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Spring Livery Dinner 2008

One of the many delights of being a Feltmaker is that, as we have no hall of our own, we are privileged to visit many of the other varied and interesting livery halls around the City of London. This was particularly the case on April 7th., as we crowded into the magnificent wooden-panelled splendour of Skinners’ Hall.

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Liverymen and guests assemble in Skinners' Hall
The Master had encouraged his fellow Liverymen, this year, to invite friends with links to the Services as their guests, and the presence of an impressive number of senior officers (retired or still on active service) from all three Armed Forces gave a distinctly military feel to this year’s Spring Livery Dinner. In recognition of his choice of the theme of Service, the Master’s principal guest was Major General John Holmes DSO, OBE, MC, an old friend since the time that they were both pupils at Mill Hill School. The promise of an interesting speech from him no doubt explained why our guests this year also included an almost unprecedented number of visiting Masters; no less than eleven accompanied by a total of six supporting clerks.

We have come to expect excellent food and wines at our formal dinners and the Skinners Hall did us proud.

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Major General John Holmes
After our Chaplain, Colin Semper, had blessed the meal with a grace in the personal and thoughtful style that is now his hallmark, we enjoyed a splendid feast. After the loyal toasts, the guests were welcomed by Assistant Edward Hutton. He managed the daunting task of introducing us to so many distinguished guests, with wit and humour and also whetted our appetite to hear more from the Master’s principal guest, by hinting at his impressive military career. Major General Holmes did not disappoint and in proposing the toast to the Company, he included fascinating details of his life in the army, and we were all impressed by the very modest way he described the act that won him the MC in Northern Ireland in 1971.
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The Master responds for the Livery

The Master, responding for the Feltmakers’ Company, expanded on the military theme, mentioning more of our guests from the Services, and also thanked another most welcome guest, Lt. Commander Stephen McGlory, Executive Officer of ‘our own’ HMS Lancaster, whose ship’s company hosted a day on board for Liverymen and their families at Portsmouth in March. Finally, before inviting all to join him in the customary stirrup cup, the Master encouraged support for his sponsored slim for the St. Clements Fund charity, which was inaugurated by his being weighed, just before the start of that evening’s dinner.

 

Peter Shirley & Edward Hutton 
 
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