Clerk’s notes – July 2018

As the Coachmaker livery year draws to a close, up until a few days ago the Old Barn was looking very parched following a six week dry spell with temperatures that have been quite frankly just plain silly. All the paddocks are brown including the winter paddocks that are supposed to be resting and re-growing to enable them to see us through the winter months. However, to misquote a famous phrase, at the moment they’re toast. So I shall have even more joy this winter gazing out onto the foothills of the Lincolnshire Himalayas to watch our recycling operatives turning even more of my money into manure as we supplementary feed them with bought-in hay instead of the grass that may not have recovered from its extreme day(s) in the sun.

The Clerk, Cmdr Mark Leaning RN

Notwithstanding, the final major event of the Livery Year was the Summer Court Dinner held in HQS Wellington on 19^th July 2018. By all accounts it was a jolly affair, which everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy. The Company heard from the Commanding Officers of each of our military affiliated units, the Master presented awards to the Coachmaker Person-of-the-Year from each of the units and the Company welcomed three new Freemen and four newly-clothed Liverymen; the Master reports more detail of the evening’s activities elsewhere in this edition of Coachlines.

Looking ahead, the Election Court, Installation Service and Dinner will be held on 3^rd September this year. During this event the new Master, Wardens and Officers of the Company will be elected and sworn to their duties for the ensuing year followed by a celebratory dinner. Again, places will be available for members of the wider Livery and I hope to distribute the relevant advert on 1^st August.

On 5^th September from 1100 to 1600 hrs, Coachmakers are warmly welcomed to join the Master at Merryfield Airfield in Somerset to visit the Commando Helicopter Force during its Landowners’ Day. This event is held annually to demonstrate to CHF’s landowning neighbours what they do, how they do and why. It will be an excellent opportunity to see the CHF in action and talk to a very broad cross-section of its personnel – you’ll also be able to find out what their neighbours think of them! If you wish to know more, please click here.

At the end of September the Company has also been invited to visit RAF Brize Norton; at the time of writing the date had not yet been agreed but as soon as the details are available they will be promulgated to the membership.

By the time you read this I also hope to have populated the Coachmaker Events Diary on the website with details of all the major Livery events and more. Follow this link to find out if I’ve done that yet.

City Events

Grants of Arms

The final Grant of Arms workshop for 2018 will be held at IT Hall on the evening of 10^th September 2018, details and enrolment are at: heraldry2018.eventbrite.co.uk

The previous workshop was wildly over-subscribed and sold out three months in advance. The first workshop of 2019 won’t be held until late April, although it is hoped to organise a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of the College of Arms just prior to Christmas. Details of that will follow in due course.

Something that may be of interest on 17^th September 2018

I have been asked by Alderman William Russell to draw to the attention of interested members the event described below. This event is simply meant to highlight the life-changing work of criminal justice charities.

Sponsored by the Haberdashers’ Company, it will be organised by the Clink Charity, supported by the Secretary of State for Justice, and hosted by Alderman Russell and Lady Brewer. Space is limited but if you are interested in the work being undertaken to improve the very high rate of re-offending and wish to attend please let me know and I shall pass your details to the Haberdashers’ Company. To learn more please click here: Clinks Programme Final

A retail opportunity in the Guildhall Square – Livery Fair – 30th September 2018

The offer of this opportunity has arrived too late for the Coachmakers to be actively involved as invited. However, if any member of the Company would like the opportunity to display or sell their wares in the Guildhall Square on 30^th September 2018 just follow this link for more details.

Mayoral Election – 1^st October 2018

The first major event in the wider City is the Election Ceremony of the Lord Mayor which this year will be held on 1^st October in Guildhall. If you were clothed in the Livery before 31^st May 2017 then you are entitled to vote and I have the necessary cards to enable you to gain entry to Guildhall on the day. Coachmakers who attend usually then take lunch at Tallow Chandlers’ Hall for a charge of £60 inc. vat. Should you wish to participate please e-mail me at clerk@coachmakers.co.uk

The Brigantes Breakfast 2018

If any of you wondered what goes on up in the barren wastelands of the north, follow this link: (https://www.wcit.org.uk/networks/154/events.html?id=3699)

An update from the City

Abdicating my responsibility to inform you about other wider ranging news from the City, rather than laboriously cut and paste the details and pretend that the words are all mine, if you follow this link it will take you to the latest Livery Briefing from Deputy Richard Regan OBE, the Chairman of the City’s Livery Committee.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

Currently about 66% of the membership has responded to my requests for consent to hold the personal details of each member, necessary to manage your membership of the Coachmakers Company effectively and legally as required by GDPR. If you have not yet done so I would be extremely grateful if you would take the time to follow this link and type in your name and click “I consent”.

It only takes a few seconds to do and it would be of great help to us. Please note that you will not receive an acknowledgement but the system and the Assistant Clerk will log your response. Many thanks, I appreciate it.

And finally:

As I approach the start of my 7^th year as your Clerk I can’t help thinking, “Blimey, how did that happen?” However, with that in mind I thought that it would be appropriate to thank you all for supporting me during my time in office. It hasn’t all been simple straight and level transit flying and occasionally there has been some light turbulence along the way but it’s been an interesting and entertaining sortie thus far and I suspect there will be more of the same in the future.

On behalf of myself, the Assistant Clerk and all the overheated manure makers from the Old Barn, may I wish you a very pleasant summer holiday, may your air-cons always function appropriately.

The Clerk