, GCHQ Director of Cyber-Policy. The subject was "Cyber Security- Risk, Impact and Protection". The lecture was delivered under the Chatham House Rule.

13 March 2014:

The Worshipful Company of Builders' Merchants City and awards Luncheon at the Cutlers' Hall. Found myself seated between the Master, John Poore and the Lord Mayor's Consort, Nicholas Woolf.

The highlight was the speech delivered in rhyming couplets by the Lord Mayor and her Consort - no mean feat.

This a picture of the Cutlers' Hall, taken after the Lord Mayor had departed and before the stand-up comedian. His performance was a trifle ripe or even a ripe trifle.