ahoy shipmates

Wednesday 3 June - the Master was pleased to welcome a bumper crew on board SB Ardwina in St Catherine's Dock today to hear Deputy Christine Cohen OBE talk about 'The Landscaping of Public Open Spaces in the City'. Christine Cohen speaks with a great deal of authority on the subject as she is not only the current Master of the Gardeners' Company but also is the Chairman of the Planning and Transporation Committee in the City of London Corporation. She gave an overview of the steps that have been taken by the Corporation to humanize the Square Mile by making it more of an area that workers will enjoy working in. She talked of 'pocket parks'. of incorporating sculpture and mautre planting and of ensuring publically accessible spaces in the current and coming larger buildings.

Her talk was preceded by a glass of bubbly al fresco on deck before the group descended into the cabin for a fish and chip lunch organized by David Penning. This was washed down by a glass or two of wine procured by Master of Wine Patricia Stefanowicz.


above left - Past Master Peter Luscombe. Deputy Christine Cohen and David Penning

above right: Catering Officer and barmaid

left: an unlikely crew!







The Company holds this function every year with the purpose of raising a modest level of funding for the RNLI - that we are able to do so is due to the generosity of the Directors of Rolfe Judd Ltd who own the Ardwina, of those who have donated the wine and the hard work of the organizers - Michael Wilkey and David Penning.

Patricia Stefanowicz adds:

'I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the 'get stuck in and muck in ability of the Master's Lady - she was brilliant; she managed to organize the itinerant barmaid and others to get the washing up done in half the time and get the glasses and beakers returned to their correct places without a single breakage. Thios was a very impressive performance and deserving of my undying gratitude.'

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.'

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution

The Waterloo pier of the RNLI gives LONDON's citizens reassurance after disasters such as 'The Marchioness' sinking.

RNLI Sennen Cove

After several servings of Cornish Pasties, it has been proposed that the Company should try to focus our RNLI charity efforts on this particular spectacular lifeboat station; they are on the point of getting a new £1m 'Tamar' class lifeboat. Follow the link (left) to Sennan Cove.