Ladies Banquet – Stationers Hall 3 June 2010
150 Liverymen and their guests came together at Stationers Hall for the highlight of the Joiners’ year, our Ladies Banquet. Thanks to glorious sunshine the pink champagne reception was held in the beautifully secluded garden of Stationers’ Hall before moving through to the beautiful ancient Livery hall with its gleaming oak flooring and carved oak panelling originating from the 1600s. The huge stained glass windows depict William Shakespeare, William Caxton, St Cecelia, William Tynedale & Archbishop Cranmer whilst he larger north window purports to display Edward IV and his Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, being shown a proof by William Caxton. Following grace by the Chaplain, the Reverend Paul Hunt, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal of Asparagus Wrapped in Pancetta, with Basil Hollandaise,
Medallions of Beef with Smoked Applewood Cheddar and Caramelised Shallot Mash and a Tiramisu Berry Twist Drum washed down with Les Petits Faiteaux Sauvignon de Touraine and the excellent St. Clair Pinot Noir from New Zealand, a particular favourite of the Master’s. Once grace had been enthusiastically sung, the ceremony of the Loving Cup concluded, the loyal toasts to the Queen, the other members of the Royal Family and the Lord Mayor and City Corporation were drunk. Four outstanding students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama then provided a wonderful musical interlude with superb renditions of “La Chi” from Don Giovanni, “All I ask of you” from Phantom of the Opera, “Soave si al vento” from Cosi fan Tutte, “Ole' Man River” from Showboat and “The Bold Gendarmes” by Offenbach. Liveryman Bob Cowdell discarded his crutches to propose the toast to the Ladies and guests cleverly drawing attention to historical facts about the Livery companies who’s Masters had been invited as official guests. Most notably he congratulated the Clerk on putting the Master Loriner on the other side of the room from the Master Saddler as there had been a Cheapside punch-up on Ascension Day in 1327 between the Joiners, the Painters and the Loriners on the one side and the Saddlers on the other in which several were slain and many wounded. The principal guest was Mrs Ali Mackesy, who with her husband had launched a walking website, www.walkopedia.net , which was committed to identifying the 100 best walks in the world. She talked about many of the walks they had done, particularly those they did in Asia when they both lived in Hong Kong. This included having to roll down a hill three times as a fertility ritual; Ali observed that it had worked as she now had two children! The Master, James de Sausmarez, thanked Ali for her speech and gave one and all a hearty welcome and then mused on the old form of the toast to the ladies, thanked the Mistress for all the support she was giving him in his year, related a few stories about his own walking holidays and told his now traditional couple of jokes which went down particularly well with the ladies. He also commented that the Livery was in good heart with more than ever being done to support our ancient crafts of joinery and wood carving and a very successful focus on charity. A stirrup cup was then served for those who could stay and all returned home grateful to the Master Stationer and Newspaper Maker and the Beadle and all the staff at Stationers’ Hall for a very memorable evening.