The Master and Wardens
The Master and Wardens are elected yearly by the Court of the Livery Company
The Master
Mr Jeremy Bedford
Jeremy Bedford joined the Feltmakers in 2000, following in the footsteps of his father, who was Master in 2004/5. He was elected to the Court in 2009 and was installed as Master on 4th October 2024.
Jeremy was educated at Sedbergh School and was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, where he majored in Political Science.
Since graduating in 1991, Jeremy has enjoyed a career in investment banking, finance and investment management. He joined the London Corporate Finance department of Salomon Brothers in 1991 and then worked at Morgan Stanley from 1997 to 2003 on the UK Equity Desk, after which he ran the Equities team at Investec in London, New York, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
In 2006 Jeremy joined the then recently founded Fulcrum Asset Management, where he became a Partner, and helped build the business to become a major institutional asset manager before founding Merivel Ltd, a corporate finance, capital raising and consultancy business in 2018, which has since grown internationally to become Merivel Capital Partners.
Jeremy is a Governor of Sedbergh School in Cumbria and was previously Chairman of the Sedbergh School Foundation.
He is a keen sportsman, though the passage of time now limits this to tennis, golf and cycling. He is a keen pursuer of all country sports.
Jeremy is married to Sophie and has three daughters.
.
Upper Warden
Mr Simon Millar
Simon Millar was educated at Tiffin School in Kingston upon Thames and Wolverhampton Polytechnic. Having entered the Livery in 2004, he served two years as Steward before joining the Court in 2010, subsequently serving as Chair of the Livery Society. His career has been in real estate insurance, working for a variety of firms across the sector from large organisations such as Great Portland Estates PLC and Lockton Companies LLP, to smaller, more niche companies. He is currently CEO of Albanwise Insurance Services, a property focused broker that is part of a large, diversified property, agricultural and renewable energy business. He is also a director of Monopoly Network, a leading property networking organisation in London. Outside of work, Simon is a Trustee of Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a Norfolk based charity supporting the bereaved children from Armed Forces families. Also having played his last, but not necessarily final, game of rugby aged 49, he is heavily involved with local rugby. He is a Past President at Huntingdon & District Rugby Club, the current Chair of Huntingdonshire & Peterborough County Rugby Union, and sits on two Committees for the East Midlands Rugby Union. When time permits, he is also a keen Northampton Saints supporter, particularly enjoying cultural exchanges at away matches in Europe. Simon has lived in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire for the past twenty six years with his wife Kerry, and has two daughters. Poppy is a Freeman of the Company under the Young Freeman and currently lives and works in Utrecht in the Netherlands, while Daisy is at Leeds University reading Politics and International Relations.
Renter Warden
Mr Peter Winfield
Peter Winfield was educated at St George College in Weybridge and The Polytechnic of Wales. Peter is a Chartered Surveyor, he joined Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in 1988 and after spending time in the Industrial Letting Team, The Property Management Services Team, the Fund Management Team and the Open Market Invest Team, he was tasked with creating the JLL Industrial Investment Team. In 2005 Peter joined Cushman and Wakefield to head up their Industrial Investment Team. In 2011 Peter was the co-founder of TRW Real Estate, and in 2016 he formed Kimmre with 4 old friends. Kimmre is a leading commercial real estate investment, leasing and development consultancy; and Peter continues to specialise in the Industrial and Warehouse sector where he advises clients on the acquisition and disposal of assets and development funding. Peter joined the Livery in 2008 and was elected to the Court in 2012. Peter follows in the footsteps of his father who was Master in 1990 and his sister, Mrs Susan Wood, who was the first lady to be elected Master in 2009. Peter lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife Catherine and 2 daughters; Mary and Connie.
Third Warden
Mr Simon Wood
Simon has been a Feltmaker since 1990 and is third generation after his father Edward and grandfather Morton, who joined the Livery in 1960. Since then, his son Archie has become a Feltmaker. His sister Caro is a member of the Charity Committee. Lucy, his wife, is an academic at King’s College and he also has two daughters, Erica and Lizzie. Raised in Yorkshire, Simon attended Bradford Grammar School, then Downing College, Cambridge. He completed a Short Service Commission in the local West Riding regiment, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, and then 10 years in the Territorial Army. At Cambridge, he studied Archaeology, then Land Economy and since leaving university, has always worked in real estate, in the UK and Europe. Simon now runs a property asset management and development business, working in hotels, leisure, medical and other non-core property asset classes. Simon rows at Quintin Boat Club in Chiswick, in Eights and Fours; he has a vintage 1915 rowing boat, used this year at the Feltmaker picnic at Henley Royal Regatta. He is president of the Downing College Segreants (rowing alumni), and coaches at the college. He is the Surveyor to the Trustees of the River and Rowing Museum at Henley. He also has a number of active hobbies, including woodwork and beekeeping.
Fourth Warden
Mr John Horn
John Horn was educated at Beechwood Park Preparatory School and Bearwood College.
He joined the family business Baxter Hart & Abraham Ltd who were bleachers and dyers for the millinery trade founded by John’s Great Grandfather in 1823.
In 1978, John joined Barford Brothers Ltd which had been founded by Reginald Barford, a Past Master of the Feltmakers’ Company. At Barford Brothers he learnt all aspects of the business including the manufacturing of wool felt hoods and straw, sisal, feather and ribbon dyeing. The business is still hat, sinamay and ribbon dyers supplying BH&A with millinery products which they sell on worldwide.
John is a former President of the Rotaract club of Dunstable, a Founder President of the Dunstable and District Orbit club and former President of the Rotary Club of Luton.
He became a Liveryman 2005 and was elected to the Court in 2014.
John is married to Christine and has two daughters and 2 grandsons.
His hobbies include classic cars, carpentry and gardening.
